Jesus' Prayer and Our Hope

"While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled" (John 17:12 ESV) 

Jesus has the authority and power of His Father. He faithfully preserves His people. God honors His Word. This is believers' hope. 

Comfort in Affliction

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. 6 If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. 7 Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.

8 For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. 10 He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. 11 You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many. (2 Corinthians 1:3-11 ESV) 

When believers suffer affliction, as we prayerfully endure, God comforts us, so that we may be able to comfort others in affliction.

Service to Others in Trials

22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.  23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. 

26 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. 27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. (James 1:22-27 ESV)

As clear from context, James' teaching is given to suffering people. In our suffering, we gain maturity by ministering to others well.

Warning Re: Anger

19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. (James 1:19-20 ESV) 

In trials, we must pray for wisdom so our thoughts, words, and actions are motivated by godliness–not pain, anger, and frustrations.

Tempted to Blame God?

13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. (James 1:13-15 ESV) 

We need wisdom in trials. When in trials, we may be tempted to blame God for our trials, becoming bitter against Him.

Wisdom in Trials

"If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him" (James 1:5 ESV). 

Here, prayer for wisdom is in a section having trials as its main theme. Wisdom is necessary for responding to trials correctly.

The Priority of Perseverance and Maturity in Trials (Part 2)

1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, 

To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greetings.

2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (James 1:1-4 ESV)

As parents, part of our job is to put certain trials into our children's lives. Parents have to make their children eat healthful food and not just junk food all day; parents have to make their children do their homework and not just play all day. To a child, vegetables and algebra might feel like intense trials that we're bringing into their lives. Ask a child: hey, would you rather have the benefits of healthy eating patterns; would you rather have the benefits of a good education, or would you rather eat junk food and play all day? The child might say, 'Hey, I'm willing to take the risk of being unhealthy; I'm willing to take the risk of never getting a diploma, if it means getting out of the trials you're describing.' Good parents subject their children to the hardships of school and chores and healthful family meals because the parents are wiser than their children. We as parents value our children's maturity (more than they do, most of the time). Through trials, our children gain perseverance, and–God willing–they come to value maturity as well.

We who trust in Christ are children of our heavenly Father. Our Father values our maturity. Our Father will bring us through trials in order to work perseverance in us to bring us to the maturity we need. We need maturity so that we can consistently glorify God, so that we can better love and serve others, and so that we can have greater inner peace and joy despite our circumstances.

The Priority of Perseverance and Maturity in Trials (Part 1)

3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing (James 1:3-4 ESV). 

Part of maturity is realizing–not just as a slogan, but in our emotions and decisions–that God's wiser than we are.

Looking to Jesus for Sanctification and Endurance in Trials

1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:1-2 ESV). 

Though enduring torture for us, Jesus had hope. Jesus knew that God's plan would be successful. Jesus knew that He would be glorified through His sufferings. Jesus knew that there would be a time in which all of His sufferings would cease forever. Jesus knew that He would be fully accepted by God the Father.

Through faith in Christ, we share in the hope that Jesus had.

• We know that God's plan will be successful.

• We know that Jesus will be glorified in our faithful sufferings.

• We know that we will one day experience glorification: that there will be a time in which all of our sufferings will cease forever.

• We know that in Christ we will be fully accepted by God the Father.

The Joy and Sorrow of Christ

“My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me” (Matthew 26:38). 

Jesus is perfect in joy; He perfectly obeys the command to "count it all joy" (James 1:2). Jesus also experienced the most intense sorrow.