James 1:2 My Brethren count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations.
Oh Friends, the Holy Spirit guided me to begin Today’s Bit with a short prayer. So please join me. ‘Thank you Lord for bringing us safely through another dark and gloomy night into a day filled with the brilliant sunshine of your LOVE and glory. For this we give you eternal praise, and humbly ask that you lead and guide us safely. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.’ Now let me share a quote from Marcus Aurelius. He says: ‘Snow endures but for a season, and joy comes with the morning.’ And he’s quite right, but I don’t know how many people will be joyful this morning when they discover the snowy, slippery condition of the roads, added to the already confusing mass of metal, fibre-glass and humans heading for the concrete jungles to slave for a comparative pittance. But hopefully the believers involved will not be too distraught cause it’s hard to be joyful when you’re crawling along in a traffic jam on slippery, snow covered roads on a dark, cloudy morning, with some fools trying to rush as though it was good weather. All I can say is: ‘Thank you Lord that I don’t have to go out there and face those cruel elements this morning!’ (smile) Anyway, re Marcus’ quote, true believers with some maturity know that no trial or problem lasts forever. Though some may last quite a while, they all will eventually be resolved. For everything there’s a reason and a season. Sol puts it nicely. ‘To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.’ (Eccl.3:1) Friends, that’s the will of God, and until we learn to accept it, we’ll be plagued by unnecessary worry and fear. Now don’t get me wrong, life consists of many problems, right from birth until death, and many of them will bring us to our knees, but if we develop that great faith and trust in the Supreme Being, Infinitely Everything, He will always give us the strength to hang in and see them through. He never said He will solve them all, or even those He solves, to our satisfaction. But as Bruh David rightly says in Psalm 29, titled The voice of the Lord in the storm: ‘The Lord will give strength unto his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace.’ (Ps.29:11) And James opens his epistle on Christian living talking about the trials and tribulations of life. Oh my people, it’s very important that we pay serious attention to James’ philosophy because it’s the only way we’ll ever live a successful life. Now what’s his prescription? ‘My brethren count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations.’ I know that sounds like nonsense, for who really wants to consider the various trials and problems we encounter as joyous eh? But here’s a good example, and it shows that James wasn’t talking from hearsay but personal experience. When the apostles were arraigned before the council of elders in Jerusalem for preaching in Jesus’ Name, they were beaten and commanded not to talk about Him. But what was their response? ‘And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name. And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.’ (Acts 5:41-42) Wow! So you see Friends, the apostles did practice what they preached. Nobody’s saying it’s easy, for life in general isn’t easy, and neither is the believer’s, as Jesus promised, but as His followers, we do have that internal strength, that fortitude given to us by the Holy Spirit. And the verse after our Bit explains James’ thinking. ‘Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.’ (James 1:3) Hn! I see many faces screwed up and etched with annoyance. But Friends, it’s the gospel truth. The Bible doesn’t lie. The testing of our faith does produce patience. However that word patience and all it entails are sadly being pushed from our consciousness, for we have now become an unholy mob only interested in instant gratification. We want everything now for now, and therein lies the cause of many of our problems, especially the recent economic meltdown. When impatience rides on the back of greed and envy, the only possible result is heart and gut wrenching woe. Once upon a time we saved for stuff. But nowadays we just put it on plastic, read credit, then struggle and complain to pay it off with the usurious interest attached. However James continues: ‘But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire (complete), wanting (lacking) nothing.’ (James 1:4) Yes Friends, our first response and natural instinct when trouble comes a calling is to run from it. Then when we discover that we can neither run nor hide from it, we get angry and bitter. But my people that should not be the believer’s attitude, for God uses adversity to mature us, and we’ll never mature spiritually if we allow our problems to either beat us down or embitter us. The only way we’ll ever grow in the faith is by using God’s strength and facilities to overcome our problems, to gain victory from the jaws of defeat and trouble. Because, as the scholars claim, the believers whom God has the most use for, are those He has bruised the most. And that’s no lie. Look at all the esteemed people in the Good Book, many of them went through some very rough times, but were mightily used by the Lord. And to name a few; there’s Moses, Job, Isaiah, Elijah, my three Bruhs, Joseph, David and Paul. Not to mention the prime example, the most wronged, pained and humiliated of all; our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. He couldn’t do anything for us unless He suffered the ultimate humiliation; terrible ‘sufferation’ and eventually death on a cross between two criminals, to pay for our sins. So Friends, when we’re beset by problems, please, let us not try to run or hide from them, but rather meet them head on, cause we never know the whats, whys and wherefores behind them. God might be trying to do some work in us, preparing us for promotion, and if we get bitter or weary and give up, then we’ll never know what He had planned for us. We all know it’s not easy, but as James advises: ‘If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not (without reproach); and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering, (not doubting). For he that wavereth (doubts) is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.’ (James 1:5-6) Yes Friends, the best way to handle trials is by asking our God for the wisdom to understand them, and the strength, fortitude and guidance to endure them. Much LOVE!…when troubles come…the only place to turn…is to God…
