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How do you find joy when your faith is being tested? In this transformative episode of the Jaime Luce Podcast, we tackle this profound question through the lens of the book of James. Our discussion begins with understanding how to maintain faith and hope during times of sorrow and trials, emphasizing the temporary nature of hardships and God’s power to bring life and healing to any situation. As we engage deeply with scripture, we reflect on the experiences of dispersed Jewish believers facing persecution, finding strength and joy through faith in their trying times.

Just like a rigorous workout builds physical strength, the testing of our faith builds spiritual resilience. With an attitude of steadfastness, personal growth can be achieved even in the face of challenges. This episode highlights the importance of seeking wisdom from God, who guides and supports us through life’s trials. By trusting and submitting to God’s wisdom, we can navigate difficult situations more effectively, preparing ourselves for the blessings He has in store. We explore how to remain steadfast in trials, embodying joy through our faith and actions.

Our journey continues by examining the profound connection between faith, works, and trials. Drawing from biblical examples like Abraham, Daniel, and Job, we unpack the concept of joy as a choice and source of strength. Reflecting on scriptures such as Hebrews 12:1-4 and John 16:20, we reveal how joy empowers believers to face challenges with gladness, transforming sorrow into a reason for joy. Through prayer and scripture, we are reminded that we have been equipped with everything needed for life and godliness, encouraging us to find strength in the joy of the Lord, knowing that our trials will ultimately bear peaceable fruits and blessings. Join us in this enriching episode as we embrace joy amidst the tests of faith.

Where to dive in:

(0:00:00) – Finding Joy in Tests of Faith (17 Minutes)

This chapter focuses on finding joy when your faith is being tested. I share insights on how to maintain faith and hope during times of sorrow and trials, emphasizing that such hardships are temporary and that God is a redeemer who can bring life and healing to any situation. By engaging deeply with the Word of God, particularly from the book of James, we explore the concept of joy amidst trials and the importance of being active listeners and doers of the Word. We also reflect on the historical context of James, addressing the dispersed Jewish believers facing persecution and how they, and we, can find strength and joy through faith.

(0:17:04) – Navigating Trials With Steadfast Faith (12 Minutes)

This chapter emphasizes the importance of maintaining joy and steadfastness during trials, likening the testing of faith to a workout that builds strength and resilience. We explore how enduring challenges with a positive attitude can lead to personal growth and benefits, much like the physical benefits of regular exercise. The conversation highlights the need to seek wisdom from God when faced with difficult situations, trusting that He will guide and support us. We stress the importance of asking for wisdom in faith, without doubting, and being sensitive to God’s guidance, understanding that not every desire aligns with His plan. By submitting our will to God’s wisdom and direction, we can navigate life’s trials more effectively and be better prepared for the blessings He has in store for us.

(0:28:47) – Living Out Faith Through Actions (6 Minutes)

This chapter focuses on understanding and living out the teachings in the book of James, particularly emphasizing steadfastness, wisdom, and the importance of actions aligning with faith. We explore how every good and perfect gift comes from God, who is unchanging, and how believers are called to remain steadfast in trials, embodying joy through their faith. Key points include the necessity of being doers of the word, not just hearers, and the importance of putting away negative behaviors. Additionally, we examine the correlation between faith and works, highlighting that true faith is demonstrated through actions, using examples from James chapters 1 and 2 to illustrate these principles.

(0:35:03) – Finding Joy Through Trials of Faith (13 Minutes)

This chapter explores the profound connection between faith, works, and trials, drawing from the teachings of James and biblical examples like Abraham, Daniel, and the three Hebrew boys. We emphasize that true faith is demonstrated not during times of blessing, but through trials and struggles, echoing the narrative of Job. The concept of joy amidst trials is unpacked, revealing that joy is not merely a feeling but a choice and a source of strength. We also discuss how the joy of the Lord empowers believers to face challenges with gladness, even when circumstances are difficult. Finally, we examine John 16:20 to highlight how sorrow can be transformed into a reason for joy, encouraging listeners to seek God’s wisdom in navigating their trials.

(0:48:15) – Joy in Enduring Trials of Faith (7 Minutes)

This chapter focuses on embracing joy amidst trials and sacrifices by drawing inspiration from Hebrews 12:1-4. We explore the concept that joy is the driving force that enables us to endure hardships and maintain our faith. Reflecting on Jesus’ example of enduring the cross for the joy set before him, we emphasize the importance of steadfastness and relying on God as our source. Through prayer and scripture, we are reminded that we have been equipped with everything needed for life and godliness. This chapter encourages us to find strength in the joy of the Lord, knowing that the trials we face will ultimately produce peaceable fruits and blessings.

