James, the brother of Jude and half-brother of Jesus Christ our Lord, writes his epistle to the scattered Jewish believers. James is a practical book that encourages Jewish Christians, who are experiencing persecution and suffering, to move toward spiritual maturity. As believers, we should expect trials and tribulations because God uses them to test our faith and help us grow spiritually. The testing of our faith produces fruit in our lives. Therefore, we are to count it all joy when we go through trials and tribulations.