The study of James us girls at church have been doing has turned out to be so very timely for me (God usually works that way doesn't He?). By the end of this third week, we will have studied up through James 1:16. There have been some really heavy trials I have recently gone through (and continue to go through), and James is so applicable. I have found James particularly encouraging where it addresses trials...and the purpose of trials. Trials are to prove our faith, producing patience and spiritual growth. For this reason, we can rejoice in the trials...knowing that God is at work. So often though, I allow myself to get depressed and weighed down by care from the trials God has placed in my life...sometimes they aren't even mine but others that I care about. When I let myself fall into that state, it is 100% harder to count my trials all joy. So, on Sunday...I wrote down a list of my "trials," and prayed that I would purposefully be able to count it all joy. It's amazing how uplifting in spirit that can be. No, the trials haven't gone away and I don't think lightly of them, but there is an inner rest in clinging to my Rock--Christ, knowing that these trials are to bring me closer to Him.
Yesterday, my pastor said something that struck me as so true. When the shepherd finds a lost sheep, he has to throw him down, bind his feet, sling him over his shoulders, and carry him home. If he doesn't take the lost sheep back to the fold, the sheep will die (because of stupidity, not being in a group, etc.). So it is with our heavenly shepherd. Sometimes He has to throw us down, bind our feet, pick us up, and carry us home...and all the time we yell at Him because it's painful. We have no idea what He's doing. Yet He is doing the most loving and kind thing a shepherd could.
So let your heart be encouraged!
"My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing."--James 1:2-4
1 comment:
I didn't know you had a blog such as this, Hope! You had such good thoughts in each post. I must say, the book of James can be quite convicting...can it not?! May we truly "count it all joy when we fall into various trials."
Reminds me of the verses in Corinthians...
“And he said unto me, my grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness….for when I am weak, then am I strong.” 2 Cor. 12:9, 10b
Keep up the good work on here! I'd love to read more sometime.
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