Finding Joy In Trials - Terry Osburn 11-10-19

if we go back to, James the first chapter and verses two

through four want to break down some of the things that are

mentioned. Some of the words there that are

mentioned and first he says I want you to consider this.

I want you to regard this in other words.

That Joy or Delight or to rejoice.

Consider that. Joy means to be delighted or to

rejoice. And then he talks about the

trials of many kinds that's persecution.

It can be persecution in life and can be poverty.

It can be sickness, it can be that we sorrow after the loss of

a loved one and it can be Calamity of any kind is what

it's defined as. And there goes on to say, it's

comes from the Greek word /, / Osmos, and it means adversity

Affliction trouble. I sent by God and serving to

test or prove one's character Faith or holiness.

Then he says the testing of your faith.

In other words, the test is of our faith, the strength of our

faith. It's a test And he says, go on

goes onto says that it produces perseverance.

In other words it's the it's the product, or it's the fruit or

it's The Offspring of perseverance.

Is what happens, that produces perseverance perseverance, the

product of Trials is a patient enduring sustaining perseverance

steadfastness constancy and then he says not lacking anything.

In other words, completely, and fully developed out.

In this, there's something that happens in Trials, it either

makes us better or it destroys us.

And that's what we want to notice.

In other words, Delight in the trials of your life with a

joyful perseverance and as the opportunity to grow and

perseverance, excuse me, joyful perspective, I'm sorry.

And as an opportunity to grow and perseverance, it's all about

perspective. Going through any trial of life.

For a Christian can be a joyous experience.

If we have the perspective that is right, going through that

trial, You know, you see people that go through life and they

just are always up and you throw something Madam and they're

still up and you throw something else at them and they're still

up. And you have other people that

just go around and with a sad face and with a, just a kind of

a scroll on their face all the time.

And, and, you know, anything, you tell them something good and

they'll make something bad out of it.

It's all about perspective. Some people perceive everything

as good things, Going on in the life, they make lemon out of

limit, lemonade out of lemons, and things of that nature.

So it's all about perspective, imagine the worst trial that you

could possibly go through and might be money problems.

And my that me that you lost your job.

You were fired or you were laid off.

You know, jobs are hard to find these days, it seems like and

and sometimes when somebody loses their job, they don't have

enough money to pay the bills. They've got need to put food on

the table. They need to put clothes on

their children's backs. And for other people, it might

be that's just research heaved a word that you're going to need a

triple bypass immediately or you might have a massive brain

tumor. Or one of your children has a

terminal illness, or you just got word.

That one of your close relatives doesn't have any longer, doesn't

have much longer to live or one of your loved ones was involved

in an auto accident a fatality. I'm sure there are certain

trials that come to mind that have happened in each of our

lives and we could go on and on but all hard, trials, touch us

and one way or another, they touch each and every one of us

in one way or another anyone who thinks that we're going to be

able to go through this life with ease with no troubles and

would know, trials, you're living in a fantasy world.

Because trials and sorrow are part of life and must be

expected. If we think realistically, we

can know that we're going to face troubles and trials.

At some point in our life, job was a man who lost his family.

He lost his crops, he lost his livestock.

Everything he lost it all. He'd lost his possessions, lost

all his children and was left with a wife who asked him to

curse God and die. His own body was struck with

painful, boils from the crown of his head, to the bottom of his

feet. It says in job 2 and verse 7 And

now he's got a pretty bad. Pretty bad you and I haven't

gone through all that job. Had it pretty bad also,

Abraham's life shows us that we might be tested.

On things that are very near and dear to us.

The worst thing that we can think of that would happen.

We might be tested on. We may have to offer up our own

Isaac at some point. In other words, we may have to

go through such a trial, that is so, so close to our heart.

Abraham was willing to give up Isaac no matter how much Isaac

meant to him, why? Because he would do anything

that God asked him to do, and I can ever imagine that trial, I

just can't even imagine going through something like that.

