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JOURNEY THROUGH THE BIBLE JAMES Day 1 James 1 James 1:1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting. 2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith works patience. 4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. 5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men liberally, and upbraids not; and it shall be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavers is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. 7 For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord. 8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. 9 Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted: 10 But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away. 11 For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withers the grass, and the flower thereof falls, and the grace of the fashion of it perishes: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways. 12 Blessed is the man who endures temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them who love him. 13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempts he any man: 14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15 Then when lust hath conceived, it brings forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, brings forth death. 16 Do not err, my beloved brethren. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. 18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures. 19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: 20 For the wrath of man works not the righteousness of God. 21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. 22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. 23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: 24 For he beholds himself, and goes his way, and straightway forgets what manner of man he was. 25 But whoso looks into the perfect law of liberty, and continues therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. 26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridles not his tongue, but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is vain. 27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. How much trouble have you seen in your life? Do you consider your trouble something good or bad? Most look at trouble as bad. However, when you look back on your trouble, you can see it made you a stronger person. The writer, James, not the apostle as the king killed him shortly after the church began, but the half-brother of Jesus wrote to the twelve tribes of Israel. As Timothy wrote to the Hebrews, so did James. James gave his people hope in their persecution because it strengthened their faith. He caused them to persevere in the hardship they faced. Their hardship was not light but brought death and starvation to many believers as they found themselves in the Roman arenas because of their faith. As Christians, your hardships might seem minimal in the face of what the early Christians faced. Yet, you face ridicule for your faith. People refuse to believe and mock your faith instead of embracing it. They would rather believe lies than the simple truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. When people come at you with vain doctrines, you need to stand firm without wavering seeking God’s wisdom and not mans. You need to remember God will never give you anything bad or lead you in the wrong direction. He will always lead you on the straight path of salvation. Keep your ears tuned to the gospel of Jesus Christ and do what He calls you to do and you will never fall for the ploys of the enemy whose goal is to cause you to falter and question what you know. The definition of religion is taking care of each other. As Christians, you have a relationship with Jesus Christ. When you take care of each other, you show the world you belong to Jesus Christ. Can you rejoice in the hardships you faced through your life? Let’s pray: Father, thank you for my problems. Help me see Your hand in my life, knowing You will never give me anything I can’t face because I don’t go through this life alone, but with You by my side. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. Copyright © 8 June 2019 by Valerie Routhieaux Image courtesy of Pixabay.