John 6:16-21

John 6:16-21 When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, 17 where they got into a boat and set off across the lake for Capernaum. By now it was dark, and Jesus had not yet joined them. 18 A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough. 19 When they had rowed about three or four miles they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were frightened. 20 But he said to them, “It is I; don’t be afraid.”21 Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading.

The Sea of Galilee is an inland, freshwater lake, fed by the Jordan River. It lies almost 700 feet below sea level. The surrounding hills rise about 2000 feet above sea level, with the peaks beyond rising even higher. After nightfall when the air at higher elevations cools, this cooler air races down the slopes to the warmth of the low-lying lake. Strong winds are common and often stir up storms unexpectedly. Because the lake is relatively shallow, when storms strike, the wind whips up high waves that can easily swamp a small boat. This is the situation the disciples found themselves in. The men rowed until almost dawn. (the fourth watch of the night). The fishermen in the group would know how dangerous their situation was. They were afraid and struggling.

This story is in 3 of the Gospels, so it’s an important story. And there’s a reason it comes right after feeding the 5000 which is in all 4 of the Gospels. These 2 miracles are nature miracles. People were given more miracles back then to show that Jesus was God’s Son. He only had 3 years for his mission. He had to grab people’s attention. Plus, they didn’t have CNN or in-depth interviews like we do today.

Nature miracles reveal the character of God. Nobody could do either of these, but God Himself. You might be able to explain away healing, but it’s impossible for anyone else to calm a storm or feed 5000 from the little He started with.

The story is a little different in each Gospel. John doesn’t mention Peter walking on water out to Christ. And there’s a whole lesson in Peter’s part of the story – how he took his eyes off Jesus and started to sink, but he still had a flicker of faith and called out to the Lord to save him and Jesus did. But I’m only going to talk about the John story.

And to understand it we have to go back to John 6:15 Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.

They wanted to make Him king because He miraculously fed them. There are a couple things we can say about this. One is they were caught up in the excitement – like crowds, especially big crowds often are. But also these people were ruled by Rome and they didn’t like that. They were Jews who only wanted God as their ruler. So there was kind of a resistance group at this time always looking for ways to overthrow the Roman’s hold over them. If they could have unlimited food, that would be a help, it would be one less thing they would have to depend on Rome for.

And I already mentioned that they may have remembered how Moses wrote in the Torah about the prophet (or Messiah) coming who would feed them manna. Well, Jesus just fed them manna. So maybe Jesus was the Messiah.

But again. God’s plan was never an earthly king. And Jesus is already the king over every believer’s life. Remember Satan tried to tempt Him with this very same thing.  “I’ll give you the kingdoms of the earth.” Now the people were trying to tempt Him and He resists by going off to pray.

Jesus didn’t come to earth to be popular or even to make people’s lives easier. He came to be Savior of the World!

One mistake people often still make is seeking Jesus for the wrong reasons. To get them out of a fix or to give them something they thing they need, instead of having a relationship with Him, believing he is who He says He is.

We should praise and worship Him, yes! But we should also just talk to Him. And listen to Him. And try to be more like Him.

Verses 16 and 17 again - When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, 17 where they got into a boat and set off across the lake for Capernaum. By now it was dark, and Jesus had not yet joined them.

So Jesus sends the disciples away. He didn’t want them to get any ideas about making Him king too! We know from other places in the Bible they didn’t always understand His mission either and at least one time the mother of James and John came to Jesus asking if her sons would have prominent places when Jesus came into His kingdom. They could have easily gotten caught up in the crowd.

So he sends them in the boat back to where they came from and He goes up the mountain to pray. Jesus often went somewhere to be alone in prayer and because it’s written about in the Bible it’s an important lesson for us.  We need to get away and be still with God at times. We need to pray – just God and us.

Then the storm kicks in. And the disciples were 3 and a half miles out which would have been about dead center in the lake. There was no going back. They were rowing with all their might.

The disciples straining against the oars can represent Christians today trying to do what is right. They were out there because Jesus had sent them. Yet, they still ran into trouble. A couple things to learn from this – Christians are not promised a life with no trials. And we can almost always expect them after a mountain top experience.

The disciples had just witnessed a huge miracle. They were probably ecstatic! They had chosen the fight guy to follow! They were doing exactly what Christ told them to do. And then…Boom! Big trial!

