Consider it Joy

Day 12 (Mar 3^rd)

James 1:2-3

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.

James doesn’t say trials are fun. He says something braver: consider it joy when they show up. Not because the pain feels good, but because God is doing something good in the pain. Trials are like a weight in the gym. Heavy. Annoying. Not what you asked for. But that weight trains your faith to stand up straighter.

Here’s the secret James is letting you in on: testing produces perseverance. Not pretend-smile perseverance. Not “I’m fine” perseverance. Real grit. The kind that gets out of bed again. The kind that keeps praying when the answer hasn’t come yet. The kind that keeps loving people who are hard to love. The kind that whispers, “Jesus, I’m not quitting,” even while your hands are shaking.

And this is where resurrection changes everything. Easter isn’t just a holiday—it’s God’s signature on your story. The same God who raised Jesus specializes in “after” chapters. After the tomb. After the loss. After the failure. After the long night. So when your faith is being tested, it doesn’t mean God has left you. It may mean God is building you—quietly, steadily—like roots growing deep.

So today, don’t measure your life by how easy it is. Measure it by who is with you in it. A resurrection-shaped voice doesn’t deny the trial. It talks back to it: “This won’t be the end of me.”

Prayer: Risen Jesus, when life gets heavy, give me joy that has backbone. Grow perseverance in me. Keep me steady. Teach me to trust that You are working in the testing, and You will finish what You started. Amen.

Have a great day!

Martin's Lutheran Church