I included the first verse of James because it identifies the recipients of this letter.  The 12 Tribes scattered.  These would be Jewish Christians who have been persecuted or displaced, living like refugees.  These were people whose lives had been totally disrupted and in very difficult circumstances.  James is obviously writing them to encourage and challenge them to hold fast in their faith.

I find it interesting that the same Greek word that is used for a trial is also used for temptation.  For instance, some versions of the Lord’s Prayer that we say every Sunday, reads… let us not into temptation…other versions read…let us not into a trial.   You should also note that the KJV translate this passage:

My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations KJV

A little later in this chapter James makes it very clear that God does not tempt anyone.

V13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

So who is called the Tempter?  The One who tempts us is not God…but Satan!   So let’s be clear to start off that God does not tempt us. But we are tempted by Satan and our own desires.

So I think it is important that we distinguish between trials and temptations.

Trials are normally long and enduring.    Temptations normally involve quick decisions that are often impulsive or passion driven.

Trials normally involved pain and discomfort.    Temptations normally involve pleasure or something to make you feel good!

A trial is something you cannot wait to end. How long O Lord?  Prayers for rescue and deliverance are common.

A temptation involves something you may never want to end or that you can’t wait to begin!  It may involve cries or pleas that you want more.  You just can’t get enough!

A trial can be allowed by God to help build our faith stronger.

A temptation is executed by Satan to destroy or weaken our faith.

Friends, trials and temptation are very different in their origin and their consequence.

Yet even though they are very different: trials and temptations are often interwoven.  When you are going through a trial you may be tempted to stop short or quit too early or yield ground to the Enemy of your soul.    

I think this is a great reason why James is writing.  And there are a few amazing principles we can learn from James when we face trials.

First, No one is exempt from facing storms, trials, heartaches or hard times.

One of the most interesting stories in the gospel is the account of Jesus asleep in the boat with disciples when a terrible storm arose.  It was a powerful storm that frightened the seasoned fishermen.   So it must have been a huge storm that was life threatening!   As you recall that account and from other events in the scripture, and especially what James tells us today:

Jesus the Son of God, the sinless Son of God, our savior was in this boat. The twelve disciples, that Jesus hand-picked by him personally were in the boat, in this storm. They did not escape this storm. There is a mistaken thought in some Christian circles, that our faith will somehow protect us from storms. The reality is sometimes our faith takes us right into the heart of the storm. Much like it did in this gospel account, in Mark. It was for Jesus, it was for the disciples, and it will be for us as modern-day disciples as well.

Peter reminds us… Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. I Peter 4:12

In our SS class we are studying Daniel.  The famous story of Sharach, Meshach and Abednego being put into the fiery furnace.  It was their faith in God that caused them to be thrown into the furnace.

Later Daniel himself was put in the lion’s den because of his faith…and refusal to stop praying to God!  They were delivered but others were not.

Stephen was stoned to death because of his faith in Christ

John the Baptist was beheaded because of his faith in Christ.

Paul was beheaded because of his work for Christ

Peter was hung upside down on a cross because of his faith in Christ.

So we should not be surprised at the trials we may endure in the broken and sinful world.

Jesus said plainly in John 16:33, “I have told you these things so that in me you might have peace. In this world you will have trouble but, take heart I have overcome the world.” It is important to know that Jesus did not say that you might have trouble or that you could have trouble. He said you will. But he also says to be of good cheer for I have overcome the world. I love Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem, the famous lines…most of us still know it that are here. It is called, “The Rainy Day.”

“Be still, sad heart! and cease repining;

Behind the clouds is the sun still shining;

Thy fate is the common fate of all,

Into each life some rain must fall, 

Well sometimes it is more than just a little rain, sometimes it is more like a monsoon or a tsunami that hits us. The famous artist, Rembrandt has a picture of this miracle of Jesus calming the sea. Interestingly, he placed himself on the boat with his disciples.  I think that Rembrandt placed himself in the boat with his disciples as a great spiritual exercise for us. In spiritual terms he places us all in the boat. And this forces us to ask, What would we have done? How would we have responded? How would we have reacted? If we were in that boat during this massive storm. What would you do? What would you even consider that you might do? Panic?  Wrestling with the oar? Pray? Any number of responses we may have experienced. It is quite different when we are in the boat.

The message of James is very similar to the words of Jesus when he writes:  Count it all joy when you face trials. 

Story of Rick Warren’s wife and cancer diagnosis.

We live in a war zone…a spiritual war zone…don’t be surprised at fiery darts sent your way.

Phone rings and it’s not good news.

Medical report is not good and doctor has some grim words about your prognosis.

Police show up at your door and they tell you about a terrible accident.

Or a spouse leaves you a note that is the last thing you want to hear.

Or more superficially your AC unit goes out in August and you plumbing backs up when you are planning for a wedding or dinner party at your house!

How in the world are these things happening??   And James is saying Count it all joy!  That’s seems impossible. James is not saying it is joyful… only your mentality and attitude should consider it all joy when you endure hardship because of what it is producing in you or rather what God desires to produce in you!

James is not a sadist or someone who enjoys pain!  It is not feeling good about the trial or troubling circumstances.  But James is teaching us the spirit or attitude we have while facing a trial by focusing on what the trial produces!

Last part of this is to focus on the result, not the trial.  Or what is often stated today, don’t focus on the problem but on the Lord who is in the boat with you in the storm!

Notice what James says here about what trials produce in us: James 1:3-4

3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Now the real struggle is we cannot always see or know how God will redeem or restore our or bring victory in our struggles.  The timing of God’s work is in God’s time not ours.

Illustration of the Boll Weevil Monument in Enterprise.   Show picture of the Boll Weevil.  The only monument to a bug.  The boll weevil caused the farmers to change their crops from cotton to peanuts.  They went from poverty to prosperity because the hardship caused them to change their crops.

Steven Curtis Chapman is a famous Christian musician.  He went through a fiery trial when his 17-year-old son backed up their SUV and ran over their 5 year old daughter Maria.  There are no words to express that kind of grief and tragic loss.  This happened in May of 2008.  Later that year in concert in July he was moved to sing again a song inspired by the trials and tribulations of Job, “Blessed be the name of the Lord…He gives and He takes away blessed be the Name of the Lord”.   He said when he sang that song, it was more of cry, a scream and a prayer.  But I found amazing comfort and peace that does pass all understanding.  But Chapman reassessed all his music and the words to his songs.  He states through his song entitled “Yours”, there’s not an inch of creation that God doesn’t look at and say, “all of that is Mine!” Here is the new verse he added to the song Yours

I’ve walked the valley of death’s shadow

So deep and dark that I could barely breath

I’ve had to let go of more than I could bear

And I’ve question everything that I believe

Still even here in this great darkness

A comfort and hope comes breaking through

As I can say in life or death

God we belong to You.    

That is faith carrying us through our deepest trials…knowing we belong to God…we came from God, and we will return to God.

The greatest example of this is Jesus himself.  Hebrews using the same language as James states:

12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Note the words run with perseverance and then the joy set before him.   Jesus endured one of the most brutal and painful death imaginable. But he was looking way beyond the cross to the glory that awaited him and bringing many people to glory!

If God can use a cross to bring salvation to the world, he can use my trials, my losses and sufferings to help perfect or complete my faith.  This is in effect, standing on the promises of God even when we cannot see or know how or why God might allow or use such trials we are facing.  In closing let me read this again: James 1:2-4

2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.