Daily Bread 2011 - James 1
Trials and Temptations
1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings. 2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
What Does This Mean?
The apostle James doesn’t waste any time in getting to the point in this short epistle. James, a a servant of the Lord, and also one of the original apostles, is writing to the Jews (the twelve tribes) who had been scattered as a result of the persecution that came on the early church. Just as Stephen, one of the first martyrs had died for his faith and others too, James tells the scattered church to consider it joy that they were facing various kinds of trials.
“Consider” is a mental word, meaning to “consider” is to make a mental calculation. It is not natural for us in a trial of any kind to naturally “consider it as pure joy”. Our temptation is to say “why me?”, or “I deserve better than this”. But James calls on the believers to first realize that if they are facing trials, it has a bigger purpose in their lives. Since God is sovereign He allows trials in our lives to mold us and shape us.
James describes this as “the testing of our faith which will produce perseverance”. Perseverance is the ability to stand up under the trial through our faith. Then, the passage describes that it is through persevering that the outcome of a complete and mature faith results. This means a faith that is proven and been made more genuine because of the trials. It is easy to trust God when everything is going well, but as we trust God when our circumstances are bad, it gives perseverance a chance to “perfect or complete” our faith.
What Does This Mean For Us?
First of all let me say that this is a fantastic verse to memorize, and to repeat when you are going through a trial. It will help set the trial or circumstance into perspective and help you persevere. God’s Word has power in it to change our thinking, and also call the Holy Spirit into action according to God’s promises. It is when we are going through a trial that we will need the truth of God’s Word more than ever.
This is why when someone is going through a hard time, and they don’t go to church and/or don’t return phone calls from other believers, they are not taking advantage of these promises. When we are hurting and questioning why something is happening to us, that is when we need the power of the Christian community the most, and need to be reminded of this specific promise from James!
The next time you are going through a trial of any kind (it doesn’t matter how big or how small), repeat this verse in your mind and reach out to others who can encourage you. You will see that your faith is being perfected in ways it never could had you not gone through the trial. Not always easy, but always true!
Heavenly Father, as we encounter various kinds of trials that life is sure to bring us, help us to rely on this promise from James. Help us to consider it all joy when life’s curve balls come at us, since we know the testing of our faith produces perseverance and it must finish its work so our faith will be mature and complete and lacking in nothing. Amen.
1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings. 2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
What Does This Mean?
The apostle James doesn’t waste any time in getting to the point in this short epistle. James, a a servant of the Lord, and also one of the original apostles, is writing to the Jews (the twelve tribes) who had been scattered as a result of the persecution that came on the early church. Just as Stephen, one of the first martyrs had died for his faith and others too, James tells the scattered church to consider it joy that they were facing various kinds of trials.
“Consider” is a mental word, meaning to “consider” is to make a mental calculation. It is not natural for us in a trial of any kind to naturally “consider it as pure joy”. Our temptation is to say “why me?”, or “I deserve better than this”. But James calls on the believers to first realize that if they are facing trials, it has a bigger purpose in their lives. Since God is sovereign He allows trials in our lives to mold us and shape us.
James describes this as “the testing of our faith which will produce perseverance”. Perseverance is the ability to stand up under the trial through our faith. Then, the passage describes that it is through persevering that the outcome of a complete and mature faith results. This means a faith that is proven and been made more genuine because of the trials. It is easy to trust God when everything is going well, but as we trust God when our circumstances are bad, it gives perseverance a chance to “perfect or complete” our faith.
What Does This Mean For Us?
First of all let me say that this is a fantastic verse to memorize, and to repeat when you are going through a trial. It will help set the trial or circumstance into perspective and help you persevere. God’s Word has power in it to change our thinking, and also call the Holy Spirit into action according to God’s promises. It is when we are going through a trial that we will need the truth of God’s Word more than ever.
This is why when someone is going through a hard time, and they don’t go to church and/or don’t return phone calls from other believers, they are not taking advantage of these promises. When we are hurting and questioning why something is happening to us, that is when we need the power of the Christian community the most, and need to be reminded of this specific promise from James!
The next time you are going through a trial of any kind (it doesn’t matter how big or how small), repeat this verse in your mind and reach out to others who can encourage you. You will see that your faith is being perfected in ways it never could had you not gone through the trial. Not always easy, but always true!
Heavenly Father, as we encounter various kinds of trials that life is sure to bring us, help us to rely on this promise from James. Help us to consider it all joy when life’s curve balls come at us, since we know the testing of our faith produces perseverance and it must finish its work so our faith will be mature and complete and lacking in nothing. Amen.
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