KNOW This!

My brothers and sisters, you will have many kinds of trouble. But this gives you a reason to be very happy. You know that when your faith is tested, you learn to be patient in suffering. If you let that patience work in you, the end result will be good. You will be mature and complete. You will be all that God wants you to be. - James 1:2-4 ERV

Who likes to face temptations, trouble or hardships? Absolutely no one! The truth is we all have faced them and will continue to. I believe from everything that we faced or had to deal with in life, there is something that we can learn from the experience. Life is about growing and maturing, development and growth. No on one remains a baby, they must grow into an adult. So in the natural, so in the spiritual.

James 1:2 says, count it all joy when you fall into divers temptations or when troubles of any kind come your way. One would ask the question; how can I count it all joy or be very happy when faced with many kinds of troubles or hardships? The focus is not to be on the trouble that we face, but it is to understand what we can learn or what development can we gain because of the trouble that we face.

When we face temptations or troubles, our faith is being tested. Do we really believe what we say? Is our trust really in God as we proclaim? It’s easy to say, I believe, but what is your behavior when you face trouble? The scripture says, count it all joy when you face temptations and troubles; but it does not stop there. It gives us the reason why we should count it all joy or be happy when faced with troubles. The scripture continues with the words, KNOWING this. What is it that we need to know when we are faced with temptations and troubles?

We need to KNOW that when our faith is tested, the reason we count is as joy is because our endurance or patience has a chance to grow. Our ability to endure or be patient during sufferings or hardship will be strengthened. We become stronger, fortified. We will no longer fall apart when under pressure. Remember, we are on a journey. Earth is not our final destination. We will face many temptations or troubles to divert us from completing this journey. We must learn endurance! Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved Matthew 24:12-13 AMP.

I am going to end this devotion with The Voice version. As difficult as they (troubles) are, you will ultimately find joy in them; if you embrace them, your faith will blossom under pressure and teach you true patience as you endure. And true patience brought on by endurance will equip you to complete the long journey and cross the finish line—mature, complete, and wanting nothing.

So, the next time you face temptations, troubles, hardships, count it all joy, because you KNOW that the testing of your faith will produce endurance - patience and this is profiting to you!