I can't imagine what I would do. If I was told to do the things

that That Abraham was told to do.

But Abraham passed the test. The angel of the Lord said in

Genesis 22, and verse 12. Now, I know, That you fear God.

Since you have not withheld, your son, your only son from me.

In other words, Abraham truly reverence and obeyed God at any

cost, whatever. It was Hebrews 11 and 7 tells us

very clearly in the first two words tells the whole story by

what by faith, Abraham when he was tested.

That was a test. I think about, you know,

sometimes we all have heard it on the television, mainly on the

radio, you hear that beep and news.

And you hear the word saying this is a test, this is only a

test. Well, that's what happened with

Abraham. It's not like God had a that

Abraham heard a beep. And then heard, God saying to do

these things, but this was a test and that's what Abraham

went through, Hebrews 11 and verse 17, through 19, when he

was tested offered up, Isaac. Eric and he who had received the

promises offered up, his only begotten, son of whom it was

said in Isaac, your seed Shall be Called, well, how can he do

that? Well, it's all about

perspective. That here it comes.

Here's the key in verse 19 concluding or taking note of the

fact that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead.

When you know, why? He was willing to do that.

Because he believed God, he believed the promise of God.

He believed that no matter what happened, even if he had to kill

Isaac, God was able to raise him up from the dead Abraham?

I don't know, it doesn't reveal to us that Abraham had ever seen

God raised someone from the dead but Abraham believed that if

that was the case, He could even raise Isaac up from the dead to

keep that promise. Now, what does that tell us?

It tells us that we can make it through the most severe trial in

life if we really trust God. You know, that's hard to do

sometimes is put our trust in God.

And if we believe that God will keep his promise that God never

makes a mistake in, the God, will accomplish his purpose in,

and through us, it is that kind of faith that passes the test.

We have to realize that God is going to test us and the things

that sustain us during those tests is our trust in God, our

faith that God is working, all things out for his own purpose.

You know, we trust ourselves. We like to be in control of our

lives. But when we have to release that

trust from ourselves to God, sometimes that's where the

problem lies, we pray to God, for help in this matter.

But we want to go over and we want to pick up that luggage.

Of doubt and we want to carry it along with us and we still want

to have that as a backup. Just in case God can't deal with

this. Just in case God doesn't come

through. Just in case our prayer isn't

heard, we want to grab that luggage of doubt and have our

own plan. And releasing that trust from

ourselves and releasing it to God is hard to do sometimes.

But we have to do that and that's what Abraham did that's

what Abraham did. He placed his trust in God.

And if we allow that to happen, God's plan works out.

You know, I know that we dream of having a life of ease.

We like to create this perfect environment that we live in our

own Utopia. If you want to say and we want

to have a comfortable life with no problems.

We want to get all the rough spots out so we can have a life

of ease. We want to make sure that every

turn thing turns out perfect as we have planned, Frankly I've

never known such a moment in my life, it seems like.

And when we kind of think for a moment that that that we're in

that place all of a sudden we get blindsided And we found out

find out that we were mistaken. When we get comfortable, when we

get it, he's in life thinking, we've got it all worked out.

We've got our plans about this and our plans about that and our

plans about this and we got our future all laid out for us.

All of a sudden the trial comes and wipes it all out.

That's life. That's life.

It's not about us. It's God's plan and what God has

planned for us in this life but the fact that we have temporary

rest and temporary, he's in life fools us into thinking that we

might have it made when that's not the case.

Jesus said to his disciples and specifically Peter in Matthew,

26 and verse 41 watch and pray that you enter not into and the

new King James and King James says temptation but that same

word. Greek word is used there, Perez

MOS, which means trials. Watch, look for the trials.

Pray, ask for strength. In other words, watch and pray

and it wouldn't be long before Peter would understand exactly

what God or what Jesus was saying to him.

He says, Peter Watch and Pray. As you enter into the trials.

Because they're coming. We're going to have trials,

trials will come, but our confidence is in the presence of

God and knowing that he is our Helper.

