The Fountains of the Deep

The kids and I had the wonderful privilege of taking a couple of lengthy trips with my mom this summer. One trip we took was out west. One stop we made was Yellowstone National Park. It was amazing! We got to see animals (a bison and her calf walked by our car for a little bit), the sights, and the kids did the Junior Ranger program (I highly recommend this program at the national parks). The sight that stayed with me from Yellowstone though is the one pictured above.

I want you to note the people and then compare that to the size of the crater. The sign said this crater was an ancient geyser. I learned a lot about geysers while I was there. We did get to see Old Faithful erupt. Now, in brief, a geyser is a hole in the ground above a chamber where fallen rain water is being heated up by lava in the earth's crust. The silica in the water kind of plugs the water up underground. Soon the pressure builds up enough that the water can no longer stay below the ground. As the water breaches the surface, steam is shot high into the air.

Now, think with me about this ancient geyser pictured here. Now it is a hot spring. It's in the Upper Geyser Basin in Yellowstone. Consider with me Genesis 7:11, "In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened." The fountains of the deep were broken up. Can you imagine water this powerful, shooting out of the ground to create this kind of hole? Can you imagine the chaos going on in Noah's time as not just a simple rain begins to fall, but the windows of heaven are opened and the fountains in the earth are broken up? I stood stunned by the grace of God on Noah and I viewed, what I think are, the remnants of the destruction of God's perfect creation. Noah built the ark. He did all that God told him to do (Genesis 7:5). But Noah survived because of the direct intervention of God on his behalf. He could have built the ark on one of these geysers. He could have had a tsunami that picked up his boat and crashed it into a mountain.
Creation was in chaos, yet God chose to put Noah in a place where he was kept safe.

Think about your life now. Some days chaos may reign around you. Sometimes you may endure specific attacks that hurt, and you don't know how you're going to survive it. Yet, if you are a child of God, He has you in a place where His grace will sustain you and keep you safe. John 10:27-29 states, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand." Cheer up, my sister! God is working in your life and sustaining you by His grace!

Taking the Bait: James 1:14-16

The Salmon swims upstream. He has a goal--to get to his spawing ground. He has a difficult path--swimming against the fast moving river. He has a strong desire to reach the end and accomplish his purposes. A glint in the water catches his eye. He looks and sees something tempting. He has a goal and a purpose, but he is hungry. In fact, he may reason, he might never fully accomplish his goal if he doesn't take some time to eat. He looks back as the glint moves and catches his eye again. It looks tempting. It shouldn't take long. It will be refreshing. He moves and bites, and he is caught by the fisherman on the shore. Whose fault is it that he is caught? Is it the fisherman's fault? The fisherman did bait the hook. There was some deceit involved in making the bait look good for food to the salmon. But what if the salmon had stayed to his purpose and never gone to and eaten the bait? The obvious answer is he wouldn't have been caught.

We have the same picture drawn for us here in James. In James 1:14 states, "But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed." Notice please how verse 14 starts out, "Every man is tempted." We could put woman or person in that verse instead of man. Each and every one of us is tempted. If you've never been tempted, please raise your hand. My hands did not leave the keyboard. We all know that we are tempted. There is not one of us who has not been tempted, many times over. These temptations, we have seen, do not come from God. Last time we looked at verse 13 and saw that God is not the author of our sin. God has no experience with evil, his absolutely holy nature demands that. Therefore, God cannot be tempted, and He does not tempt.

Going back to verse 14, the words "drawn away" and "enticed" are hunting terms. They bring a picture of being lured from safety and drawn to a place to be ensnared. Who in verse 14 is doing the drawing away? Who is enticing? Our "own lust." The problem is still within me. The bait might be set by the world. The bait might be set by Satan. I fall prey, however, as I am enticed by my own lust. This is not a general lust of people, but James points out that this lust is my very own. The things that entice me are likely not the same things that entice you. One lady may be enticed into the converstion about the family down the street, reveling in the gossip. Another lady may stand back and wonder how those ladies can prattle on like that while she herself is falling prey to jealousies.

