Joy in trials

“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.” James 1:2-4
The epistle from James starts off with what sounds like an oxymoron. How can we think of trials in joyful terms?
Trials and difficulties in life seldom make us happy. But happiness is not at all the same thing as joy. Happiness is something that depends on our circumstances, and as those circumstances change, our level of happiness rises and falls. Joy is something that is spiritual, a fruit of the Holy Spirit working in our lives (Gal. 5:22), and not dependent on circumstances. It is what allows us to say, “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls...” – we might say, though my bank balance is empty, and my house and car have been repossessed – “... yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Saviour” (Hab. 3:17-18). Our joy is found in the Lord. If nothing else goes right for us in this life, we can still rejoice because He has saved us and He loves us. He has a purpose for us in all situations.
This is why we can have joy in trials, because God has a purpose for us in them. They are to prove to us that our faith is strong enough to persevere and stand through them. When a sailing ship was being built, a forest of trees on a hillside was all cut down except for one. For years and years, that lone tree would be left there to grow, resisting the winds and the storms. Then when it was ready, it would be felled to create the mast for the ship. The tree had withstood the storms and become strong enough to withstand the storms at sea, and keep the sailors safe.
Elsewhere, Paul wrote, “Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand” (Eph. 6:13). Jesus promised, “All men will hate you because of Me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved” (Matt. 10:22). There is a prize for persevering: “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him” (James 1:12).