And the times of these trials, notice in Psalm 33 23 and verse

for the psalmist. David said, yea though I walk

through the valley of the shadow of death.

I will fear no evil for thou art with me.

David wasn't willing, wasn't wasn't afraid of what was going

to come at him because he knew that God would be right there.

So Trials come to us in many ways and I want to just notice

nine different ways that we can use those trials to find Joy.

First of all trials, come to test our faith.

There's a great illustration of this relating to King Hezekiah,

listen and Chronicles, to 32 and verse 31 God withdrew from him

in order to test him that he might know.

All that was in his heart. Heart that God might know.

All that was in Hezekiah his heart.

God withdrew from him. He left him.

Now, I need to know and you need to know the strength of our

faith. And so God allows trials into

our lives to reveal to us the strength or the weakness of our

faith. And the trial will do just that

if you're going to through a severe trial, right now, it's

revealing to you the strength of your faith or the weakness of

your faith, isn't it? We can be devastated from that

trial or we can be strengthened from it and that is our choice.

If you're blaming God for your problems, if you're questioning

God's ability, if you're wondering why it's happening to

you, if you're worried all the time, that's a good indication

that your faith is weak, That your faith in God is weak.

If on the other hand, you're going through a trial.

And you find yourself at peace and the promises of God

comforted by God and having placed the trial in his hands

and Care, trusting him letting him bear, the burden of it all

and going on your way rejoicing as best you can in the difficult

situation, Waiting for God to show you the way out.

Then you're seeing yourself how you measure up by putting faith

and trust in God? So, we ought to be thankful for

trials. Because they assist us in the

inventory of our own faith and that's very helpful to know

where we stand when the trial comes along.

How do we, how do we react to it?

How was our mindset for that, when it comes at us, are we

putting our faith in our trust in God.

Are we trying to solve our own problems or have someone else

solve our problems? Where is the strength of our

faith and how strong or how weak is it?

So, we ought to be thankful because it assists Us in that

inventory. Always want to know where my

faith is, so that I can be stronger.

The stronger. My faith is, the more useful.

I become more you become to God. And isn't that, what we want to

be more useful to God when habakkuk was going through the

promise, that the Chaldeans were going to come and wipe out his

people. In spite of all that happened,

advocate for habakkuk. I don't know how you pronounce

that said. And in chapter 3 and verse 17

though, the Fig Tree May Blossom.

May not blossom nor fruit be on the vines, though.

The labor of the olive May Fail and the fields yield no food,

though. The flock may be cut off from

the fold, and there be no herd in the Stalls, yet, I will

rejoice in the Lord. I will joy in the god of my

salvation. The Lord God is my strength.

He will make my feet like deers feet, and he will make You want

on my high heels. And so one of the purposes of

testing is to reveal to you and me the strength of our face so

that we can move along to Greater strength.

Remember, as we noticed earlier, job was tested in as a result of

his testing. He says, in job 42, in verses 5

through 6. I have heard you of you by the

hearing of the year, but now I see you but now I see you.

Therefore I abhor myself and repent in dust and Ashes.

In other words, he said, I want to confess that I really wasn't

paying attention. Lord, I didn't see you as I do

now. And that's what we need to do.

We need to seek God, for, who he is and what he does for us, we

need to trust him. We need to put faith in him when

we pray. We expect to have those prayers

answered. in the way that we desire and put it in his hands

and sometimes that stuff to do, So Trials come as a test of the

strength of our faith. Second, we must recognize the

Trials, come to Humble us. They come to remind us not to

think more, highly of ourselves than we ought to or can think

that we are confident in our spiritual strength.

They come not only to show us our strength but they come to

humblest so that we don't think we're stronger spiritually than

we actually are. This is illustrated by Paul that

through all the things he accomplished, he might become

proud and boastful, you know, Paul accomplished all kinds of

things for Christ. Notice second Corinthians, 12

2 Corinthians 12:7

verse 7 and lest I should be exalted above measure by the

abundance of Revelations. A thorn in the flesh was given

to me a messenger of Satan to Buffet me lest I exalt us, I be

exalted above measure. In other words, it was something

to keep Paul in check as what he say.

