"In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world"

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trails of many kinds, because you know the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:2-4)

Perseverance is a steady persistence in a course of action, a purpose, a state, especially in spite of difficulties, obstacles and discouragement. To keep up with tenacity and maintain, no matter the obstacles or difficulties faced.
 

Persecution is a trial. Matthew 5:12 says, “Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.”

Temptation is also a trial. James 1:12 says, “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.”

 

A trail may involve ongoing affliction and calamity like which Job faced." James 5:1 says, “Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy."

 

James notes that you will face trials of “many kinds.” Trials are testings of your faith that can look different and be for the moment or ongoing. It may involve temptation, momentary calamity, and/or ongoing affliction by a certain (or combined) situation(s).

 

Our trials can be caused by others, by ourselves and poor choices and/or by the enemy.
 

Whatever the trial we face or the reason for it, we are to not only just barely make it through but look at it with an eternal perspective and rejoice that our God will meet us in it. Considering it pure joy is a place of trust that looks to God's greater work.
  

Paul, who continually endured patiently in many difficulties can be our teacher. He told the church in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, “Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”
 

There are times we can feel totally overwhelmed by the trial(s) we are facing.  In Isaiah 59:19 he prophesies, “When the enemy comes in like a flood, I'm going to raise up a standard."

Isaiah was referring to a specific time of trials and tribulation where God is doing this work overall, from east to west. But God  can also do this work in our individual lives as well as we look to Him and are patient in our afflictions. 2 Samuel 5:21 says, “The eternal has broken through my enemies in front of me like water bursting through a dam.”

Some trials happen to us and we have no choice but to go through them.   Other trials can lead us to a place of crossroads in our heart. Do we stay the course? Do we continue on in our current direction? We may ask ourselves, are we experiencing pain because we are out of God's will and need to heed correction or is our difficulty because we are facing the very direction God wants us to head and we need to press forward through it?

 

Below is a poem I wrote when I was wrestling with if I needed to continue on in the direction I was going or change course as I faced difficulty as a result -

 

Daughter,

You choose the road you follow and where it leads.

Choose righteousness and of my Word take heed.

I will take you to rich pasture ground.

Don't delay, it is where I am found.

You can trust me to take care of you.

You can know I will follow through.

I am not a God who is far off.

Be clothed in my righteousness and my love.

Father,

I lack so much in my day

I want to give my life away

Learning to be humble and let go of control

Are the things I desire to sow.

It is so painful and seems so hard.

I fall down every yard.

Daughter,

Keep playing the game and persevere.

Know that I am for you and always near.

I will help you if you stay in the game.

Strengthen and encourage you to remain (in Me).

I heard it mentioned somewhere, that as we are facing the Son and heading into His purposes, our whole lives will shake with turbulence because we are not used to going into this projection (soaring with Him). If nothing is shaking and we are pretty comfortable, we are probably still on the ground and need to look for Him to take flight.

Jeremiah 6:16 says, “This is what the LORD says: "Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But you said, 'We will not walk in it.'”

Too often, we want to choose our path by the level of comfort it brings us.... okay, speaking of me here. We may think rest (peace) is the same as the lack of chaos. To choose our path rightly, we need discernment.

Discernment is the process of paying prayerful attention to God in our lives and the world around us – identifying and entering into His will. Discernment is listening and following the inner prompting of the Holy Spirit. There is a peace in our heart and a “knowing” of living in an unseen kingdom that is so much greater than the world around us that comes with discerning.

It is a wisdom of direction that does not follow along with the world, but with God's purposes.  It is a quiet  revolution that is not of judgment, but turns the world's standards upside down.   In the days of Paul, the church was so radically different from the world they were living in, people reacted strongly.  Some joined, others were terrified of them, and others became angry, rioted and stoned the leaders.

Solomon prayed diligently when he stepped into leadership that God would give him an “understanding heart” so he could lead the people. God granted his prayer and gave him incredible wisdom.

Proverbs 2:1-5, "My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God."

First of all, Solomon was aware He needed something from God. When he took the position as King, he identified that he was at a place of crossroads in his life and needed God's help. James 1:5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”

The word stand in Jeremiah 6:16 is Strongs #5975. It means first of all to stop, cease and tarry (remain, dwell, wait, and listen). Before we do anything, we need to cease striving, cease our busy activity, close out the interruptions around us, and come spend time before God waiting on Him. As we take time to quiet ourselves and give our attention to Him, we will begin to hear His prompting.

Here are some things we can stand in -

• We are loved extravagantly by God.
• We are His very own - adopted into His family. 
• We are surrounded by His goodness.
• He desires our best.
• He has larger purposes He is working out in the world and He invites us to be a part of it.
• He is always with us and for us.
• He is active in His love for us and the world
• He speaks to His people

As we press into God and stand in the truth of who He is and who we are, we will find the discernment we need to move forward into His will.
 

Another translation for Jeremiah 6:16, from Hebrew definitions is actually-

'stand in the ways

and see

and ask

for the eternal and perpetual path of thy commands

and you shall come into (be overtook by)

rest for your souls (given strength and your appetites, passions and desires for the world quenched and filled with what you really need).'

In Deuteronomy 30:15-20 Moses says,
“Today I have set before you
life and prosperity, death and doom.
If you obey the commandments of the LORD, your God,
which I enjoin on you today,
loving him, and walking in his ways,
and keeping his commandments, statutes and decrees,
you will live and grow numerous,
and the LORD, your God,
will bless you in the land you are entering to occupy.
If, however, you turn away your hearts and will not listen,
but are led astray and adore and serve other gods,
I tell you now that you will certainly perish;
you will not have a long life
on the land that you are crossing the Jordan to enter and occupy.
I call heaven and earth today to witness against you:
I have set before you life and death,
the blessing and the curse.
Choose life, then,
that you and your descendants may live, by loving the LORD, your God,
heeding his voice, and holding fast to him.
For that will mean life for you,
a long life for you to live on the land that the LORD swore
he would give to your fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.”

Lord, forgive me for the so many ways that I lack standing before you lately. I seem to struggle with finding time. Yet it is only in this place that I can be filled and gain wisdom. Lord, more than anything we desire an “understanding heart” that follows Your ways. Help us to stand in you, fill us with what we need and lead us along Your paths.