I want to consider our flesh a little more. I have heard many people say when times are tough, when people are falling prey to sin, "Satan is really at work here." I don't deny that Satan is walking about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). We also see that Satan is the accuser of the brethren (Revelation 12:10). Consider though, what does Satan accuse us of? How about adultery, fornication, impurity, unbridled lust, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, contentiousness, jealousy, uncontrolled anger, strife, selfish ambition, dissentiousness, envyings, murder, drunkenness, unrestrained partying. Did you find yourself here? I may be able to say I haven't committed murder, but I can't say I've never been jealous of someone else. I may not have ever been to a drunken party, but I can't say that nothing has ever been more important to me than God (idolatry). Where do these sins come from? You may recognize this list from Galatians 5:19-21. These are all works of my flesh. These all come from within me. I am responsible. John MacArthur in his sermon "Whose Fault is our Temptation" states, "The problem is not the tempter without, the problem is the traitor within."

I am enticed away by those lusts of my flesh that draw me to the bait. Then James 1:15 states, "Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death." This verse catches me on more familiar ground. We have moved from hunting and fishing to childbirth. My lust is conceived -- literally, it's become pregnant. Still borrowing from John MacArthur, because I think his outline makes it very clear, we can see the progress in this birth of sin. First we start with lust -- our desire. We see the desire, and this is linked to our emotions. We see something, we feel good about it. We see that it looks like it could satisfy us. It looks good. Then we have the drawing away -- the deception. This happens in our mind. We rationalize and justify our desire in our mind. Then our lust is impregnated with a plan -- a design. In our will we form a plan as to how we can obtain that desire. Once we have the plan, we act on it -- we disobey. This is our behavior. We sin.

Consider then, where do we need to stop sin? Should it be our goal simply not to do the behavior? If we wait that long, we have sinned. Think about giving birth. Once the child is in the womb, the child has to come out. If our lust is impregnated, conceived, it has to come out. It will be born in the actions of sin. So, in order to live a holy life we have to start with the emotions. We have to start with guarding the emotions. We have to guard what "bait" we allow to sit in front of our eyes. We have to put good and uplifting things in front of our eyes, to bring our emotions to a God-honoring position. We also have to bring our mind in control. How do we do both these things? Psalm 119:11 states, "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee." Romans 12:2 states, "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." We start with the Word of God. We renew our minds with Scriptures. We put a guard around our mind so that only those things which are pure and right and pleasing are in our thoughts (Philippians 4:8). Read with me Ephesians 5:18-21, "And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God." All of this is one sentence which starts out with the exhortation not to let yourself be controlled by wine (wasn't drunkenness a work of the flesh?--don't be controlled by the flesh) but to be controlled by the Spirit. The passage then lists several things which helps us to be controlled by the Spirit. First, by having God-honoring music. Doctrinally sound music which exalts Christ. Doesn't that speak to our emotions? Good, doctrinally sound music will speak to your mind as well. You should definitely have your mind engaged in discernment and learning when you listen or participate in music. When you have good music though, aren't your emotions turned toward Christ as well? Your emotions are more controlled because they are under the influence of good music. Next in the verse we give thanks to God. Isn't that in our mind? Regardless of my circumstances or trials, giving thanks brings me to a place of right thinking about God and my circumstances. Then we are to submit ourselves to one another. Is this not right behavior which starts in my will? I understand passages like Philippians 2 where we have the example of Christ's submission, and I understand that I esteem others above myself. My behavior then is right. In brief, we see the opposite of sin being conceived and find God-honoring behavior brought forth.

Going back to James 1, at the end of verse 15 we see that the end of sin being brought forth is death. Think of a mother who has just brought forth her baby. She gazes at the tiny fingers and toes and imagines all things wonderful for her baby. Then imagine her grief and heartbreak as that baby is a murderer. Think back to that emotional state in the beginning of sin. That place where you belived all you needed was "this" and you'd be satisfied. Then this thing that you justified and looked to for satisfaction only brings you death. This thing (sin) when it is finished, only brings death. Those words you spoke for vindication and justification only bring broken relationships and separation from God. Those many things you bought while seeking comfort and happiness only brings enslavement and lost ministry opportunities. This death spoken of in the verse is either physical or spiritual. God is holy and cannot look on sin. Therefore, if you are bringing forth sin, your relationship with Christ is broken. This is spiritual death. Sin also sometimes brings with it physical death. Sin often ruins our physical well-being. The end of all sin is not happy. James 1:16 says, "Do not err, my beloved brethren." "Do not err," literally, "do not be deceived." This is an incredible deception. The promise of pleasure and fulfillment only to find death.

