By Pastor John Bingham
James 1:2-3, “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.”
Gold is one of the most precious and valuable metals in the world today. It is not only beautiful, but it is useful. It has been used as currency, shaped into jewelry, and utilized in space flight. But for gold to be found useful, it must be mined, then refined. When it comes out of the ground, it is full of contaminates which must be removed. To remove these contaminates, it goes through a refiner’s fire which is more than 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
For the Christian, we are a lot like this gold. When we are first saved, our life is full of contaminates, and God takes us through a refining process to purify and prepare our life for the great things He has in store for us. This is often difficult, and the process is hard, but the end result is worth it.
James wrote to encourage this early church that was scattered abroad and facing persecution. Although we face difficulties, we can find joy in these trials knowing that God is working out His master plan in our life. When the trials come, rejoice! When the heat is poured on, rejoice! For we are confident that God is working His master plan in our life.
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