James 1:2-8 (NKJV)

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.

Tonight I went out to see if I could find some turkeys for the opening day of my Wisconsin turkey season.  We didn’t see a single turkey.

I was getting discouraged because this is my time to enjoy a few days of Turkey hunting for the year.  I was feeling sorry for myself and then I saw it… A black object moving along the woods behind the corn stubble.  Surely it had to be a turkey there… But then it lifted it’s head and I recognized it as a big black bear.

Still no turkeys but a big bear, hundreds of ducks and geese, sandhill cranes, deer, pheasants and a beautiful evening and a pretty sunset.  How could I be discouraged with a time like this in God’s creation?

So many times we start to feel sorry for ourselves when things aren’t going the way we want them to.  We grumble and moan and get deeper and deeper in despair.  But what does this accomplish?  It just brings us down further.

James tells us to “count it ALL joy”, but how?  In the next 6 or 7 verses he goes on to explain that the things that are bringing us down will build and strengthen us, if we count it as joy.

We can rest assured that God has a plan for us, He knows our beginning and our end and promises to provide and protect us…  What else can we ask for?

So the next time you are feeling sorry for yourself and feel like nothing is going right, realize that it can always be worse, someone somewhere is having a much worse day and they may not have a relationship with the God that you do…  How bad can it be?

Count it ALL Joy!