My challenge to you today is just this. Guard your heart. Proverbs 4:23 states, "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life." We saw that deception starts in the mind. Do not let yourself be deceived by sin. Do not let your flesh entice you into sin. Fill your mind with God-honoring music, with Scripture, giving thanks to God in everything. Purpose in your heart to do that which is pleasing to God.

My Moral Responsibility: James 1:13

We've been studying James, a book about the evidences of faith in our lives. We've looked at trials and our response to trials, but where do trials come from? When I am tempted, where does that temptation originate from? Who's to blame for my falling away?

James 1:13 starts out, "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God." God sends trials to strengthen us. We've already seen that. The same Greek word is used in verse 2: "Count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations," and in verse 12: "Blessed is the man that endureth temptation." The same word is used, but the implications are different. We are to count it all joy and realize we are blessed when difficult circumstances come into our lives. We do this because, as we've seen, working through our trials gives us experience of seeing God work and gives us an expectation for His continuing to work on our lives. Verse 13, however, is talking about that wrong response to difficult circumstances. It speaks of when instead of growing, we fall. We sin. That soliciation does not come from God.

Many times our response to difficulty can be to accuse, berate or question God. In fact, Proverbs 19:3 states, "The foolishness of man perverteth his way: and his heart fretteth against the LORD." As we encounter difficulty and we sin, we cry out to God, "Why did you allow this to happen?" We fret against God about our circumstances and even our sin. Ultimately we blame Him for our sin. Does this remind you of someone in the Bible? How about Adam? When Adam and Eve have both eaten of the fruit of the one tree God has told them not to eat of, they hide in shame. When God comes down in the cool of the day as was His habit, he confronts their sin. "Did you eat of the tree?" Adam says, "The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat." Who was he blaming? Eve, yes, somewhat. But look at how Adam starts, "The woman whom thou gavest to be with me." Who gave him Eve? God did, of course. Adam just went to sleep a single man never having seen a woman, and then he wakes up a married man! Adam in essence is saying, "It's all your fault God. You gave me this woman. I didn't ask for her. You could have brought me a more righteous woman. You could have prevented this from happening. It's all your fault." Did Eve do any better though? God confronts her and she replies, "The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat." She doesn't say it as plain as Adam, but Who made the snake? God did. God made it all. You can see the link there. If God had not made the snake, if God had not made the snake so "subtil," if ... if ... See? Eve frets against God, too. We do too, ladies. How many times have I gotten angry and not controlled my tongue or attitude because of some "stupid" thing my husband was doing, and instead of repenting, my heart wants to whisper, "I can't help it. God, you gave him to me. You could help him not be so stupid sometimes." Who am I blaming for my sin? God, you brought this circumstance into my life. You are to blame if I don't respond rightly.

What does James say about that? Let's finish verse 13, "For God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man." God cannot be tempted with evil. Tempted -- this is the only time this Greek word appears in the New Testament. The best I've been able to find out, it is talking about experienced knowledge. This verse is stating that God is not experienced with evil. God's character repulses evil. He is innocent of any evil. To say otherwise is to misunderstand the very nature of God. We see that God is holy in Leviticus 19:2: "I the LORD your God am holy." Leviticus 20:26: "I the LORD am holy." The angels cried, "Holy, holy, holy" in Isaiah 6:3. 1 Peter 1:16 states that, "[God is] holy." The very essence of God is holiness. Because He is holy, He repulses evil. He cannot have anything to do with evil. Habakkuk 1:13 states, "Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity." God cannot abide evil. Neither does God sit in Heaven just trying to get us to sin so He can smack us. Revelation 12:10 tells us that Satan is the accuser of the brethren. 1 John 1 tells us that when we sin, Jesus Christ is our advocate with the Father. Beautiful picture. Jesus stands ready to plead our case before the Father should we sin. The wonderful thing about that? If we have trusted in Jesus for our salvation, the Father has already declared us righteous because of the blood of Jesus (Romans 8:33). Satan's accusations then have no ground to stand before a Judge who has declared us righteous, and a "lawyer" Who laid down His life for us that we might be saved. I encourage you to read Romans 8:31-39 again.

