James 1:1-18
James writes his letter to the twelve tribes
scattered around the world. He is
writing in a time when the Jews had been and were experiencing difficult
times. If you turn to the book of Acts
chapters 7 and 8 you will read about some of the persecution that the Jewish
Christians faced. However, the
persecution was not in vain as we read in Acts 8:4-8. The people might have scattered but that was
not all that was scattered. The Word was
preached wherever the believers went and people experienced healings and miracles. Not only that but in v8 it says that there
was great joy in that city. The question
is would the believers have voluntarily left their homes and lives to share the
Good News if persecution hadn’t come. It
is interesting to note that the fastest growing church in the world today is
the persecuted church. That is something
to think about in a day and age whereby comfort and a life of ease are strongly
sought after.
For those who have children or have been in a
car with children on a long journey I am sure you have heard the phrase “…are
we nearly there yet?” Depending on the
age of the children this can happen as early as just five minutes into the
journey. These words can be a bit foreboding
for a parent who knows there are seven more hours of the journey left. However, the journey is all part of the
experience. When we get to our final
destination and see what is before us we look back and say the journey was
worth it. James is saying that the
journey of trials has a purpose. That if
we follow through and remain steadfast there is a reward at the end. Many of us have experienced people who are
mature in the faith. They are people
that we gravitate towards; however, if you know even a part of the person’s
journey in getting there you will probably find that it wasn’t an easy
one. There were some challenges along
the way. Charles Spurgeon once said that
trials are God’s school for us. It is
where we learn the most. Trials are not
easy especially if the journey is long however it can be a comfort to us to
know that these trials are not wasted.
They can be used for our good, so not only that we might be people that
persevere in our faith and grow mature but that we can be a witness to those
around us.
In some of the cultures we live in today asking for help is seen as a weakness. The media promotes self -reliance and a mentality of being able to go it alone. However, this is opposite to the teaching we find in the Bible. God made us for relationships and for living in community. However, that is a thought for another day. James encourages us in verse 5 to ask God for wisdom because God is in the business of giving and it says He will give generously without finding fault. Often times I wonder if we struggle unnecessarily because we have not asked God. However there is a condition attached and that is that we should not doubt but believe. James is a helpful writer for all of us who are visual learners. I am sure most of us have seen waves of the sea or a rushing river as the water is tossed to and fro. I remember it first hand when I did white water rafting down the River Nile. I was tossed out the boat more times than I could remember. I was at the mercy of this raging river. That is a picture of how we are if we doubt. We go back and forward and James calls a person like this unstable in all the things he does.
In addition to this when looking at a visual of
an angry sea where waves are in turmoil there is no peace to be found. I wonder, when looking at this verse, whether
we forfeit peace in our lives because we do not ask God for wisdom. This is something to ponder on.
The world teaches us that we need to be
striving for bigger and better. However,
James has a different message. He
reminds the believers that their value is not in what they have but who they
are in God’s eyes. God’s value system is
very different from the worlds and we need to be careful as to what we put our
security in. James is not condemning the
rich but cautioning them in their rich estate.
James describes the life of a rich person as to that of a flower that
blossoms for a while and then fades forever.
When the intense heat of a trial comes what is going to get us through? Is
our security in the material or the eternal?
One thing we need to understand is that trials and testing’s are
different. Trials and tests are allowed
by God but God never tempts. Temptations
are not bad in of themselves but what do we do with temptation? Do we feed the temptation so we then give in
to it or do we starve the temptation and let it die a death? The choice is for us to make. Notice in verse 15 there is a process. James uses the word “conceive” here. When temptation and desire join together
there is sin. We can be tempted and not
sin but we can be tempted and act on the desire and then we fall. Sin leads to death if it is not dealt with. What temptations are we facing today? What are we doing with them?
Chuck Missler, an author and Bible teacher, says when
things are going wrong, people are hurting you and an adversity comes your way
- HAVE YOUR QUIET TIME! In other words draw close to God in these moments;
it can keep you out of trouble.
James tells us not to
be deceived or be misled. We would do
well to remember that God is good all the time and no evil comes from God. Evil comes from Satan. God is a god who doesn’t change. Hebrews 13:8 says “He is the same yesterday,
today and forever”. We are the peak of
His creation; everything else that He has created is under us. How amazing is
that.
Further reading on the issue of
temptations and trials
Matthew 4:1-11Matthew 26:36-46
Hebrews 4: 14-16
Ephesians 4:20-24
Galatians 5: 16-17, 22-25
James 1:22
2 Corinthians 10:4-6
Colossians 3:2,16
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