“WHEN YOU MEET!”

James 1:2-4                                    (ESV)

“2 Count it all joy, my brothers, “WHEN YOU MEET” trials of various kinds,

3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.

4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

Today is Veterans Day in America, commemorating the end of “the war to end all wars”!  Actually, “Armistice Day” was First celebrated on the "eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month" of 1918 remembering the cessation of hostilities of World War I.  Most Americans are interested in celebrating anything that gets us another day off from work, especially a paid day off from work.  

However, how many of us remember the time when we surrendered our lives to JESUS as our LORD and SAVIOR.  The disciples had their “Armistice Day” documented as they all left their “way of life” to follow a path laid out for them by JESUS.  All but one of the disciples succumbed to a martyrs death as following JESUS is not a life of comfort and ease.  

Most of us have been taught since we were young that “hard work will pay off” some day.  But do we ever see anyone going around looking for “trials and tribulations” at the end of their earthly journey?  Scripture is rather plain that trials and heartaches will plague us until we complete our earthly journey.  

The passage of scripture above says “Count it all joy, my brothers, “WHEN YOU MEET” trials, not IF YOU MEET them!!!  We  “BROTHERS” are going to experience trials so that GOD can be glorified in our lives.  We should expect, maybe even relish in the fact, that we are BROTHERS and are considered worthy “WHEN YOU MEET” trials so GOD can be exalted in our lives.   After all, it’s all about HIM receiving Glory, not us being exalted, isn’t it???