Turning Trials into Joy

“He/She’s so lucky, he/she never has any problems! Their life is perfect, they have everything. They never have to worry about anything!” – Be honest – how many times have you caught yourself saying something similar when you look at someone else’s life? It’s a natural instinct to compare our lives to someone else. And we often begin that comparison only by what we see, not what we know! But looks can be deceiving. We really never know exactly what someone else is worried about or going through. A person can put on a fake smile and speak a kind word all the while, they are falling apart inside.

This reminds me of the Bible story of Job. He was a perfect and upright man in the land of Uz, a man that feared God. He was richly blessed by God with thousands of sheep and camels, hundreds of oxen and donkeys and a very large household. He was considered the greatest of all the men in the East. One day the sons of God came to present themselves to God and satan tagged along with them. God asked satan if he had considered Job because he was perfect and upright. And satan replied that Job feared the Lord because of all the blessings and the hedge of protection he had received from God, thus satan asked “Can I take away Job’s servants, livestock & children? He will surely curse you then”. God knew Job though – He knew Job would not be easily swayed, so He allowed satan to take all that Job had.

It didn’t take long and Job was served with the news of all his loss. Take note, that the scripture says that a messenger came to tell Job of the slaughter of his oxen and donkeys and while he was still speaking another messenger came and while that messenger was still speaking another came. This happened three times in a row until the messengers had told Job he had lost everything and that he had lost it all at one time. This sends shivers down my spine as I think what a horrible feeling that must have been for Job to lose everything all at once. How would you react to that kind of news? I would cry, scream, question why, explode in anger – I would throw a pity party for myself most likely, certainly I wouldn’t react like Job did.

In Job chapter 1 verse 20 it says ‘Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped.’ KJV.

In the face of adversity, Job worshipped. It amazes me that this was his immediate response and I wish I could say that it would be mine. Would it be yours?

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In thinking about worship, I think of someone who is happy, someone who is feeling blessed, someone who is on the mountain top – someone singing and dancing with hands lifted high. I don’t typically think of someone who has just lost everything and is now naked with their face on the ground. Or at least I didn’t used to.

Job was falling apart inside (wouldn’t you be) but when he spoke, he blessed the name of the Lord because he understood that God gives and God takes away. He still spoke kind words about and unto God. He didn’t blame God and he certainly didn’t feel that God had violated his spiritual rights.

I have had my share of moments in life where the whole world seemed to be caving in on me. It seemed as if nothing was going right and that the ‘going wrongness’ was never going to end. During one of those moments, I began to hear myself saying things about how lucky others were that they didn’t have to face the trials of life that I constantly faced. Then, the Lord reminded me of a verse that a friend once shared with me. I re-read it and reflected on it asking God to reveal to me how it applied to my life.

James 1:2-4 says ‘Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds…’ When I first read it, I stopped cold in my tracks at this point thinking “Whoa, God wants me to consider it joy when I am facing trials and adversity?” Frankly, I didn’t want to find joy in these moments – I just wanted them over and done. I wanted to know why God wanted me to consider it joy, reading on the scripture says why “…because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

God quickly revealed to me that if I suffer trials, it’s only because He’s the Potter and He sees something stronger, better, bigger in me. He sees something that won’t be easily swayed. He sees Jesus in me. And He is using Jesus in me to make me mature and complete. He is testing my faith to produce perseverance! I may not be righteous like Job, although I can take a lesson from Job. He knew this: nothing touched his life that didn’t pass through God’s hands first.

I don’t know where you are as you read this. You may be in the perpetual pummeling of trials or you may not be facing any at all. Either way – no matter where you are right now, nothing is happening that didn’t pass through God’s hands first. Remember in the story of Job? Satan had to ask God for permission to do anything to Job. And he has to ask God permission to do anything to you as well! When God allows it, I believe it’s because He sees something strong in you.

I’m not going to lie – there have been times, I wished God didn’t see that much strength in me because I didn’t feel like I could take anymore. Now, I have to wonder – am I really the lucky one because He does? JESUS IN ME! And THAT is definitely something to find joy from in the midst of trials!

Heavenly Father –

Thank you for trials in my life. Thank you that you see Jesus in me and help me to always lean into the joy of Jesus in me during my trials rather than wallowing in self-pity. Help me remember the lessons from Job! In Jesus Name,

Amen!