James 1:9-18
Today's Passage: James 1:9-18
Everything is from God. Seriously, everything. James is driving home this truth as he walks his
readers through the gambit of what we can expect to experience in life. Whether it be
exaltation or humiliation, trial or temptation, sanctification or sin; God’s gracious hand is at
work in it all.
The blessed Christian isn’t the financially stable person; it is the one who endures through trial.
Isn’t that such a mysterious thing to consider? James’ adjective of choice to the person
suffering through trial isn’t cursed, punished, or neglected, but BLESSED. So much spiritual
growth happens in hardship. Although God is the giver of all good things, James wants his
readers to be certain: God is not the author of temptation. In fact, he slams the door of our
blame game that even attempts to pin it on Satan himself. It’s me. It’s you. It’s our own selfish
desires breeding without supervision that eventually gives birth to sin.
Note the theological heartbeat of verse 17. God is immutable, unchanging, constant. Not
shifting or moody, not whimsical or subject to change. This means that the depiction James
made of God then is the same way that God operates today.
So, no matter what we face, we have a good Heavenly Father who sustains, provides, and
protects through it all. The question is: do we see God this way? Is your view of God’s
generosity consistent with the picture painted by James in this text? Write down a few ways
you’ve seen God sustain, provide, and protect you recently; and celebrate!
Written By: Drew Dukes
Everything is from God. Seriously, everything. James is driving home this truth as he walks his
readers through the gambit of what we can expect to experience in life. Whether it be
exaltation or humiliation, trial or temptation, sanctification or sin; God’s gracious hand is at
work in it all.
The blessed Christian isn’t the financially stable person; it is the one who endures through trial.
Isn’t that such a mysterious thing to consider? James’ adjective of choice to the person
suffering through trial isn’t cursed, punished, or neglected, but BLESSED. So much spiritual
growth happens in hardship. Although God is the giver of all good things, James wants his
readers to be certain: God is not the author of temptation. In fact, he slams the door of our
blame game that even attempts to pin it on Satan himself. It’s me. It’s you. It’s our own selfish
desires breeding without supervision that eventually gives birth to sin.
Note the theological heartbeat of verse 17. God is immutable, unchanging, constant. Not
shifting or moody, not whimsical or subject to change. This means that the depiction James
made of God then is the same way that God operates today.
So, no matter what we face, we have a good Heavenly Father who sustains, provides, and
protects through it all. The question is: do we see God this way? Is your view of God’s
generosity consistent with the picture painted by James in this text? Write down a few ways
you’ve seen God sustain, provide, and protect you recently; and celebrate!
Written By: Drew Dukes
1 Comment
"Everything is from God, and everything is a GOOD gift from Him." Thanks! I needed this reminder. Even when things get crazy-loud/violent & my brain's overwhelmed/headache-y/anxiety-attack-mode, God's still in control. And God has a purpose, and He's protecting us, and He will deliver at the perfect time. I wonder if putting one of these verses on the bathroom mirror (for stabilizing self-talk) would be enough to help ground me in crises moments, and prevent full-blown anxiety attacks from developing? It's worth a try. :)