Trials are a certainty in life, but as believers, we are called to face them with a different perspective—one of joy—because they test our faith and produce perseverance, leading us to maturity and completeness in Christ. When hardships such as illness, unemployment, or strained relationships come, it is not about celebrating the pain itself, but about recognizing that God is using these moments to refine us, strengthen our endurance, and shape us into people who lack nothing in Him. The world may see only the difficulty, but you can trust that God is at work in your trials, using them to deepen your faith and make you more like Jesus. [20:37]
James 1:2-4 (ESV)
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
Reflection: What is one current trial you are facing, and how might you choose to see it as an opportunity for God to grow perseverance and maturity in you today?
Our endurance through trials and tribulations is not just for our own benefit, but for the sake of others—so that they too may see Christ in us and be drawn to salvation. Whether in your family, workplace, or community, your perseverance can have a profound impact on those around you; your faithfulness may be the very thing that encourages someone else to seek Jesus. Consider the weight of your witness: when you stand firm, you do so not only for yourself, but for the sake of those God has placed in your life, that they too may obtain the hope found in Christ. [23:45]
2 Timothy 2:8-10 (ESV)
Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel, for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the word of God is not bound! Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
Reflection: Who in your life might be watching how you handle hardship, and how could your endurance point them toward Jesus today?
No matter how dark or difficult the situation, Jesus is with you—He knows exactly where you are and what you are facing, and He encourages you to take courage because He is alive and present. Even when you feel imprisoned by circumstances or overwhelmed by fear and anxiety, you can trust that Jesus stands by your side, offering His presence and strength. He may not always remove you from the trial, but He promises to be with you in it, providing everything you need and reminding you that you are never alone. [29:49]
Matthew 28:20 (ESV)
And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.
Reflection: In what area of your life do you most need to remember that Jesus is with you right now, and how can you lean into His presence today?
Our responsibility is to testify about Jesus through our words and actions, trusting God with the results, even when we do not see immediate fruit or response. Like Paul, who faced rejection and hostility in Jerusalem, we may sometimes feel discouraged when our efforts seem to fall flat, but God sees our faithfulness and calls us to keep shining as salt and light wherever He has placed us. The outcome is in God’s hands; our part is to keep testifying, loving, and serving, knowing that He is the one who brings the increase. [36:52]
Acts 23:11 (ESV)
The following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome.”
Reflection: Where is God calling you to keep testifying or serving, even if you haven’t seen results yet, and what would it look like to trust Him with the outcome?
God always has a next assignment for us—there are still more people to reach, more ways to serve, and more opportunities to glorify Him, no matter what we have already accomplished. As long as we have breath, our purpose is not finished; God’s protection and provision remain with us until we have completed the work He has given us for our generation. Rather than growing weary or complacent, let us be encouraged that our lives have ongoing significance in God’s plan, and let us press on with courage and hope, knowing that He is with us every step of the way. [38:59]
Acts 13:36 (ESV)
For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep and was laid with his fathers and saw corruption.
Reflection: What is one new way you sense God inviting you to serve or step out in faith in this season, and how can you respond with courage and joy?
It is a joy and privilege to serve a living God—one who is not distant or dead, but alive and present with us in every circumstance. As we journey through the book of Acts, we see the reality of trials and tribulations in the life of Paul, and we are reminded that hardship is not unique to us. Everyone faces tough times, but as believers, we are called to walk through them differently. James encourages us to consider it pure joy when we face trials, not because we celebrate suffering, but because trials test our faith and produce perseverance. This perseverance matures us, making us complete and lacking nothing.
Tribulations, however, are unique to those who follow Christ—hardships that come specifically because of our faith. Jesus warned us that these would come, and history and current events confirm it. Yet, in the midst of both trials and tribulations, we are not alone. Paul, even when imprisoned and facing death threats, was met by Jesus himself, who told him, “Be of good cheer.” This is not a shallow encouragement, but a call to courage rooted in the presence and promises of Christ. Jesus knows exactly where we are, what we are facing, and he is with us in the prison, not just waiting for us on the other side.
The encouragement to “be of good cheer” is repeated throughout the New Testament, always in the context of hardship. Whether it was the paralytic, the woman with the issue of blood, the disciples in a storm, or the night before the crucifixion, Jesus’ words are the same: take courage, for he has overcome the world. Our hope is not in the absence of suffering, but in the presence of Christ and the promise of eternity. Even when our efforts seem fruitless, as Paul’s did in Jerusalem, Jesus affirms that our responsibility is to testify, not to produce results. There is always a next assignment, more work to be done, more people to reach, more ways to serve. And with every assignment comes the assurance of God’s protection and purpose—until we have finished what he has called us to do.
So, take courage. Be of good cheer. Jesus is alive, he is with you, and he will never leave you nor forsake you. There is still more work to be done, and until our purpose is fulfilled, God’s hand remains on us.
Acts 23:1–11 (ESV) — > 1 And looking intently at the council, Paul said, “Brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience up to this day.”
> 2 And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth.
> 3 Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! Are you sitting to judge me according to the law, and yet contrary to the law you order me to be struck?”
> 4 Those who stood by said, “Would you revile God’s high priest?”
> 5 And Paul said, “I did not know, brothers, that he was the high priest, for it is written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’”
> 6 Now when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. It is with respect to the hope and the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial.”
> 7 And when he had said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided.
> 8 For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.
> 9 Then a great clamor arose, and some of the scribes of the Pharisees’ party stood up and contended sharply, “We find nothing wrong in this man. What if a spirit or an angel spoke to him?”
> 10 And when the dissension became violent, the tribune, afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him away from among them by force and bring him into the barracks.
> 11 The following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome.”
- James 1:2–4 (ESV)
> 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.
- 2 Timothy 2:8–10 (ESV)
> 8 Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel,
> 9 for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the word of God is not bound!
> 10 Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
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