Count It All Joy

A Little Word Study
My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. (James 1:2-4)

According to Strong’s Concordance, joy is defined as a cheerful calm, delight, and gladness.

Temptation is a putting to proof (test, provoke); by implication adversity: to try.

According to these verses, I should approach the temptation to fear, for example, with a cheerful calm, knowing that it is a testing of my faith in God, and that will work patience (cheerful or hopeful endurance, constancy: -- enduring, patient continuance; waiting) into my life. I like to picture it as a “working in” as in baking: when the chef works additional flour into the dough, he slowly incorporates it into the dough, working it in over a period of time. Testing works patience into my life, over time.

In addition, I am instructed by James to LET patience have a complete or mature work. Why? So I can be perfect (complete in various applications of labour, growth, mental and moral character, etc.) and entire (perfectly sound in body), wanting (or lacking) nothing!

What better or happier way of life than a cheerful calm no matter what temptation or test comes my way! Jesus prayed for me to be perfect, mature, and complete, and in His prayer, He gave the reason for His prayer.

Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. (John 17:20-23)

We are a living witness to the world when we act and live in spiritual maturity. They see that our Christianity is real when they see us go through temptations and trials and still show maturity and trust in God.
We have the assurance that our suffering will not last forever, and that God will, in maturing us, bring stability and strength to our lives. He promises to settle us.

But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. (1 Peter 5:10)

God allows tests and afflictions into our lives, because He knows we need it, but He’s watching us the entire time. He never takes His eye off of us. And He also promises to build and to plant into our lives.

And it shall come to pass, that like as I have watched over them, to pluck up, and to break down, and to throw down, and to destroy, and to afflict; so will I watch over them, to build, and to plant, saith the LORD.
(Jeremiah 31:28)

In Your Word, I find my comfort,
Rest from my affliction,
Evidence of faithfulness,
Your mercy, love, and grace.
It is in my darkest midnight
That I’ve found my greatest treasure:
The assurance that You hear me, Lord,
And that You see me in this place!

(“Whispers in the Night,” by Roger Bennett)

If you’re being tested today, “lift up [your] eyes unto the hills”! (Psalm 121) God is your Help, and you can be assured that He sees you, He’s watching you, and He cares for you (1 Peter 5:7).

The Source of My Song

Sung by Greater Vision, the song "The Source of My Song" has blessed me so much lately...

Oh the source of my song is the Saviour
The reason for my singing is the Man from Galilee
It does not depend upon my circumstances
For Jesus is the source of my song

One verse says, "If we only sing when we're happy, we will not be singing very long." One of my good Jamaican friends has taught me that when I begin to feel irritated or frustrated to start humming... even if I don't feel like it. I have begun to put this into practice: with amazing results! Something wells up inside of you when you begin to sing to the Lord.

This morning all five horses we own ran out into the pasture rather than into the barn to eat their grain, as they have been trained to do. I was at the barn by myself, and I am not by any means an experienced horsewoman!

Let me back up and explain that everything in my life right now is an adjustment. There is not much that is the same. I live in a new country with a wonderful new husband. I am trying to build a relationship with three teenage stepchildren. I am learning-as-I-go as a pastor's wife. I am endeavouring to be my husband's helper as he works daily in his custom home business. I am about to become a Nana. (I get every grandparent's dream: have the grandkids first!) I am leading a choir (which I have only done once before in my life). I am coordinating numerous singing groups at church. I am seeking to shepherd and encourage our ladies.

Many days I feel very overwhelmed with my new life! (Understatement of the year!) This morning's experience when the horses all ran out into the field was one of those times: I burst into tears, and asked God if He'd left me! That sounds like an extreme response to horses running out of the paddock. But I can assure you it was not merely because the horses did not do what they were supposed to do! I was overwhelmed by the adjustments of life. I felt out of control. I felt stretched beyond what I could endure, beyond what I could handle.

I said, "God, I CAN'T do this anymore!" But He showed me that I indeed could do it--with HIS power. With the use of the whip, I herded all those equines into the barn and secured them into their stalls for breakfast time!

And God taught me a powerful lesson: I can't do anything without Him... and He is moving me to the end of myself so that I will look up and trust Him with EVERYTHING. As long as I can still do it in my own strength, in my heart of hearts I will believe that I don't truly need Him.

As painful as it is, I'm thankful God is removing all my props and teaching me to trust Him alone. Jeremiah said, "Lord God, behold I cannot." Chapters later, God replied, "Is there anything too hard for me?"