READ PRAYERFULLY
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greetings. 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. 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. Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. 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. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. 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. Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures. JAMES 1:1-18 ESV
EXTRACT THE MAIN IDEA: “Take your faith into your trials”
I must learn to take wisdom from God’s word
For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. HEBREWS 5:12-14 ESV
A house is built by wisdom, and it is established by understanding; by knowledge the rooms are filled with every precious and beautiful treasure. PROVERBS 24:3 ESV
APPLY IT TO MY LIFE
Asking in faith means I must resolve to obey
Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel. EZRA 7:10 ESV
The one who has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. And the one who loves me will be loved by my Father. I also will love him and will reveal myself to him. JOHN 14: 21 ESV
My season is never a reason
People ruin their lives by their own foolishness and then are angry at the LORD. PROVERBS 19:3 NLT
The wise thing will take the most faith
And without faith it is impossible to please Him… HEBREWS 11:6 ESV
LET IT OUT