1 Timothy 1:12
James 1:19-20 reminds us that you must act intentionally.
James 1:17 is one of my favorite passages in Scripture. It reminds us that God only gives good gifts and that God never changes! We, as sinful beings, tend to take God’s good gifts for granted. I hope this message will turn your heart toward God as you contemplate His good gifts! Because God is good, you must give Him credit.
Mankind has been plagued with the temptation to blame others for their sin since the garden of Eden. Sinful man even introduces God into the blame game! The Apostle James makes clear that God is not the source of your sin. James 1:13-15 teaches us that because you sin, you must repent!
God expects us to pass the the tests of life with our faith still in tact. This is not easy. It is rather one of the hardest things in life. It mandates that the Christian not only survive life but also keep focused on the most important thing in life: following Christ.
Eternity is the means of enduring the present. James 1:12 says keep eternity in front of you as you endure trials in this life.
Here’s a short sermon on the Lord’s prayer. I was both blessed and challenged in God’s Word while preparing the message. I hope it is likewise a blessing and a challenge to you!
In James 1:9-11, we see two very different life situations. One person is dirt poor and the other is very rich. And yet, both are commanded to look past their present circumstances and rejoice in what Christ has done for them. Because present things fade, you must focus on eternity. We all come to Christ in the same, humble way. We all can rejoice in His exaltation!
We don’t like asking for help. We want to be self-reliant. While this is natural, it leads to unbiblical tendencies. We serve an all-powerful God who has told us to ask Him for help. James 1:5 states…
If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
Because God gives wisdom freely, you must confidently ask Him for wisdom!
We avoid hardship. This is a normal response to hardship but it is not a spiritual response to hardship. James 1:2 states…
My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations.
The word “temptations” here in James is referring to spiritual trials. James has a different response to hardship! I want to challenge you with this truth: because trials are beneficial for your faith, you must rejoice in trials. This is not the way that we normally think about hardship. And yet, joy is the biblical response to trials.
Organization is always important and this is especially true in church work (1 Corinthians 14:40). If you are like me, you need help organizing. My thoughts are usually scattered. My brain skips five steps to arrive at logical but seemingly unrelated conclusions. Logical progression gives you the breadcrumbs to help other people arrive at your conclusion.
I love tools that help me achieve logical progression! Let me introduce you to Mindnode. It is beautiful software that works like my brain. I use Mindnode for two main purposes: for organizing ideas before writing papers and for sermon notes. I especially like that collapsible branches let me quickly go from details to big picture or vise versa. If you have a scatterbrain, this software may be of help.
I outlined a men’s campout devotional in mindnode with this result.
I found Mindnode extremely helpful when studying out the role of pastor for my recent article. If you are interested in Mindnode and in studying out what you believe on the role of pastor, here is a link to get you started.
Discouragement and sorrow are very real and unavoidable feelings. The writer of Psalm 42-43 asks a very blatant and honest question of himself: “why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me?”
It would seem that the psalmist knows why he is discouraged. He mourns due to oppression (42:10) that feels like a sword in his bones (42:11). Desiring fellowship with God, he feels spiritual distance. He even asks God “why hast thou forgotten me?” (42:9) and “why dost thou cast me off?” (43:2). He poetically feeds himself with tears (42:3).
The psalmist truly does have reason to sorrow!
He objectively looks at himself and observes that he is discouraged. Then, he prescribes an incredible remedy for his own discouragement. Rather than organize a pity party, he objectively chooses to praise God!
Furthermore, the psalmist directly ties praising God with the emotion of joy (43:4)! He converts his discouragement into joy through the act of praise.
Are you discouraged today? Praise is not a feeling but rather it is a choice. You must choose to praise God despite your feelings. Only then will you begin to experience joy.
Personally, I have a playlist that I listen to when discouraged. Eileen Berry and Molly IJames well express the distress of Psalm 42-43 before turning to God in praise. Their song, “In Your Silence,” has been at the start of my playlist since I first heard it. May it be a blessing to you as it has been to me!
In Your word I find the echoes of the questions in my mind;
Have I fallen from Your favor, is Your ear to me inclined?
When Your silence is unbroken, though my prayer ascends each day,
Father, keep my faith from failing in the face of long delay.While You wait in gracious wisdom and my doubts begin to rise,
I recall Your loving kindness, and lift my hopeful eyes.
While Your hand withholds the answer, I will not withhold my heart.
I will love you in Your silence, I will trust You in the dark.When the troubled thoughts within me hold me wakeful in the night,
And the shadows that surround me seem to hide me from Your sight.
Father, bring to my remembrance mercies shown in days gone by.
Help me rest upon Your promise: You will not neglect my cry!While You wait in gracious wisdom and my doubts begin to rise,
I recall Your loving kindness, and lift my hopeful eyes.
While Your hand withholds the answer, I will not withhold my heart.
I will love you in Your silence, I will trust You in the dark.
