“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials”  James 1:2.

“…knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience”   James 1:3.

“But let patience have [its] perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing”  James 1:4.

Patience: Greek: Hypomone;
1)  steadfastness, constancy, endurance
a)  in the NT the characteristic of a man who is not swerved from his deliberate purpose and his loyalty to faith and piety by even the greatest trials and sufferings
b)  patiently, and steadfastly
2) a patient, steadfast waiting for
3)  a patient enduring, sustaining, perseverance

“For God [is] not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, [in that] you have ministered to the saints, and do minister”  Hebrews 6:10.

“And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end”  Hebrews 6:11.

“that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises”  Hebrews 6:12.

In short, after we receive the promise there is always a test to see if you truly will be steadfast and faithful in believing what God has promised you.  It is the force of patience ( Constant consistency) or walking with God and doing what He asks of you to do on a consistent basis even if it takes your whole life!   DOING IT IN THE MUNDANE TIMES AS WELL AS THE EXCITING TIMES!   It is this force that will cause you to inherit the promises, all the while He is working on you and as you keep on keeping on, it will make you more like Him!

That is why we can count it all joy when we encounter these trials!!  He is just causing us to grow up so that we will be able to walk and handle the heavenly riches for His purposes!!  He has been causing us to become the grown up manifest sons of God!!  Yes, Patience is a force that will cause us to be entire, wanting nothing!!

“… by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption [that is] in the world through lust”  2 Peter 1:4.

“But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge”  2 Peter 1:5.

“to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness”  2 Peter 1:6.

“to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love”  2 Peter 1:7.

 “For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ”  2 Perter 1:8.

In other words as we add these things to our faith we will come to know Him…  We will come to know him and the fellowship of his sufferings…  This is the reason that God causes us to walk in consistency (patience) through every trial.  But what we didn’t understand all along was that knowing Him and becoming more like Him was always His plan!!  Oh Glory! ! Gods ways are higher than ours!!!  These trials did not come to kill us but to cure us!!  So brothers and sisters,  count it all Joy!!!!

– by Jo Ellen Stevens

Jo Ellen Stevens of TCIC Ministries is a Prophetic speaker, author, worshiper and intercessor.  She has ministered with her husband for 23 years and was a worship leader at the Assembly of God for many years.  She is an ordained minister (Restoration Ministries) and works with Restoration Ministries in their Ministry Rooms doing prophetic worship with her husband.  She has taught many bible studies and have led many intercessory prayer groups.