About your host: Jaime Luce’s testimony has daunting personal mountains and treacherous financial valleys. She was trapped in day-to-day stress and couldn’t see a way forward. But how she started is not how she finished! And she wants you to know God has a plan for your life too, no matter how tough it seems. Today, Jaime has been married to the love of her life for almost three decades, owns two companies, and has become an author and podcaster. God’s way is always the blessed way!

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Full Transcript

This transcript is auto-generated and not perfect. We hope it blesses you.

0:00:00 – Jaime Luce
Your sorrow, even if you have to look at that sorrow and say this is temporary. This hurts, but my faith says I’m not going to stay here forever. This isn’t always the way it’s going to be. God is a redeemer. He will redeem this time and he will bring to life whatever needs to be brought back to life. He will provide whatever’s lacking. He will fix and heal whatever’s broken. That’s an understanding that gives me strength, that enables me to look at my situation in faith and say, yes, this hurts, but you are my hope, you are my source, you’re the one that I trust and you will see me through this, and it won’t always be like this. There will be joy at the end when this is done.

Welcome to the Jamie Luce Podcast. Thank you for tuning in and spending some quality time with me today. I know that the quality time you’re giving is to feed your spirit and your soul with the Word of God, so we’ll get right to it. But today we’re going to be talking about finding joy when your faith is in the test. Your faith is in the test, you’re being tested and finding joy can seem like an impossible task. We’re going to be in the book of James as I was going through this, I was thinking I actually have enough stuff here for two and I’m probably going to break it up into two because I want to take you into the book of Daniel, but I have a feeling that we’re going to have to do two. So if you’re listening to this today, my encouragement to you is make sure you also listen to the next episode next week, because these will go literally hand in hand one right with the other, and I will reference, if I do the other one next week, I’ll be referencing, you know, things that were spoken and scriptures that we’ve gone over this week. So if you want to get yourself in a place where you can get some notes and pencils and paper or pens or highlighters, you can see that I am a highlight freak. I love to highlight everything. I make notes all over. My Bibles are full of my notes. I love the word of God and there’s so much here for us.

So let’s go to James, chapter one, and this can really seem like a not an impossible task, but it could seem like it makes no sense that the Lord is asking something of us that is not only contrary to our nature but can seem harsh, like how can you ask us to do this? How can you ask us, as Christians, to have joy when we’re in the middle of being tested or going through a fiery trial? So let’s read the scripture. Um and I’m going to really be concentrating um, in James, chapter one. I do have some in chapter two, but the bulk is in chapter one. Um, so let me just read this to you and, and do yourself a favor, when you go to read the word, do it from a position as if you’ve never heard this before, and maybe you have not heard this before, but if you have.

We’ve talked about in previous episodes how important it is that we don’t just have eyes that don’t see and ears that don’t hear. We need to be actively engaged in the word of God, and every day he has something he can say to us. I’ve read through the scripture I don’t know how many times and I will get something new, or I’ll get something that that day in particular, maybe, or that there’s a thought that comes that when you read something, it spurs on all these new thoughts, all these new understandings, or something that is very pertinent to your day and what you need to hear and know. So it’s important that we come to the scripture with our eyes open, our ears tuned in, like lord, what do you want to say to me? In fact, I encourage you right now, just in the posture of your heart, to say Lord, I want to hear what you have to say to me today. Help me to be someone who truly listens and that I understand what you’re saying, and then strengthen me to do whatever it is that you might be asking me to do. And that way we are engaging with his word. We’re actually having a relationship with him and with his word. This word is Jesus, is the word. So by engaging with this, by having a true openness to listen and hear, I’m actually engaging in the relationship as if Jesus was right here with me. I’m entering into what he’s saying to me and I’m willing to be a good hearer of the word.

So let’s go to James 1, verse 1. James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the 12 tribes, in the dispersion greetings. Now, that may seem like just a little normal letter greeting, but I want you to hear what James is about to do. James is the brother of Jesus Christ, but he considers himself simply a servant of the Lord Okay, james, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. So he has understood who Jesus really was and has submitted himself to the service of furthering the gospel. Now we know that Paul was called to the Gentiles. They were outside of the household of faith, faith, and he was called to them specifically. But James is speaking to those of the household of faith, to the Jewish brothers, and they have been under persecution and have fled for their lives and been dispersed all over. So James is talking to a group of people.

Consider, like, really think about this. If, if we were under attack, being literally our lives sought after, we’re running for our lives and we have to leave the home that we know, the town that we know, the people we know. We have to take what we can carry and we get someplace safe and try to start a new life, what we can carry and we get someplace safe and try to start a new life. Under persecution. You’ve been persecuted and you’ve been sought after simply because of what you believe and if we’re not careful, the days and times that we’re living in, this could be us. I mean, there are people right now in nations around this world who have to do this very thing. And if the United States doesn’t get a major course correction very quickly, we Christians in the United States will be facing this too.

