HOW IN THE WORLD CAN WE EXPERIENCE JOY IN THE MIDST OF
TRIALS?
That is such a great question. And it’s one that is asked so
many times on any given day. “Why me?
Why now? Why this?” Questioning is one of the major ingredients that
comes with troubles. Part of the reason that the Bible is as thick as it is, is
because it includes many verses of scripture that speak specifically about
trials, troubles, temptations and life’s unfairness.
I was reading some interesting remarks regarding trials and
found them thought provoking and fascinating. Here’s just a few:
The
problem is not that there are problems. The problem is expecting otherwise and
thinking that having problems is a problem. – Theadore Rubin
If
you break your neck, if you have nothing to eat, if your house is on fire –
then you got a problem. Everything else is an inconvenience. Life is
inconvenient. Life is lumpy. Learn to separate the inconveniences from the real
problems. You will live longer – Sigmund Wollman
Pain
is inevitable. Suffering is optional – M. Kathleen Casey
A
bend in the road is not the end of the road…unless you fail to make the turn.
James says that, “we should consider it pure joy, my
friends, when you face trials of many kinds…”
James 1:3 Where did James learn this? How does
he know this? Here’s how, and he speaks with authority, JESUS WAS HIS OLDER
BROTHER. James had such an encounter with Jesus as his Messiah that he knew
in his knower that he knew Jesus would provide the joy in the midst of
the journey.
You might not know it, the way we
Christians talk. But Jesus Christ says, in essence: “Even in volatile seasons,
smile at the future. Laugh at the days to come.” In John
16:33, he said it this way: “In the world you will have tribulation; but
be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” Only when we see his words in context do we begin to grasp their
force. Jesus wasn’t dismissing or minimizing the hard stuff. He was facing the
worst head-on, and announcing beforehand, “I have conquered it”.
Here, then, is the context:
The night before his crucifixion, Christ
ate with his 12 apostles in an upper room. Then, as Judas exited to betray him,
Jesus walked with the 11 to the Garden of Gethsemane. Along the way, he talked.
Every word he spoke prepared his followers for the new, volatile season already
careening in.
Before entering the garden where he would
be betrayed and arrested, Jesus stopped teaching and started praying. He prayed
for all his followers of all time (John 17). The last thing he uttered before
he prayed – the capstone of his teachings – was this:
“I have told you
these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the
world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of
good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain,
undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of
power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]” John 16:33.
Jesus knew what his followers would see
as the next three days unfolded. He deeply desired that they also see the
greater reality:
• Because of that pivotal moment in history, God’s kingdom will come. It
will arrive in its glorious fullness the day the Lord Jesus returns in glory.
• Because of that pivotal moment in history, God’s kingdom has come. It’s
already here.
With Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem, the
unseen world invaded what is seen. Because he died and rose again, ascended to
heaven and sent the Holy Spirit, all who confess, “Jesus is Lord,” can also
live in two worlds at the same time – the natural world we can see with our
eyes, and the supernatural one we can see only by the Spirit.
I can’t wait to tell you more about this
on Sunday as we dig deeper into James.
Loving You and Him!
Pastor D
PS:
YOU GUYS DID IT! YOU ALL
STEPPED UP AND HELPED US CLOSE OUT JULY MEETING AND EXCEEDING OUR BUDGET…SO
THAT IT MADE UP FOR ALMOST ALL OF THE SHORTFALL OF JUNE! YEA GOD!
YEA PEOPLE OF DEER FLAT! I’m
spoiled to be able to be the pastor at Deer Flat Church!
No comments:
Post a Comment