“Count it all joy” (James i. 2).
We do not always feel joyful, but we are to count it all joy. The word
“reckon” is one of the key-words of Scripture. It is the same word used
about our being dead. We do not feel dead. We are painfully conscious of
something that would gladly return to life. But we are to treat ourselves
as dead, and neither fear nor obey the old nature.
So we are to reckon the thing that comes as a blessing. We are determined
to rejoice, to say, “My heart is fixed, O God, I will sing and give
praise.” This rejoicing, by faith, will soon become a habit, and will ever
bring speedily the spirit of gladness and the spontaneous overflow of
praise.
Then, “although the fig-tree may wither and no fruit appear in the vines,
the labor of the olive fail and the fields yield no increase, the herd be
cut off from the stall, and the cattle from the field, yet we will rejoice
in the Lord, and joy in the God of our salvation.”
“Peace, perfect peace, with sorrows surging round,
On Jesus’ bosom naught but calm is found;
Peace, perfect peace, our future all unknown,
Jesus we know, and He is on the throne.”