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)
LORD Jesus, we praise You for Your goodness and mercy. We thank You for all the wonderful works You do for us. Forgive us, O God we pray, whenever we keep our focus on our troubles and trials instead of on Your promises and love for us. Help us. Guide us. Make us believe that You are right there with us in our troubles. Calm the storm and make the waves still. In Jesus’ mighty name we pray. Amen.
1 Waiting With Patience
In today’s verses, we are asked to count it all joy when falling into various trials. Joy? Am I serious? Yes. Why? Because God says so.
In the last blog post, I asked, ‘Waiting on God to move can be so hard to do, right?’ Now, waiting ‘patiently’ for God to work things out while the situation seems to go from bad to worse is even more of a challenge, is it not?
Why do we so often fail to wait with patience? Could it be that we want to influence the outcome and the steps involved in the whole matter? Do we not often fail to wait patiently because we would like to stay in control?
His Word continues and tells us to remember (know) that what we are going through (the testing of our faith) will produce patience. Seriously? Patience? Yes, patience.
In the next verse, we read,
‘But let patience have its perfect work,
that you may be perfect and complete,
lacking nothing.’
Let patience have its perfect work? We need to be – or become – perfect and complete and lack nothing.
Matthew Henry comments on James 1:3,
Now, to exercise Christian patience aright, we must, (1.) Let it work. It is not a stupid, but an active thing. Stoical apathy and Christian patience are very different: by the one men become, in some measure, insensible of their afflictions; but by the other they become triumphant in and over them. Let us take care, in times of trial, that patience and not passion, be set at work in us; whatever is said or done, let patience have the saying and doing of it: let us not allow the indulging of our passions to hinder the operation and noble effects of patience; let us give it leave to work, and it will work wonders in a time of trouble.
2 Calling Out to God In Your Trouble
Psalm 107 tells us that ‘those who do business on great waters see the works of the LORD’ (vv. 23-24). God provides for them an abundance of fish in a calm sea, but ‘He commands and raises the stormy wind’ also. This storm ‘lifts up the waves of the sea’ (v. 25) and makes their boat rock. When great storms arise, the sailors become afraid. Now what?
Then they cry out to the LORD in their trouble,
And He brings them out of their distresses.
(Psalm 107:28)
God hears them,
He calms the storm,
So that its waves are still.
(Psalm 107:29)
Oh, that we would give thanks to Him for His goodness, His wonderful works, and His mighty power. Let us exalt and praise Him today!
God can turn rivers into a wilderness and the wilderness into pools of water. He blesses us and multiplies us greatly. It is He who will not let our cattle decrease (v. 38). He will set the poor on high, far from affliction, and make their families like a flock (v. 41).
Wait patiently and understand the lovingkindness of the LORD today.