The Author

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. (James 1:2-3 ESV)

James reminds us that we will be tested through trials but that these trials are meant to strengthen our faith in the Lord. It is easy to become unglued when we are under stress. We have a deadline to meet and an impending event, and things just continue to become unglued. The pressure is on, and instead of focusing on the Lord, we focus on the mess before us.

These trials serve as a classroom for our faith. Just as in any learning process, we gain wisdom and strength from our challenges, leaving us enlightened. Jesus tested his apostles; we see this in John 6:5-6 when He said to Philip, “Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?” He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do.”  Like the apostles, we are also tested, and like Philip, Jesus already knows what He will do with our trials.

God, who knows the end from the beginning, walks with us through our troubles. With Christ by our side, who already knows the resolution, we find the support we need. It is through prayer that we uncover the answers. As my uncle wisely said, the answer to every question we could ever have is in scripture. When we lean on scripture and prayer, the Lord reveals all things, providing us with the support we need.

Spurgeon wrote, “My love of consistency with my own doctrinal views is not great enough to allow me knowingly to alter a single text of Scripture. I have great respect for orthodoxy, but my reverence for inspiration is far greater. I would sooner a hundred times over appear to be inconsistent with myself than be inconsistent with the word of God.” (Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, 26: 49-52). Spurgeon wrote this believing, as should we, that God is sovereign, and His will is what will come to fruition. The sovereignty of God is our inspiration and our assurance in all things.

Getting angry, stressed, or frustrated will not solve any problem. One must take a deep breath and remember that God's authority overrides all things. He is the author of our lives, His words are the answers to our lives, and our faith in Jesus alone is the root of our salvation given to us as a gift by the Lord.

Grace and Peace.