Good morning,
I have been thinking about making the most of everyday. Living our lives to the fullest in Christ. Not allowing the enemy of our
soul to steal another precious moment. Now, I am not saying that we are
not faced with tough days and troubles that cause us to cry many tears. We all have had and will have our share of testings and trials, but we need to get the revelation of "counting it all joy". "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. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking
anything." (James 1:2-4; NLT) I
have never ran into or known anyone who considered it wholly joyful
when they have trials! So, either we haven't reached this level of
appreciation of trials or we don't completely understand this verse. I
have searched this out, and no matter what version we read it pretty
much says what we perceive it to mean. Here it is in the Amplified and
King James version; "Consider it wholly joyful, my brethren, whenever you are enveloped in or encounter trials of any sort or fall into various temptations. Be assured and understand that the trial and proving of your faith bring out endurance and steadfastness and patience. But let endurance and steadfastness and patience have full play and do a thorough
work, so that you may be [people] perfectly and fully developed [with no defects], lacking in nothing." And next: "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing." I
want that end result, don't you? I desire to be fully developed,
mature, complete, no defects, and lacking nothing. But in order to get
that we have to have an attitude of an expected good end while we are
walking through the trials. Divers carries a meaning of various sorts. Temptations here is the meaning of an experiment, attempt, trial, proving; a)
trial, proving. b) the trial of man's fidelity, integrity, virtue, constancy; adversity, affliction, trouble. Everyone of us have experienced various sorts of adversities,
afflictions, and troubles. Whether it was physical, emotional,
financial, or relational, all come to try and test us spiritually. Now
learning to be joyful in spite of the current circumstances as we
believe God for the good outcome that He has promised is the task that
we find trying and difficult. But, don't be discouraged! As with all
things Godly, we get to grow here by practice and progression. To progress is a movement toward a goal or to a further or higher stage. In this case a higher and further stage of joy. It
is when we develop the ability to consider or think about the joy that
we will experience when we are fully and completely mature and lacking
nothing, and respond with that joy in advance, or while we are going
through any adversity, affliction, or trouble. I, like you, get plenty
of opportunities to train and grow.
soul to steal another precious moment. Now, I am not saying that we are
not faced with tough days and troubles that cause us to cry many tears. We all have had and will have our share of testings and trials, but we need to get the revelation of "counting it all joy". "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. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking
anything." (James 1:2-4; NLT) I
have never ran into or known anyone who considered it wholly joyful
when they have trials! So, either we haven't reached this level of
appreciation of trials or we don't completely understand this verse. I
have searched this out, and no matter what version we read it pretty
much says what we perceive it to mean. Here it is in the Amplified and
King James version; "Consider it wholly joyful, my brethren, whenever you are enveloped in or encounter trials of any sort or fall into various temptations. Be assured and understand that the trial and proving of your faith bring out endurance and steadfastness and patience. But let endurance and steadfastness and patience have full play and do a thorough
work, so that you may be [people] perfectly and fully developed [with no defects], lacking in nothing." And next: "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing." I
want that end result, don't you? I desire to be fully developed,
mature, complete, no defects, and lacking nothing. But in order to get
that we have to have an attitude of an expected good end while we are
walking through the trials. Divers carries a meaning of various sorts. Temptations here is the meaning of an experiment, attempt, trial, proving; a)
trial, proving. b) the trial of man's fidelity, integrity, virtue, constancy; adversity, affliction, trouble. Everyone of us have experienced various sorts of adversities,
afflictions, and troubles. Whether it was physical, emotional,
financial, or relational, all come to try and test us spiritually. Now
learning to be joyful in spite of the current circumstances as we
believe God for the good outcome that He has promised is the task that
we find trying and difficult. But, don't be discouraged! As with all
things Godly, we get to grow here by practice and progression. To progress is a movement toward a goal or to a further or higher stage. In this case a higher and further stage of joy. It
is when we develop the ability to consider or think about the joy that
we will experience when we are fully and completely mature and lacking
nothing, and respond with that joy in advance, or while we are going
through any adversity, affliction, or trouble. I, like you, get plenty
of opportunities to train and grow.
Just remember this is the time to stay connected to the work that is
being done by praying in the Spirit. For as we do, "the needed things"
are being brought together to aid and assist us and bringing us closer
to the desired results. It is certainly not the time to let our emotions
rule us, no, a thousand times no. This is when we pull out the big guns
and pray without ceasing in the Spirit. Read and meditate on this: "We are assured and know that [God being a partner in their labor] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose." (Rom. 8:28) They
are fitting in a plan for good when we pray in the Spirit. Let's read back up; "So too the [Holy] Spirit comes to our aid and bears us up in our weakness; for we do not know what prayer to offer nor how to offer it worthily as we ought, but the Spirit Himself goes to meet our supplication and pleads in our behalf with unspeakable yearnings and
groanings too deep for utterance. And He Who searches the hearts of men
knows what is in the mind of the [Holy] Spirit [what His intent is],
because the Spirit intercedes and pleads [before God] in behalf of the saints according to and in harmony with God’s will." (Rom. 8:26-27) Oh yes, it is the elemental foundation of our faith. We count it all joy by faith. "Since we consider and look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen; for the things that are visible
are temporal (brief and fleeting), but the things that are invisible are deathless and everlasting," (2 Corin. 4:18) Let's believe again!
being done by praying in the Spirit. For as we do, "the needed things"
are being brought together to aid and assist us and bringing us closer
to the desired results. It is certainly not the time to let our emotions
rule us, no, a thousand times no. This is when we pull out the big guns
and pray without ceasing in the Spirit. Read and meditate on this: "We are assured and know that [God being a partner in their labor] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose." (Rom. 8:28) They
are fitting in a plan for good when we pray in the Spirit. Let's read back up; "So too the [Holy] Spirit comes to our aid and bears us up in our weakness; for we do not know what prayer to offer nor how to offer it worthily as we ought, but the Spirit Himself goes to meet our supplication and pleads in our behalf with unspeakable yearnings and
groanings too deep for utterance. And He Who searches the hearts of men
knows what is in the mind of the [Holy] Spirit [what His intent is],
because the Spirit intercedes and pleads [before God] in behalf of the saints according to and in harmony with God’s will." (Rom. 8:26-27) Oh yes, it is the elemental foundation of our faith. We count it all joy by faith. "Since we consider and look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen; for the things that are visible
are temporal (brief and fleeting), but the things that are invisible are deathless and everlasting," (2 Corin. 4:18) Let's believe again!
Love,
Pastor D.
Daughters of Z 
I believe again!
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