Oh Friends, the Holy Spirit guided me to begin Today’s Bit with a short prayer. So please join me. ‘Thank you Lord for bringing us safely through another dark and gloomy night into a day filled with the brilliant sunshine of your LOVE and glory. For this we give you eternal praise, and humbly ask that you lead and guide us safely. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.’ Now let me share a quote from Marcus Aurelius. He says: ‘Snow endures but for a season, and joy comes with the morning.’ And he’s quite right, but I don’t know how many people will be joyful this morning when they discover the snowy, slippery condition of the roads, added to the already confusing mass of metal, fibre-glass and humans heading for the concrete jungles to slave for a comparative pittance. But hopefully the believers involved will not be too distraught cause it’s hard to be joyful when you’re crawling along in a traffic jam on slippery, snow covered roads on a dark, cloudy morning, with some fools trying to rush as though it was good weather. All I can say is: ‘Thank you Lord that I don’t have to go out there and face those cruel elements this morning!’ (smile) Anyway, re Marcus’ quote, true believers with some maturity know that no trial or problem lasts forever. Though some may last quite a while, they all will eventually be resolved. For everything there’s a reason and a season. Sol puts it nicely. ‘To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.’ (Eccl.3:1) Friends, that’s the will of God, and until we learn to accept it, we’ll be plagued by unnecessary worry and fear. Now don’t get me wrong, life consists of many problems, right from birth until death, and many of them will bring us to our knees, but if we develop that great faith and trust in the Supreme Being, Infinitely Everything, He will always give us the strength to hang in and see them through. He never said He will solve them all, or even those He solves, to our satisfaction. But as Bruh David rightly says in Psalm 29, titled The voice of the Lord in the storm: ‘The Lord will give strength unto his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace.’ (Ps.29:11) And James opens his epistle on Christian living talking about the trials and tribulations of life. Oh my people, it’s very important that we pay serious attention to James’ philosophy because it’s the only way we’ll ever live a successful life. Now what’s his prescription? ‘My brethren count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations.’ I know that sounds like nonsense, for who really wants to consider the various trials and problems we encounter as joyous eh? But here’s a good example, and it shows that James wasn’t talking from hearsay but personal experience. When the apostles were arraigned before the council of elders in Jerusalem for preaching in Jesus’ Name, they were beaten and commanded not to talk about Him. But what was their response? ‘And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name. And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.’ (Acts 5:41-42) Wow! So you see Friends, the apostles did practice what they preached. Nobody’s saying it’s easy, for life in general isn’t easy, and neither is the believer’s, as Jesus promised, but as His followers, we do have that internal strength, that fortitude given to us by the Holy Spirit. And the verse after our Bit explains James’ thinking. ‘Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.’ (James 1:3) Hn! I see many faces screwed up and etched with annoyance. But Friends, it’s the gospel truth. The Bible doesn’t lie. The testing of our faith does produce patience. However that word patience and all it entails are sadly being pushed from our consciousness, for we have now become an unholy mob only interested in instant gratification. We want everything now for now, and therein lies the cause of many of our problems, especially the recent economic meltdown. When impatience rides on the back of greed and envy, the only possible result is heart and gut wrenching woe. Once upon a time we saved for stuff. But nowadays we just put it on plastic, read credit, then struggle and complain to pay it off with the usurious interest attached. However James continues: ‘But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire (complete), wanting (lacking) nothing.’ (James 1:4) Yes Friends, our first response and natural instinct when trouble comes a calling is to run from it. Then when we discover that we can neither run nor hide from it, we get angry and bitter. But my people that should not be the believer’s attitude, for God uses adversity to mature us, and we’ll never mature spiritually if we allow our problems to either beat us down or embitter us. The only way we’ll ever grow in the faith is by using God’s strength and facilities to overcome our problems, to gain victory from the jaws of defeat and trouble. Because, as the scholars claim, the believers whom God has the most use for, are those He has bruised the most. And that’s no lie. Look at all the esteemed people in the Good Book, many of them went through some very rough times, but were mightily used by the Lord. And to name a few; there’s Moses, Job, Isaiah, Elijah, my three Bruhs, Joseph, David and Paul. Not to mention the prime example, the most wronged, pained and humiliated of all; our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. He couldn’t do anything for us unless He suffered the ultimate humiliation; terrible ‘sufferation’ and eventually death on a cross between two criminals, to pay for our sins. So Friends, when we’re beset by problems, please, let us not try to run or hide from them, but rather meet them head on, cause we never know the whats, whys and wherefores behind them. God might be trying to do some work in us, preparing us for promotion, and if we get bitter or weary and give up, then we’ll never know what He had planned for us. We all know it’s not easy, but as James advises: ‘If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not (without reproach); and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering, (not doubting). For he that wavereth (doubts) is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.’ (James 1:5-6) Yes Friends, the best way to handle trials is by asking our God for the wisdom to understand them, and the strength, fortitude and guidance to endure them. Much LOVE!…when troubles come…the only place to turn…is to God…
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