COUNT IT ALL JOY
Years ago when I was still new to Canada and a young mother the Lord gave me a Word : Count it all Joy to be tested .That word is from James 1: 1-5 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. It was actually written originally to Persecuted Christians to encourage them to keep walking with God and trust Him in spite of their suffering.
It seems everyone has some kind of trials and suffering in their lives. The background story to this Bible Verse is that this Word was written to Persecuted Christians. After the Crucifixion of Jesus and His Resurrection from death , his followers started to preach the gospel .Thousands of people turned to Christ and soon after persecutions started. The good side of Persecution was that the Message of Christ went to many Nations. Wherever the believers in Christ went, they shared the good news of Christ and it turned to the furtherance of the Gospel. Suffering is not hindrance . It is simply test of our faith but even then we can bring Good News of God’s Love to others.
The other side of it -that it is not nice to suffer and as humans we don’t like difficulties. We all wish for an easy life. The interesting thing is that God always cares for the outcast. The Lonely and the suffering people. He never forgets His People. He gave promise to His People in Ezekiel 11 :16
Ezekiel 11:16 Thus says the Lord God, Although I have cast them far off among the heathen, and although I have scattered them among the countries, yet will I be to them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they shall come
Now the Idea here is that God offers Himself as a SANCTUARY to His People. Sanctuary means Safety. He says He himself wants to be their Safety. Security and Hiding place. God is Presenting Himself as much more than just the idea of I am here and you are there. He is Presenting Himself as one who calls us : Come to Me -I am your Sanctuary – Come what may. I am your God. You are not Alone.
This is a very important point. We must not forget WHO is our Security. I like to point out also that James 1:3-4 says : Testing of your Faith Produces Perseverance . Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
James 1: 4 NOT LACKING ANYTHING…as the end result of enduring trials ? Interesting.
Psalm 23 : The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures: he leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul: he leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou prepare a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou Anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Hebrews 4: 9 There remains, then, a Sabbath-Rest for the people of God. Some people built their whole belief system on the word : Sabbath. God is not focusing at specific names nor days when to worship Him
God is calling us into …HIS REST …INTO HIS PRESENCE
Micah 4 :5 And He shall be their Peace.
Jesus Himself is our Peace. HE is Our Rest. Peace and Rest go together, if you have Peace -your Heart is at Rest. He is our Sanctuary.
Remember James 1: 1-4 Count it all JOY verse ? Testing of your Faith Produces Perseverance . Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
In the Old testament we read a story about Hannah ,the woman who loved the Lord and had no children. Her prayers were not answered and she suffered because to her it was the most important thing in life. One day her husband said to her :
1.Sam 1:8 Elkanah her husband said to her: “Hannah, why do you weep and why do you not eat? And why are you heartsick? Am I not better to you than ten sons?
Sometimes God comes to us and says to us : Am I not better to you ,that all this that you hope for ? Am I not enough to bring you Joy and Comfort ? Why are you crying ? Am I not enough ?
That is a hard question and at some point we all need to face that question. Is God Enough for you ?
King David said : The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures: he leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul He leads me in the paths of Righteousness for His name’s sake.
What King David is saying is exactly the same as what Ezekiel the prophet said that God Himself is our SANCTUARY. New Testament called it :THE SHABBAT REST- In His Presence we have Rest. We rest from our Works. Our Efforts. Our Complaints. Our needs and wants and simply stay in His Presence and feel Content.
That is what God means by Sanctuary. And what He means when He says we need to enter His Rest. We enter into His Presence with Thanksgiving and Praise. The Amazing thing is that the King of the Universe is calling us – into His Presence. He calls us into His Peace. His JOY.
Bible says : The sufferings of this Present age are nothing compared to the Glory He reveals to us
And I would like to add : We can experience His Glory ,when we meet with Him in the Place of Prayer. It is available to us ,right now. Today. God wants to meet with us and talk with us.
WE LEARN FROM OUR TRIALS AND SUFFERING THAT PERSERVERANCE BRINGS US TO A PLACE WHERE WE LACK NOTHING, BECAUSE WE HAVE EVERYTHING IN CHRIST.
That is what God is calling us to . To the Understanding that He Himself is what we really need and it really at the core is the Only thing we need – in order to be content . He calls us to His Heart. He wants us very close. So close we can hear what He is saying to us.
That is what it means Count it all JOY
The Book of Job tells us a story of Job’s suffering and how Job came out of that suffering. His suffering ended long before he saw answers to his questions and prayers .His suffering ended when he said these words :
Job 13:15 : Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him !
That was his moment of Victory. That was his personal breakthrough. How could Job say that ? He had lost everything ! His Children. His Riches. All of it.
He could say it because he had found the SANCTUARY in God. He had found his REST and BELONGING IN GOD.
When trials come. When Shaking comes. We can easily forget our Roots .Job remembered in the midst of it all…he is not alone. He still had God ! He remembered he had not lost everything. He still had God- and therefore He had everything.
IF YOU HAVE JESUS…OUR ROOTS ARE IN JESUS.WE HAVE COMFORT. WE HAVE PEACE AND WE LACK NOTHING.
God is calling us closer and closer to Him. He calls us to Enter His Presence with Thanksgiving and Praise when life is good and when it is hard and then we can say; We lack nothing. and right there we can say: I Count it all Joy.
Amen
