Help, I have fallen and I can’t get up! Have you ever felt that someone has thrown you a “sucker punch”? You have been knocked down and for some particular reason, you feel as though you can’t get up.
Some of us have been on the ground for so long that we have taken up permanent residence there. You have completed and signed the “change of address” card, and forwarded it to the post office, for all of your mail can be forwarded to your new address. “Shame on you!” I once heard someone say that if you have been knocked down, down to the ground, and if you feel that you can’t get up, if you can turn around and look up, then you can get up. SO GET UP! So, you have been deceived. So, your heart has been broken. So, you have lost your job or maybe you have lost a loved one.
I have experienced every one of those situations too. Yes, it is painful. Your heart does hurt. Your mind finds it difficult to comprehend or process those traumatizing events. Apostle James tells us to be encouraged in Christ through joy when we face trials of any kind. Oh no, I didn’t make this up. It’s in the Bible, “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. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” James 1:2-4 NIV.
I know, when we are persecuted, it feels as though that we have been hit with a physical punch. The more fierce the persecution, the harder the punches. It feels like you are in a boxing ring and they are throwing jabs at you, and they are making some serious contacts. You are dancing all around the ring, thinking that you are dodging the assaults, but the assaults just keep coming. And James says, WHAT? Count it “JOY”! This is a, “What you say Willis” moment.
Yes, that is what He said. How can you have joy in pain? How can salt taste like sugar? Jesus can give us unbelievable joy, as you journey through the pain. Jesus can make salt taste like sugar. Trials are going to come. We don’t get a “free pass” when it comes to trials. This is a fact of life. Don’t waste any time thinking that you can avoid them, because you can’t. They have your name on each and every one of them and they will be specially delivered to you. You can’t run or hide from them. So instead, let’s always remember that we will have the “ultimate'' victory in Christ. Yes, we will go through many trials in this life, but nothing that can happen on this earth will take away our reward and joy, which we will receive in heaven. We just have to take the licking and keep on ticking.