Count It All Joy! - Pt 1

James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greetings. Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (James 1:1-4 ESV).

Recently I had a friend ask me to help him with a very difficult experience in his life. It is amazing what happens in our world and so many people seem to think that’s “just the way it is.” Without going into any detail, let me say this experience is nothing of that; and, it ought to be met with swift and total retribution. However, our system is such that that often does not happen. The feeling of helplessness and pain in view of what seems to be injustice is often overwhelming. Such was the case. Our visit was long and difficult at times; however, our friendship is such that nothing less than the truth would be acceptable from either of us. It was very productive and encouraging for both of us. While the story is still unfolding at the writing of this devotional, I am convinced that joy will come of it all. That brings me to the next few devotionals inspired first by our reading today. Few things in our lives turn heads like genuine joy in the midst of deep pain. Not only is this kind of unshakeable peace a distinctively Christian experience, but it also amounts to one of the most powerful witnesses we can make before an unbelieving world. It’s one thing to describe joy-in-trial from the outside and ponder it in theory, but it is something distinctly different to actually walk through it yourself, experiencing it from the inside, in practice. When we are experiencing pain, whether it is physical, emotional, or spiritual it is near impossible to navigate that stormy path and not simply want the pain to go away. In and of themselves, our hardships are emphatically not joyful. That’s part of what makes them hard. This is where James, the writer of our reading today finds himself; and, he says, “Count it all joy.” There is an important clue in the salutation that helps us understand the pain of James and his readers. He writes to the “twelve tribes in the dispersion.” The “dispersion,” or Diasporah, is simply the “exile.” Without getting too historical for this short bit of encouragement, let’s just say that the Jewish people at this writing find themselves at yet another time of being forced from their home and all they love. They are once again under the subjugation of a foreign nation. After the destruction of the Second Temple and most of Jerusalem in 70 AD, Jewish leaders and elite were exiled from the land, killed, or taken to Rome as slaves. Families and whole communities were left tattered and broken. Poverty, hunger, and disease were rampant. They were a hopeless people in a hopeless situation. And James says, “Count it all joy!” Don’t we need that today? Of course I am not indicating our nation is in shambles physically. However, do you not feel the uncertainty building with each new report from the media? Add that to the incredible threat of personal and private pain in your life and we have the same challenges. The answer is the same. Count it all joy! We will examine how to do that in the coming days. It all begins with your trust in Jesus. Settle that today.