Unless I get too big of a head about everything that I've

accomplished about, all the Revelation coming down from God,

to all the things that I've done for the church, and for the

cause of Christ Thorn In the Flesh, was given to me to keep

me humble. Barnes notes comments on this

list, I should be spiritually, proud, lest I should become

self-confident in vain and suppose that I was a special

favorite in heaven. Unless Paul should think of

himself more highly than he ought to think, because of all

the things that Paul was able to do all the signs and wonders and

Revelations. And we must realize that God

allows trials in our lives, especially when we are blessed,

so that we don't think too confident in our spiritual life,

you know, when things are going along this real smooth,

sometimes we get a little bit too uppity.

And we're not humble as we ought to be.

We think we're Invincible with our spiritual life and then that

trial comes along and just knocks us back on our heels and

puts the humility into our lives.

Trials can keep us in check number 3, I also believe the

Lord brings trials in our lives to wean us from the worldly

things. Have you ever found out that the

older you get in the more things that we accumulate more

furniture and cars and our houses or whatever the more

success that you have, the more worldly things that you you've

got and done have you noticed that as you grow older in life,

those things tend to have less meaning.

As we get older. Now we spend sometimes all that

time when we were younger and we got the energy and we got all

that stamina acquiring this in acquiring that we want to

achieve this when I get to this goal.

But as we get closer to the Enduro of our life, those things

become much less important. And those things really don't,

solve the problems of Life, do they?

Those things don't do it. Those deep dark problems that we

get involved in, those things. Can't get us out of those

problems. Problems, The Trials, come to

your life and all those worldly. Things make no difference.

They mean, absolutely nothing as you're laying in the hospital,

maybe you struggling for breath and things.

Those things out in the world mean nothing to you, but it's

important as you get that next breath.

That's what's important and putting your faith and trust in

God. Things will get you nowhere.

So it's a trial means and brings to our attention.

That we need to be weaned away from worldly things.

The worldly possessions can't solve any problems and those

things need to be less important than Godly things.

I think about Moses had been raised in Pharaoh's house, he

had a great education, he was in a basically, a prince in Egypt,

he had reached the top of society Egyptian Society.

He had it made, but he considered the reproach of

Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt.

Notice Hebrews, 11 verses 24 through 27 by faith Moses, when

Hebrews 11:24–27

he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's

daughter, choosing rather to suffer Affliction with the

people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasure of sin.

Esteeming. The reproach of Christ greater

riches than the treasures in Egypt for.

He looked to the reward by faith.

He forsook Egypt, not fearing the Wrath of the king for he

entered endured as seeing him. Who is invisible, Somali Moses.

Got his lies off of all those worldly pleasures, and all those

worldly things and focused on Godly things.

He began to be concerned about the trials of his own people and

the Lord used that trial to wean him off those worldly things,

and trials will do that to us in our life.

Also forth. I think the trials help us to

focus on our Eternal hope trials, and in life.

I don't know how they work with you, but I know how they work

with me. They tend to make us want to go

to heaven. When we see all the things that

are going on around us and we see all the pain and the

suffering that people go through in this life and we we tend to

focus on our hope. Because this world is not the

place we want to spend eternity. We want to look to that Heavenly

hope that God has prepared that paradise for us and that

wonderful place to live and that's what we focus on.

If in your life you have been laying Treasures up.

On this Earth. then we can't focus on our Heavenly hope, but

if you've been laying up your Treasures in Heavenly things,

You're going to have a very, very distant relationship with

the things of this world. Things of this world aren't

going to mean so much. So trials tend to show us the

waist of the things of this world and they're going to when

we go through the trials that seems as if the last thing we

think of Our worldly things Romans 8, and verses 16 through

18, the spirit himself Bears. Witness with our spirit, that we

are the children of God, and if children then heirs Heirs of God

and Joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with him, that

we may be glorified together, For I consider that the

sufferings of, this present time are not worthy to be compared

with the glory, which shall be revealed in US.