And this is a scary thought to think that, under the duress that they must have been feeling, under the pressure of what they must have been feeling, under the sense of loss of what they must have been feeling, these people were people who have lost everything and they are trying to serve the Lord but do so in a manner that is, let’s just say, it’s putting pressure on their faith. It’s a real pressure and it is such a pressure and it is such a load and it is so hard to bear that James feels it necessary to write this letter that he wants to be dispersed and said to every tribe, to the 12 tribes, all of the Jewish people in the dispersion. So he is very specifically giving them a message. This letter was written with intent and it will surprise you because we, our flesh, loves to coddle itself and be gentle on itself. That’s why people don’t if, if, if, um, what’s the word I want?

If, discipline, and like working out and eating healthy and taking care of yourself and getting enough sleep and doing all the things. If that was easy, everyone would be doing it. We don’t like it for all kinds of reasons. We don’t like that. It could be an inconvenience. We don’t like that. That means we have to work hard at something. It means we’d have to deny ourself. There are so many reasons why we don’t like to do that. We just like to indulge. Our flesh wants to be indulged, and so if you can understand how, how easily the flesh does not want to under regular circumstances, does not want to deal with hardship, especially in the Western culture. I wouldn’t say this of everybody and of all cultures, but the Western culture, we, we want things easy, we want it our way, we want it fast, we want it simple, we want it right. I mean, we want it right now. We want no argument, we want no discussion, we just want what we want and we get our feathers ruffled, so to speak, when someone says no. Get our feathers ruffled, so to speak, when someone says no or you can’t have it just the way you want it, if things don’t go the way we want them to go, and this is an under easy circumstances, under easy circumstances. We don’t want this.

There has to be an understanding in our hearts and in our minds of, first of all, how blessed we truly are, how good God has been to us and how little we have given to pursue him, to be like him, to pursue him, to be like him, to be Christ-like. And I’m talking to me too, I’m not just talking to you, I’m talking to me too. We have got to make up our minds in true conviction, determination and belief, and I’m not talking about the kind of belief that says, yes, I believe there’s a God. You can believe there’s a God that has nothing to do with you, that doesn’t impact your life, that is just always there and always will be there, but that there isn’t a second coming or a judgment coming. You can believe all kinds of things, but if you understand and truly read the word, and you read this book from cover to cover, and you understand that Jesus did come to save us, but that he’s coming again and when he comes again he’s coming to judge the world, that we have to, in essence, by believing in him, we have to change our posture and understand.

That means, if I truly believe him and what he has said, and I truly believe that he is the king, the king of all kings and that every knee will bow. That means that my life better be a life that is walking in accordance with his ways. Now serving him means it is full of benefits. To live in his kingdom is full of the benefits and the blessing of God. I mean truly to have all of our needs met, that he promises to meet all of our needs. He’s even gracious, not just in his mercy that he had on us when he could have judged us and left us in our sin, but saved us, gave himself first, teaching us generosity and how he took care of everything for us. There’s so much there and I’m just skipping right over it. But if we could understand that but then also understand that, out of a heart of gratitude and truly believing he is who he says he is, that he is the God of everything. There is not one thing that is, that he is not God over, that does not come under, that has not been created by him. If I don’t understand that, I won’t live accordingly.

Now, if I have six grandchildren my husband and I have six grandchildren and if our daughter or our sons you know if any of the kids come to us and tell us that they are expecting a child. Not only is there joy and excitement, but there is a posture that the one carrying the child has to take. They no longer treat their body in the same fashion they will. They will be very particular about what they eat, the activities that they participate in. You can’t go to Disneyland or an amusement park and ride certain rides If you are pregnant. They’ll say right on there, if you’re pregnant, don’t get on this ride. It’s going to shake you up and rattle you around. Well, you immediately change your course of action and how you live based off of the fact that you’re carrying a child.

Well, folks, we are carriers of Jesus Christ, we are carriers of the Holy Spirit, of his precious Holy Spirit, and we are to emulate him and be his ambassadors here on earth. And in that journey of doing that, that means my life needs to look like his. So I say all of that to say, when James is writing to this group of people, he knows he’s talking to a group of people who don’t have it easy, who are going through very rough things, who life right now is a struggle. The test of their faith is sure, right now, that they are being tested, and under that test, instead of James coming in and saying, oh bless your hearts, this is just so tough. Just do your best, don’t be under any pressure, you don’t have to. Don’t worry about filling in all, dotting all the I’s and crossing all the T’s right now. God will be, he understands, he knows your heart, he knows it’s hard.

