Hello friends—this morning we continue in our walk with the Nee Testament book written by James, brother of Jesus. James’ book is often referred to as the New Testament version of Proverbs due to the wisdom for Christlike living that he provides.
You probably know that the Holy Bible consists of 27 New Testament books and 39 Old Testament books. The Old Testament covers the creation of the world, the establishment of God’s covenant with the Israelites, the lives of prophets and kings, and the moral and legal codes of ancient Israel. The New Testament focuses on the life, teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Understanding the Bible calls for humility, submission to God, and an openness to the Holy Spirit’s guidance. Any of us can read and comprehend the words, but fully digesting what the Holy Word of God means requires putting down our pride and listening to hear the voice of God.
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 1:5-8 ESV
My friend! How beautiful and wonderful it is that we worship a loving and generous God! The Lord gladly supplies us with wisdom if we are only willing to ask. He does so generously, not begrudgingly. He does so out of love, not disdain or disappointment. It makes the Lord happy to hear from us. He wants us to lack in nothing that we need to follow Him faithfully, with all our heart, soul, and mind. And we need wisdom.
But, God does ask us to meet some prerequisites in order to receive His gracious provision. If we desire to receive God’s wisdom when we face trials, we must be wise in asking. We must ask in faith. We must believe and not doubt (diakrinomenos, the Greek word for “doubt,” suggests vacillating). In other words, we must remain steadfast, not wishy-washy. We cannot come to God like a wave in the sea, blown [horizontally] and tossed [vertically] by the wind, one way to the next. James makes it clear that the Lord, our God, is not pleased with a double-minded person (“two-souled,” dipsychos) who is unstable in their ways, like some unsteady, staggering drunk (Blue, BKC). We must approach the throne of God sober-minded.
Our answers from God depend on our trust in God
When we ask God for something, particularly a gift like wisdom, He is gracious and generous in giving it, if we are mindful of asking with the contrite heart, a steadfast soul, and a healthy mind.
CHALLENGE
This week I have a challenge for you! Ready? Here it is: When you first enter a space, observe how many phones you see.
Thanks for reading! Please feel free to leave a comment about this post down below.
Until my next post…
Be salty, stay lit.
Rainer Bantau —The Devotional Guy™
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The Stigma Stops Here.🛑
#mentalhealthmatters
References:
Blue, J. R. (1985). James. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 821). Victor Books.
The Devotional Guy™ 