Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. (James 1:2–4 NLT)

I became a Christian when I was seventeen years old. I’d never been to church, never read the Bible. I’d asked Christ to come into my life, but I knew nothing about the Christian walk. A fellow believer warned me that I would face trials and be tempted by the devil. I didn’t even know the devil existed.

Not long afterward, a pretty girl who I’d noticed but never had the courage to talk to walked up to me in class and said, “Hi, what’s your name?”

While I stumbled for an answer, I was thinking, “Why is this pretty girl talking to me? She’s never even acknowledged my existence before.”

She said, “You’re really cute. I was wondering if you’d like to spend the weekend with me and go to my parents’ cabin.”

And I realized, This is temptation. This is the devil. He doesn’t have a pointed tail. She has dark hair and blue eyes, and she’s looking at me. And I said no.

I wish I could tell you that as the years pass, trials and temptations grow fewer and farther between. But that’s not the case. Of course, I don’t need to tell you that. If you’re not facing a trial or temptation right now, you probably recently faced one. Or you see one on the horizon. And you can’t understand why they keep coming. You’re wondering, “What’s wrong with me? What have I done to deserve this?”

Here’s a better question: What’s right with you? You’re being attacked with trials and temptations because the devil sees you as a threat and wants to stop you. So God’s allowing these trials and temptations for a purpose. It’s said that Christians are a lot like tea bags: You don’t know what they’re made of until you put them in hot water. If you’re feeling the hot water of trials or temptation right now, you have a chance to show what you’re made of.

On the other hand, people who say “I’m not going through any trials, and I can’t remember the last time I was tempted” are revealing their spiritual ineffectiveness. The devil doesn’t waste his time with a neutralized Christian. He focuses his attacks on those who are threats to his stronghold.

But here’s the good news: Jesus said that “the gates of hell shall not prevail against” His church (Matthew 16:18 ESV). Have you ever seen a movie where an army storms a castle and uses a battering ram to smash the gates? Apply that image to Jesus’ words. Christians are the invading army. The gospel is our battering ram. And the gates of Hell—the devil’s strongholds in this world—can’t withstand it.

So, the devil will use the weapons at his disposal, including trials and temptations, to try to take out his most dangerous adversaries. If you’re going through trials and temptations, stay strong. And, congratulations, Satan considers you a threat.

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How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! (Psalm 139:17 NLT)

Have you ever had someone tell you they’ve been thinking about you and praying for you? If that person is important to you, then it’s a significant statement. The very thought of their thinking about and praying for you warms your heart.

The good news is that the Creator of the universe, the almighty God who knows every star by name and every thought that we think, has been both praying for and thinking about us as individuals.

If I knew right now that Jesus was in the next room praying for me personally, I think that would give me the strength to face any problem or obstacle. Yet the fact is that Jesus Christ is interceding for each of us in Heaven.

Hebrews 7:25 tells us that Jesus “is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf” (nlt). And Romans 8:34 says, “Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us” (NLT).

Thus, in a very real sense, Jesus is praying for us. He is pulling for us. He is interceding for us.

And not only that, but God is thinking about us as well. The psalmist David wrote, “How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me!” (Psalm 139:17–18 NLT).

God is omniscient, which simply means that He is all-knowing. He knows the end from the beginning and what will happen before it happens.

We, on the other hand, watch history as it unfolds. Yet God sees the big picture. He knows every thought that we think and will think. Earlier in Psalm 139, David wrote, “You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away” (verse 2 NLT).

Not only does God know every thought that we think, but He also knows every word that we speak. He sees every act that we commit. And He is thinking about us constantly.

We should be encouraged by the fact that God is paying attention to us. In fact, it becomes a litmus test of our relationship with Him. If the thought that God is watching us, is aware of us, and is thinking about us brings joy to our hearts, it would be an indication that our lives are right with Him. Of course, that is not to say we’re living perfect, flawless lives. But it is to say we take comfort in the knowledge that God is aware of us constantly.

God knows everything about us. He knows about our fears. He knows about our dreams. And He knows about the things that frighten us and excite us. He is aware of everything we’re facing in life.

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There are “friends” who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother. (Proverbs 18:24 NLT)

Sociologists tell us that in the first stage of life, we are shaped mostly by our family. In the second stage of life—and for the rest of our lives—we are shaped largely by our friends. Show me your friends, and I’ll show you your future. In ways big and small, we become like the people we spend time with. Our friends influence us for better or worse. They either elevate us and motivate us to be our best possible selves, or they take us down with them.

And we do the same for them. Some people bring joy wherever they go. Others bring joy whenever they go. Which one are you? Are you Bobby Buzzkill or Debbie Downer? Are you the one who lights up a room or turns the lights off? Are you the one who builds others up or the one who tears them down?

Proverbs 18:24 distinguishes between destructive “friends” and real friends. But in our lives, it’s sometimes hard to tell the difference between friends “who destroy” and friends who stick “closer than a brother.” And if you don’t have a lot of friends, it’s hard to tell whether a friend who destroys is worse than no friend at all.

The Bible offers several tips for finding godly friends and avoiding ungodly ones. Proverbs 22:24 says, “Don’t befriend angry people or associate with hot-tempered people” (NLT). Psalm 1:1–2 says, “Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night” (NLT).

The best places to find these potential friends are where God’s people meet. Worshipping or serving together at church or in a ministry is ideal common ground on which to build a friendship.

If you already have godly friendships, treat them like the treasures they are. Give God thanks for them. Express your gratitude to your friends. Refuse to take them for granted. Respect their time, their opinions, their boundaries, their privacy, and their personal preferences.

Be the godly friend your friends need. Pray for them daily in a meaningful way. Stay informed about their needs and struggles so that you can take each one before God individually. Encourage them with words of comfort, motivation, and wisdom from Scripture. Put genuine effort into your friendship. Give it a place of priority in your life. Do the heavy lifting when necessary. Refuse to allow minor squabbles to grow into something bigger. Be quick to understand and forgive. Keep the lines of communication open.

Be the person who sticks closer than a brother no matter what happens.

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