James1: 2-4. Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

I must admit that I hate test. Growing up I did not like to study, especially spelling. Spelling words were difficult for me to learn. Long list of useless words, which filled the pages of our worksheets, bombarded my mind each and every Friday. Testing day was always on Friday and we would have a week to learn the new words. I confess that I waited until the last moment to study and I have a suspicion that this had something to do with my lack of testing well.

Test in life are inevitable, it’s a reality of life that each of us will face difficult times, yet it is in the midst of such testing or trials, that we discover who we are and how much we need the provision of our heavenly Father.

Struggle as much as I did in elementary school, the lesions I learned have guided me into my adulthood and have produced in me the qualities that I now process. Look at how this works which is lined out for us in scripture.

Trails produce faith, faith develops perseverance, perseverance finishes work, and this produces Christian maturity.

So Lord, bring on the test, I am ready to discover more of who you are and more of how much I need you in my life. And you said something about having pure joy? I want that as well. Amen.