Passage: James 1:1-18
We all go through valleys. Some are trials completely out of our control—medical issues, tragedies, and injustices—and all we can do is trust God, and endure. Sometimes though, it's a set of circumstances we can control or change. When that happens, many believe the myth that a long-term valley could never be a part of God's long-term plan; that it's a mistake and should automatically be wiggled out of. That's is a fallacy based on a spiritual urban legend that can't stand up to scrutiny. It ignores the long history of God's dealings with his people and the clear teaching of Scripture.
There are always lessons to be learned and character to be built no matter what the cause or what the valley. That's why James 1:1-8 teaches us to rejoice anyway. He knew that our trials have the potential to teach us lessons we could never learn otherwise. Spiritual lessons of perseverance, character, and maturity.
