James 1:1-3
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.
I don't know about you but I struggle with that verse. "Pure Joy"? what? That is hard to do when you are in the middle of a crisis. When you are so thick in trouble that you can't see the hand of God. It is interesting to me that it says "pure joy." It doesn't say "consider it ok" or "consider yourself lucky." What is pure joy?
pure: free from anything that adulterates or taints. spotless, absolute
joy: happiness, delight
So it is absolute delight. That is hard to swallow when you're in the valley. Feelings like this are the farthest from your mind. But yet Paul says this is what we are to feel. We are to praise God for the trials. Praise him through our circumstance. Because if we are facing opposition, the enemy is near and he is afraid of us. Satan only troubles those who are nearest to God and next in line for a blessing. And fasting puts you there because Satan hates fasting! He hates the sacrifice you make. If we are treading water, we are becoming more like Jesus with every struggling breath. He is making us in His image. Every time we go through tribulation, it is like a boiling pot of soup. All the junk comes to the surface and can be skimmed off. The good stuff is left for us to feast on. And there will be a feast!
Isaiah 58:14 says if we fast:
"then you will find your joy in the lord,
and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land
and to feast on your inheritance..."
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.
I don't know about you but I struggle with that verse. "Pure Joy"? what? That is hard to do when you are in the middle of a crisis. When you are so thick in trouble that you can't see the hand of God. It is interesting to me that it says "pure joy." It doesn't say "consider it ok" or "consider yourself lucky." What is pure joy?
pure: free from anything that adulterates or taints. spotless, absolute
joy: happiness, delight
So it is absolute delight. That is hard to swallow when you're in the valley. Feelings like this are the farthest from your mind. But yet Paul says this is what we are to feel. We are to praise God for the trials. Praise him through our circumstance. Because if we are facing opposition, the enemy is near and he is afraid of us. Satan only troubles those who are nearest to God and next in line for a blessing. And fasting puts you there because Satan hates fasting! He hates the sacrifice you make. If we are treading water, we are becoming more like Jesus with every struggling breath. He is making us in His image. Every time we go through tribulation, it is like a boiling pot of soup. All the junk comes to the surface and can be skimmed off. The good stuff is left for us to feast on. And there will be a feast!
Isaiah 58:14 says if we fast:
"then you will find your joy in the lord,
and I will cause you to ride on the heights of the land
and to feast on your inheritance..."
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