Burunche’s Blog

James 1:25 “But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom, and continues to do so—not being a forgetful hearer, but an effective doer—he will be blessed in what he does.” (Berean Study Bible) “But whoever catches a glimpse of the revealed counsel of God – the free life ! – even out of the corner of his eye, and sticks with it, is no distracted scatterbrain but a man or woman of action. That person will find delight and affirmation in the action.” (The Message)

What does “freedom” actually mean? For many people, the term implies that they have the freedoms promised in the American Bill of Rights that is embodied in the U.S. Constitution. Millions have left their home countries and have done everything they can to reach America just because of those freedoms.

Some people feel that freedom means they should be able to do anything they wish, at any time, without fear of any consequences. But this view of freedom is childish and short – sighted. I might feel I have freedom to set off fireworks in the middle of a crowded city, but what about military veterans and pets, for whom loud noises mean terror? What about their freedom to live in peace? There must be a limit to my freedom if it is not going to hurt others, and there must be a limit to their freedom if they are not going to hurt me. Anybody who claims that they should be able to do whatever they want without regard for someone else is behaving like a spoiled two year – old child.

Currently in America, there are groups who feel that freedom for them should mean imposing their will on everybody else, without any restrictions for them, but without regard for the lives or safety of anybody who fails to agree with them. The concept of freedom can be abused, and this is abuse, pure and simple. Promoting anarchy as a means of protesting abuses does not result in freedom, but rather in oppression of anybody holding a differing view.

The Bible has a different view of freedom. James refers to something he calls “the perfect law of freedom.” Eugene Peterson in The Message translates this as “the revealed counsel of God – the free life.” What kind of freedom is this?

Today there is a great deal of talk and blame being assigned about slavery and those responsible. Slavery is not a recent phenomenon; the wretched practice of slavery is as old as the human race. Egyptian hieroglyphics and other ancient monuments depict slaves. Ancient writings mention slaves. But really, each and every one of us was born into slavery, whether or not we realized it.

As fallible human beings, we were born with a sin nature. No matter how hard we try, we sin many times each day. This is why Jesus Christ came to live and die as a man and to defeat death, hell, and the grave so that we could be freed from our sins. Jesus has purchased our freedom from the slavery of sin with his blood sacrifice. But as long as we fail to accept what Jesus has already done for us, we remain in that slavery. To get out of bondage to sin, we must accept what Jesus has already done for us and stop living for ourselves.

Even Christian freedom has boundaries. We can’t just say, “Oh, well, Jesus has paid for all my sins, so now I can do anything I want to.” Romans 6:15-18 says “What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law, but under grace? Certainly not! Do you not know that when you offer yourselves as obedient slaves, you are slaves to the one you obey, whether you are slaves to sin leading to death, or to obedience leading to righteousness? But thanks be to God that, though you once were slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were committed. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.”

SPOILER ALERT! WE ARE ALL GOING TO SERVE SOMETHING OR SOMEBODY! WE WILL EITHER SERVE OURSELVES, IN WHICH CASE, WE ARE SERVING SATAN, OR WE WILL SERVE GOD. To quote Ron Kenoly, “There is a spiritual war waging today, and there is no demilitarized zone.” Freedom does not mean we can kick back, relax, and blunder on heedless of God’s will. We must continue to study God’s Word, to pray, and to ask God to help us, so that we will use our freedom from sin to bring in the Kingdom of God.

PRAYER: Father God, help everyone who reads this to realize the incredible gift of freedom you have given them – freedom from sin, from death, and from the devil! Help them also to turn their hearts to you and to search your Word. We ask this in the mighty Name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

JULY 3, 2020 “DON’T TALK THE TALK IF YOU ARE UNWILLING TO WALK THE WALK!”

James 1:22 – 24 “Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener when you are anything but, letting the Word go in one ear and out the other.” Act on what you hear! Those who hear and don’t act are like those who glance in the mirror, walk away, and two minutes later have no idea who they are, what they look like.” (The Message)

 The couple came to us all enthused. “We really love your work in Ghana! We are definitely going to start helping you!” Over the years my husband and I have presented the needs of the mission hospital at which we serve to large numbers of people. Many times we have finished a presentation, only to have members of the audience come up and congratulate us on our work and promise that they are going to begin supporting it…… and many times that is the last that we hear from those people. If you were to ask the person who heard the presentation, they might tell you that they were preparing to help, or that they were nearly ready to help….. someday. But someday never comes.

