Today I began a 12 day walk through the book of James, which is being lead by Francis Chan. The series is available for anyone through the Bible app, and it includes an excelleny daily video as well.

Francis Chan | James 1

Today's video was encouraging and convicting: Find joy, even amidst trial. Persevere and be rewarded with His crown of life!

James 1:2-3 English Standard Version (ESV)

Testing of Your Faith

2 Count it all joy, my brothers,[a] when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.

Footnotes:
James 1:2 Or brothers and sisters. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, the plural Greek word adelphoi (translated “brothers”) may refer either to brothers or to brothers and sisters; also verses 16, 19

My Bible study explains...

“Count it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you meet trials of various kinds.” Suffering was part of life, but God wanted His children to greet trials with a counter-intuitive response. Joy.

Human nature hasn’t changed in two millennia. We want to know why we suffer. But James instead tells his readers why trials should provoke joy: “. . . for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.” The word for testing (dokimion) was often used to describe precious metals put through extreme heat to remove impurities.

My thoughts:

Francis Chan explains the beautiful metaphoric accuracy of the "testing", they would purify until they could aee their own image in the molten metal... Like God means to do with us, see Himself in us.

As always, thank you for your time and attention. Please come back tomorrow and follow along.

The message is so necessary and wonderful: be grateful in all you have now, love and trust God in all, and await your crown of life God himself has crafted for you.

Night. God bless.