Chapter 2 trials James 1:1-5.

James 1:1-5 says, James a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. To the twelve tribes depressed abroad. Greetings. Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing. Now if any of you lacks wisdom he should ask God who gives to all generously and untrustingly and it will be given to him. I bet that we can all agree that trials are never fun. In James 1:1-5 James speaks to twelve tribes who are depressed according to James 1:1. James gives this interesting image about trials in verses 2-5. I have 3 reasons for trials. First we must have great joy through trials. In verse 2 James says to consider trials a great joy. Now when he says have great joy through trials he doesn’t mean to be happy. He means have a great joy that God is in control of these trials. He doesn’t mean for us to push of trials and pretend its ok. He wants us to be joyful because God is in control. Even when your trials are so dark and miserable that you wonder if God even cares he’s in control. We must be joyful because we know that in the end we’re be ok and because Gods in control. Second trials are a test of faith. You wonder if God loves me so much why does he put me through trials. Trials are a test of faith. God puts trails mostly in our lives when things are good. He puts these trials in your life so that he can see that you trust him in dark times. Two people come to mind in the Bible when i think of this. The first one is Abraham. In genesis 22 God asks Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac. Most of us probably know that God stoped Abraham from sacrificing Isaac, but God made Abraham sacrifice Isaac to test his faith. The second person that comes to mind is job. Jobs life was great he was wealthy, healthy, and he feared the Lord. Eventually though God took away jobs wealth, health, and family. Job went through trials. Third we must endure through trials. Through trials we can’t become lazy we must endure through trials. In verse 4 James says and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing. Through trials if we start lacking we will be weakened.