COUNT IT ALL JOY

Scripture: James 1:2-3 NKJV -  My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.
 
How many times has a ‘seasoned saint’ said to you, “Baby, you gone go through stuff sometimes. It won’t always be this ‘a way. But you gone be alright … trials come to make you strong!” On the outside, you put on a fake smile, thank your sister or brother and walk away – he/she didn’t say what you wanted them to say or what you ‘needed’ to hear. But on the inside, you wanna say, “Hey Sis/Bro! Who said I wanted to be strong?!?! Right now, I don’t wanna go through it ‘cuz it don’t feel good! I just wanna get to it!”

You see, our trials cause us to be in a period of waiting. Waiting requires patience. So even though our faith is being tested and tried, if we persevere, stay the course, hold on just a little while longer, we will come out as pure gold! There is a process that’s required to bring forth that pure gold. It is heated to hot points of temperature so that all the dross (impurities) come, to the top so that it can be poured/taken off, therefore, revealing the purest part of the precious metal.

The same is true about a diamond, which actually looks like a piece of black coal in its initial state. As heat and pressure are applied, the strongest part at the core comes through until it emerges as a diamond. The process takes millions of years – imagine that! Imagine God allowing you to go through a trial for a million years! Based on our current human life expectancy, we wouldn’t even be alive by the time the trial was over! Talk about grace!

So the next time you want to complain about something that God is taking you through (remember, He walks with you through it too), count it ALL joy!!! Remember things could always be worse. But God loves you SO much, He counted you worthy for your trial,  He chose YOU for it! Others wouldn’t survive. Some would give up and throw in the towel. But He specifically chose you to go through the trial He allowed, knowing that in time, you would come through stronger, wiser and better! TRUST GOD!!! He’s got you, no matter what!

Prayer: God, I thank You! No matter how much I doubt Your love for me, You never give up on me! You give me chance after chance, knowing I will fail You. Yet You still love me,  pursue me, pick specific trials just for me!! WOW! How can I not trust You when You know everything going on in and around me?!?? Forgive me God … FORGIVE ME! In Jesus’ Name we always pray … Amen!

(by Cassaundra Turner)