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Trouble and Trials
'When you have many kinds of troubles, you should be full of joy.' JAMES 1:2
OK, let's get something straight - there's a big difference between
a) having 'many kinds of troubles' and
b) getting into lots of trouble. You can't avoid the first category but you can avoid the second! God can, and will, use our mistakes to teach us, but enough trouble will come your way just from 'life'; don't go out looking for more!
James describes 'many kinds of troubles' because usually it's not one big thing but a lot of little things. We have to deal with health trouble, money trouble, relationship trouble or emotional trouble, it all gets us stressed out. Peter helps to put it all in perspective for us though, saying: 'when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honour on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world (1Peter 1:7 NLT). There's nowhere we can go to escape the trial of our faith.
Trying to avoid it is like changing your school so that you might not have to do that exam you're dreading. Well the next school will have exams too, probably harder than the ones in the school you just left, and by switching all you've actually done is get further behind in your studies and preparation. The Word 4U 2day is you can't outrun troubles and trials, but God is with you and He will strengthen you.
written by Bob Gass
