Don't judge a gift by its package

James 1:16-18
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.^{[a] 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


  The preceding verses in this chapter address the fact that the Enemy of our souls presents temptations in the midst of our trials.  He sends the temptation in an attempt to thwart God's purpose in the trial.  God's purpose is to make us perfect....Satan's is to make us fall.


The root of most every temptation can be found in these verses....the temptation to doubt the goodness of God.


And to be truthful, we are very easy to deceive!


When we are suffering in a trial, the Enemy wants us to doubt God's goodness, His capability to help, His faithfulness.   And to believe that something (or someone) else is the answer to the bleak feeling in our soul.


So James reminds us of the Truth.


The Truth about God's character.


1.  His goodness to us.  He only gives good gifts.  Sometimes we are confused by the package they come in, but we need to know that everything He gives us is good.  And if there is a gift we are seeking but He is withholding, well, then, it isn't what it seems because No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly  (Psalm 84:11)


2.  His power for us.  When James describes God as the Father of Lights, it is helpful to know that not only does the word "lights" convey energy, warmth, and light, this word specifically means THE SOURCE of light - one that is never kindled, never quenched....it gives the light.  Surely this Source is able to keep His promises to us!


3.  His consistency with us. No variation or shifting shadow...no natter what our circumstances, God's Word is always true.  He is not a respecter of persons and He never changes.  He is always good.  Always powerful.  Always loving.


4.  His Love towards us.  He chose us.  Not because He had to but because He delighted to.  Of His will, He chose us.  He doesn't love us because He made us.....He made us because He loves us.


 During a trial, it's hard to hold onto to the truth.  We get distracted by our pain.  And that makes it easy to fall for the temptation to doubt God's character. 


Don't let that happen to you. 


Everything God does is good.  He loves you.  He is able to keep His promises.  Always.

The devil made me do it

A group of us gals are spending our Wednesday evenings digging into the book of James.  I am notoriously slow about getting through verses - took us two weeks to get ourselves out of verse 1!  But the time has been sweet.  And rich.  I love these folks.  And we are loving the treasures we're uncovering in His Word.


Here's a couple of jewels from recent weeks....


James 1:13-16English Standard Version (ESV)
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


In the midst of trials, there always comes a temptation.


Remember from a couple of weeks ago - we examined God's purpose in trials -- to proof our faith, to make it more precious and valuable.  Going through this process (if we cooperate with Him!) results in a life "perfect and complete, lacking in nothing".  (James 1:4)


And that is what we long for - to lack nothing, to be whole, complete.


However, the Enemy is opposed to God's purposes.  When he sees a trial coming our way, rest assured that he has a counterplan for us.


That's where the temptation comes from.


So when we're considering trials a reason to find joy, knowing that God is at work in our lives, producing a precious faith, completing us and supplying all we need so that we lack for nothing, well, it's at that point that the Enemy of our souls opens his arsenal of weapons.


He wants us to fail the test.  He doesn't want us whole and complete and drawing near to our Father.
So he tries to get us to fall.....


What does a fall look like?
Any number of things.
Depends on what appeals to the one in the trial.


Might be to get angry and declare "it's not fair".  If we don't process this appropriately, a full fledged pity party can ensue and bitterness is likely to set in.  Resentment towards those around us, including God.  "How could He do this to me?"  Questions like that.  Understandable...but not helpful.


Or the enticement to follow a path of destructive behavior might be his choice of armament against us.  Opportunities for wickedness and folly present themselves, usually disguised as much more benign than they really are.


Or the appeal might even be to abandon faith altogether.  After all, what's it gotten you so far, the Enemy whispers.


And if one takes the bait, if one fails and falls, then the normal tendency is to blame The One who is Sovereign over all.  Surely this failure is somehow His fault.


James stops us short in this line of thinking.  No, he says.  That is deceptive thinking.  Don't be deceived, he warns. 

Yes, the trial is from God.  But the temptation is not.  It's from our own inner desires.  Our "lusts" - the desire to please ourselves - is present within us.  And if we don't know/believe/act on the Truth, we will believe that something other God's plan will get us out of that trial, fill up the hole that's screaming to be filled up, or satisfy the longings of our soul.  It is oh so very easy to be deceived into thinking that something...or someone...will slake our thirst, appease our appetite, mollify our yearning....and we bite the lure the Enemy dangles in front of us.


We bite.  Sin.


But the decoy that entices us fails to deliver what seemed to be promised.


Instead, the process of death is set in motion.


Maybe not instantly.  But surely.  If we don't let go of the lure and run towards Truth, death is inevitable.  In the form of the end of a dream or a relationship or even a life.  Death of trust and faith and blessing. 


In a trial, God's purpose is to produce a faith more precious than gold.
The Enemy, however, is bent on destruction.  Yours.  And mine.


We don't have to fall, though.
Next time we'll look at how to beat him at his own game.

"Money is the best deoderant"....Elizabeth Taylor

"Money is the best deodorant" says Elizabeth Taylor.  It makes even the bad smell good!!!




Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away.  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.
James 1:9-11


At first glance, it seems a bit odd that James inserts this comment about the rich man and the poor man right after he implores us to ask God for wisdom when we are handling trials.  He's told us that our thoughts ("consider") towards trials are to be those of joy...because we can trust that God is doing a great work to develop endurance in us and that endurance will make us whole, lacking nothing.  Indeed, that is reason for joy.  Even in the midst of trials.


And we don't default to that position naturally - we need God's wisdom for that.  We have to ask Him for that perspective, for that ability to see trials like He sees them, for the grace to trust His purpose.


Got it.
But why then the comment extolling the poor man and pretty much feeling sorry for the rich man?  In this context?

Maybe lots of reasons but I think this is at least one of them.
Because when times are tough, our human tendency is to think that something we can see --- like money -- would ease the pain, solve the problem, make the trial go away.
Think about it for a minute.  Focus on a tough time you've had recently or are in right now.
Did it cross your mind that an additional influx of cash would make you feel better?
Chances are, somewhere in the midst of that problem, you at least entertained the thought that money might be a help.


And maybe, in some respects, it might have.


But James turns that thought upside down to tell us that God's economy is different.  Unlike Elizabeth Taylor, God tells us that money is not able to make a bad situation into good.  Instead, it has the potential to make it worse.  If we have don't have "enough" money to get us out of a tight spot, then we are more likely to realize the truth --- that our only hope is God.  That's what James calls "exaltation"...a high position. 
On the other hand, if we have "enough" money, James exhorts us to focus instead on the truth that, in reality, we are spiritually impoverished  -- "humiliation" and in desperate need of a Savior.


Trials. 
They stink.
Maybe so.  But we gotta be careful not to trust that money is gonna make 'em smell better.
It won't.


Only realizing our helplessness and clinging to God's help will.

Joy in trials? Really?

Count it all joy, my brothers,when you meet trials of various kinds,  for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.  And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.  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.  For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

James 1:2-8


It's no secret to any of us that this life is full of trials.  Seems like we're either in one, coming out of one, or about to head into one.  "Of various kinds" - all sorts of things that cause pain, angst, grief.  Trials.  I don't like them and you probably don't either.  I'd rather have comfort and ease and pleasure, thank you just the same.


Interesting that James tells us that our perspective on these trials should instead be....JOY.  Joy.  Joy?
Really??


Why?
And,  how?


First, the why.  That's found in the second phrase - because the testing of our faith produces steadfastness and the full effect of steadfastness at work brings about a life lacking in nothing. Lacking in nothing?  WOW!  Read that again - lacking in nothing. Sign me up!


Oh, wait.  The path to that life is the road marked "trials". 
And James says our countenance on that path should be "joy" - the word "chara" literally means little lambs jumping and skipping without a care in the world. 
Gulp.  In the midst of trials.  Trials bring suffering and pain and discomfort.  But James says our attitude them should be joy.
Because of what they can bring about in our lives.


How??
Well, James tells us to "count it" - another translation says "consider it".  There's the key.  "Consider".  Choose the thoughts. Think carefully about, especially in order to make a decision. Contemplate.
Deliberate, intentional thoughts.


Thoughts that require divine intervention because they are not our natural default.  That's why James exhorts us to ask God for wisdom. 
Wisdom that enables us to trust that whatever God has allowed into our lives is there so He can prove our faith to be genuine, so that He can let steadfastness operate in us....and result in lives that lack nothing.  Wisdom that clings to the character of God - always faithful, always loving, always good - and trusts that His purpose for us is good.


"Doubting" isn't emotional wavering.  The Greek word used here is "judging...coming to a wrong conclusion about".  James is encouraging us here to cling to the truth about God.  In the midst of a trial, it's easy to instead believe that God's not always good.  That He doesn't love us.  That He should've done some things differently.


Wisdom - "Sophia" - is the ability to see life from God's perspective and to trust Who He is.  Always good.  Always at work on our behalf.  Always loving.  Towards those who follow Him.


Trials.   Testing.  Like gold going through a fire to "proof" it.  And once it comes out, it is more priceless than before.


That's the reason for our joy.
Genuine faith more precious than gold.

Testing, testing, testing 1,2,3.....

Update on email receipt difficulties - if you aren't receiving the posts regularly by email, thank you for getting in touch with me!  We are trying to narrow down the issues -- if you have gmail, I'd love to hear from you.  Whether you receive them or not.  We found that some gmail subscribers have found the blog emails in another folder.  Not the same for others, however.  So please let me hear from you particularly if you get email through gmail.


If you have a different provider and are not regularly receiving the posts (note : I don't post every day --- sometimes I actually have to sweep floors and make dinner :) but I do at least post every Wednesday) please email me chamfam@bellsouth.net and let me know your email provider.  I've had difficulties outside the blog with yahoo and am wondering if my computer has a grudge against yahoo and is blocking some posts over that.


As always, thanks for reading!!