“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds,
because you know that the testing of your faith develops…so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
-James 1:2-4
Consider it joy?
When you face trials?
That’s not what I learned.
Aren’t trials bad?
From the Devil?
Meant to hurt and destroy us?
Answer: Yes.
So what then?
God is sitting on the opposite side of a battlefield.
Doing His best to stop these attacks?
But…failing?
That doesn’t sound like my God.
My God doesn’t fail.
My God is in control.
“O Lord, God of our fathers, are you not the God who is in heaven?
You rule over all the kingdoms in the nations,
Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you.”
-2 Chronicles 19:11
My God wins.
That’s it.
So then, God is in control.
Yet, we still receive trials and temptations.
Why?
Well, lemme ask you this.
Are you perfect?
If the answer is no, then you have sinful thoughts and fleshly desires.
Don’t worry.
You’re in the same boat as all of us.
So then, lemme ask you this.
How do you expect to get rid of that sin and flesh desire?
What’s your game plan?
Just to stop?
Give up all that filthy stuff one day.
What about all the things you don’t even realize that separates you from Daddy?
Things so engrained into your being that you don’t even recognize them.
How do you get rid of that?
Answer: You can’t.
Not without God anyways.
Trials suck.
Temptations are hard.
But they are essential to your survival.
God does not cause them.
“…For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone”
-James 1:13
But He does allow it.
He allows trials and temptations to come into your life.
For your good.
Because you can’t revolt against your flesh on your own.
You won’t.
You like it too much.
You need God for that.
You need His Grace.
You need a test.
To all those who believe they can do it themselves.
You are in a dangerous place.
And you’re wrong.
But if God allows those things to happen then it is for a purpose.
If He allows you to endure a trial or be tempted then He has a purpose for it.
And it is always to bring you closer to Him.
That’s a good place to be.
Every trial specifically targets a weakness that is keeping you from your Father.
That should change how you view things now.
It sure changed me.
I have been getting excited lately whenever something difficult comes my way.
Because now I look for what God is trying to speak to me through it.
What He wants to change so we can be closer.
If my schedule suddenly changes.
God I give you control.
If the people around me begin to frustrate me.
God teach me patience.
If I start feeling terribly sick.
God let me learn to rely on you.
If my brother is tired of carrying his bag.
God teach me to serve like you.
The list never ends.
My trials never end.
Because my relationship with God will never end.
It must always grow.
Lest I start relying on myself and make a total mess of my life.
I don’t care how entitled you believe you are to carefree living.
God’s trials are a favor.
Accept them.
Gladly.
As soon as you do,
Your relationship with Daddy will skyrocket.
I guarantee it.
Start seeing every single problem in your life as a challenge.
To learn about yourself and grow closer to your Creator who loves you.
And wants what is infinitely best for you.
It doesn’t make it any less hard.
But it makes it worth it.
If you need proof,
look to Joseph.
When he was a boy he was happy.
He had the love of his father and a sweet jacket to go with it.
Then after, he endured brotherly betrayal.
Then slavery.
Then temptation by a married woman.
Then undeserved time in prison.
But then God made him the second most powerful man in Egypt.
And at the end of it all,
he said to his brothers who had betrayed him,
“Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God?
You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good
to accomplish what is now being done,
the saving of many lives.”
-Genesis 50:19-20
God intended.
All of it.
All that pain and waiting.
For the good of Joseph.
And for many other lives.
Praise be to our awesome Daddy.
Who sees the bigger picture.
What a relief.
So don’t get discouraged by trials or tough times.
Don’t get upset when your plans are changed,
or you lose your job,
or you become sick or injured.
Rather, be encouraged and get excited.
Daddy is about to pull you closer into His arms.
If you would only reach out yours.
Fire burns.
But without the heat, you’ll never be refined.
Nothing in this world matters except God.
There is no other goal than to run towards your Father.
Refine me God.
Turn up the heat.
I wanna glow.
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The World Race
Catch me on Twitter at NinjaZachWR
or see my pictures on Instagram at NinjaZach.
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If you would like to check out my new blog, with everything from the World Race and all my missions since then and even now in Japan, please click on this link for my blog The Vagabond Missionary. Thank you always for your support!
