James is such a good book. It's just...so...good! A friend and I are taking this book and thoroughly going through it verse by verse while stopping to talk about and look deeper into every detail. So, tonight I started my journey through James and spent about an hour on the first 18 verses...
...longer than I thought.
But my eyes were opened to so much more when I actually sat down, read each verse, and wrote what they meant to me. Here's some of what I came up with:
v. 2 & 3 - When we come into hard times, we can ultimately be joyful, because with that test, our faith can become so much greater and we will grow in the Lord through enduring our hardships. It will develop perseverance which helps to develop spiritual maturity.
perseverance - (n.) steady persistance in the face of difficulties...
...difficulties such as temptation, fear, grief, anxiety, worry and persecution - all big parts of this world.
If we persevere towards God, ("don't give up" - Gal. 6:9), we will "receive the crown of life that God has promised" (v. 12) once we have "stood the test" (NIV) and "patiently endured...temptation" (NLT).
v. 5 - All we have to do is ask God for wisdom, earnestly seeking it, and He will grant us with it. If we ask for spiritual gifts - and mean it - He is so generous and will give it to us. But, we have to genuinely believe it will be granted to us, or He won't give it. We must have "faith in God alone" (NLT) - complete and total dependency and trust.
James even says don't even think your request will be granted if you doubt at all, for you are unstable and do not know what you want.
vs. 9-11 - Humility is what is honored by God. Riches will fade away and people will fade with them.
James...my dawg...why did you just talk all about trials and asking God for wisdom with those, and then throw in some random talk about humility?
What better way to answer this question than to ask the daddy/preacher-man himself?
Here's Cliff's take:
Connection: v. 2-11 - We will face trials and we will have to come to God for wisdom and strength. But when we do, we must come with humility, realizing we are utterly dependent on God and Him alone, or nothing will be granted to us, for we don't deserve it, due to our pride developing doubt that drives us to fade away.
Makes sense to me!
And the hope for those fading people is...
v. 12 - The one who has stood the test, persevered under trial, with God's help, will receive eternal life, because they truly love (are dependent upon and completely trust) Him.
And that is some good news if you ask me. But the goodness doesn't stop there!
v. 13-14 - God does not tempt us. Any sin we fall into is not a trial - there's a difference. (Common misconception, I've found.) Sin comes from our own selfish desires. They "drag us away." Desires lead to sin and sin leads to eternal death.
v. 16 - So watch out!
That's not the good part. Promise.
v. 17 - Only good and perfection come from our heavenly Father - never temptation. Trials will come because there is sin and corruption in this world.
God brings you through it - He doesn't put you in it!
Why would He do that when only goodness and perfection come from above? Not only why - how? Not possible. He is waiting for you to humbly and earnestly ask Him for help.
(Did I mention I love this book?)
v. 18 - We are God's "prized possession" (NLT). We are the "first fruits of all He created." So, "how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him!" (Matt. 7:11)
That really brought it home for me. God's always there for you. You just have to put yourself aside and let Him in.
You do that, and everything else will fall into place.
Do as I say, not as I do. :)
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