It will happen! Sometimes because Satan will go after you if he sees you victorious, sometimes it might be God humbling you, “Hey, don’t let all that go to your heard!” “let me bring you down to earth where you belong!” And sometimes you’re just on a spiritual high and you let your guard down. Maybe even sometimes God is doing a little test on your faith. Not that He needs to know how much you have, but to show you how much you have!

So Jesus comes out walking on the water. And the disciples thought they saw a ghost! It’s amazing that some people are more ready to believe in ghosts then the Creator!

The disciples were in the dark…very symbolic because they were without Christ right then! And when they were without Him, first they were afraid of the winds and waves, and then they thought they had a ghost to deal with! At least the storm was natural! One thing you can take from this is, our real distresses are often increased by our imaginary ones.

So Jesus had been up on the mountain praying. For a long time. From sundown til between 3 and 6 a.m. Anyone in here ever prayed that long? And He saw the disciples. One thing about being God – He can see in the dark! Not sure if you knew that!

We can use this picture for today. In the story, Jesus is on the mountain praying. Today He is in heaven praying. In the story, He sees the disciples struggling and needing help. Today He sees us struggling and needing help. In the story did he come right away? No, they managed to get half way across the lake before He came (after 8 hours). But, we know He came at exactly the right minute! He is the on-time God. Many times when people have gone through bad times you’ll hear them say, “You know, I just don’t think I would have lasted one second longer! God showed up in the nick of time!”

God watches us. When we’re alone, when we struggle, when we run out of support, when we don’t know what to do. When we row and row and row and just don’t seem to be getting anywhere. He has His eyes on us! We may not be paying attention to Him, but He’s paying attention to us!

Later in John you’ll see Jesus considers us His love gifts from God! Don’t you think He’s going to take care of those gifts? We are never out of His thoughts and He is going to bring every one of those gifts home to His Father.

Jesus tells the disciples “It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

Sometimes people will tell you not to worry, but you still do because there’s always the chance they don’t what what they’re talking about! Or they have no control and there are certainly a lot of things to fear in life! Whether someday some doctor will tell us we have a terminal illness or someone we love and needs does, or we lost our job, or terrorism, tornados, so many things,, but Jesus is more powerful than anything on earth or in the universe! We have no reason to fear when we rely on Him. And He will come to us even when our faith is imperfect. When we have doubt. All we need is just enough faith to call out to God to save us. And He will.

In the Bible there are 2 stories about Jesus and storms. One time He calmed the storm and another He calmed His children. That’s the same with our trials. Occasionally He might resolve our problem for us. More often than not though He’ll just be with us through it. Because our trials have a purpose.

It might be to teach us patience. Or to trust in God. To be humble. It might be to teach us about His priorities, to focus on Him instead of worldly things. To be more compassionate, how to help others in their troubles. How to be grateful for what we do have. Or to stop us from doing something we shouldn’t be doing.

This story is teaching us the only thing that calms our fears is faith. Faith in the Lord who comes to us in the midst of the winds and waves of life. Who speaks to us and says, “Take heart, it is I: do not be afraid.”

He said it to the disciples then and says it to us now. Earthquakes, Aids, Mindless senseless killings, fears that wake you up in the middle of the night and weigh you down during the day – it may not look like He’s in control, but He is. And you know how we know that? Because all of these things were prophesied in the Bible. He foretold them since before the beginning of time. So there is a purpose in them. And He can and will make good things come from bad. Faith overcomes fear. Faith that Jesus is the Son of God sent for our salvation. He has overcome death. When He says be not afraid it is I – He’s saying “it is I, JESUS! THE SON OF GOD! Able to do all these things!!

Whenever we have any kind of trial, particularly those into which we know God directed us, we can remember 3 things promised in 1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempte] beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

1. Trials are common to all people. We think no one has it as bad as we do – no one has suffered as much as we have – that no one understands what we’re going through, but we have to face our trials with courage. Even as Christians, maybe especially as Christians, we can’t avoid trials. In this situation Jesus actually sent them into the storm.

2. God is faithful. He will never let us be tempted or tried beyond what we can bear. Jesus stands by God’s throne in constant intercessory prayer for us and remember the story of the 3 men thrown into the fiery furnace in the book of Daniel? How the king looked in and saw 4 men – and one like an angel? And no one ended up being hurt? That was Jesus. The worse times we are going through – the closer He is.

