10,000 Trials of Joy

James 1:2-3 

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 


What comes to mind when you say the word “Joy” in the month of December? I know for me it’s the old Christmas song, “Joy to the World.” Even the first verse is exciting when it says, “Joy to the world! The Lord is come.” That will be the most joyful time ever, when Jesus comes back. 

There is another thing that comes to my mind, when I think of the word joy. Years ago, my wife and I saw a friend who is a practical joker. We had not seen him or his wife in a while. All excited he came up to us and said, “I have to show you my pride and joy.” We thought maybe they got something new, like new dogs, or a car, boat or other toy. He pulls out his wallet and thumbs through his photo’s. He stops when he comes to the picture of his pride and joy. It was literally a picture of Pride and Joy dish soap. You can Google it and see the photo; it is pretty funny. Thanks Marvin, you got us. 

James is talking about a different kind of joy today. We don’t usually put the word joy and trials in the same sentence.
 
Now let's think about the word trials for a moment. There are courtroom trials. There are clinical trials. Even new product trials. Trials include times of testing. Thomas Edison said, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won't work.” He found 10,000 ways the light bulb would not work, but only needed one way, that it would work. The light bulb is only one of 2,332 total patents he has to his credit today. 

James 1:2 says, “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials.” Joy when we have testing of our faith. I think Thomas Edison would say he had joy in the testing of his faith. He had faith he could find a solution to a problem. In the same way I think we can have joy in our trials and testing, knowing God is the solution to our problems. God wants us made perfect and complete, lacking in nothing, James 1:4 says. If Thomas Edison could have joy in the physical, we can surely have joy in the Spiritual through...   

10,000 Trials of Joy