That’s not what we hear in this letter and I have to say, okay, when I, when I read this to you, I have to understand that not only do I not have it hard, if he has the strength and purpose and call to minister this kind of strong word to this people who is struggling so much, how much more does this word affect me? Who is not struggling in the way that they were struggling? How much more impact should this word have on my life? As someone who lives in a free nation, I am able to speak currently and say whatever I need to say, want to say, choose to say that I’m free to choose what food I eat, how I eat it, where I eat it, when I eat it, where I live, what job I take, if I do a job at all. I’m free, even though we need to deal with the issue, but I’m free to live on the street. You have to understand that if this word was meant for a people struggling, truly struggling in finance, in heart, in spirit, in everything that affects their life, how much more does this word need to affect my blessed life? So let’s read it, verse two count it all.

Joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds and other versions, say of all kinds. For you know now, this is something we’re supposed to know, we’re supposed to know this, and maybe you don’t know this, but so that you are reminded. For for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. It produces a strength and a solidness that doesn’t move, it’s able. Have you ever met those people that, no matter what happens, they just, they just are the same. They’re not rocked, they’re not moved, they’re just steadfast. No matter what the task is at hand, they’re all in, they stay all in, they’re always in, they’re just steadfast, they’re immovable. The testing of your faith produces steadfastness, and let steadfastness have its full effect. So I have to stay in the test and in the trial with joy. I’m supposed to be counting this joy. We’re going to talk about that because there is a full work.

So if I don’t do this in the manner that I am supposed to do this. So if I don’t do this in the manner that I am supposed to do this, I’m actually limiting its benefits in my life. That there are actual benefits, that the reason I am carrying this and and going through this is to produce benefits in my life. And so, if I want the benefits, I think about the people who, uh, work out three to five times a week. They’re diligent, they watch what they eat, they’re careful to take care of themselves, they don’t give into themselves. These people reap the benefits. They’re strong, their bones and their body aren’t aching the same way when they get older. They have more stamina. They can keep going. Their lives are usually fuller and longer because they aren’t hindered in the activities they can partake in. There are benefits. There are benefits, um, they’re able to enjoy a dessert now and again without having diabetes, because they don’t eat those desserts all the time. There are benefits to living this steadfast life.

So it says let it have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom and we’re going to use this scripture next week too but if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all, without reproach, and it will be given him, but let him ask in faith. So we’re still on the on the subject and topic of faith. And he’s saying you can be going through a horrible situation and you don’t know what to do. So if you lack wisdom in the thing that you are dealing with, while you’re trying to do this by counting it, joy and understanding, it’s producing something in me and there are benefits to this.

If I lack wisdom, I ask him because he will give it to me, he will tell me how to navigate this issue that I’m in. He doesn’t let me go through something and just say, now go figure it out, like throw you in the pool and figure out how to swim. No, he’s actually our coach, he’s actually our helper. He’s a parent. He is teaching and enabling us to do what we need to do by his instruction. He’s willing to tell us how to do what we need to do. But let him ask in faith. This is really important when you ask.

You can’t ask in a posture that says oh God, I hope you’re going to show me what to do and I’m going to do this, but I don’t really believe I’m hearing God. I’m just kind of squandering my opportunities here because and I don’t know what to do and I’m not sure this is God, I’m not sure this is God. Okay, there has to be a point where the steadfastness has to come in of that faith and say I know, because the Lord has told me in his word, that if I ask he will answer and he will guide me and lead me. He opens doors that no man can close so I’m sure to walk through them. And he closes doors that no man can open to make sure I don’t go in a direction I shouldn’t go. So the posture of my heart says Lord, I know you’re leading me, you are opening and closing the right doors for me to walk through.

I’m not trying to push something down, I’m not trying to do it in my own will, but I’m following your instruction. Lead me. If you don’t want me going this way, close the door, don’t allow me to go through it. Make it very difficult for me to get this way. Just be. You know, it’s like Balaam and the donkey, and the donkey’s refusing to go that way and and Balaam’s trying to make him go and, you know, hitting him, smacking him with a switch and and treating him badly, trying to force him to go a different way. But that donkey understands. There’s an angel who’s going to kill me if I go this way and it’s for your protection that we don’t go this way.

We need to be more sensitive to understanding. Just because we want something, just because you think I can make it happen, have you submitted your will? Have you sought the Lord’s wisdom saying, lord, is this what you have for me? Just because something looks shiny and good doesn’t mean it is. Not all that glitters is gold, as they say. You can be going after something and you could want it with all your heart. But if God knows, maybe it is, is for you, but maybe it’s later, because right now you don’t have enough steadfastness, you don’t have enough strength in you to withstand what we’re going to talk about next week, which has to do with faith. You have to be able to be in a position that when God gives it to you, you’re right, you’re ready for it, it’s good for you, it’s a blessing because and we’ll get on we’ll tell you why this is necessary. Because in verse 17, he’s going to tell us why, but let’s continue reading.

