"My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials."
James 1:3
A certain Christian had been going through some difficult times. It seemed that one thing after another was trying his patience and testing his faith. He often wondered why God was allowing these things in his life. One day he stopped at his church to watch the construction of a new worship center. He watched a stone mason chip away at a large stone until it formed a triangle. He asked the worker, "What are you going to do with that stone?" The man pointed up to a place around the steeple. He said, "I'm cutting it down to size to fit up there." Then, the Christian thought about his own life. As he walked away, he said, "Lord, I guess you have been cutting me down to size, so I can fit in the place you have for me."
The apostle James instructed believers to count it all joy when we have various trials. It must be that the Lord is going to bring good things out of our difficult situations. He's getting us ready to be used in His hands, to put us in the place that He has prepared for us. Regardless of the difficult times, we can rest assured that God is up to something good in our lives.
Have you faced some difficult times in your life recently? Don't despair. Trust God. He is working all things together for your good (Romans 8:28). It may not feel that way now. You may not see anything good coming your way, but we don't know all the good things that God has in our future. If you think that difficult times are chipping away at you now, remember the Master's hands are at work in your life to prepare you for a good place. Understanding difficult times is understanding that God is good. Our joy is in God, even through difficult days.
Prayer: Father, we don't understand difficult times, but we do understand that You are good, and that You are good all the time. Even in our trials, we rejoice in Your goodness through Christ Jesus. Amen.