All of that to say, we have absolutely no grounds to say that God is at fault when we sin. "Neither tempteth he any man" (verse 13). This tempteth goes back to the same Greek word used in verses 2, 12, and 13. God does not entice any one to sin. I like what John MacArthur said in his sermon 'Whose fault is our Temptation,' "For to tempt someone else would indicate that He had a delight in seeing someone else do evil, but He who knows no evil cannot delight in evil." You've probably seen this in a group of kids somewhere. "I dare you to do it." Whatever "it" may be. The action is wrong, the consequences ususally not pretty, but the darer has a delight to see what's going to happen. The darer has a delight in evil. This misconception of God's role in our sin is based out of our own sinful nature. We are expecting God to act in a manner similar to ourselves. Have you ever read the Greek myths, or any other myths about ancient gods? These God's often are petulant, greedy and sinful. They are that way because their creators are that way. Man imagines a God that is very like himself. Even though we have the Bible to tell us otherwise, we fall prey to the very same ideas. We imagine God to be very like ourselves. But God is not like us. He does not delight in evil. He finds no pleasure in wicked things. Therefore we can know that God does not tempt us to evil. He tries us. He tests us to strengthen us and purge us, but when we take those circumstances and respond wrongly, when we sin, we cannot say that it's all God's fault. If He had not given us these circumstances we would not sin.

This is getting long, so I'll keep the next couple of verses about why we do sin for next week. You can read ahead. In fact, I encourage you to become very familiar with these verses we are studying. I hope this study is profitable for you, and once again, I would love to read your thoughts on this passage. Please feel free to comment.

Our position in Christ: James 1:9-12

We have been studying through trials here in James 1. We've seen the purpose of trials. We've seen how we are to handle trials (joyfully, with understanding, submitting to the work of God in our lives), and we've seen where the source of our strength comes in trials. Now we see in James 1:9-12, a brief glimpse at two different individuals in trials.

In verse 9 we read, "Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted." First, this is a brother. He is one in the family of God. This is not just any stranger on the street, but one who has accepted the invitation of Christ. We see that invitation in John 1:12, "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name." This position of brother is not one that can be earned. Ephesians 2:8-9 states, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." Christ is a gift. There is absolutely nothing that we can do in our own flesh to earn Christ. There is nothing that we can do that will make Christ think more highly of us. Christ offers me a gift. That gift is given freely, but it means that I have to come to the conclusion that I am completely helpless. I have to come to the humbling realization that what I am doing to earn favor with God is worthless. I cannot pull myself up by my bootstraps and get good enough for God. I must simply trust. Going back to John 1:12, all who receive Christ then become the children of God. Therefore, the one who receives Christ in Sri Lanka is brother to the one who receives Christ in Ethiopia who are then each brother to the one who receives Christ in the United States of America. These people who have received Christ Jesus don't just simply have nice feelings about Him. They've believed on His name--they have believed in all that Christ has done. I Corinthians 13:3-4 states, "For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures." Receiving Christ involves believing in what Christ has done -- that He willingly died on the cross for our sins, He was buried, but He didn't stay dead! He rose again (came back to life) three days after He was buried. The one who believes this and receives the gift of God is a brother.

James is talking about a brother. This brother mentioned in verse 9 is one "of low degree." He is a poor man. He doesn't have status or power or wealth. He is low. Yet he is to rejoice! He doesn't rejoice in his comfort. He doesn't even rejoice just in the little blessings of each day. This brother (or sister, by the way) rejoices "in that he is exalted!" He has an exalted position in Christ. This brother has a right perspective. He realizes that whatever he has here is temporary. The "things" here on earth don't matter because He is a child of God.

James then speaks of the rich man in verse 10: "But the rich, in that he is made low." The rich man rejoices in his humility. This man realizes that his money cannot buy everything. He is made low, humbled, because he realizes that in all of his riches, position, or power, he cannot make himself more acceptable to God. He realizes that, as verse 10 finishes, "as the flower of the grass he shall pass away." The end of all poeple is the same. We will die. Whether rich or poor we will each stand before God on even ground and give an account of our lives. 2 Corinthians 5:10 states, "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." The rich man can rejoice in his humility, because the things of this world won't hold him in good stead before God. He cannot impress God with his stock portfolio. He cannot impress God with his house plans. Only those things that he has done unselfishly for the benefit of the kingdom of God will last. Verse 11 states, "For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways."

If my focus on this earth, whether I am rich or poor, is on the things of this world, then I have nothing of eternal value that I have done. The poor man can still focus on this world. He could have his eyes set on all he doesn't have, on all he wants or on all he thinks he "deserves." The trying hand of God comes on this individual, and he rebels. The trial reveals that he is not trusting in God. The trial reveals his satisfaction is not in God. He is still consumed with the things this world has to offer. The rich man suffers trial and we then see if his faith is in his Creator or in his things. We see if things have become so important that they cannot be given up. We see where his treasures truly are.

