James 1:2-4 (NIV)

“ Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

Zephaniah 3:17 (NIV)

“The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.”

How often do God’s people struggle with healing, with God’s will, with situations that we truly don’t understand? All of us have infirmities, trials and fires in our lives. So what are we to do? We must step into God’s presence with all humility. We must persevere through the struggle. We need to see that God is with us at all times. He is truly invested in us and we are so very important to God. God cares about everything in our lives. God is always there. He will never desert us! God delights in His creation. “His love quiets us and He rejoices over us with singing.”

I’m reminded of a famous author who tells a story of his dad, dying of cancer. At the hospital he and his dad would often pray and sing to the Lord. At the funeral service a man came up to the author and said “I’ve become a Christian.” As it happened he shared the hospital room with the author’s father and heard the singing and the prayers. And so we see the purpose for the father’s sickness. What a powerful testimony! One man dies and goes to be with the Lord.

Another man is saved. And the two will one day meet again in Heaven. Praise the Lord!

Isaiah 54:17 (KJB) “No weapon formed against thee shall prosper.”

In the words of missionary Jim Elliot “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose” (Quoted from In The Shadow of the Almighty by Elisabeth Elliot). Jim Elliot was killed by the very Auca Indian tribe he tried to minister to, but his wife Elisabeth Elliot would later go back to the tribe, with the forgiveness of Christ in her heart, and lead many of them to the Lord. Again we see the Lord’s ultimate plan of salvation for an unsaved tribe. The Lord’s plan was revealed, and although we may not understand certain events, we are called to surrender to God’s will in all circumstances.

So in the Lord there is a much bigger picture. And this picture is totally about the Gospel of Jesus Christ! God does care about our physical and material needs but we don’t always get all we want in life. As Christians we must continually strive to be able and available to serve the Lord.

Before I came to the Lord I was an alcoholic. Doctors and family members had given up on me,

but the Lord held me firm in His hands and healed me. The Lord saved me and to this day continues to use me in His service. Praise the Lord, I am no longer an alcoholic and for quite a few years I’ve been Pastor of a Christian and Missionary Alliance Church. Recently, in December 2007, I was involved in a horrible automobile accident in which I could have been killed. The Lord spared me. He has much more work for me to do as a servant of the King. In His awesomeness He even provided a nurse in the car behind me. My wife later told me that while I was in the emergency room, I asked my unsaved family members “Do you believe in Jesus as Lord and Savior?” It’s not about me, nor is it about us. It’s about the Lord-the one who saved us and who we will meet again in eternity. We are assured of Heaven so let’s make sure we take as many people with us as possible.

Sometimes we see the Lord’s incredible healing power in our lives. Some members of our body will be physically or emotionally healed; others will not. The Lord has His purpose in all situations. As a pastor, I’m aware of the deep needs and trials my congregation and their family members go through. People are broken and wounded and when someone is suffering or hurting, I too hurt. A pastor desires his people to be in good health, to prosper physically, emotionally, financially and most of all spiritually. As a Christian Community we are called to share our burdens and trials with one another. We care for one another, we have compassion for each other, and we encourage and continually pray for our Christian brothers and sisters.

Christians will indeed go through the hardest of times. Always know that God’s will prevails and we can find our greatest joy in difficult times. The Lord’s pure joy is not based on circumstances in our lives, but it is based on our personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

The trials we face push us to become more dependent on God and lead us into a deeper relationship with the Lord. What do we do when the doctor tells us we have a terminal illness? What do we do when our children our rebellious? What do we do when our spouse walks out? We persevere! We dive into the Lord’s presence and we receive His peace. “And the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7).

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and He will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:3 NIV).

God is able! In Chapter 3 of the Book of Daniel Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refused to fall down and worship King Nebuchadnezzer and the King threw them into the furnace. Well it was the Lord Jesus himself who met them in the fire and delivered them. God is faithful; He always carries us through; He brings us from glory to glory. We respond to God’s will, we respond to God’s time and we know the Lord’s victory will come in every situation. God is in control, God is in charge, our battles belong to the Lord and we are winners in Jesus Christ.

Romans 8:28 (NIV) “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.”

James 1:12 (NIV) “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.”