JOY

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"Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come

your way, consider it an opportunity for great

joy.  For you know that when you faith is tested,

your endurance has a chance to grow.  So let it 

grow, for when your endurance is fully developed,

you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing."

(James 1:2-4 NLT)

I have lived longer than most of you.  One of the things

I have noticed over all these years is that life is full

of problems, pains, disappointments, trials etc.  That

is simply life.  But why does God let it be that way?

I have been a student [at least a reader] of the Holy 

Bible for over sixty years.  And the thing I am finally

beginning to see is God has a purpose in all this turmoil.

One.  If we did not have all these problems we would

think that we could handle it.  We would not realize

that very little is really under our control.  And instead

of seeking God for help, we would slide straight into

the Devil's hell.

Two.  Once we turn to God and give him control 

over our lives, the problems continue, BUT.  

The purpose is different.  Let me explain.

In our area there are some big buildings that they

call, "gyms".  Now I have not been in them.  I have

too much work to do to spend time there.  But they

tell me that people actually pay money to go in there

and "work out".  They work hard on a machine going

no where just to work up a sweat or get sore muscles.

You get the point, all that effort is for the health of 

their bodies.

After I am the property of God, all the trials, tests,

hardships, disappointments etc. are used to develop

me into the person God wants me to be.  Then when

this life is over I will be the kind of person He wants 

me to be in body and spirit.

Yes these problems hurt.  But I am happy to know

that in the end God is using them to help me.