“They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: Their soul is melted because of trouble. They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, And are at their wits' end. Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, And he bringeth them out of their distresses. He maketh the storm a calm, So that the waves thereof are still. Then are they glad because they be quiet; So he bringeth them unto their desired haven.”
Psalm 107:26-30 KJV,https://bible.com/bible/1/psa.107.26-30.KJV
An Opportunity for Joy
James, the half-brother of Jesus, couldn’t believe that his flesh-and-blood sibling was the actual Son of God—until He rose from the dead. Then, he was convinced. It was that same James who wrote:
“Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.”
James 1:2-3 NLT
According to the first-century Jewish historian, Josephus, James was eventually martyred for his confident faith in Jesus—his brother and his Lord.
Here are five things to note from James’ mini-sermon:
First, the text says “WHEN troubles of any kind come your way…” It’s not if but when troubles come our way. We live in a broken world that has not yet been fully restored, so we shouldn’t be surprised when issues and challenges arise.
Second, the text says “when troubles of ANY kind come your way…” Not merely ...