There are people so in love with their features that they admire themselves every chance they get. Mirrors, store windows, anything that will give a reflection makes them happy. But why spend all that time looking at oneself? The problem is that as soon as such a person turns his or her head away, they forget what they look like. Only when they continue to gaze at their reflection can they remember their own features. James tells us that people who become enthused but who are quickly distracted are just like those who admire themselves in mirrors. No matter how many times a day they look at their reflections, they will immediately forget their features soon as they turn away. Appearances are fleeting.

There used to be a saying “Don’t talk the talk if you are unwilling to walk the walk!” There is also another saying: “Talk is cheap.” How do we become authentic?

James advises us to “Act on what you hear!” One of Satan’s favorite ploys is to agree that you should do something….. but not right now. “Tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow!” is the refrain that Satan sings in our ears. We should NOT allow God’s Word to go in one ear and out the other. We should study God’s Word, memorize God’s Word, meditate on God’s Word, and act on God’s Word.

The Psalmist asks, “How can a young person live a clean life? By carefully reading the map of your Word. I’m single – minded in pursuit of you; don’t let me miss the road signs you’ve posted. I’ve banked your promises in the vault of my heart so I won’t sin myself bankrupt.” (Psalm 119:9-11, The Message.)

Are you someone that people can trust, or are you someone who makes promises and never delivers? If we are to become authentic, we must have God’s help; otherwise, sooner or later, we will fail and disappoint those who were counting on us. If you claim to be a Christian, do you behave like one?

PRAYER: Father God, help us! We want to be authentic! We want to truly follow after you, but we are easily distracted. Lord, help us to get rid of everything that is keeping us from following hard after you. Help us to walk the walk, to follow where you lead us. In the mighty Name of Jesus. Amen.

James 1:19- 21 “My beloved brothers, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and every expression of evil, and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save your souls.” (Berean Study Bible)

”Lead with your ears, follow up with your tongue, and let anger straggle along in the rear. God’s righteousness doesn’t grow from human anger. So throw all spoiled virtue and cancerous evil in the garbage. In simple humility, let our gardener , God, landscape you with the Word, making a salvation – garden of your life.” (Eugene Peterson, “The Message”)

In the days of the Old West, there were gun fighters referred to as “gunslingers.” Many times these men might work as cowboys, but they enjoyed reputations for lightning – fast reflexes that allowed them to whip a loaded pistol out of a hoster and shoot their opponent before he had a chance to draw his weapon. These men were also known as “quick draw artists” because of their skill.

Unfortunately, today social media has helped many of us become “quick draw artists” when it comes to commenting. But while social media may have made some kinds of communication easier, the human brain hasn’t changed since James wrote this advice to the early church. Nobody really knows which James wrote this epistle. But the book of James emphasizes vital Christianity and a faith that is evident by the way believers conduct their daily lives. Let’s look at what James had to say.

1. We are to be quick to listen. Ever have a conversation with someone who feels that whatever they wish to say is more important than whatever you have? Your side of the conversation is generally limited to short interjections, while your friend goes on and on at great length. That isn’t really a conversation; it’s a monologue with you as the audience! This experience can be particularly frustrating if you have information you truly need to convey. Many times after dumping a conversational load, your friend quickly rushes off….perhaps to have another “meaningful” conversation with someone else! Meanwhile, you feel as if an entire dump truck (tipper truck) of sand has just poured all over you, burying you in the process! Good listeners are rarer than rubies and should be just as highly prized! One of the biggest compliments one can receive is to be told that “you have time for people.”

