Today’s Reading: James 1:1-18 (English Standard Version)
1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greetings.
2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
9 Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation,10 and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away.11 For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.
12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.13 Let no one say when he is tempted, I am being tempted by God, for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.
16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
Takeaways:
- When is the last time that I took joy in a trial that I was going through recognizing that God was doing something in me through that difficult season?
- I want steadfastness.
- How often do I cry out to God for wisdom? I crave the wisdom of God, but honestly can’t even comprehend how I could even contain a small portion of His wisdom.
- What are you asking for these days…in faith?
- I don’t want to be double-minded.
- Temptation does not come from God. The strength to stand steadfastly in the midst of temptation can only come from God.
- Every good and perfect gift comes from above. Why do we bother coveting the temporal gifts this world has to offer?