Advent Day 24

As we are concluding our advent season, I want to include one of the verses I quote most often.  However, before reading today’s verse I challenge you to answer this question, what exactly does God promise joy in?  Now take your idea of joy and compare it to James’.  

Today’s verse most likely will be the hardest verse considered this Advent season because it is counter intuitive.  After all how many of us, desiring to give a loved one the perfect gift, thought how could I give them some trial to have to be dealt with?   

However, if a disciple of Christ is to truly have God’s promised joy this verse must be prayed through.  The past few years have been full of trial.  Are you joyful? James encourages that in Christ trial should and can be consider joy because of the lasting effect.  Today spend some time with this verse before the Lord.  Ask and allow Him to work in your heart in a way only He can to face trial while considering life’s challenges with great joy.  I pray that you would be definitively marked with the truth of James 1:2-4 and if so your witness to those around you will be forever changed! 

“Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.”

James 1:2-4 CSB