Tempted and Tried

“My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.” (James 1:2-3)

The word, “temptation” is used in two senses in the epistle of James. There is the solicitation to do evil as Satan tempted Eve in the Garden.  The other is testing under trial, as in our text.

“Divers” temptations are multitudes of ways God’s people are tested and tried. We see it in the words of the song, “Farther Along.”

Tempted and tried we’re oft made to wonder,

Why it should be thus all the day long

While there are others living about us,

Never molested though in the wrong.

We are to count it joy when our faith is tested because we come through on the other side of the trial a better person. Peter says in his first epistle that the trial of our faith is more precious than gold which is tried by fire. (I Peter 1:7)   The more heat gold endures the purer gold becomes.

Trust the Lord to see you through your time of testing. Job said, “When He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold.” (Job 23:10)