Monday May 12, 2008: James 1:1-11; Mark 8:11-13

Saint James tells Christians to consider it a thing of joy if they encounter trials and persecutions. Why should a Christian rejoice in the face of trials? Biblical history shows us that this is always a test of faith. Abraham our father was tested. He was asked to sacrifice his only child, the child of promise. Job the righteous man was tested. He underwent many trials. He lost all that he had. Jesus Christ, who is himself God, was tempted by Satan. The important thing is to always persevere and overcome the temptations. Jesus Christ did not promise us that life will be all easy, but one promise he made to us is that at the end of the day, we will come out victorious. In the story of Abraham, because of his faith, he was credited with all righteousness; in the case of Job, the Lord blessed his later years more than his earlier years. We will always be rewarded for our perseverance in faith. The trials should not scare us, but we should look at them as another opportunity to strengthen our faith in the one who has called us.

What are some of your trials and how do you overcome them?