3. In every trial God will provide a way out. Just as Jesus didn’t let the disciples struggle on the sea indefinitely. He will come to us – but like this example of Him walking on water, it may not be as we would expect Him to. The way out may be a helpful friend God sends us. A promise we read in the Bible, an offer of a job, a good book to read that ends up inspiring us or giving us hope or even a solution. It could be a sense of His presence when you’re praying, or the knowledge that, hey this thing I’ve been going through has actually helped me! It’s made me stronger or opened doors to me in ways I would never have thought of myself. Like kids going through cancer and deciding to become a doctor after.

We should never just wallow in self-pity. OR try to get others to pity us. We should never become bitter or resentful. We shouldn’t even choose to feel we’re alone because it’s not true. We always have Christ. When He sends his help, like the disciples we need to reach out and pull Him into the boat with us. The saying, “Jesus never promised it would be a smooth ride, just that He would get you to your destination and that it would be worth it” may have come from this story!

Jesus is greater than anything that happens to us. Whatever His purpose for us, whatever He’s told us to do – even if it takes us into a storm at sea – He is responsible for us – we are His love gifts from His Father.

Look at verse 21 again: Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading.

Did you notice? They had struggled for 8 hours to get half way. But, once Jesus was with them they got immediately to the other side!

Getting Through Trials

2 Corinthians 4: 7-18 ⁷ But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. ⁸ We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; ⁹ persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. ¹⁰ We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. ¹¹ For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. ¹² So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

¹³ It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.”^] Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak, ¹⁴ because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself. ¹⁵ All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.

¹⁶ Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. ¹⁷ For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. ¹⁸ So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

This passage is about trials. And it tells us that we get through them with God’s power. We are just jars of clay. Ordinary everyday pots! But we have a treasure in us! And that’s Jesus.

Paul had been through more trials and hardships in his life then any six people put together. Yet he can say that he’d been hard pressed, but not crushed. He had been perplexed (why is this happening kind of thing), but not in despair. Persecuted (he’d been flogged and stoned!) But he says he was not abandoned. Struck drown, but not destroyed.

Paul says one of the reasons for our trials is because if we get through them showing Christ’s patience, His faith, His calmness, it draws people who see us closer to God. It spreads the Gospel. If we get through a trial right we glorify God!

So he’s saying there are reasons for our suffering and therefore we do not lose heart. Our light and momentary troubles will be forgotten in Heaven. And Heaven is what our eyes should be fixed on. Not the trials of this life.

Sometimes our trials are caused by our own actions. But sometimes God is acting. And when He does it’s always for our good:

Seven Purposes of Our Trials

1. To inspect us. James 1:2-4 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters^] whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³ because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. ⁴ Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
2. To direct us. Proverbs 20:30 Blows and wounds scrub away evil, and beatings purge the inmost being.
3. To correct us. Psalms 119:71 It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees.
4. To connect us. Psalms 119:67 Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word.
5. To protect us. Genesis 50:20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.
6. To perfect us. Romans 5:3-4 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; ⁴ perseverance, character; and character, hope.
7. To project us. Philippians 1:12 Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel.

Thoughts on Trials from 1 Peter 5:10

I wanted to share some things from a sermon I heard about trials. The sermon was titled “In the Fire, In His Hands” and it was about 1 Peter 5:10:
10And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.

The minister said that we live in a broken world, but as Christians we have God’s resources to sustain us through the trials that will come our way. So the first thing we should do is go to His Word, not the world.

Trials may come as temptations or persecutions. They may be the devil attacking… but whatever they are the first thing we need to do is shrink our suffering. This means, put it in perspective. When we put God next to our problem – the problem shrinks! The minister said we cannot and should not make a big deal about physical suffering. We shouldn’t focus on the pain. This life is not about the setbacks or the challenges we face, but about our glorifying God. Paul called his many trials “momentary, light afflictions in light of eternity!”

The minister also said that believers actually get more trials than non-believers because we are trying to do what’s right.

Secondly we need to remember our Redeemer. God’s grace comes to us through our understanding of who He is. In this verse we are told that God has called us into His eternal glory through Jesus Christ. Also in the verse, God of all grace comes first in the sentence because it’s most important. Then that you will suffer a little while and then that He will restore you. Our trials are always sandwiched between God and His work!

And third. We triumph through His toil. The verse says He will perfect, confirm and establish us in some translations and in this one He will make us strong, firm and steadfast. Trials are meant to prepare us for our future. They complete us, perfect us, train us. They bring us down to earth and closer to God because we start depending on Him.