Isn't that what we are working for?

I hope that's what we're working for.

Is Christians that Heavenly hope that our Eternal hope?

If you're working so hard for these this world, all those

things are going to be burned up.

We need to focus on. Our Heavenly hope Paul continues

in verses 20 through 25, for we know that the whole creation

groans and Labor's with birth pangs together, until now, not

only that. But we also who have the

firstfruits of the spirit, even we grow ourselves groan within

ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the Redemption of

our body for, we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen

is not hope for. Why does one still hope for what

he sees. But if we hope for what we do,

not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.

That wonderful, Heavenly hope. Fifth trials, cause us to think

on Divine things Heavenly things and that's what Paul said.

In second Corinthians 4 verses 16 through 18.

2 Corinthians 4:16–18

Therefore, we do not do not lose heart.

Even though the our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man

is being renewed, day by day. For our light affliction, Which

is but for a moment is working for us a far more exceeding and

eternal weight of Glory. Our light affliction, Is working

for a much much greater thing more than we can even imagine.

Then he says, in verse 18, while we do not look at the things

which are seen. But the things which are not

seen. In other words, don't focus on

the things of this world. But the things which are not

seen for the things, which are seen are temporary.

But the things which are not seen are Eternal, how did Paul

get that kind of attitude? Because his perspective was

right. So we can see, trials, have a

very helpful purpose. They test the strength of our

faith, a humblest. So we don't think more confident

of our spiritual strength and we should they wean us off worldly

things. They help us to focus on the

Heavenly hope and think on Heavenly things sixth trials

also reveal what we love. Abraham and Isaac again.

It was a test of Abraham's love for God or for Isaac and it was

a test. It was Abraham's choice in this

test. If you love God, and you're

going to say, thank you, God for what you are doing in my life,

what you're accomplishing in me while going through this.

Thank you for what I'm learning. And helped me to see that and

give you glory allowing this trial to happen in my life.

It's hard to be thankful sometimes when we're going

through problems, But if we got our trust in God, we can be

thankful for that. But if you really love yourself,

more than you love, God, you're going to say, well God, why do

you allow this thing to happen to me in my life?

Why are you letting this happen? And we get mad at God, we get

upset, we're going to be bitter. And that kind of attitude shows

that Satan is in control and is winning the battle against your

life. One thing that we want to make

very clear is God does not tempt us to send.

That's the devil's job. That's what the devil does.

God protects us from the devil, but we can still make a choice

to let the devil devil, get the advantage in our life.

First Corinthians, 10 over 13. No temptation, has overtaken you

except such as is common to man, but God is faithful who will not

allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able.

But will with the Temptation will also make the way of

Escape, that you may be able to bear it.

Now, that doesn't mean. That Dave gets the same

condition temptation as I do. And he knows that Dave conveyor

it and I can't. That isn't what that means and

you get worse Temptations than I do.

Or someone gets harder Temptation than the other

person. What he says is basically I have

provided a way of Escape. And you are going to bury

anything that everybody else hasn't bear.

Hasn't born and certainly what Jesus has more.

These Temptations are common to man.

And we have a way of Escape. So you see if anything is dearer

to you than God, we've got to remove us from our life.

I just want to make sure that in my life.

Nothing is dearer to me than the Lord notice in Deuteronomy 13

Deuteronomy 13:3

Verse 3. You shall not listen to the

words of that Prophet or false prophet or, or the dreamer of

dreams for the Lord, your God is testing.

You that to know whether you love the Lord, your God with all

your heart. And with all your soul, so,

these Temptations Test us to know where our love lies.