Ladies, trials reveal the same things about us. When the unexpected financial situation arrises, do we look first at our bank account and worry when we don't know how it's all going to work out, or do we go to God first thanking Him for the situation ("in everything give thanks" 1 Thess 5:18) and trusting in Him to continue to take care of us. Our trials reveal what is most important to us. Do I get angry when my husband doesn't give me the concern I think he ought? Do I get hurt when I do something good and no one seems to notice? In both I reveal I do not have the mind of Christ that esteems others as more important than myself ("Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves" Philippians 2:3). When something in my home gets broken or lost, do I respond graciously? Not just politely on the outside, but graciously giving thanks realizing that all I have comes from God and is only good when used for His glory. On a side note, God doesn't give us our things merely for our comfort and pleasure. God gives us our things so we may better serve Him and bring glory to Him. Ultimately, when I respond wrongly to a trial I reveal that I do not believe that God is trustworthy. Proverbs 3:5-6 tell me trust in God with all my heart. When He brings trials into my life and I buck at him, I reveal my lack of faith in His sovereign hand.

On the flip side, James 1:12 tells us, "Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him." There is great reward in Heaven for the person who endures trial trusting God. For the one who endures to the end while clinging tightly to Christ, the Lord has promised a crown of life. What an abundant God! We saw last week God's promise of wisdom. Here we see a crown of life. God does not view us as disposable and test us like laboratory rats. He sees us as very valuable. Valuable enough to give us the gift of His salvation as we saw earlier. Valuable enough to test us so that we may be conformed to the image of His dear Son. Valuable enough to promise us a crown of life if we but endure. And we don't have to endure all by ourselves! God has promised that He will liberally give us wisdom if we just ask. He has promised to give us grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16). We endure because we depend on His strength.

As we go throughout this week, let's examine closely about what our trials reveal about us. Am I clinging to the things this world has to offer, or am I trusting God to work in my life to conform me to His image?

Wisdom in Trials: James 1:5-8

Last week we looked at the reality of trials. All of us have trials in many different areas of our lives. We found in James 1:2 that we are to have an attitude of joy in our trials. In James 1:3 we see we need an attitude of understanding of what this trial is doing in our lives. In James 1:4 we see we need an attitude of submission, having patience to let God do His perfect work in our lives that we may be fully equipped in our Christian walk.

So, what happens when I am in the middle of a trial and I don't have a joyful, understanding or submissive attitude? If you're anything like me, there are times in trials when you don't understand what God is doing, you don't have joy like you're told you should, and you wonder if all this submitting is worth it. Good news! James goes on to tell us what we should do at this time. In James 1:5 he states, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God." We have a source of joy and understanding, helping us to bear patiently. That source is God! We don't have to trust in past experience. We don't have to trust in other people around us. We can go right to Almighty God.

In Proverbs 3:5-7 we see, "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil." Our turning to God is not just one of many options to give us wisdom. Turning to God is the only way to find wisdom. That's because the wisdom that we seek is not an intellectual knowledge, it is an intimate knowledge of the mind of God. A good understanding of what God is doing in my life.

You know, God doesn't send us trials so He can see for Himself just how well we're doing spiritually. God already knows. He knows everything. God sends us trials so He can show us how we're doing spiritually. Praise the Lord that He does this! Otherwise we may be very content with a lip-service faith that really has no root in God. We may be like that plant in Luke 8 that falls on the rock. Jesus tells in the disciples in Luke 8:13, "They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away." These are those people with a lip-service faith, not truly rooted and grounded in Christ. When the trials come, there is no source to draw from and the faith is not sustained. We have a gracious God who is willing to reveal our faith to ourselves that we may see where we need to be strengthened. We may see our faith put to the test and find our source of strength.

Here in James 1:5 we see an amazing little picture of who God is. The verse continues, "that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not." What comfort! First, God gives to all men liberally -- simply, openly, sincerely. Our God is no respecter of persons. He doesn't favor one person over another and arbitraily decide to give John Smith more wisdom than Jane Doe. Neither does God sit up in Heaven and miserly hoard all of His wisdom, just grudgingly doling it out one measly drop at a time. We have a God who gives liberally -- abundantly! He is waiting and wanting to pour out His wisdom in your life. Not only does God give wisdom liberally, but also He doesn't "upbraid" you for asking. He doesn't ever look at the person requesting wisdom and say, "Now, couldn't you have figured that out on your own? Why do you keep coming to Me?" No, God wants you to come to Him. He wants you and I to seek His face and learn His purposes for our lives. The promise? "And it shall be given him" (James 1:5b). The promise is that when earnestly seek God's wisdom, we will get it. Hebrews 11:6 states, "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." Here we have yet another promise of God's rich rewards in our lives. To please Him, we seek Him. When we search for Him, He is our best reward.

