Trials - Consider it an opportunity for great joy - James 1: 2–4

Trials

James 1: 2–4
Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested your endurance has a great chance to grow so let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

Easier said than done one may say.
How can we possibly be joyful when troubles, trials and tests come our way?
Tests are later a testimony of God's sovereignty in our lives.

It is important to understand that trials are for a purpose in our lives. They develop our faith and give us an opportunity to mature.
Verse 4 calls for an action on our part. It starts by saying "so let it grow" ...
Now the result of trials is that when we are mature we will be found lacking nothing meaning our faith will lead our way.

The question still stands though... how can I be joyful in the midst of trials?
Well, joy it's a fruit of the Spirit. So if we ask God to fill us up with His Holy Spirit we will be joyful.
The Bible says that the joy of the Lord is my strength, so I grow strong and I'm joyful.
This is the strength that will keep me going as I experience seasons of trials in my life.

We all know the story of Job a righteous and very wealthy man that lost everything but his wife.
He was a good man that did great things for others. Probably one of those men we would say, above reproach.
However, God had better plans for him. After Job went through everything he did, The loss of possessions, position, places, people in his life, he comes back to God and says the following:
Job 42:5
I had only heard about You before, but now I have seen You with my own eyes.

We need to understand this very clearly. Job's statement doesn't mean that he didn't know God, have only heard about God. No! Job had a great relationship with God but as I mentioned before, God had better plans for him, meaning God wanted a more intimate relationship with his son Job. That is the reason why God allowed Job to go through his difficult trial period. At the end Job declares that now he sees God with his own eyes.
That is to say that the spiritual eyes of his understanding are more clear than ever of the person who God really is.
Can you picture this?
This is the plan that God has also for you and me when we go through trials.
We will "see" Him better than ever.
Are you willing to go through trials to get to know God better?
Trust God as He leads you through seasons of tests and trials in your life.

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