Let him ask in faith, with no doubting. For the one who doubts is like a wave on the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. You’ll end up going nowhere, just bouncing back and forth, going in circles, if you don’t trust that the Lord’s leading you and that, by faith, you’re doing what he’s called you to do. If you don’t trust that the Lord’s leading you and that, by faith, you’re doing what he’s called you to do. If you aren’t walking out the struggle by faith, then you’re just going to get beat up by the, by the, by the struggle. You’re going to get beat up by whatever’s happening Cause you’re going to get tossed all around, bruised up, beat up. But if you are doing it in faith, it’s like someone who sees shore and the waves are crashing against them. But they know.

Now, this is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. Now, this is a word of encouragement. Remember who this book is to. Who is James writing to? And he’s saying listen, if you’re a double-minded man, you’re not going to get what you need. Stand strong and be steadfast in your faith, because that person is going to receive what God has for them. So this is a word of encouragement. I know it sounds rough and it sounds tough, but the truth is he knows this is how you’re going to get what you’re looking for. This is how you’re going to reach the destination. This is how you’re going to make it through this trial. So I know it sounds rough, but you got to do it. It’s like the.

I’ve told this story before, but it’s the time I almost drowned. I was at Laguna beach in California when I was probably around age 10 and um, they had the waves had changed and it was a very dangerous situation and I was already way out in the water and a rip current had come through and they were telling everybody to get out of the water. And I was trying to swim and get out and I could not get out. I could not get out. I was being pummeled by the waves, I was being pulled under. I’d gone down twice and I did not know which way I was swimming. When I was swimming, I didn’t know if I was going up down sideways, I did not know I was. I could not see the. The. The waves around me were too much for me.

I was just a little girl and a lifeguard saw me and came out to rescue me and he’s yelling instructions to me. He’s not being nice to say oh honey, I know you’re scared. Oh, don’t worry, I’m going to help you get out. He says, grab a hold of this and don’t let go. Hold on for as long as you can. I mean he’s screaming instructions at me. He’s trying to save my life. It worked. It worked and I held on for all I was worth and I wasn’t able to hold on the whole time. It was ripped from my arms, but I was able to hold on long enough to get me on top of the wave and, instead of the wave crashing and pulling me under, it threw me on top of it, which threw me forward and threw me towards shore so that I could swim ashore. The man saved my life.

So I feel a little bit like that today, saying I know it’s hard, I really do. I know you’re struggling and I’m sorry. I know it’s hard, but I have to be strong with you and I. I have to tell you, if you’re going to make it, you’re going to have to shake yourself a little bit and say okay, I am going to stand in faith. I’m no longer going to be tossed by this thing back and forth. I’m going to do what’s necessary according to the word, because I’m going to make it, and God is faithful and I will see the end result that I’m supposed to see, whatever I’m believing God, for I believe him, his word is true, he is who he says he is. So, no matter how heavy this is, no matter how hard this is, I’m going to count it joy because, for one, there is something ahead of me that is joyful and I’m gonna have that that brings me joy.

This is a temporary situation that I’m in, but I’ve got to do it. I’ve got to do it. I’ve got to do it the way God tells me to do it. I can’t be wavering. I can’t allow the winds and the waves to toss and pull me under and and cause me to fear drowning. I’ve got to get on top of the water. I’ve got to take the instructions. I’ve got to hold on, for all I’m worth, to that faith and let it carry me to the destination it needs to carry me. Okay, I want us to drop down to verse 12. Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life which God has promised to those who love him.

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Okay, let’s go to verse 16. He says do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. He doesn change. He’s the same yesterday, today and forever. He says in every good gift, including the gifts that we receive by the steadfastness that we’re supposed to have.

This is what he’s talking about. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change of his own will. He brought us forth by the word of truth, he’s saying. You were brought to this point because you believed the word, and that he was true. By the word of truth you have made it this far and have been brought to this place that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.

Know this, my beloved brothers let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger, for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Now, why is he putting that in here? Because you know how easy it is to get angry when you’re frustrated about the situations you’re dealing with, and in anger you’re going to make decisions and do things that God doesn’t want you to do. That it’s not going to bring about the righteousness of God, that he wants you to be making decisions from a place of wisdom and steadfastness so that you do the right thing for the right reason to get the right result. Therefore, put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word which is able to save your souls. So he’s reminding them what they need to do, how they need to do it in order to remain in a place of faith, but be doers of the word and not hearers only deceiving yourselves. Now I’m going to, I’m going to finish reading this, but I’m going to take us back to how we do all this in joy. So I don’t want you to lose sight of that.

