01/06/2026
Reality Of Experience In Christ ~ June 2026
Theme: Count It All Joy
James 1:2-4 “…My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing…”
Philippians 4:4 “…Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice…”
John 16:33 “…These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world…”
One of the greatest paradoxes in the Kingdom of God is the command to rejoice in adversity. Naturally, pain produces sorrow, trials produce discouragement, and pressure produces complaints. Yet Scripture commands believers to “count it all joy” when we encounter trials.
This is not denial of pain. Christianity does not teach pretending that suffering does not exist. Rather, it teaches that believers possess a superior perspective — one that sees beyond the present affliction into God’s eternal purpose.
Joy is not the absence of trouble; joy is the assurance that God is working through the trouble.
Acts 5:40-41 “…And to him they agreed: and when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name…”
The believer must understand that trials are not always signs of divine abandonment. Sometimes, they are instruments of divine refinement. Gold is purified by fire, and faith is purified through testing.
Many people can praise God in abundance, but mature believers learn to rejoice even in process, pressure, and persecution.
1 Peter 1:6-9 “…Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls…”
WHAT DOES “COUNT IT ALL JOY” MEAN?
The word “count” means:
* To evaluate
* To consider deliberately
* To reach a conscious conclusion
James was teaching that joy in trials is a decision before it becomes an emotion.
It means:
* Refusing to interpret adversity carnally
* Seeing trials through the lens of God’s purpose
* Maintaining confidence in God’s sovereignty
The phrase “divers temptations” refers to:
* Different kinds of trials
* Afflictions
* Pressures
* Tests
* Challenges of life
These may include:
* Financial hardship
* Delayed prayers
* Betrayal
* Persecution
* Sickness
* Emotional battles
* Spiritual warfare
Yet Scripture says: “Count it all joy.”
Hebrews 12:2 “…Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God…”
WHY SHOULD BELIEVERS COUNT IT ALL JOY?
Trials Produce Spiritual Maturity
James 1:3 says:
“Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.”
Faith that has never been tested cannot be trusted. God often allows pressure not to destroy us but to develop us. Patience here means:
* Endurance
* Spiritual stamina
* The ability to remain steadfast under pressure
Many believers want miracles, but God also desires maturity. There are dimensions of spiritual growth that:
* Prayer alone cannot produce
* Prophecy alone cannot produce
* Comfort alone cannot produce
Some dimensions only emerge through endurance.
James 5:10-11 “…Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy…”
Biblical Examples
* Joseph was processed through betrayal and prison before the palace.
* Job was tested severely yet emerged with greater glory.
* David fought lions, bears, and rejection before enthronement.
Trials Reveal the Authenticity of Faith
1 Peter 1:7:
“That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth…”
Tests reveal what is truly inside a man.
* Storms expose foundations
* Pressure reveals convictions
* Difficulty uncovers spiritual depth
A faith that collapses under pressure was never deeply rooted. God sometimes permits trials because He intends to reveal:
* Hidden strength
* Spiritual resilience
* Dependency on Him
Luke 22:31-32 “…And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren…”
Trials Build Dependence on God
Human beings naturally trust:
* Money
* Connections
* Intelligence
* Ability
But trials often dismantle self-confidence so that divine dependence can emerge.
Many believers discover deeper intimacy with God in seasons of affliction than in seasons of comfort. Pain has a way of:
* Driving men to prayer
* Awakening hunger for God
* Producing spiritual sensitivity
Sometimes God allows us to reach the end of ourselves so we can discover the sufficiency of His grace.
Trials Prepare Believers for Greater Glory
Romans 8:18:
“For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”
There is glory hidden inside process. The Kingdom pattern is:
* Cross before crown
* Process before promotion
* Crushing before overflowing
Even Jesus Christ learned obedience through suffering (Hebrews 5:8). Your current battle may be preparation for future assignment.
