2Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double minded man, unstable in all he does.
James 1:2-8
This verse, I could meditate on for weeks. Really the book of James is amazing. The brother of Christ himself, but we certainly do not know that by all his name dropping. I wonder about the private "sermon on the Mounts" he might have heard while growing up with Jesus? Parables that weren't scripted for us to read, teachable moments that James was present for. He had, in a very real sense been discipled by Jesus Christ himself for all his young growing up years. So I am just beginning to look upon his writings with more depth. Right off the bat, his not name dropping is a clear indicator to his level of humbleness and is focus on that which was important to him: Christ's teachings.
The verse above was a bit more difficult for me to grip before Macsen went to be with our King.I think in part because, up until that point, most of the trials I had faced had been due to man's sin. Someone back stabbing me. My heart being broken from anothers foolish choices. A friend or family member with holding forgiveness and pushing me away. So it was more difficult to see how that tested my faith to develop perseverance. Macsen being taken home, had nothing to do with man's foolish choices, but everything to do with God's sovereign plan. Suddenly, the light came on. Nothing has tested my faith as this has. It is a moot point to compare sufferings and trials, and frankly one of the many cesspools Satan hopes us all to wallow in, but I am no stranger to trials. There have been many in every color and degree. This outweighed them all! For weeks after he went to heaven I felt my faith grow still. As it lost more and more of it's movement, I lost more and more of who I was. My identity was so wrapped up in Christ, that I didn't even know who I was without Him, nor did I even like it. I had already been there years ago, and quickly saw I did not want that back. So to, Consider it pure joy, I don't believe that to mean go out and about, laughing it up and not allowing our humanness to go through the necessary season of emotions. Instead, joy to me, means: Megan, I am in control. I love you more then you could possibly dream or imagine, and I will never leave you nor fore sake you. There is a joy in that. To know you are not alone. That The One far more capable then anyone of us, is there holding you. Our God can not lie. It is not in His character. Hallelujah! You won't find that anywhere else in this fallen world!
In verse 5, we are told to ask for wisdom when we lack it, and to not doubt that He will pour it out upon us. Truly, who going through anything that would be defined as a "trial" has the answers to how to get out of it, or through it but God. It's so vital to ask for wisdom in those times.Then verse 6:
6But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
This reminds me of the story of Peter in the book of Matthew, stepping out in faith and reaching for Jesus' hand in the midst of the wind, and as the raging sea crashed all around them. While Peter believed and focused his eyes on Jesus, he was fine. Better then fine, he was standing on water with Christ! HELLO! The minute he doubted though, and focused on the wind, ( i.e trial) he began to sink.
7That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord;8he is a double-minded man,unstable in all he does.
Not exactly a description of the type of person I want to be.
James 1:2-8
This verse, I could meditate on for weeks. Really the book of James is amazing. The brother of Christ himself, but we certainly do not know that by all his name dropping. I wonder about the private "sermon on the Mounts" he might have heard while growing up with Jesus? Parables that weren't scripted for us to read, teachable moments that James was present for. He had, in a very real sense been discipled by Jesus Christ himself for all his young growing up years. So I am just beginning to look upon his writings with more depth. Right off the bat, his not name dropping is a clear indicator to his level of humbleness and is focus on that which was important to him: Christ's teachings.
The verse above was a bit more difficult for me to grip before Macsen went to be with our King.I think in part because, up until that point, most of the trials I had faced had been due to man's sin. Someone back stabbing me. My heart being broken from anothers foolish choices. A friend or family member with holding forgiveness and pushing me away. So it was more difficult to see how that tested my faith to develop perseverance. Macsen being taken home, had nothing to do with man's foolish choices, but everything to do with God's sovereign plan. Suddenly, the light came on. Nothing has tested my faith as this has. It is a moot point to compare sufferings and trials, and frankly one of the many cesspools Satan hopes us all to wallow in, but I am no stranger to trials. There have been many in every color and degree. This outweighed them all! For weeks after he went to heaven I felt my faith grow still. As it lost more and more of it's movement, I lost more and more of who I was. My identity was so wrapped up in Christ, that I didn't even know who I was without Him, nor did I even like it. I had already been there years ago, and quickly saw I did not want that back. So to, Consider it pure joy, I don't believe that to mean go out and about, laughing it up and not allowing our humanness to go through the necessary season of emotions. Instead, joy to me, means: Megan, I am in control. I love you more then you could possibly dream or imagine, and I will never leave you nor fore sake you. There is a joy in that. To know you are not alone. That The One far more capable then anyone of us, is there holding you. Our God can not lie. It is not in His character. Hallelujah! You won't find that anywhere else in this fallen world!
In verse 5, we are told to ask for wisdom when we lack it, and to not doubt that He will pour it out upon us. Truly, who going through anything that would be defined as a "trial" has the answers to how to get out of it, or through it but God. It's so vital to ask for wisdom in those times.Then verse 6:
6But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
This reminds me of the story of Peter in the book of Matthew, stepping out in faith and reaching for Jesus' hand in the midst of the wind, and as the raging sea crashed all around them. While Peter believed and focused his eyes on Jesus, he was fine. Better then fine, he was standing on water with Christ! HELLO! The minute he doubted though, and focused on the wind, ( i.e trial) he began to sink.
7That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord;8he is a double-minded man,unstable in all he does.
Not exactly a description of the type of person I want to be.
Does that sound anything like a peace that passes all understanding ?(Phil. 4:7)
I looked up the definition for unstable, and found it interesting the synonyms that were listed:
Main Entry: unstable SATAN
Part of Speech: adjective
Synonyms: astatic, ataxic, changeable, eccentric, emotional, erratic, fickle, flighty, flimsy, fluctuating, fragile, inconsistent, inconstant, insecure, labile, loose, mercurial, mutable, precarious, protean, rocky, shaky, shifting, shifty, teetering, titubant, tottering, tricky, turbulent, unbalanced, unhinged, unreliable, unsettled, unsteady, vacillating, variable, volatile, wavering, wobbly
Now look at it's opposite.
Main Entry: stable KING JESUS
Part of Speech: adjective
Synonyms: anchored, balanced, constant, dependable, durable, enduring, established, fast, firm, fixed, immutable, lasting, moored, permanent, poised, reliable, resistant, safe, secure, solid, sound, stationary, staunch, steadfast, steady, strong, sturdy, sure, together, trustworthy, unchangeable, unchanging, unvarying, unwavering
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
Hebrews 13:8
Main Entry: unstable SATAN
Part of Speech: adjective
Synonyms: astatic, ataxic, changeable, eccentric, emotional, erratic, fickle, flighty, flimsy, fluctuating, fragile, inconsistent, inconstant, insecure, labile, loose, mercurial, mutable, precarious, protean, rocky, shaky, shifting, shifty, teetering, titubant, tottering, tricky, turbulent, unbalanced, unhinged, unreliable, unsettled, unsteady, vacillating, variable, volatile, wavering, wobbly
Now look at it's opposite.
Main Entry: stable KING JESUS
Part of Speech: adjective
Synonyms: anchored, balanced, constant, dependable, durable, enduring, established, fast, firm, fixed, immutable, lasting, moored, permanent, poised, reliable, resistant, safe, secure, solid, sound, stationary, staunch, steadfast, steady, strong, sturdy, sure, together, trustworthy, unchangeable, unchanging, unvarying, unwavering
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
Hebrews 13:8
My love for you grows with every trial I have Father. How could I not have joy in that?
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