SCRIPTURE
James 1:1-8 (NRSV)
One who doubts is like a wave of the sea
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,
To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion:
Greetings.
My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing.
If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you. But ask in faith, never doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind; for the doubter, being double-minded and unstable in every way, must not expect to receive anything from the Lord.
DEVOTION
Today’s scripture reading is an affirmation that even Christians face trials and tribulations that have the potential to shake our faith.
There are some people who have the erroneous assumption that once a person puts all of his/her hope in Jesus life will consist of tippy-toeing through the tulips 24/7/365.
This is in fact a lie; all human beings experience hardship, sorrow, rejection, betrayal, and a host of other pains that can leave us breathless and/or crying in the night.
Whenever we encounter these human hardships, James reminds us that we are not to lose faith.
Rather, we are to ask God—in faith--for the wisdom necessary to overcome the adversity that disturbs our peace and our lives.
This calm and faithful endurance, in the midst of hardship, is what sets us apart from our non-Christian friends.
When non-believers face hardship they run around screeching, “The sky is falling! The sky is falling!” When believers face hardship we hit our knees crying, “My Lord and My God, come quickly to my aid!”
On the one hand, non-believers feel that they are on their own to “fix” their problems, whereas Christians know that we possess the Holy Spirit as back-up who will cause us to emerge triumphant and victorious in battle every single time!
This, my friends, is why we can endure hardship with joy! We know that our God loves us so much that God already gave Jesus to die on the cross to save us from our sin and gift us with eternal life!
Since we know beyond a shadow of doubt that God loves us so much that Jesus died on our behalf, we also know that God will love us through any hardship, pain, or sorrow that may befall us in the here and now!
Our God is All Powerful and All Knowing. God knows the end of the story, even as it begins. That is why God is not panicked by our hardships.
God wrote the story of our lives and one the last page God wrote, "And s/he lived happily ever after…”
My friends, will you seek God’s wisdom for the difficult circumstances you are facing trusting that your endurance and faith will produce great joy?
Let’s pray:
Eternal One, I love you so much! Even in the midst of my pain and sorrow, I know that you will never leave me, nor forsake me. Please grant me the wisdom, understanding, and discernment to emerge triumphant over my difficult circumstances. You are the God who sees, knows, loves, rescues and saves me. I trust you with my life and wait on your salvation. I pray this in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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PUT ALL OF YOUR HOPE IN JESUS--If you have additional questions about how to become a friend and follower of Jesus, please see the devotion entitled, "Come to Jesus"
http://aintathatgoodnews.blogspot.com/2009/03/come-to-jesus.html
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From Pastor Yolanda's blog http://aintathatgoodnews.blogspot.com
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