Luke 14 and 26. If anyone comes to me and does

not hate his father and mother wife and children brothers and

sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot might be my

disciple and whoever does not bear his cross and come after

me, cannot be my disciple. We've heard this explain time

and time again, I think As he literally saying that we have to

Hate Everyone except ourselves. No.

Including ourselves. No.

He's saying that if you love anything in this world more than

you love, God. Anything more than you love God.

You're going down the wrong path.

You can't be his disciple. Whatever it is in this life.

There's all kinds of things that we like, there's all kinds of

things that we may love. We may love our wife, we may

love our husband. We may love our children.

We may love our job. We may love money.

We may love anything in this world and if we love it more

than we love God, we can't be his disciples what he says.

Whatever that is, we may love the pleasure of sitting at home

and relaxing. Instead of serving God.

If you're loving that more than you love God.

You can't be his disciples what he says.

If you love your job more than you love, God, you can't be his

disciple. He says, Where is our love?

You see. The trial is what we love.

The trial is. What choice are we going to

make? The trial is very true.

The trial is very real. What do you love Do you love the

things? Do you love the Comforts?

Do you love the pleasures of this life?

Do you love anything more than you love?

God. and a lot of times we fail, A lot of times we fail in that

trial. We want to be his disciples, we

want to be loving God. But there's the test, there's

the trial. When we go through a trial, we

find out what it reveals about our love towards God and you

will either be weaker or you'll be stronger.

We and we alone are the ones that make That choice seventh

trials. Teach us to Value the blessings

of God. We're taught these days to

Value, the things of this world and to have value the pleasures

of this world. The world tells us to enjoy

these things. Are we live by Pleasure?

We live by our feelings, if it feels good, do it.

They say faith tells us to Value.

God's world, God's word, God's favor, God's blessings,

selfishness and worldly. Pleasures will be pleasure says,

grab what you can grab in the world and go for it.

Find pleasure at any price faith, says obey, the word of

God. God, and be blessed.

In the middle of Trials, we obey and we find a blessing.

That's what the trials are intended to teach us.

They show us that obedience at all costs brings brings the

blessing of God. Jesus went through trials and

obeyed his father and there were, there was a blessing in

that Hebrews 5 in verses 7 through 9, who in the days of

his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplication with

vehement trials, cries and tears to him, who was able to save him

from death and was heard because of his Godly fear, though, he

was a son yet, learned, yet he learned obedience by the things,

which he suffered. And having been perfected, he

became the author of Eternal salvation to wall, Who obey him.

Look at the blessing there. Jesus obeyed, his father. and

the blessing was, He turned salvation for all of us. what a

blessing when we obey God, Philippians 2 puts it, another

way that he was humbled took upon him, the form of a man and

offered up himself in death and God highly exalted him Trials,

come To get us through the suffering, get us to the other

side that we obey in the suffering and then receive the

blessing of God through that trial on the other side of the

tribe. When you go through a trial, if

you learn to obey God, you will experience his Blessing and

that's his promise. Hey, trials, and suffering, come

to enable us to help others in their suffering.

Sometimes when suffering comes and may have no other purpose,

other than we were able to help other people in their suffering

as well. To assist them.

Notice the 22nd chapter of Luke, where Jesus says to Peter.

And the Lord said Simon Simon indeed.

Satan has asked for you that he may sift, you as wheat Satan's

going to shake you in other words as what he's saying.

And you know what, When Trials come our way, they will shake us

sometimes to our core They will wake us up and they will shake

our life into total and utter disarray.

It's going to shake you and that's what Peter.

Our Jesus is telling Peter here, shaitan is going to take, Satan

is going to take you and Shake you up.

He says, but I prayed for you that your faith should not fail.

Now, listen to this. And when you have returned to

me, When you've turned around. In other words, when you come

through the trial he says strengthen your brother That's

the purpose. A wonderful purpose that when we

go through the trial and we see somebody else going through

maybe the same trial or a trial, we can go help and strengthen

our brother or our sisters, help them through that struggle.

Maybe they haven't been through that.

