A Prayer to Grow in Joy and Trust through Trials - Your Daily Prayer - August 3

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A Prayer to Grow in Joy and Trust through Trials
By Keri Eichberger

Bible Reading:
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. (James 1:2-3)

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I am ever so slowly stepping out of one of the hardest seasons of my life. And if I’m being completely honest, I have wrestled with God quite a bit in the process—wondering what in the world he was doing, why he would allow such suffering, and whether he was really there in the midst of my unimaginable pain. There were times that the only thing that kept me going was the truth welded on my heart, that my Savior had always come through for me before, so surely he would carry me through again.

Along the journey, I remember my eyes and ears randomly catching biblical claims about our growth through trials. And to be honest, they kind of rubbed me the wrong way. I could hardly see how. Not to mention, who really wants to grow this way? Isn’t there a better way? One that is a little more comfortable and a lot less painful?

I specifically wrestled with James 1:2, which tells us to consider it pure joy when we face trials of many kinds. Confession: I wanted to sarcastically laugh out loud at the mere thought. And I bet you know what I’m talking about. Consider your most difficult season of life. I sincerely hope you’re not there now, but it may feel like it, and if so, I’m so sorry. But has it been hard to find joy in your suffering and sorrow? Of course. Because suffering hurts, and sorrow causes extreme heartache, which seems to rip the joy right out of our reality. So how are we actually to find any joy in our despair and devastation?

The following verse, James 1:3, tells us that the testing of our faith produces perseverance. Some versions mention growth, endurance, steadfastness, or patience. And can you connect joy to any of these attributes? I can consider that. And though we may not always automatically find joy in the pit of our darkest days, what if we could attempt to do only what the first word of verse two instructs? Consider. Consider… the joy. If we could even imagine that, through our pain, there just might be a production of perseverance, patience, or a stronger faith, wouldn’t that give us a glimmer of hope? And isn’t there a spark of joy in a just bit of hope? Wouldn’t even the slightest hope be more than welcome when we’re drowning in what feels like the depths of darkness? I think we’d all take that.

I can see it. As I look back on the hard moments and phases of life, and as I’m climbing out of a valley right now, my perspective has changed. I’m not as rattled by the smaller things; I feel more equipped to take on the bigger things. In the recent past, and all my life, I’ve seen God show up day after day after day. I’ve witnessed him never leave my side week after week after week. And I’ve felt his spirit slowly infuse my soul as he has continued carrying me year after year.

God is carrying you, too. And there is hope available to you in each hardship as you simply contemplate the good God might be working through every difficult situation you face. There is joy awaiting you as you consider what he is producing from every single struggle. And there are blessings to be found as you acknowledge what he is opening up and offering through it all.

You can trust God and his goodness at work in the hard. You can trust God’s word, which reminds us repeatedly that he is always trustworthy. And if you keep your eyes and heart wide open, you’ll see and experience his promised, abounding blessings. You’ll find swells of hope. You’ll feel swells of joy. And as you continue to consider God's constant goodness, your joy will keep growing, even from one sorrow to the next. Your trust in our good God will keep growing, in and through one trial, and one day, to the next.

Let’s Pray

Lord God, Your Word tells me that You use all things for good. But to be honest, sometimes life hurts so much that it’s hard to see and imagine any good. Help me to remember that you are all-powerful, that you are a God of goodness, that you love me more than I can fathom, and that you are absolutely trustworthy at all times. And Lord, help me to simply consider these beautiful truths in and through my sorrows and suffering. Because when I acknowledge you, your power, and your blessings in my difficulties, I find hope. And in hope, there is joy. I praise you for the joy you make always available to me. In your faithful name, I pray, Amen.

If you liked what you read, I think you will love my latest book, Win Over Worry: Conquer What Shakes You and Soar With the One Who Overcomes. You can find it on Amazon or your favorite online retail site. I hope it blesses you!

Join the conversation! Share how today’s devotional spoke to you on the Crosswalk Forum.

Photo Credit: ©Ricardo Gomez Angel/Unsplash

Keri Eichberger is a Jesus-loving Kentucky girl. She is married to her best friend, Mike, and has a full house of five kids. After years of writing for an online audience, Keri became ordained through Southeast Christian Church, giving her life to full-time ministry. She is the author of Win Over Worry: Conquer What Shakes You and Soar With the One Who Overcomes, and has a passion for sharing faith-filled encouragement through devotional writing. Connect with Keri at kerieichberger.com or Instagram.

Related Resource: Praying Through Life’s Battles

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If you like what you hear, be sure to follow The Love Offering on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!