Without Joy No One Can Draw
Isaiah 12:3 “…Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation…”
Dryness Comes When Joy Is Absent
Joel 1:12 “…The vine is dried up, and the fig tree languisheth; the pomegranate tree, the palm tree also, and the apple tree, even all the trees of the field, are withered: because joy is withered away from the sons of men…”
If The Devil Cannot Steal Your Joy, He Cannot Keep Your Goods
John 10:10 “…The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly…”
THE DANGER OF RESPONDING WRONGLY TO TRIALS
Many people:
* Become bitter
* Complain continually
* Withdraw from God
* Offend easily
* Abandon faith
* Develop persecution complex
* Avoids shame
* Compromise
Israel turned a temporary wilderness into prolonged captivity because of murmuring (1 Cor. 10:10). Complaining magnifies problems, but joy magnifies God. The enemy wants trials to:
* Break your confidence
* Destroy your testimony
* Silence your worship
* Weaken your faith
But the believer must maintain spiritual posture even under pressure.
HOW TO MAINTAIN JOY IN TRIALS
1. Stay Rooted in the Word ~ Psalms 119:71
The Word of God stabilizes the heart. When circumstances speak negatively, Scripture must speak louder. Joy is sustained by revelation.
Jeremiah 15:16 “…Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts…”
2. Maintain a Lifestyle of Prayer ~ Psalms 109:4
Prayer renews strength. Trials without prayer often produce depression, but trials with prayer produce transformation.
John 16:24 “…Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full…”
3. Remember God’s Faithfulness ~
If God delivered before, He can deliver again. Reflection produces confidence. David remembered:
* The lion
* The bear
Therefore he confronted Goliath with confidence.
1 Corinthians 10:13 “…There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it…”
4. Keep Eternal Perspective ~
Temporary suffering cannot cancel eternal glory. Believers must learn to interpret earthly events from heavenly perspective.
2 Corinthians 4:17:
“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.”
THE MYSTERY OF JOY IN SUFFERING
Kingdom joy is supernatural.
It is possible to:
* Cry and still trust God
* Feel pain and still worship
* Face pressure and still rejoice
This joy comes from:
* Confidence in God’s sovereignty
* Assurance of divine purpose
* Trust in God’s character
The believer rejoices not because trials are pleasant, but because God remains faithful.
SIGNS THAT PATIENCE IS HAVING ITS PERFECT WORK
According to James 1:4, maturity produces believers who are:
* Perfect (spiritually mature)
* Entire (complete in character)
* Wanting nothing (not deficient spiritually)
You begin to:
* React less carnally
* Trust God more deeply
* Endure pressure without collapse
* Develop spiritual stability
* Carry peace amid storms
CONCLUSION
Trials are not always indicators of failure; sometimes they are evidence that God is working on you.
The believer must stop asking only:
“Why is this happening to me?”
And begin asking:
“What is God producing in me through this?”
Your pain is not wasted.
Your waiting is not empty.
Your process is not meaningless.
If you remain steadfast, what is testing you today will strengthen you tomorrow.
Therefore:
* Count it all joy
* Rejoice in hope
* Endure in faith
* Trust God’s process
Because after the trial comes maturity, and after endurance comes glory.
PRAYER POINTS
1. Father, give me grace to maintain joy even in difficult seasons.
2. Lord, let every trial in my life produce maturity and not bitterness.
3. Father, strengthen my faith under pressure.
4. Lord, help me trust Your process even when I do not understand it.
5. Father, let patience have its perfect work in my life.
6. Every trial assigned to break me, turn it into a testimony in the name of Jesus.
7. Lord, produce in me endurance, stability, and spiritual maturity.
8. Father, let my present affliction work eternal glory in my life.
Remain blessed and be assured that this year's prophesied, EXCEEDING, ABUNDANTLY, ABOVE ALL! Is a reality in your life, as you begin to experience the reality of COUNTING IT ALL JOY, in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, amen! Don't forget that you are blessed for life.
MONTHLY CONFESSION
In this month, I believe and confess based on the understanding of the word of God that I COUNT IT ALL JOY, IN ALL SITUATIONS in my life! And as prophesied; all the benefits of “EXCEEDING, ABUNDANTLY, ABOVE ALL!” Are mine, in Jesus mighty name, amen!