The crux, crux, crux of this message crust, the crux of this message is to understand how to live out these difficult trials and various trials, doing so with joy, okay, but I need you to understand the backdrop so that you can receive this yourselves. And he’s explaining that in this, in this of having joy in the midst of trials, and doing so from a position of being steadfast and immovable, understanding that everything you’re going through there is a blessing and God has not changed and you can count on what he has said to you. He’s not movable. Therefore, we don’t have to be movable and that we have to put away certain behavior because we’re aiming at a goal right. Be doers of the word and not hearers only deceiving yourself. Because if I think that I can have the promises of God I’ve said this before a million times if I think that I can have all that God has for me and quote all these great scriptures of blessing and promise, but I don’t actually live the way he’s told me to live, I am deceiving myself. I’m not going to get any of those things. They’re not for me If I’m not walking according to the precepts of this word. He tells me the truth. He tells me how to get from point A to point B in a blessed way. So if I don’t do it that way, I’m not going to get the end result.

If you’ve ever watched I’m not a fan of these shows but if you’ve ever watched the shows like the Great Race or these reality shows where people they’re going, they survive and it’s the one who wins at the end. And there are certain, especially the Great Race you had to go and accomplish certain tasks and do things in a certain manner in order to finally win the race. And it’s the same with us. That’s why Paul could say of himself that he’s. He kept the faith and he ran his race. He had to keep the faith. He had to remain in a steadfast faith. But by doing that he now gets to win the prize.

And James is repeating basically the same message. I want you to go down to verse 26. If anyone thinks, I’m sorry, that’s not the one I wanted to. I wanted to go to. Okay, let’s jump over to chapter two, because this literally you could go from James 1, verses 22, through 25, and literally go right over to James 2, verses 14, and see the correlation here where he says what good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but he does not have works? So why I’m tying this together is because he just said in 22, be a doer of the word and not hearers. Only you have to do and not just hear. So faith means there are steps I take, actions I take because I’m walking in faith. I’m actually living out my faith. I’m not just thinking faith, I’m not just believing faith, I’m actually doing faith.

Okay, what good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them go in peace, be warm and filled, without giving them the things needed for the body. What good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say you have faith and I have works. Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. Um, and then I want you to drop down to verse 26, for as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead. In fact, if you want to go back up, you can.

He, uh, james talks about. You have to be able to show the difference between how faith without works is useless it was Abraham who had to be ready to offer his son between how faith without works is useless. It was Abraham who had to be ready to offer his son. That was faith. That’s why it was accounted to him as righteousness. This is how we measure our faith. So James is is totally explaining that in the middle of trials, that I have to understand that I will make decisions that are faith-based decisions in my trial and that proves I’m actually living out my faith Now.

Next week we’re going to talk about the people who did that. Daniel, oh my gosh, the three Hebrew boys. We’re going to use them. They’re fantastic examples of this when, literally, you would think that James was their playbook, but James came much later. Or maybe James was using their playbook but James came much later. Or maybe James was using their playbook, who knows? But literally it’s such a correlation. It’s beautiful. Every way does it match? And this is what we need to do. So I wanted to take you into the word joy. How are you going to have joy? I mean, this is really uh, because honestly, I had this thought run through my head and this is really what prompted this, this particular study.

True faith in God is shown when it doesn’t happen the way we want it to, or when things don’t go the way that we think they should. Just the sheer fact that something seems wrong and out of place means that now faith is actually necessary and can be seen. Faith can’t necessarily be seen when things are all great. You can say all kinds of great things, but people will say, just like how the devil came to God about Job and said well, of course he’s all those wonderful things you say, he is because you’ve blessed him. People don’t actually see faith in your blessing, they see faith in your struggle. Okay, and faith without a trial isn’t really faith. Now, I’m not saying you can’t have faith when things are good, of course you can, but the testing of faith is what proves you have faith. It’s faith without a trial isn’t faith. So, to have joy.

So I took this word and I looked this word up and the word joy here means the experience of gladness. And you’re probably thinking, yeah, give me a break, how am I going to be glad in this? Um, it means delight, it means joy in, so having joy in it. It means joy at, so you could have joy at the fact of something. You can have a joy. It doesn’t necessarily have to be in the thing, but a joy, it’s a reason for gladness. I thought that was really key because, no matter what we’re facing, if there is a reason for gladness, even if the reason for gladness is because the joy of the Lord is our strength, then that’s a reason to go through it with joy. If you need strength, then you need a reason for gladness. That it’s the very thing that gives you strength. Joy, the joy of the Lord is my strength, so it’s a reason for gladness. It also means doing something with joy, so it’s a choice.