The key to triumphing over our trials is our attitude! Don’t become bitter. Don’t blame God. Trials mostly come into the world through the sin of man. Accept God’s help. Don’t try to handle it on your own. God comes to the rescue of His humble servants. Always turn first to His Word to be revived.

The Red Sea Rules by Robert J. Morgan

This book uses the story of the parting of the Red Sea to show us that when our past seems implausible and our future impossible God is working in ways we cannot see. That He will make a way of escape for His weary, but waiting children.

Isaiah 11:15 And the LORD will utterly destroy the tongue of the Sea of Egypt; and He will wave His hand over the river with His scorching wind; and He will strike it into seven streams; and make men walk over dry-shod.

1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

The author writes, “No sea is deeper than the ocean of His love. There is no army stronger than His hosts, no force greater than grace, no enemy who can overcome His direct and indirect work in our lives.”

Rule #1 Realize that God means for you to be where you are.

Exodus 14:1-2 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Tell the Israelites to turn back and encamp near Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea. They are to encamp by the sea, directly opposite Baal Zephon.

God told them exactly where to go. And this put the sea in front of them with Pharoah’s army behind them and the mountains around them! And of course we know from other Bible stories that sometimes God allows us, or even puts us, in an “impossible situation” so that when He gets us through it there’s a bigger miracle; showing His great power.

Think about when Lazarus died and Jesus waited 4 days before going to him. If Jesus had come right away it would have been just another healing. But after 4 days it became a resurrection!

We sometimes go through long periods of pain and pressure. Trapped by circumstances; hurting and afraid. Facing impossible odds. Sometimes we can’t talk to anyone about our problems – making them even worse.

Sometimes circumstances are beyond our control. And we worry. Sometimes worry takes over our life. But –

A preacher, John R. Rice said, “Worry is putting question marks where God has put periods.” And Bishop Fulton J. Sheen called worry “a form of atheism, for it betrays a lack of faith and trust in God. “

We worry any.

But God wants us to be able to say “though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil.”

God wants us to turn our worries into prayer and our fears in to faith.

The Israelites were following God. God who took them out of captivity and deliberately into a place where they were trapped. In trouble. They had thought their problems were over when they left Egypt and started following God.

These 2 verses, Exodus 14:1-2 tell us that the Lord took responsibility for leading them into peril.

God will occasionally do the same with us. Testing our faith, leading us into hardship, teaching us wisdom, showing us His ways. Even though we feel like panicking when this happens we need to learn to consult the Bible for guidance and realize that if we are in a difficult place, God has either placed us there or allowed us to be there – for reasons perhaps known for now only to Himself. And that the same God who led us in will lead us out.

When we realize this, our whole perspective of the situation changes.

Many great people in the Bible found themselves in bad situations when they were following God. Joseph, Moses, David, the apostles…Jesus! Dying on the cross.

Christians shouldn’t be surprised when, in seeking to do God’s will, we find ourselves trapped in painful, frightening, difficult or impossible situations. Life is hard! Especially for Christians because we have a determined enemy out to get us.

Jesus warned us in John 16:33 that we will have tribulation. But he added, “But be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

AW Tozer said, “To the child of God, there is no such thing as an accident. He travels an appointed way…accidents may appear to befall him and misfortune stalk his way, but these evils will be so in appearance only and will seem evil only because we cannot read the secret script of God’s hidden providence.”

An African pastor, Andrew Murray was facing terrible crisis’s and after much prayer wrote this in his journal:

1. God brought me here. It is by His will that I am in this place and in that fact I will rest.
2. God will keep me here in His love and give me grace to behave as His child.
3. He will make the trial a blessing, teaching me lessons He intends me to learn and working in me the grace he means to bestow.
4. In His good time He can bring me out again – how and when – He knows.

So we can say, “I am here”
1. By God’s appointment
2. In His keeping
3. Under His training
4. For His time

God has promised He will never leave us or forsake us. Never forget us, never abandon us and never stop loving us.

Realize that if we are where God has placed us, then there is no better place to be.

Now, you might ask, but what if the trial I’m having is clearly my fault? J.I.Packer wrote, “Our God is a God who not merely restores, but takes up our mistakes and follies into His plan for us and brings good out of them.”

So when we are in a trial because of our own selfishness or stupidity; serious and sincere repentance routes us back to God’s will. When we genuinely repent of our sins, our hearts are cleansed and our fellowship with God is restored. Certain consequences many linger, but the Lord will somehow use them for good.

