Counting It All As Joy
Today’s Bible Verse:
James 1:2 ESV
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,
Since we are reading through Saint James’ letter in church during this period, I thought it would be fun to look at some of my favorite verses from the letter. We start with James 1:2 this Monday.
Amid life's storms, Saint James offers a radical perspective: count it all joy when trials come your way. At first glance, this seems impossible. How can we find joy in suffering, loss, and the unfairness of life? Yet, James' words are not a call to deny the pain of trials but to reframe our understanding of them.
Trials in the Christian life are not meaningless or random events. They are opportunities for growth, refinement, and deepening of our faith. As gold is purified in fire, so are we shaped and molded through the challenges we face.
This doesn't mean trials are easy or pleasant. They often bring heartache, confusion, and doubt. But when we view them through the lens of faith, we can see God's hand at work, even in the darkness. We can trust that He is using these experiences to draw us closer to Him, strengthen our character, and prepare us for the joys of eternity.
Prayers
Remember:
All people dealing with cancer
Those who reject Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
A Prayer for Today:
Merciful Father of all, grant me the strength and courage to face the trials of life with joy, knowing that You are working all things for our good. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
Luther’s Morning Prayer:
I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray that You would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please You. For into Your hands, I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.
Apostles’ Creed:
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer:
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
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