I choose to do this and I’m going to give you some scriptures. I’m going to give you a bunch of scriptures that use the same word that it’s. It literally means exactly the same thing every time in these passages that I’m going to give you, and I think it will give you a really good picture of what this means and how it is to be used and its benefit for you. Because, just like James showed us that we are to count it all, joy First of all. If I am supposed to count it, joy, there’s an expectation on me that means that by my sheer relationship and belief in Jesus Christ, I am to have joy. In these type of circumstances, I’m not supposed to hope. I have joy, beg to have joy. I’m supposed to have joy. That means I understand, that I understand, and many times we feel like we don’t understand.

That’s why he follows it up with saying if you lack wisdom, ask him. You might need to go back and say, lord, I don’t need necessarily wisdom on how to deal with this, but I need wisdom and understanding that you expect me to behave in a certain way. Will you teach me how I’m supposed to handle this, not how I’m supposed to get out of it. Teach me how I’m supposed to look like you in the midst of this. What is walking this out in faith? Look like, show me, teach me. I don’t know, I don’t know how to do this. I’ve not done this before. That might be what you need to ask him.

But let’s see, go to John, chapter 16 and verse 20. And this is truly, truly. I say unto you that you should weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice. So what’s he talking about here? He’s saying there will be, there will be things that you go through and that will happen to you, and you’re going to lament and weep over those things when you see them happen, and the world’s going to rejoice when the world sees it happen. And then he goes on to say and you should be sorrowful. Okay, interesting, something sad has happened. He allows us and and says that it’s good for us to actually feel the feelings of what we’re going through. So if something is sorrowful, then we are to feel sorrow. If it’s troubling, and and and worth my tears to weep over and lament over, uh, that we should do that, even though the world is rejoicing and mocking, or they’re doing. But your sorrow shall be turned into joy. Your sorrow shall be turned into joy. It shall be turned into a reason for gladness, he’s saying your sorrow will be turned into a reason for gladness. Now, I know that seems like how, how? But, folks, that’s how.

We believe what the Lord has said. We believe that he turns mourning into dancing. We believe that he takes us through and brings about blessing in our life, that there are promised lands for us to take hold of, that there are blessings for us to receive. It’s understanding, just as he went into the tomb, that he’s saying this isn’t the way it ends. I’m going to come back to life again, I’m going to raise from the dead, I’m going to, I’m coming back. It’s our promise that, even though he has gone into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the father, that he’s also coming back and he’s going to. He’s going to bring us and we will rule and reign with him. We have a future ahead of us, that it is not this miserable mess that we might be dealing with right now. He’s saying your sorrow shall be turned into joy, your sorrow, even if you have to look at that sorrow and say this is temporary, this hurts, but when I, but my faith, says I’m not going to stay here forever, this isn’t always the way it’s going to be. God is a redeemer. He will redeem this time and he will bring to life whatever needs to be brought back to life. He will provide whatever’s lacking. He will fix and heal whatever’s broken. That’s an understanding that gives me strength, that enables me to look at my situation in faith and say, yes, this hurts, but you are my hope, you are my source, you’re the one that I trust and you will see me through this. And it won’t always be like this. There will be joy at the end when this is done. So I look forward to that.

Go to Hebrews 12, chapter 11. It says now, no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful Nevertheless afterwards. It yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. So he’s saying I do know and understand. It’s not me telling you to live in a fake world where you don’t feel what you actually feel. He says no one feels joy when they’re being corrected or chastened, when they’re being disciplined. So even if I choose the discipline. It’s not joyful when it hurts and I’m having to work and sacrifice and whatever do, whatever I’m doing to be disciplined, to be disciplined. But he’s saying that now, no chastening seems to be joyful. It doesn’t seem to be joyful. That’s a key word. I know it doesn’t seem to be good, I know it doesn’t seem to be something that you could take joy in. He said, but it produces something. He said, but it produces something. It’s the trial that we read. Count it all. Joys, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness, produces steadfastness. And it says right here to be joyful for the present, but it doesn right here to be joyful for the present, but it doesn’t seem to be joyful for the present, but painful Nevertheless afterward. It yields, it produces the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. So you’re going to receive peace and the fruit, the bounty, the blessing of what that discipline brings. You’re going to have all kinds of reasons for joy when this thing is seen through.

