Count It All Joy

One of the most difficult things we struggle with as believers in the person of Jesus Christ is why bad things happen to good people. Today brought to me yet another example of this---one that hits really close to home as the father of a six-year-old girl. My friends Cody and Maria Whittaker found out that their four-year-old daughter Susana has a malignant tumor in her stomach. The Whittakers are faithfully serving the Lord as missionaries in hurricane-stricken Haiti; helping to spread the Gospel in one of the world's poorest countries. You can read more about their incredible journey of faith on their website: www.howcantheyhear.org

I can cite many other examples of suffering and difficulties experienced by God's people and they remind me of the words of James 1:2-4---Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. Notice that these verses say when, not if, we meet trials. Here we have a guarantee that believers are not immune from suffering, yet we also have a promise that God in his infinite love and mercy has a purpose and plan behind it.

Our limited human perspective makes it difficult to count it all joy during these times until we consider God's divine perspective. Our faith is tested to allow us to become steadfast and this is an ongoing process to shape us to be more like Jesus. We know our Savior cries when we cry (John 11:35), he sympathizes with our weaknesses (Hebrews 4:15) and our Heavenly Father desires for us to become more and more like Him.