Now we get to a little picture of ourselves. James 1:6 begins, "But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering." Wavering -- doubting, contending (arguing) When we go to God and ask Him for wisdom, we need to ask in faith completely believing that God will provide the wisdom He has promised. We also are completely trusting in His character and working in our lives. Many times when we go to God, we doubt the intentions and power of God. We might not say it quite like that, but when God begins to try us, our first response is often, "God? Do you really know what you're doing." Then we begin to argue. We want to present our case well. We want God to understand (just in case He somehow missed something) exactly what our perspective is on a situation and why our perspective is right. Sometimes we just get angry in a trial and lash out at God. "Why are you doing this to me!?"

You know how God sees this person who doubts Him or argues with Him? "For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed" (James 1:6b). God sees this person as a wave that is being tossed back and forth by the wind. This person has no direction. Ultimately He has no real faith. He is a person who wants something of God, but he wants it his way and in his time. He doesn't have faith and confidence to cling completely to God and look for what God is doing in his life. Ultimately he must know James 1:7: "For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord." Remember Hebrews 11:6 from earlier? God is the "rewarder of them that diligently seek him." When we come to Him arguing and doubting, we are not diligently seeking Him. We have no true faith. God is not the rewarder of them that twist His arm the right way. God is pleased when we show faith and trust in Him with our humility and utter dependence on Him in the face of trials.

Ultimately, "A double minded man is unstable in all his ways" (James 1:8). Double minded -- two souled. A person who has divided interests. He wants the comfort of believing in God, but he wants the comfort of this world as well. The faith he professes is not to draw him into a closer relationship with God but to bring him a comfortable life to live right now. He wavers between trust and comfort. He wants God's wisdom, but feels that wisdom must come from other sources too. When man's advice and God's wisdom conflict (as they always will), he cannot make up his mind which way is best. He may try both, but he is not stable. He is not rooted and grounded. This is either the unbeliever who really has no right as a child to ask and receive anything, or this is the weak Christian who is unable by faith to open his arms and receive all that God has promised him. God is amazingly ready to pour out His wisdom and blessings in your life. In Psalm 81:10, the Psalmist states as God saying, "open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it." This is a beautiful statement of the generosity of God. This God is ready and willing for you to come seeking Him so that He may be your rewarder.

As you consider this passage in James, evaluate yourself in trials.
~What is your first reaction to a difficult situation?
~Is your faith in God such that you turn to Him first?
~If you are going through a trying time right now, have you taken the time to pray and ask for wisdom, completely trusting in what God is doing in your life?

I hope this study has been an encouragement to you. Once again, I would love to hear your comments.

Trial by Faith: James 1:1-4

James is a book that is primarily about the evidences of faith in our Christian lives. It tells us how our faith is to be evidenced to others around us. The first evidence James speaks about is the evidence of trials.

There is not a one of us who has not experienced trials in some form or another. There are issues of health, finances, death of loved ones, abuse, expectations that are not met, and the list could go on and on. The Hebrews that James is writing to are no strangers to hardship. James is writing to the "twelve tribes which are scattered abroad" (1:1). The people reading this letter have been driven out of their homes. They have left behind friends, maybe family, and probably many possessions. They have left to live with a strange people in Gentile cities that don't understand their customs. Some may have experienced scorn and ridicule and abuse at the hands of those with whom they have come to live. The devout Jews certainly ridiculed them and persecuted them as blasphemers for trusting in Christ as their Messiah. They also have been directly affected in some way by the abuses thrown upon them by the Roman government and their insane emperor, Nero -- at the very least by having to move.