Go to Matthew 28, 8. It says and they departed quickly from the sepulcher with fear and great joy, talking about the women and did run to bring his disciples word. So I wanted to read this particular one to you, not just because the word joy means the same thing, but because they had great joy at the very same time that they had fear. It says that they ran quickly with fear and great joy. So there was unknown in front of them, they didn’t have all understanding, but they were able to run with joy even though they had fear, because they believed. They had true faith, they believed, they believed what they heard, they believed that Jesus had risen, they believed the angels, what they said, they believed the word. And if you can believe the word, folks, you can run with joy even though there’s fear present. You can overcome the fear and run with joy. Okay, go to Matthew 13, 44.

This says again the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field which a man found and hid, and for joy over it, he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. What are? What is this saying? They’re saying that this man found the truth. He found a treasure and he hid it. He buried it and he was so full of joy at what he found he was willing to sell everything he had that’s faith in action. He was willing to sell everything he had. That’s faith in action, that’s his. I’ll show you my faith by my works. I went and sold everything I had to go by the field that that treasure was in. That’s what’s important. That’s what matters, and nothing else matters to me. I’m selling all. I’m not regarding any of the things that I held precious to myself. It is all gone. All that matters is the treasure that I found, and he did it with joy.

This is how we’re to do it. We do it with joy. We do it with joy no matter what it seems like we might lose, no matter what we have to sell, no matter what belonged to us. We’re saying Lord, you are my source, you are the reason I have anything. My salvation is from you. My future hope is because of you. There’s nothing that I have that can compare to that. That’s what joy is about Carrying us through, regardless of the loss, regardless of what we have to change and get rid of and do. Our faith needs feet, and that feet that carries us, the thing that gives us the energy and the force is the joy. It’s the joy.

Okay, I want to read to you several scriptures in Hebrews Um and this will be my last scripture on this Go to Hebrews 12 and we’re going to read verses one through four. I think yes, okay, and I thought this was so good because this is the picture of everything we’re talking about. Therefore, we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, meaning those who have already gone before us in faith they’ve walked this out and they’re waiting to rejoice with us. Let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him, the joy that he knew that this would produce.

It was sorrowful. Now he’s in a garden, weeping, crying with great drops of blood, crying out to the father for another way, weeping, not ignoring what he felt, not acting like this isn’t happening. La, la, la, la la. I really have to go through this trial. I really have to show everybody how to do this. This is literally going to kill me. Literally going to kill me. It’s going to cause me the most pain. I, I, I can’t even fathom the pain that I’m going to have to endure pain. I, I, I can’t even fathom the pain that I’m going to have to endure.

But he said who, for the joy set before him, endured the cross. Steadfastness had its perfect work. It completed the whole work, work. It completed the whole work. He despised the shame and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him who endured such hostility from sinners against himself, from sinners against himself. But he, everything he took on the cross was the hostility of the, of the of the sinners around him. It says consider it lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls by your trial. You have not yet resisted to the point of bloodshed, striving against sin. You have not resisted to the point of shedding your blood. Jesus resisted every temptation to not go through the trial in faith and with joy and he resisted it to the point of shedding his blood.

Folks, no matter what we’re going through, we haven’t had to do it to that point. We haven’t had to do it to that point. I know it means you may have to sacrifice. I know it means that it’s hard and it’s sorrowful and it’s okay to weep over it and it’s okay to say I don’t want to do this, it’s okay, you can bring that to him. He’s not upset with you for that.

That part is not a lack of faith. The part that is faith that says but I choose to see what this is going to produce and what you’re going to do, and that joy is what enables me to do this. I will do this, lord, I will endure, I will follow your example and I will make it through it, and there will be joy on the other side and peaceable fruits and every good and perfect gift is laying on the other side of me walking this out in faith. Folks, we have a job in front of us. It’s not easy, but he wouldn’t have asked us to do it if he didn’t equip us to do it. He said that he has given us everything we need for life and godliness. He’s given us what we need. We rely on him, we look to him, the author and the finisher of our faith.

Let me pray for you, father. We just thank you for the price that you paid, for the example that you have given us, how you have taught us that we are to be trained, to be disciplined by not being so weak as to just give into our flesh continually, but that we can stand in faith, believing you and knowing that, with the joy that you have given us, that this will not always be like this and there’s going to be benefit and blessing on the other end, and boy will it be. It will be good, it will be, it will have been worth it all, and we say thank you for that that you’ve taught us that it is the joy of the Lord that is our strength. I pray that your joy and your peace come upon your people today, that they are infused and empowered by your joy and that they are strengthened by knowing that you go with them, that they do not walk this alone, that you are with them. You are ever inter walk this alone, that you are with them, you are ever interceding for them and you are making a way and you are giving them instructions and wisdom on what to do and how to do it, and we give you all the thanks and all the praise for these things, and it’s in Jesus name we pray Amen, amen. Thank you so much for being with me today. I pray you were encouraged.

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