James tells us to “count it all joy” when we encounter various trials.

But if we’re truthful, joy is rarely the first thing we feel when life gets hard.

We may feel afraid.

Angry.

Discouraged.

Overwhelmed.

Or simply desperate for the problem to go away.

So was James telling us to enjoy suffering?

Certainly not.

Then how can a Christian possibly respond to a painful trial with joy?

And there is another question tucked into this same chapter.

James talks about both testing and temptation.

God uses trials to strengthen our faith, yet James is equally clear that God never tempts anyone to sin.

So what is the difference?

Could the very circumstance God intends to use for our spiritual growth also become an occasion for temptation?

And if so, where does that temptation actually begin?

James’ answer may point us somewhere much closer to home than we would like.

Welcome to “God’s Word Day by Day,” where I blog through the Bible in a Year. I hope you’ll join me every day. If you’re not already signed up, you can do it here or subscribe and watch on YouTube.

Today’s Readings:

Ezekiel 31 & 32
Psalm 130.1-4
Proverbs 28.28
James 1.1-27

When Does a Trial Become a Temptation?

James 1.1-27:

Count It All Joy

James was the Lord’s half-brother. Like his siblings, he rejected Jesus as the Messiah during His earthly ministry. But later he was converted and became one of the leaders of the Jerusalem church.

The book of James is possibly one of the most practical books in the Bible. It is sometimes called the Proverbs of the New Testament. There is so much in this little epistle. Some years ago I spent 3 or 4 months teaching through it and barely scratched the surface!

Chapter one is no exception. Verses 2-4 are some of my favorites and are so rich in truth and encouragement:

2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

I don’t know about you, but I rarely “feel like” counting it all joy when I encounter trouble. Yet James encourages us to do so, not because it is pleasant or because we are supposed to like hardships, but because of how God uses them in our lives. It’s through the tests and trials of life that God grows us and matures us as believers. It’s what makes us useful to the kingdom of God.

Test or Temptation

Yet, if we don’t respond to a trial biblically, the trial that is intended by God to prove and strengthen our faith can become a temptation by the enemy to sin. It’s the same trial, but our thinking and responses determine whether it will be a test or a temptation to sin.

How can we “count it all joy” and grow during severe trials like persecution and hardship? We can start by remembering that everything that happens in the world and our personal lives is part of the “all things” of Romans 8.28-29 that God can and will use for good. These things are intended to cause believers to grow in spiritual strength and to help unbelievers come to the end of themselves and see their desperate need for Him.

Let’s look at a couple more verses in this chapter.

The Process of Sin

Verses 14-15:

¹⁴ But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. ¹⁵ Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death (ESV).

We sometimes call this the process of sin.

James starts with hunting and fishing imagery. It’s not God tempting us to sin, and we can’t simply blame the devil. The problem is inside of us. Like a fisherman, Satan dangles the bait, but something inside us latches on to it, not realizing it has a hook in it. Then Satan does all he can to reel us in.

In the next verse, James switches to a birth illustration. That desire acts like a baby when first conceived. If we don’t deal with it, it takes root in the womb of our heart. Then, as we think about it, contemplate it, play around with it in our minds, even while telling ourselves that we would never act on it, it grows. Allowed to grow, it gives birth to sin or death, as James said.

• Death of a marriage.
• Death of a testimony.
• Death of our intimacy with God.

So, let’s take those thoughts and desires captive to the obedience of Christ. Let’s remain pure in our hearts because what’s going on in the heart will eventually work itself to the outside one way or the other.

Today’s Other Readings:

Ezekiel 31 & 32:

The World & Its Systems

In chapters 31 and 32, God was speaking to Egypt, perhaps more as a warning to His people that they could no longer turn to worldly powers like them for help and protection. In chapter 31, he compares Assyria to a great tree that was destroyed and uses their fate to warn Egypt of their coming judgment.

Egypt is also a picture of the world and its systems. God will let evil nations and this world’s ungodly system go on for a while, but one day He will deal with them swiftly and completely, just as He did in Ezekiel’s day.

Psalm 130.1-4:

God’s Forgiveness 

If You, LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with You, that You may be feared (vv. 3-4).

There is forgiveness with Him! If we are His children, our sins are forgiven! He isn’t marking them; He isn’t keeping score. If He did, none of us could ever stand before Him.

Ephesians 4.32 says that we are to forgive others just as He forgives us. And 1 Corinthians 13.5 says love “does not take into account a wrong suffered” (NASB). Yet, we have a sinful habit of marking the iniquities of others on our mental scorecard, in violation of His clear commands.

If you’re struggling to forgive, meditate on Ephesians 4.32 and remember that we are to be imitators of God (Eph. 5.1). We are never more like Him than when we forgive. Or as our pastor said recently, “Forgiveness is when the power of the gospel is displayed.”

Forgiveness on the Heart Level

That doesn’t mean we never hold people accountable for sinful behavior. For example, in the case of adultery, even when there is repentance and forgiveness, it takes time to regain the lost trust.

And when it comes to illegal actions like abuse or other criminal activities, forgiveness doesn’t mean the removal of all consequences (1 Pet. 2.13-14). Consequences, including capital punishment (Ex. 21.12), are necessary for a godly society. In fact, because consequences have not been carried out, in many cases, murder, crime, and all kinds of mayhem are rampant.

When a crime is not punished quickly, people feel it is safe to do wrong (Eccl. 8.11 NLT).

We do, however, need to forgive on the heart level so we don’t become bitter, angry people, more like our enemies than like Jesus. We need to pray for our enemies that they might come out of the snare of the devil and open their hearts to the gospel. And, as I said above, we need to share the gospel with those God places in our paths.

Proverbs 28.28:

Pray for Our Leaders

When the wicked rise, men hide themselves; but when they perish, the righteous increase.

All the more reason to pray for our President, Congress, Governors, and other leaders.

Coming Up:

In the next few days, we’ll discuss the questions, “Is believing ‘in’ God enough?” and “Are your words blessing or cursing?” We’ll also talk about how Satan is a fisherman who studies us to know the right bait so he can reel us in, and the Bible’s admonition about bad company.

I hope you’ll join us.

Getting Ready for Next Year:

The holidays are just around the corner, and the new year will be upon us before we know it. What will you do to make Bible reading an ongoing habit in the coming year? I want to encourage you to set a goal to read through the Bible again or for the first time. If you join me, I’ll take you through a plan that covers both the Old and New Testaments in about 30 minutes a day. You can read each day’s post or watch as I read through the passages on YouTube. Sign up so you don’t miss any of them. The emails can serve as a gentle reminder to stay on track, and I believe you’ll benefit from the additional information I share and grow as you learn to apply God’s Word to your own life.

You can check out our YouTube channel here.

If this post spoke to you, I would love it if you would share it on your favorite social media platform.

Blessings as you grow in Christ,
Donna ♥

Note about this post:

I began blogging through the Bible in 2012 and have done so every year since then. These posts are the product of many edits and additions throughout those years.

A while ago, I read Jen Wilkin’s book None Like Him about the attributes of God. One is His incomprehensibility. In it, she says, “God is incomprehensible. This does not mean that he is unknowable, but that he is unable to be fully known.”

I have found that to be true each year as I’ve gone back through the Bible. Sometimes I find myself feeling as if a passage just appeared there for the first time. I’m reminded that no matter how many times we read through the Bible, we have only scratched the surface. I hope you feel the same.

Indeed these are the mere edges of His ways,
And how small a whisper we hear of Him!
But the thunder of His power who can understand?” (Job 26.14)