God's promise to you.......

Jas 1:12* Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

James calls it "Blessed", but it means, happy, and fortunate. There are a number of things told us here about the blessings that come after you get through a trial. The Word temptation here, is better rendered "Trial or testing"

One, Blessing is associated with enduring the trial.

Two, Blessings will be received by the tested person.

Three, The blessing is the "Crown of life"

Four, This blessing is promised by the Lord Himself.

Five, Notice the words, "to those who love Him"

Earlier in this chapter, James had talked about how to understand a trial, and what the Lord does in our lives through a trial. Here, he is speaking about the person who has endured, or gone through the trial, and a promise from God about that person receiving the crown of life. The blessing is the crown of life.

When a christian goes through the trial, not only do they come out the other side a more patient and enduring person, but they are happy, and they receive this crown of life from the Lord.

What is the crown of life? I believe Hebrews speaks about it.

Heb 12:11 Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

After the process of testing, training, chastening, this peaceable fruit of righteousness is yielded into our lives. From pressure and difficulty, to peace, and the fruit of righteousness. These are indeed blessings.

Simply put, when we go through the trial, and endure it, at the end, we are changed people, we are more patient, we are more able to endure, we have become more mature, and we enjoy a peacefulness from the Lord, and righteousness from the Lord. ( living the right way, understanding the right way, being able to encourage others in the right way )

So, God has a promise for you. Hang in there, don't grow weary, be patient, the Lord is going to get you through the trial, and He will bless you in the trial, and make you a better person for it, once you are through the trial itself.

My prayer today is for you if you are going through a time of trial, or you have just come through a trial. Lord, make Your promise real and tangible today to my brothers and sisters reading this who are in the midst of a trial. If they have just come through a trial, then together, we thank You for being faithful. Please allow us to be used by You to be a genuine source of encouragement to anyone in a trial at this time. In Jesus name, amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier

Calvary Chapel Visalia

Application/Promise

1. He is going to get you through.

2. You cannot do it alone, He will help you.

3. He not only helps, but then blesses as well.

4. Trials change us for the better.

5. You will be more patient and peaceful.

6. God will use your experience to help others.

7. Give thanks to God, He is faithful and true.

Why do we go through trials?

James 1:3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.

James 1:4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

These two verses help explain why we an count it all joy when we fall into various trials and difficulties. The first thing in these verses, is what we are to know, and the second thing, is what we are to do. So, knowing and doing are both mentioned here. And, they both help us understand why we “can count it all joy” when we fall into a trial.

So, first of all, “Knowing”.......that is, the Lord wants us to know what He intends through the trial that we may be going through. A trial is a test or proving of our faith, and through the testing process, the trial will produce endurance, or patience in our lives, the ability to persevere under and in difficult situations. ( By the way, the proving of our faith, is not for God to know if we have faith as it were, but rather the proving/testing of our faith is for us to know and be aware of )

Sometimes a trial will be with a person, or persons, and sometimes it can be with a circumstance(s), and sometimes, it can be with both people(s) and circumstances.

Regardless of which it is, the same goal is in mind from the Lord. He wants to make you more patient and able to endure. So, a trial is designed to give us more patience. Trials make us able to endure.

Secondly, “Doing”.....or as it’s stated in verse 4, “but let patience etc, etc...” The letting, is what we are called to do. And, that is to let the Lord to do in us what He wants to do. We are called to cooperate with God’s will and His purposes in our lives. In other words, we are not to try and run from the trial, or pretend it’s not there, or become bitter and angry, or discouraged. And, we can’t hurry the process, but, we can “Let” and if we do, we will come out more mature, and more complete as people if we go through the trial God’s way, and in God’s time.

When a christian allows the Lord to work in their hearts through a trial, they will ultimately become a more well rounded person. That’s what trials do in us.

Let’s pray. Father, again, Your Word hits us right in the heart, and rings true to us, and helps us so much. Thank You for Your Word. And, may You find us “letting You do in us whatever You want to do”......That’s our prayer Lord. Develop our lives, that they may be a witness for Jesus Christ.

Pastor Bob Grenier

Calvary Chapel Visalia

Application/Promise

1. No trial is ever more then we can handle

2. God knows what He is trying to do in us.

3. God has wisdom that we don’t have about what He is doing in our lives.

4. We don’t need to try and get out of the trial.

5. God loves you, and will bless you in the end.

6. Strength to endure, actually comes from God.

7. Be encouraged, God is faithful.

“It really is a joy”...........

James 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,

The first thing that James says to Christians about trials, is “count it all joy”.......the Phillips translation of the Bible says it this way, “When all kinds of trials and temptations crowd into your lives my brothers, don't resent them as intruders, but welcome them as friends!” Or to consider it an opportunity for joy.

The phrase “count it all joy” means to consider, to think it through to it’s logical conclusion, just the way you would if you were working out a math problem. There is a right sequence to go through in the problem, and it comes to right ending. That’s the meaning here. We are to look at trial, and then consider what it’s going to bring into our lives. It’s a matter of Joy.

So as Christians, this is how we are to, and how we can, and how we ought to regard the trials ( and even the temptations ) that come into our lives. This is contrary to how we feel, and it’s not my first reaction, but, it’s how our Father directs us. We are to welcome them as friends.

A true friend will not hurt you, and trials ( while they can be very painful to say the least ) are not going to hurt us when it’s all said and done, but rather help us and encourage us in our walk with the Lord. Trials in that sense can become our friends.

As we go through James 1, it will become apparent to us why we can welcome them as friends.....but suffice to say, they will bring benefit into our lives.

Please take a moment to consider what is said by way of explanation in James 1:3. “knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.”

Trials will produce something very helpful in our lives. Patience. That’s what the Lord gives us as we walk through a trial with Him. Let’s pray.

Lord, Your Word is like nothing else in the world. You speak right to our hearts and minds, and You tell us the truth, and here You tell us about trials, and what they will bring into our lives, and how we ought to look at them, and understand them. Thank You for that Lord. And, help us to take Your Word to heart, and to put it into application. In Jesus name, amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier

Calvary Chapel Visalia

Application/Promises

1. We can be completely sure of God’s Word.

2. What He says to us is precisely correct and true.

3. The subject of trials and temptations is important.

4. This is God’s counsel to us about trials.

5. Looking back on your trials don’t you see how they do help us?

6. God will get you through any trial.

7. Blessings of Grace, Power and Peace to you.