DIGGING DEEP NO. 942 – July 5th 2022 TURNING TRIALS INTO TRIUMPHS (PART 1) Jam.1: 2- 12.

Perhaps you have seen the bumper sticker that reads, “When life hands you lemons, make lemonade”. It is easier to smile at that statement than to practice it, but the basic philosophy is sound. Throughout the Bible are people who turned defeat into victory and trial into triumph. Instead of being victims, they became victors. If we are going to turn trials into triumphs, we must obey four imperatives: count (Jam.1: 2); know (Jam.1: 3); let (Jam.1: 4, 9- 11), and ask (Jam.1: 5- 8). Or to put it another way; there are four essentials for victory in trials: a joyful attitude, an understanding mind, a surrendered will, and a heart that wants to believe.

1. Count – A joyful attitude – Jam.1: 2. Outlook determines the outcome, and attitude determines action. God tells us to expect trials. It is not “if you fall into various testing” but “when you fall into various testing.”  Jesus warned His disciples “In the world, you shall have tribulation” Jh.16: 33.

Apostle Paul told his converts that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God’s Acts.14: 22. Some trials come simply because we are human – sickness, accidents, disappointments, and tragedies. Other trials come because we are Christians 1Pet.4: 12. Satan fights us, the world opposes us, and this makes for a life of battle. The key word is “count”. It is a financial term, and it means to evaluate. When Apostle Paul became a Christian, he evaluated his life and set new goals and priorities. Things that were once important to him became garbage in the light of his experience with Christ. When we face the trials of life, we must evaluate them in the light of what God is doing for us. This explains why a dedicated Christian can have joy in the midst of trials: he lives for the things that matter most. Even our Lord was able to endure the cross because of the joy of returning to heaven and one day share His glory with His church. Our values determine our evaluations. If we value comfort more than character, then trials will upset us. If we value the material and physical more than the spiritual, we will not be able to count it all joy. If we live only for the present and forget the future, then trials will make us bitter and not better. Job had the right outlook when he said “But He knows the ways that I take; when He had tried me, I shall come forth as gold” Job.23: 10. So, when trials come, give thanks to the Lord and adopt a joyful attitude. The question is: Is it possible to rejoice in the midst of trials? That takes us to the second point

2. Know – An understanding mind – Jam.1: 3. What do Christians know that makes it easier to face trials and benefit from them?

Faith is always tested. When God called Abraham to live by faith, He tested him in order to increase his faith. God always tests us to bring out the best; Satan tests us to bring out the worst. The testing of our faith proves that we are truly born again.

Testing works for us, not against us. A gold prospector brings his ore sample into the assayer’s office to be tested. The sample itself may not be worth more than a few dollars, but the approval, the official statement about the ore is worth millions! It assures the prospector that he has a gold mine. God’s approval of our faith is precious because it assures that our faith is genuine. Trials work for a believer, not against him 2Cor.4: 17.

Trials rightly used help us to mature. What does God want to produce in our lives? Patience, endurance, and the ability to keep going when things are tough Rom.5: 3- 4. Immature people are always impatient; mature people are patient and persistent. Impatience and unbelief usually go together, just as faith and patience do Heb.6: 12, Heb.10: 36; Is.28: 16. God wants to make us patient because that is the key to every other blessing. When the believer learns to wait on the Lord, then God can do great things for him. Abraham ran ahead of the Lord, married Hagar, and brought great sorrow into his home. Moses ran ahead of God, murdered a man, and had to spend forty years with the sheep to learn patience. The only way the Lord can develop patience and character in our lives is through trials. Endurance cannot be attained by reading a book, listening to a sermon, or even praying a prayer. We must go through the difficulties of life, trust God, and obey Him. The result will be patience and character. Knowing this, we can face trials joyfully, knowing that the end result will bring glory to God. This fact explains why studying the Bible helps us grow in patience Rom.15: 4. As we study Abraham, Joseph, Moses, David, and our Lord Jesus Christ, we realize that God has a purpose in trials. There is no substitute for an understanding mind. Satan can defeat the ignorant believer, but he cannot overcome the Christian who knows his Bible and understands the purposes of God.