We have we know what's going to come at them and we can lift

them up and we can pray for them.

We can help them whatever it. Maybe, maybe it's taking things

to them. Maybe it's helping them with

chores. Maybe it's Studying with them.

Maybe it's praying with them holding her hand.

Strengthen your brethren. When you're going through

trials, it teaches you, all kinds of things, you learn a lot

and then when you see someone else suffering helpful, Help him

out. because we have been trained now in that That's like

Jesus and Hebrews. 4 and verse 15.

For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our

weaknesses, but was, in all points tempted as we are, yet

without sin. Now, notice Hebrews 2 and verse

18, for in that he himself, has suffered being tempted, he is

able to Aid those who are tempted or they're going through

trials, just like you and I We can pray to God for help and

Jesus is their pleading our case because he's gone through it

too. We can do that with our brother.

We can do that. We can help them out.

So, we go through trials for the purpose of being able to help

others and that's a wonderful wonderful thing.

Finally then number nine Trials, come to develop greater strength

for greater usefulness, to God, Thomas Melton.

It was a 17th century, English preacher and he said, while all

things are quiet and comfortable we live by since, or our

feelings, rather than Faith, but the worth of a soldier is never

known in times of Peace. No soldiers are trained and

trained and trained but they never know how.

Things are going to go until they get into the war.

And the worth of that Soldier is never known until it's time to

fight. So is it is with our faith?

God has his purpose in trials, and that is to give us a greater

strength. You know, we we go through one

trial in our spiritual muscles are exercised if you want to

say. You know, in my recovery people

said well don't overdo it don't overdo it don't well I know

don't overdo it. I know when things happen you

don't overdo it but the only way that I'm going to recover and

get stronger as to push and exercise, and be active.

Instead of just sitting in my lounge, chair, all the time

watching television, My legs will not get stronger.

My arms will not get stronger. My lungs will not get stronger.

My heart will not get stronger and less I exercise and so It is

with our spiritual life, unless we exercise our spiritual life.

And we go through the trials and see how we do in that trial, and

it makes us stronger. We go through one trial, and

another trial, and another trial and another trial.

And sometimes we wonder how much more can I put up with?

Well, here's another one that's coming at me, and it teaches us

and it makes us stronger. Each time we go through another

trial, we get stronger and we get stronger and we get stronger

so that we can help others so that we can be more useful to

God. And one more useful to God were

able to accomplish more for the church.

To God's glory. If you're at ease and you're

sitting in your easy chair all the time and you're not

exercising spiritually. If you're not reading the word

of God, if you're not studying it, if you're not singing

praises to Him, if you're not studying here on Wednesday

night, if you're not studying here on on Sunday night, you're

getting weaker and weaker and weaker and you're becoming less

useful to God. We need to all be useful to God.

Exercise, your spiritual life so that you can become spiritually

strong. So when those Trials come at

you, we come out the other side and good shape and stronger for

doing such stronger. We wonder why we fail.

We wonder why we've had so much so many problems.

When the Trials, come our way. Because we're not exercising.

And our strength is getting weaker and weaker.

So let's sum it up. What is God's purpose as he

tests us? To test the strength of our

faith that we might know where our strength is, or isn't to

Humble us. So we can think more confidently

of our spiritual to so that we don't think more commonly or

spiritual strength. And we ought to think to wenis

away from worldly things to help us focus on that.

Heavenly hope to help us think and focus on Heavenly things.

To reveal what we really love to teach us the value to Value the

blessings of God and to appreciate those blessings to

enable us to help others in their trials and bear.

Another one another's burdens. To develop and during strength

for greater usefulness so that God can use us more and more for

the cause of Christ trials are going to come.

There's no way of avoiding them. We might say to ourselves.

Well, I I know they're going to come and I know that all things

are for God's purpose and it's all about what he wants to

accomplish in US. But I still did it.

Still doesn't answer the question.

How do I get through it? How do I get through the trial?

How do I get to the other side of the trial?

