Loving God…in your trials. The first and greatest command is to love God. {Read Luke 10:27}. So often we can see trials as intrusions. No doubt some are painful, devastating, others are small, never the less a trial. God’s purpose is to build us up and produce spiritual maturity using the trial and this will happen ONLY if we respond God’s way… Consider from James 1:2-5, 12 …

THE 4 COMMANDS FOR EVERY TRIAL.

1. – CONSIDER IT ALL JOY

“CONSIDER IT ALL JOY, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,” – v2

* The immediate response to every trial is to choose to delight, be glad rejoice, when you encounter, “fall into” trials of all shapes and sizes. IT IS A COMMAND to immediately commence rejoicing. You CANNOT COMMAND AN EMOTION but you can command an attitude to be adopted and this God does. It is not rejoicing in a trial, but the delight comes in knowing and the reasons being the next THREE COMMANDS tell you why you can CHOOSE TO!!

2. -KNOWING

“KNOWING that the testing of your faith produces endurance.”- v3

“KNOWING”– IS A COMMAND. It has to do with an “UNDERSTANDING MIND.” You understand God is out to produce in you “perseverance”-spiritual stamina. Unswerving Loyalty to the LORD in “the furnace.” God does not want you to be ignorant but commands you to KNOW what His purpose in trials is. To produce Perseverance and Spiritual maturity!  God does not want you to be ignorance but to UNDERSTAND….

3. – LET

“And LET endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.-v4

 “LET” has to do with a “SUBMISSIVE WILL.” Submitting your will to OBEY GOD for you in the trial, namely to choose to “REJOICE” Because you “KNOW” it is God’s way and it is producing in you

A.) -“PERSEVERANCE”

B.) – “SPIRITUAL MATURITY”  and an opportunity to…

C.) -express LOVE to God when you choose to respond so.{v 12} “LET”– IS A COMMAND. It is not passive but CHOOSES to rejoice, Know, Let…. the fourth command is…

4.- ASK – 

“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. -v 5

 “ASK” is a command. ASK GOD for wisdom, who loves to give so you will know how to apply His specific Word to your situation.

NOTE; We are to “ASK GOD” so often in our trials and troubles we are asking “why me ?’ when we should “ASK GOD for …wisdom” knowing He will not berate or deny you when you ask believing you will receive from Him who LOVES to give generously and never berating or reproaching you.

THE MOTIVATION TO OBEY GOD IN THE TRIAL?

“Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial, for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who LOVE Him.” – V12

TRIALS ARE GIGANTIC OPPORTUNITIES TO GROW WISE AND TO …EXPRESS….LOVE TO GOD!

Have you ever  said “LORD I want to love You!” Trials according to this verse are an opportunity to do so.

Have you ever looked at your trial as a gigantic opportunity to express love to God?

 AN OPEN BOOK TEST;

Some of us may need to learn to handle trials in a new way…God’s  way.   Perhaps like me you are familiar with trials and you have handled them, but your thought was not how can I glorify God and express love to him in this. Maybe just wanting it to go away. But trials are coming to us all, James tells us in this verse. It is our reaction to them the attitude we CHOOSE to adopt that will make the difference.

Trials don’t mature us. Handling trials God’s way, by faith in what He says and Obeying what he says, is the only way we mature and express LOVE to Him.

As we CHOOSE to  OBEY the 4 commands, this is His way to express LOVE to Him in trials.

To see  YOUR trials through the lens of Scripture begins with adopting a NEW ATTITUDE to CHOOSE to OBEY God and follow His way in trial– the 4 Commands! Knowing and applying  His Word  in trials. No matter the size of the trial, God’s way remains the same. Don’t miss the opportunity for you in the trial to spiritually mature, grow wise and express love to God. Trials don’t mature us. Obeying God’s revealed  will for you and me in EVERY TRIAL does.!  Its like having an open book test and ignoring the  how to get the right answers and wondering WHY you don’t get the right grades. Em, maybe your ignoring the BOOK! Same in trials for believers. God has revealed in his Book, He is not hiding what He wants or what one of the purposes is and how to mature from the trials and grow wise and express LOVE  to Him…isn’t that what the first and greatest commandment is about… loving God. You can Love God in any and every trial. You begin by changing your attitude, and adopting God’s way.

Train your MIND to  CHOOSE TO THINK God’s way  and PRACTICE His Word and you will express love to Him., You will grow in perseverance and spiritual maturity you will grow in wisdom and love!

God bless you to be encouraged to follow Him in your trials and persevere, spiritually mature – which are TWO of GOD’S REASONS FOR TRIALS for you and by responding appropriately you express LOVE TO HIM

 

PERSONAL APPLICATION;

1. MEMORIZE- MEDITATE on the 4 COMMANDS FOR EVERY TRIAL  Take a 3 by 5 card and write this verses on  it and when you have free moments look at the verses and mediate on each word, phrase. Look at the 4 Commands…

2. PRACTICE- “THE FOUR COMMANDS FOR EVERY TRIAL” and in doing so  know you are EXPRESSING LOVE TO HIM.

3. PRAY– That God to remind you of His Word in your trial and to change the way you think and see trials and PRACTICE THE TRUTH MOTIVATED OUT OF LOVE FOR HIM

4. SHARE- With someone this week “THE 4 COMMANDS FOR EVERY TRIAL” AND HOW IN THEM BASED ON V 12 THEY MAY EXPRESS LOVE TO GOD.