2. Man’s anger does not bring about the righteousness that God desires. Anger is very dangerous because the angrier you become, the less judgement you possess. If you are heading an organization and people realize that you get angry easily, you are leaving yourself wide – open to manipulation. All someone has to do is to push the right buttons and then they can steer you in the direction they want you to go. The problem is, the angrier you are, the less self – control you have and the more likely you are to say or do something you will regret later. Peterson was correct: Lead with your ears, follow up with your tongue, and let anger straggle along in the rear.

3. When we meditate on the Bible and study the Bible, we are programming our brains so that we will be able to react calmly, rationally, and lovingly. Remember that verse about “Love your enemies and pray for those who despitefully use you?” You can’t just get up some morning and say “today I am going to love ALL my enemies!” If you have never practiced forgiving people, the first time someone cuts you off in traffic, you are going to be raging at them. How can Scripture help? Memorizing Scripture for the particular problems that plague you can be very helpful. Whenever you are tempted by your particular besetting sin, you can pull out your phone or a small card with a pertinent verse and repeat it. This really does work!

PRAYER : Father God, thank you for your Word! Help us to truly be quick to listen, slow to speak, and even slower to become angry. Let our gentleness minister to those around us. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.

James 1:16- 18 “Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, with whom there is no change or shifting shadow. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we would be a kind of firstfruits of His creation.”

One of the things on which mankind has always counted is the rising of the sun, sunshine throughout the day, and the setting of the sun. It is comforting to know that in a world of change and upheaval some things remain constant.

Have you ever seen a solar eclipse? Seeing the light of the sun blotted out temporarily is an incredible sight! An eclipse can be wonderful or frightening, depending on your point of view. Throughout human history, there have been all kinds of myths about the meaning of an eclipse. It is amazing to see the light of the sun temporarily blotted out by the shadow of the moon.

Here James is using the image of the solar eclipse to reassure us about the constant nature of God the Father. James tells us that God is the Author of everything that is good and perfect; if this were not so, why should we worship God?

We are told that God is the Father of the heavenly lights, in other words, that He is the creator of the sun, the moon, and all the stars. Those interested in astronomy know that periodically a star will burn itself out and disappear. Even the powerful light from our very own sun can be made to disappear briefly as the moon passes by it. During an eclipse, the outline of the moon will appear increasingly bigger and then smaller, creating a “shifting shadow” on the background of the burning sun.

Here James is telling us that God is constant and unchanging. Unlike the sun, God’s radiance is never dimmed. God continues to give good gifts to His children. Because God has created mankind, babies are born and grow to be adults who produce new babies. The more we learn about the human body, the more wonderful we find it to be. Nobody doubts the scientific facts we have learned about the human body; they are accepted to be true. The only thing that changes is that we continue to learn more each day.

What does it mean to be ”first fruits of His creation?” In the Bible, the first fruits were always dedicated to God. In Old Testament times, the first born of all clean animals and a first born son had to be redeemed by some kind of blood sacrifice. First fruits of the harvest were dedicated to the Lord. Giving God the first fruits involved a major step of faith, for how could you know if there would be any more grain, any more vegetables, any more olives, any more oil, any more wine, apart from that which you had already harvested? Giving God the first fruits and dedicating first borns to Him indicated a deep level of trust. “Here, God, I give You what I have, believing that You will give me enough to sustain my family and me.”

If we are first fruits of God’s creation, how have we been redeemed? Jesus died for us and shed his blood on Calvary as the ultimate blood sacrifice for our sins. Do we have to accept this as a fact? No. God has given each of us free will and we are free to believe or not to believe, to follow Jesus as disciples, or to turn away and follow Satan. But make no mistake, God has intended good things for us if we will acknowledge Him and worship Him.

PRAYER: Father God, help us to realize how wonderful you are, how trustworthy you are! In a world of chaos, you are forever unchanging, reliable, and dependable. Lord, help us to realize how much you have loved us and how much you want good things to happen to us. We thank you that you are with us in the midst of whatever trials we are enduring and that you have already prepared new solutions for our problems. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.

James 1:13 “When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when by his own evil desires he is lured away and enticed. 15 Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. “

Many years ago, there was a popular comedian on TV named Flip Wilson who did impersonations. One of Mr. Wilson’s most famous characters was a pastor’s wife named Geraldine. