EPISODE 1008 – RULE OVER ADVERSITY

RULE OVER ADVERSITY

“My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations”

James 1:2 (KJV)

We have often heard expressions which seem to be similar to what is in the opening verse, “be joyful in trouble”; others assume that “to be joyful in trouble or challenge is to accept your situation or pain as a trial from God”.

But that is not what it is!

To count it all joy is not to accept a predicament with joy. It is not to accept that sour pain is an affliction from God.

God doesn’t need to afflict you to train you. His word is rich enough to train your heart.

To walk with God is to live by faith, and you don’t live by faith through experiences; you live by faith in the word. Any experience which inspires faith is built on the word of God.

Any training God will give to you shall be by the revelation of His word of Grace.

God doesn’t need to afflict you with sickness, diseases, or disappointment to train you. Most afflictions are a result of living outside the counsel of God’s word or the deceptive work of the adversary.

However, the challenges a believer may go through can be conquered by the word of God. What we learn from challenges or afflictions is how the word works. When you fail to glean the wisdom of the word of God to address your challenge, you may not know how to deal with a similar challenge in the future.

To “count it all joy” is not just to go through all challenges with joy. The keyword in James 1:2 is “COUNT IT”, it’s from the Greek word, “hēgeomai”, which means:

– strengthened
– to lead that is command (with official authority)
– figuratively to deem, that is to consider or account or esteem and think
– to be a governor, judge or have the rule over.

To “count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations” is not to accept the temptations, but to deem or account it with joy. It means you don’t make the challenge the account of your life. 

You don’t define your present state by the trials or the troubles you face.

You have to rule over adversity or the troubles with joy. Joy is the instrument by which you exercise the divine rule over challenges.

You don’t allow challenges to overwhelm your heart. Instead, you set your heart up with joy. Instead of accounting for or esteeming your heart by the negative news or the limitations, set the estimation of your heart with the joy of the Lord.

Being joyful is not an act of pretense. It is not acting as though you don’t have a challenge; it is basically dominating the challenge with the word of the Lord in your heart.

Challenges or trials dominate hearts with sorrow, agony, anxiety, and depression. However, you must dominate your heart with the joy of the word of the Lord.

Let the joy of what the Lord has said, overtake your heart or rule over your heart, and you shall walk in total victory.

Don’t make the trials the condition of your thought. Let your thoughts be ruled by the impact of the word of God.

Jesus said, “these words have I spoken unto you that my joy may be fulfilled in you”.

The word of the Lord brings the fulfilment of His joy in your heart. So instead of giving your focus to the trials, turn and look unto the word of the Lord.

This is how you count it all joy.

Selah.