“Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.“-{James 1:2-5}.
And so He gives reason to delight in what you know God is doing in your trials!
Troubles, James says come in various types and with it he gives us reasons why we can obey the command to immediately commence rejoicing. We cannot command an emotion, but an attitude. And he gives reason why we can immediately commence rejoicing. It is revealed in the next command “knowing” which has to do with “an understanding mind.” Ignorance is not bliss when you are been tested at times severely, and it seems your emotions are running riot as they like a person hanging over a cliff trying to cling to some grass that is slowly being pulled up from the roof and the drop is inevitable. “But God,” does not want us dropping off into the abyss of despair and depression so He gives us the answer from His Word what to do. He commands us to “joy”- “count it all joy” grammatically meaning to “immediately commence rejoicing.” You cannot command an emotion, which is not what he is doing here but an attitude, a mind set to be adopted based on Knowledge. “Knowing” that God in the trial is desirous and will produce perseverance and spiritual maturity as we obey His commands to immediately commence rejoicing because of what we “Know!” So when a trial comes into your life, you can know based on his Word that God is at work in this specific trial to develop perseverance and spiritually grow you up using this trial! -{v4}.
God is not out to destroy you but to develop you and He gives you knowledge of what He is doing and a reason to count it all joy and commence rejoicing. It takes faith, just as when He told the people who were surrounded by the poisonous snakes to turn away and look by faith in obedience to what he said at the bronze serpent lifted up they would live. “So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived.”-{Numbers 21:9}.
We look to Him by faith and in obedience to His Word rejoice because of what we Know. We have reason to rejoice in our trials because of what He has chosen to reveal to us In His WORD!
We can rejoice because of what we “Know.” Next we can rejoice because of the command to “Let” which has to do with a submissive will. We submit to Him by choosing to immediately commence rejoicing, knowing that GOD is out to produce endurance and bring about spiritual maturity in our lives. And we “Let” Him have His way by submitting to His commands in the trial. And the fourth command is to “Ask” for wisdom. In a trial, difficulty, we often ask for a way out but we see that true wisdom from above “ask” for wisdom, the ability to take the knowledge of His Word and skillfully apply to our circumstances. And as we follow these four commands in any and every trial we face, we read in verse 12 that God gives the “crown of life” to everyone who “perseveres.” And to those who “endure” He give the crown of life to all who love Him. Trials are gigantic opportunities so mature spiritually, grow wise and express love to God by responding by enduring through obeying these four commands. And it begins with adopting a Godly mindset, seeing things from His perspective and when a trial comes immediately commence rejoicing because of what we “know!”
4 Commands for any and every Trial you will ever encounter.
- “Count It All Joy.”- Immediately commence rejoicing.
- “Knowing”- “understanding with your mind.”
- “Let” – Submit your will to His Word
- “Ask” – Not optional but ask for wisdom.
You can continually rejoice in your trials, troubles because of what you “Know.” God is not out to destroy you but develop you spiritually and display Himself to you and through you.