Today's Devotional Thought
February 15, 2011 by Wendy Foreman
Consider it Pure Joy
What trial are you facing today?
I have faced many trials in my life and I have experienced many different emotions while going through them. Do we always consider it pure joy, as James suggests, when we face them? And what does it mean to consider it pure joy? As I have studied these verses, I have read said that this joy is not pretending that we are happy in the pain that we face, but it is having a positive outlook in what this trial can produce in our lives.
When you stop and look back at the trials you have faced, what did you learn from them? I think the biggest lesson I have learned is perseverance. It amazes me when I look back on the strength the Lord gave me to get through those deep trials of life. In fact, as I look back, I know it wasn’t me. I could have only walked through those days with the Lords strength and encouragement. Romans 5:3-4 says “but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance, character and character hope.??? Once again we don’t rejoice because we face trials or we suffer, but we understand that when we do suffer and when Satan does attack, we learn perseverance, character is built and hope is given to us from God.
Another thing that I believe we learn through our suffering and trials is God’s faithfulness. When we see His faithfulness through our trials, we begin to trust him even more. I know that this may be hard to hear, but if we never faced a trial in our life or never experienced suffering, how would we grow in the Lord and how would we know what PURE joy is? We wouldn’t see his power, we wouldn’t experience his healing, and we wouldn’t know the joy that only He can give if it weren’t for these trials and our experience of his faithfulness.
Friends, God desires for us to be mature in our faith and he desires us to be constantly moving closer to completeness in Him. When our faith is tested in our suffering or in trials that come our way, we learn perseverance. Whatever you are facing today please try to consider it pure joy. Remember that doesn’t mean to pretend to be happy, but it means to have a positive outlook and ask God to show you what he wants you to learn through this trial or suffering.
December