He tells me to “Count it all joy… when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1:2–4)
Joy in trials once seemed impossible, but as He shows His goodness, then I start to see it, even before the trials are over.
He bids me to ask for wisdom, trusting Him. If I cannot do both He patiently keeps showing me that He is the source of wisdom and His wisdom can be trusted.
“Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above” not from me, not from the kindness of others. He is the first source, the origin of goodness and this produces humility and thankfulness.
When I watch the congregation go forward to participate in communion, I see that partiality is foolish. We all stand before Him, saved sinners remembering what He has done for us. There is no rich or poor, only family — together to thank and glorify our Savior.
He also reminds me that the praying field is level; “For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.” No little/big sins. It is just sin that we fight — and salvation by faith that we share. Yet this salvation is not mere talk. If it is real, it show up:
What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?Faith without works is only talk, not saving faith. Saving faith changes lives. God says, “You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless?… For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.”
One example of faith is tongue control. The Bible says it is “a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire!” So I need the grace of God and the power of God to know when to speak and when to shut up. I also need His wisdom:
Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.He tells me of His patience and this changes my ’I want it now’ focus. He tells me of His healing power and I pray for the sick and for those who sin, but also confess my own, and more easily see that prayers coupled with simple obedience have great power. Yet as Piper says, the promises God made to Abraham and the prayer prayed through Mary all found their fulfillment in Jesus. My prayers are answered only because of Him.
God also points out the reason some of my prayers bounce off the ceiling: “You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions” and He tells me what to do about it — in this order: “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. . . . Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, I will live and do this or that.” As it is, “You boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. So if you know the right thing to do and fail to do it, for you it is sin.”
PRAY: My Lord and God, I praise you for your grace and your mercy, and Your incredible power to speak to a sinful person and change their life, my life. Thank you for sending Jesus and making such miracles happen.
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