“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds” – James 1:2 (ESV)
Beloved, many of us believers do not see trials as a joyful experience, simply because they bring with them a great degree of stress, distress, and misery.
Trials in nature are very oppressive. As such, we are unable to count them as joy, but instead find ourselves counting the time, wondering how long we must stay in the fire of affliction of hurts, pains, and disappointments. We may even spend time counting the number of insults we have endured, character assassinations, enemies, and false friends we have accumulated during the process. But joy comes when we know and declare this adage, “This too shall pass.”
Brethren, do not equate joy with happiness. Joy is far superior to happiness. Happiness is temporary, it is soulical in that it panders to the flesh. We feel happy when we receive a promotion at work, graduate from an academic institution, receive a good report from our doctor regarding our medical condition, watch a comedy show that has given us ‘stitches’ from laughter, eat our favorite dish, etc. Joy, however, is spiritual and permanent; it is one of the Fruit of the Holy Spirit, and once cultivated, it superintends over every adverse situation that is cast in our direction. Joy gives us a blessed assurance that the Christ of any crisis will see us through.
We are reminded in James 1:2-4, ‘that when we face these trials, the testing of our faith produces perseverance, and that we should allow perseverance to finish its work so that we may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.’ Thus, it is a deliberate choice we must make to choose joy when circumstances are difficult. We must focus on God’s purpose through trials, for He may be using them to produce something lasting in our lives.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, we approach Your throne in the name of Jesus Christ and ask for the power of Your transformation to be resident in our lives. We ask for Your transformation as we come into Your presence that we may receive the fullness of joy. In our state of sadness, we ask God to bestow the oil of joy, the Holy Spirit, to replace mourning as in Isaiah 61:3. We ask all of these things in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Read: Psalm 16:11; Romans 12:12
Bible Reading Guide: Psalm 127; James 1; Ezekiel 32; Ezekiel 33:1-20