The Pulse of Pure Joy

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”—James 1:2-4

The life of faith is exactly that, one of faith—one based on “the assurance of what is hoped for, the substance of things not seen”—Hebrews 11:1. We understand that the surety we have is yet to come. It is based upon what God has revealed to us in His Word, and by His Word we understand that we will have many trials and tribulations in this life, because this world is fallen and sinful, and we wait for the day when Jesus will come again and make all things right. But until that day, we live in the midst of a world that is hostile to God. Death, destruction, pain, and hurt, injustice, trials, tribulations and a host of other problems and difficulties are the prevalent conditions of the age.

The pulse of pure joy does not mean life without difficulty—it means finding joy and satisfaction in the midst of it. It is the polar opposite of how the world thinks. The world wants to do one of two things when faced with difficulty: #1. Give up. Or #2: Pick themselves up by their bootstraps and make a change. But for the Christian, we cannot give up, nor can we pick ourselves up by our bootstraps. Christians don’t look to themselves for salvation; rather, the Christian looks at life through the lens of faith and what will be. It’s a telescope into the future, knowing that there is a promise that will find ultimate joy through the pain, hardship, or tragedy. That’s why we are to “count it all joy” because it grows our faith, it grows our focus, and enables us to find an anchor in the future of what God is going to do. We meet trials, so that by them we might be weaned away from this world and focus more clearly on the one to come.

We are like lumps of clay that God, the great potter, is shaping. And there are times when He sticks His hand in the pot in order to hollow it out—and that can be very painful. We look at our trials and tribulations through faith—knowing that our present struggles are preparing us for ultimate joy in eternity with Christ when we will see Him who is the object of our hope, our soul’s delight, and our ultimate desire. If you are facing a trial right now, I know that it may be difficult, it may be painful, but count it all joy, casting yourself upon Him, because only He will give you peace, patience, and perseverance that will yield its fruit in the present, but even more so in eternity. Amen.