Profiting from Trials

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. (James 1:2-8)

Trials...they are never-ending at my house. Joe and I have to give each other pep talks on a regular basis. What's funny is, there's always one of us that's more chilled out than the other so it usually works out perfectly. Tonight I was the more fired up one. It's so disheartening when you've tried SO HARD to make a situation better and you start to think it is and then you get slapped in the face with the fact that you will never make it better and what you've done and how you've helped the situation will never TRULY be realized or appreciated.

It's in these moments, I have to go back to my bible. I should read it everyday, and self-admittedly I do not. But when I get sick of this mess, its the only thing I can think to turn to. I've never been one of those people that can turn to a page and point my finger at the verse and it turns out to be this profound answer to my problem. I'll be looking for something about 'love' and my finger will land on something like...

'And on that night could not the king sleep, and he commanded to bring the book of chronicles and they were read before the king (Esther 6:1)'

Wow. The answer to my prayers! Ha. I have to search in my concordance for verses applying to me lol.

Tonight, I looked up patience. Because I need it. Not with Joe. Not with kids. Not with my job. I need it for these trials. Because, I'm gonna be really honest. I'm about sick of them. I literally am starting to feel like Job. I mean I'm wondering when God is gonna restore me and my house. It doesn't say in the bible how long Job was tested. Some speculate 9-18 months but there's no reference to the time in the Bible.

But this is what we do know about the end of Job's 'testing'...

Job answered God: "I'm convinced: You can do anything and everything. Nothing and no one can upset your plans. You asked, 'Who is this muddying the water, ignorantly confusing the issue, second-guessing my purposes?' I admit it. I was the one. I babbled on about things far beyond me, made small talk about wonders way over my head. You told me, 'Listen, and let me do the talking. Let me ask the questions. You give the answers.' I admit I once lived by rumors of you; now I have it all firsthand-from my own eyes and ears! I'm sorry-forgive me. I'll never do that again, I promise! I'll never again live on crusts of hearsay, crumbs of rumor." (Job 42:1-6 MSG)

And when he admitted this and prayed for forgiveness and his friends...

After Job had interceded for his friends, God restored his fortune-and then doubled it! (Job 42:10 MSG)

Hmmm I just had a 'Come to Jesus' meeting with myself...

Amazing what you find when you actually go looking for it...

Goodnight Everybody. Sorry my post tonight is not necessarily entertaining. It was really more for myself...