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Finding Joy and Endurance in Trials – James 1:2-3 Meditation
In today’s meditation, we reflect on James chapter 1, vers… (visit YouTube for more)
Transcript
Today’s meditation verse is one of those where when we first look at it, we might find it difficult, but when we reflect on it, it can bring us joy and comfort. It’s James chapter 1, verses 2 to 3. Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.
James says have joy in the trial, and that doesn’t make sense to us, does it? But if you think about somebody who wants to be able to run marathons. How do they achieve that goal? Are they, on their first day of training, going to run 26 miles? Well, no, obviously not. They need to prepare for it. They need to put their body through the trial of repeatedly running farther and farther and eventually they’ll be able to run 26 miles, we hope.
And it’s similar to that with life. Life is a marathon. I think that’s most of our experience, isn’t it? We aren’t going to get through life by trying to do it all at once. But when we face difficulties, hardship, trials, we can take comfort in the fact that we are being stretched so that we are better able to face the things that God has for us in this life.
James was talking to the persecuted church. They were going to be tortured. Some of them martyred. They were going to be disinherited by their families. And he says to them, there is joy in this for you. Not joy that you are encountering those trials, not joy that you are in pain, but joy that you are growing. And joy that you are being prepared for more, for what God has for you.
So how do we apply this to our lives? We can take comfort from these two verses when we reflect on all that God has brought us through and all that is yet to come. We are being made to endure and endurance is a good thing because those who endure to the end are saved, the Bible says.
Thank you Lord for this message of hope. Thank you for testing our faith, even though that’s hard. And thank you that you give us the endurance, you give us the strength to continue.
Thank you that you walk with us through every trial. Bless your name. Amen.
