Wednesday, January 15, 2025

COUNT IT ALL JOY

I’ve always hated that “count it all joy” Scripture, because who can be broken and joyful at the same time?

James 1:2 (NKJV) My brethren,
count it all joy when you fall into various trials,

The Lord saw my struggle and changed me. Long story short, my perspective has changed for why the Lord permits and orchestrates various trials. RESILIENCE! He’s building resilience! He’s downloading what’s needed to sustain us in what He’s calling us to do ultimately. You can’t use an app, unless you first download the app and configure the settings. Soldiers never go to battle until they have first gone through the basic training of Boot Camp.

“Count it all joy” means to develop a perspective that weighs why God might be permitting the trial in the first place. Try looking at it from His perspective. It doesn’t mean He expects us to go skipping down the road while we’re suffering.

Jesus endured the cross. It was no skipping down the road experience. As they led Him up to Golgotha, a Cyrenian named Simon had to help Jesus bear His cross. Jesus wasn’t skipping down the road, but Scripture says that for the joy set before Him, He endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (Heb. 12:2). He endured as He held tight to the outcome of His suffering.

There’s a line out of the movie Shawshank Redemption where Red says, “Andy Dufresne… crawled through a river of dung and came out clean on the other side.” Count it all joy.



To God be the glory.
Dee Richardson, Voice of the Dove