God's Purpose in Trials
by Harold Vaughan
Scripture Reading --James 1:2-3
"My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience."
What's this? Consider it pure joy when we fall into all sorts of trials? No, this isn't a misprint! The words divers temptations refer to numerous trials. God tells us to rejoice when we're tested. To put it another way, we should face our ordeal with a smile!
Alexander McClaren said, "Every affliction comes with a message from the heart of God." Maybe you or your father has done wood crafting. When a cabinet maker wants to join two boards together, he puts glue on each piece of wood. Then he positions clamps on the planks to hold them in place. The clamps provide the needed pressure until the glue sets. Once the bond is set, the cabinet maker can remove the clamps because they're no longer needed. The union is set, and no external pressure is required.
The purpose of adversity is to bind our will to God's. As we respond properly under pressure, the Lord often "removes the clamps." God is committed for our will to be fused with His. Remember how Jesus prayed, "Not my will, but thine, be done" (Luke 22:42b).
We are maturing spiritually when our desires are identical to God's. Perhaps we remember that old song "Farther Along" (by J.R. Baxter and W.B. Stevens). The first line goes like this:
Tempted and tried will oft make you wonder,
Why it should be this all the day long.
The chorus finishes the song with the following words:
Cheer up my brother.
Live in the sunshine.
We'll understand it all by and by.
It's not our place to figure out why things happen. Our responsibility is to "count it all joy" in the midst of problems.
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