Healing may still be needed, but the Great Physician will apply the salve so we can endure.

God’s forgiveness allows self-forgiveness. We can stop being angry with ourselves because He has forgiven us and will use it for good.

Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

God even causes the influences of our self-chosen circumstances to work for our spiritual benefits.

2nd Thessalonians – Part 2

2 Thessalonians 1:5-12 All this is evidence that God's judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering. 6God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you 7and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. 8He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power 10on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.

11With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith. 12We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

This section talks about God’s righteous judgment. Paul says that the believers were being prepared through their suffering for membership in the coming kingdom. He also leads us to believe we may never see justice in our lifetime, but we will when Christ returns. The reward for Christians will be eternal fellowship with the Lord and the punishment for the unbelievers will be eternal destruction, which is the lake of fire.

Revelation 20:14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death.

Most Jews believed that problems were the result of some sin or lack of faith and occasionally they can be. And sometimes they are just a consequence of living in a fallen world. But Paul teaches us that they also may be part of God’s plan for believers. Our problems may help us look to God. Or at least beyond ourselves.

Philippians 3:13-14 13Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

They can build strong character.

Romans 5:3-4 3Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4perseverance, character; and character, hope.

They can provide us with opportunities to comfort others who are also struggling.

2 Corinthians 1:3-5 3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. 5For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.

Our troubles may also be an indication that we are taking a stand for Christ.

I’m afraid that some people may hear this, see all the trouble so many people have and say, “It’s not worth it.” Or “I think I’ll just wait till I’m old to get saved.” But Paul tells us in all his letters it will be worth it! And in fact it already is because we are storing up treasures in heaven with our attitudes and actions and our faithfulness and obedience. He also says that someday can be too late. Christ will return unexpectedly and even if it’s not in our life time, who knows when our last day on earth will be?

In verse 11 it says our calling is to become like Christ, whatever it takes. When I think of His outstanding traits I always think of His compassion and humility. It’s hard to become compassionate or humble without going through some kind of trial. I also think of His strength and courage; there’s a saying, “what doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger”. Again – every time we come through a trial with the right attitude we are stronger people.

An Evening with Walk in the Word’s James MacDonald

James MacDonald of Walk in the Word http://www.walkintheword.com/ has been on a bus tour this spring and John and I went to his worship service in Hendersonville, NC last weekend.

The message was Why Trials from James 1: 1-6

1 James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad: Greetings.

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. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.

This book was written by the brother of Jesus, yet he calls himself a bondservant of God and Jesus. He was writing to believers who were scattered and suffering. So he gets right to the heart of his message.

Consider your trials joy.

To understand this you have to have the right definition of joy. It’s not happiness. It’s a supernatural delight. It’s one of the gifts of the Spirit. Joy in God Himself!

God knows us perfectly and loves us infinitely. And He’s working out His plan for us: in the person of God, the purposes of God and in the people of God. That is certainly a reason for joy!

To count (or consider) it all joy means you need to think about it. When you are thinking about your trials ask yourself, “Why am I here?” “What is the purpose of my life once I’ve been saved?” James says it’s to display the superiority of a Christian life well lived. That’s why Christians have trials. God allows trials so we can show people the difference between a follower of Jesus Christ and someone who isn’t.

When you stand strong through the trials of life you are displaying the superiority of a life lived in God. God trusts us with the big stuff!

Eternity is racing upon us and the Bible says our trials are a light and momentary affliction. They should be our opportunity to show the world how awesome God is.
They are also a testing of our faith and they produce patience.

James says we should ask ourselves these questions:

Do you believe God is in control when something awful happens? (Even when you can’t see it or feel it.)

Do you believe God is good? (His disposition toward you is to bless you even if He has to hurt you awhile to make you a better person. God is interested in conforming us into the image of His Son.)

Are you willing to wait, by faith, until you see how God is working this out all together?

And finally James said we need to stay in the trial for as long as it takes. Don’t give up, don’t run, don’t complain or lash out. Trials produce transformation. We have to go through the whole thing to get the full effect. There is power in waiting.

Verse 4 says if you let it have its full effect on you you will be perfect and complete: lacking nothing. God is trying to rid us of the self-inflicted misery. Embrace the trial.

Verse 5 says if you lack wisdom ask God. This is about the trial. Ask God what you are supposed to learn from it. And God will give you insight.

Verse 6 says to ask in faith. You have to really want to know.