James 1:9-11

9Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation, 10but the rich in his humiliation, because as a flower of the field he will pass away.  11For no sooner has the sun risen with a burning heat than it withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beautiful appearance perishes.  So the rich man also will fade away in his pursuits.

***

You know the feeling after a long, cold winter when a gentle rain comes and warms the earth?  It melts away any trace of a harsh nip.  Green blades of grass then poke through the soil, flowers stretch their stems and bloom, revealing the vibrant colors beneath the bulb.

But just as quickly as they came, they disappear.  Summertime takes over and the heat of the sun almost seems to much for these helpless plants.  They wilt and die before we can fully appreciate their beauty.

This is how the rich are illustrated in James.  When James describes the "rich man" I believe he is referring to those whose lives revolve around money, things, and the possessions this world has to offer.  So it is very important to pay attention when James tells us that "the rich man also will fade away in his pursuits".

I don't know about you, but I do not want to be that rich man.  I do not want to be the one following after everything except Christ.  Our focus should be on Him alone because He's the only one will last forever.

James - Part 2

James 1: 5-8

5If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

***

Have you ever asked God for direction?  I know when my friends confide in me I silently ask God for wisdom so I know what I should say or if I should say anything at all.

This passage says we should ask for wisdom without doubting.  Without doubting whether or not God may grant us the wisdom.  He tells us He'll give us wisdom, but He wants us to trust Him enough to believe He will fulfill His promise.

Re-read the second half of verse six.  Basically, whoever doubts has no firm foundation.  She just goes with the flow and is constantly unstable in her beliefs.  How can she be solid on anything if she doubts everything?

But God is telling us that He will help us and give us the wisdom we need if we will only have faith that He can do it and trust that He will do it.

James - Part 1

Hello, girls!  I pray you all have been doing well. :) I apologize for not posting in a while.  Life is Christ has been on my back burner, but I am going to try to keep it towards the top of my priority list from now on.

I thought it might be cool to take one book/chapter from the Bible and study it thoroughly.  I do not know how well this will go, but we will do it once and let me know how you like it!  (Also, this will not be a permanent thing, but occasional.)

So, I have chosen the book of James chapter 1.  I absolutely love the book of James!  We will not go through the entire book because each chapter holds so much information that we will be spending at least five weeks on this chapter alone.  

Below you will see the Bible reference and the Bible verse printed.  I typed out the Bible verse in case you do not have access to a Bible.  But if you do have one with you, please use it.  It is very important that you know what the Word of God says straight from His book, instead of from me or someone else.  With that said, let's begin!

*****

James 1:2-4 NKJ

2My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3knowing that the test of your faith produces patience.  4But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

...

Think about the last time you ever fell into a trial.  For example, your sibling(s) were/are always getting on your nerves, or your parents do not give you enough freedom, or your friends are doing things you know God would not like.  What was your reaction to the situation?  Was it more of "Man, I really wish ________ would be different!" and less of "You know I ought to thank God for giving me _________ instead of complaining."?

It is so easy to find the negative in every situation and we have all become so good at it!  But whatever happened to patience?  What if we not only learned to wait until the storm passed, but learned to dance in the rain?  Look at verse 4 again.  James says that we will lack nothing if we just let patience take its toll.  You know why?  Because contentment is the result of patience.

So, this week keep your eyes open for trials God has put in your life and find ways to rely on God for patience.  Also, learn to thank God sincerely for your trials.  It may be helpful to post a relateable Bible verse(s) where you will see it daily.

"Hey, Olivia!" Amanda yelled across the cafeteria room.  Olivia lifted her soft, green eyes to see her friend jog toward her with her lunch.

"Hi," she answered when Amanda sat down next to her.

"Did you see that new girl?" Amanda asked her friend.

"Oh, yeah, she looks kind of weird, doesn't she?" 

"Yeah, her clothes are clothes my grandma wears!" The two girls laughed softly among themselves.

"Oh, here she comes," Olivia said with disgust in her voice.

"Hi, thar," said the new girl with a small smile.  "Mind if I sit myself down here?"  Amanda and Olivia exchanged glances.  This girl not only dress funny, but she talked funny, too.

"Yeah, we're saving it for someone." Amanda lied.  The new girl nodded and sat down in a corner to eat her lunch alone.

We may not always judge people in this particular way, but, whether we realize it or not, we do judge people somehow.  It's natural for us to judge people before we meet them, but we really should refrain from doing it.  After all, we have no knowledge of the people we do not know unless it is told to us by someone else.  Even then, we shouldn't believe everything we hear.  

Think about the new girl in the story for a minute.  What if you didn't have enough money to buy all the nice clothes everyone else was wearing and had to go to out in public that way?  Would you think it would be fair to have people think you are weird without even getting to know you first?  I think we would all say No to this question.  And it doesn't even to be about clothes.  It could be how a person acts (shy, crazy, talks with a funny accent, walks oddly, etc.), but God doesn't want us to judge people by their looks.  He wants us to judge rightly and we really shouldn't be judging at all.  God is the ultimate Judge.  

The next time you judge someone unfairly, pray and ask God to forgive you.  Then think only positive things about that person.  And, if you can, maybe even talk to that person and be a friend to him/her. 

"Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgement."  John 7:24

Strength and Endurance

Can't seem to find my way.

I've given so much strength to You.  

Why are you letting me drown?

Now, I don't think I can pull through. 

This race that I've been running

Just makes me incredibly worn.

I want to keep trying to move forward,

But I'd rather collapse and mourn.

I've called out to You, oh Lord,

But You don't seem to hear me.

Maybe I am not trying to hear

You offering to set me free.

I'm wrapped in my own strength

And in my own way of doing things.

Will God really renew my strength

And give me strong, eagle wings?

I finally stop to look at You,

And I see Your extended hand

Reaching out to grab my own

And help me, once again, to stand.

With a new energy and hope

I'll finish the race I did start

And always look to God for strength,

And to support my weak heart.

______________________

Remember, that God is always read to give you strength and endurance no matter what you're struggling with!

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,"  Hebrews 12:1

"but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."  Isaiah 40:31

A New Year

Well, 2011 has officially ended. It’s time to re-think our lives. This is a perfect time to make new goals. Goals are so important for us. I would encourage all of you to make a goal for this New Year. Maybe you want to spend more quality time with Jesus or save money to buy that dream item you want. Whatever it is I encourage you to make a goal and go for it with everything you have! Accomplishing goals can be tough, but the satisfaction of accomplishing one is incredible. God can use you (yes, YOU) to do amazing things for Him. Search God’s will in prayer and ask Him what goal He wants you to set for yourself. Once you’ve done this I would encourage you to write out your goal then put it somewhere where you can look at it every day to remind you. “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:14

Have a good New Year!