Trials, by their very nature, reveal our faith. All the circumstances that come into our lives affect us externally and internally. They affect our environment, and they most certainly affect the way we are now viewing our circumstances. Trials affect our spirit and mind. At that time we have a choice. Do I really mean it when I say I trust God? Do I really believe His Word is true and that He will keep all of his promises? How I respond to these testings reveals whether I have true faith that turns to and leans on God, or whether I have just a lip service faith that will blow away when I don't like what is happening. I liked what John MacArthur said about this aspect in his sermon 'From Trouble to Triumph (Part 1)': “Trial then for an imitation of faith burns it up. Trial for true faith causes it pain, the pain of inadequacy and weakness, causes it to turn from self‑righteousness and cast itself upon the strength of God.”

So, James begins his letter by addressing these hardships. What does he tell the reader? "Stick your chin up and endure. It will get better some day." No. He tells them to "count it all joy" (1:2). Count what all joy? "When you fall into divers temptations" (1:2). Divers temptations -- various trials. The word "various" means basically "multi-colored." This does not talk so much about the quantity of our trials but that we will experience all kinds of trials. We won't just be tried in one area of our life but in all sorts of areas of our lives. Yet, James tells these people to count it a joy to be tested and tried, no matter where these trials are coming from. We can be joyful even in trying circumstances? Why?

James tells us why. "Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience" (1:3). Patience -- endurance. The illustration has been used before, and I will use it again. An athletic runner does not run until she starts to feel bad. As soon as her side begins to cramp, she doesn't sit down and put her feet up. She continues to push. She continues to try her body and push it past its limits, knowing that by doing this she is building endurance into her body. That next week it will take longer before her body begins to scream, and soon she will be able to run the race well. So it is with our Christian life. We are tested. At times we feel we are tested beyond our endurance. And yet, we can have joy in the pain knowing that the trying of our faith is working endurance. That next time I am tried, I will have a little more faith. I will have a little more strength, and maybe I will even be strong enough to help bear someone else's load for a time. To help them as they become strong in the faith.

After this trying we have the joy of a participant. When people around the world watched as Michael Phelps made history in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, they experienced joy. The spectators watched, cheered, and turned the TV off. This joy that the spectator had I'm sure cannot be compared to the joy that Michael Phelps had. Michael Phelps had sacrificed. He had worked hard and long and endured to see victory in the ultimate test. He had the joy of the participant. When we go through a trial we too can have the joy of a participant. The joy of one who has persevered and won the victory. Not in pride at our own strength and resilience, but with humility in realizing our own frailty and awe at realizing the power of God.

This process is not quick though. Just because I am going through a trial doesn't mean that I will automatically become stronger. In fact, James states, "But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing" (1:4). There is a responsibility on our part to let patience work effectively in our lives. I like what Matthew Henry states about this passage in his commentary: "Let us take care, in times of trial, that patience, and not passion, is set to work in us: whatever is said or done, let patience have the saying and doing of it. When the work of patience is complete, it will furnish all that is necessary for our Christian race and warfare." If trials come and our response is one of impatience and frustration, we aren't learning anything. If trials come and we realize more acutely our true source of strength (in Christ), we are learning. We are getting to a point where God wants us to be. We are learning that in our weakness, His strength is made perfect (2 Corinthians 12:9).

The result of letting patience work in my life is that I will be "perfect and entire, wanting nothing" (1:4). I will be completely equipped to run the race (2 Timothy 4:7). Fully equipped to be able to endure hardness as a good soldier (2 Timothy 2:3). I love how this ties in with Romans 5:3-5: "And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us." As we go patiently through trials, we gain experience. We have seen Christ work. Then we have hope. When a trial comes again, we look back and see that Christ has worked, and we have the expectation that He will work again. And as long as we are depending on Christ we are not made ashamed. We have become complete. We have gained the ability to walk confidently in Christ through our lives and the trials we experience along the way. We are lacking nothing because Christ is our all in all.

In thinking on these verses think about:
~Do I have the joy of the Lord in my life, even in difficult circumstances?
~Do these trials reveal in me a trust in Christ or a disgruntled spirit that is trusting in myself?
~Am I being patient in this trial?
~How has God worked in my life in the past, equipping me and giving me hope as I look to the future?

I would love to hear from you if care to comment. Maybe you have insight into these verses that you would like to share. Maybe you would like to share how the Lord has been working in your life through trials. Whatever it may be, I would love to hear from you.

Modern Fable

This is a fable that my grandmother had written in some of her papers:

Two flies lit on a table on the handle of a knife that had been used to cut bologna.
They ate their fill and then decided to fly away. When they did, they fell to the floor.

The moral of the story is: Don't fly off the handle when you are full of bologna.