Well, let's go back to James 1. Knowing that the testing of your

faith produces endurance and perseverance.

That's a purpose to produce perseverance.

And endurance. It says, trials are going to

come the testing. Your faith is going to come, but

let's notice verse 2, it takes a joyous attitude, my brethren,

count, it all joy. Perspective.

This means persevering in and through the trial with the right

attitude, a joyous attitude. Verse 3, you must have an

understanding mine. He says knowing that this test

is producing something knowing and ahead, knowing that

something good is going to come out of this, you know, none of

us would start start anything. It seems like if we knew that

the end was going to be a failure. start doing something,

knowing that knowing that we're going to fail but he says, no,

this, no this That the testing of your faith.

Produces something good. Something beneficial to you.

Third. We must have a submissive will

he says let patience have. It's perfect work.

In other words, let the trial happen.

Inder the trial because God is at work in your life.

If God is not at work in your life, Satan is if you let him

get the upper hand and you come out on the other end of the

trial without joy and a bitter attitude toward God, you're mad

at God. The devil wins.

So let God do his work in your, in the trials of your life, let

it happen and have the right attitude in that trial, that

you're going to pray that you're going to trust God.

You're going to turn it over to him.

And we along with others will help you along with that trial.

But we want to eventually come out on the other side, the

winner we want to come out on the other side.

Because let patients work with in your life.

Let those Trials come into your life and deal with them as they

come into your life. Because God is at work in your

life and you know what? You'll come out on the other

side, a lot stronger than you are now.

We must have a believing heart if any of you lacks wisdom, let

him ask of God who gives to all liberally and without reproach.

And it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, no

doubting for He Who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven

and tossed by the wind for. Let not that man.

Suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord.

He is a double-minded man. Unstable, 's and unstable in all

his ways. Ask God for what you need.

In faith, not doubting. You must believe with all your

heart, believe in God will and believe that he has the ability

to do it and turn it over to him.

Remember how we talked a little bit ago?

We want to pray to God, we want to ask him for the help.

We want to ask him for the prayers.

We want to ask him for the blessing, but we want to grab

that little suit case of doubt and carry it along with us just

in case, God's plan doesn't work out in our lives. doubting God

not having faith in God that he can accomplish his will in us

and through us Put that doubt away, set it down to the side

and put your faith and trust in God.

And sometimes, that's a hard thing to do.

And finally, in verses 9 through 11, we must have a humble

spirit. Let the lowly brother glory in

his exultation but the rich in his humiliation because as a

flower of the field, he will pass away for no sooner has the

sun risen with a burning heat and it Withers the grass.

It's flowers Falls and it's beautiful appearance parishes.

So the rich man also will fade away in his Pursuits.

So you persevere through the trials, What a joyous attitude

and understanding - submissive will a believing heart and a

humble Spirit. But then in verse 12, James

tells us what happens when we make it through.

The trial. Blessed is the man who endures

Temptation for the trials for when he has been approved.

When, in other words when he's been made, when he's made it to

the other side of the trial, he will receive the Crown of Life

which the Lord has promised to those who love him.

There's the blessing. There's the blessing when we

made it to the other side of the trial.

We receive the blessing. Again, if we start something and

know we're going to fail, we wouldn't start it.

When we're going through the trial know that on the other

side is a blessing. In conclusion, trials are not

fun or enjoyable. No one likes having problems in

life but we know, we will come out on the other, at the end of

that trial in a blessing. So, let's prepare our hearts for

how we're going to react to the trials.

When it comes, it can be devastated us.

Or I can be a blessing to make us a better Christian in so many

ways. Remember what we said at the

beginning of the lesson, it's all about perspective.

Going through any trial of life or a Christian can be a joyous

experience. If our perspective is right, our

plan and God's plans are not the same.

That's how we find. Joy in Trials.

We thank you for listening to our podcast, put on by the

Church of Christ at 22:15 plans. Road in Bakersfield, if you

would like any additional information or you would like to

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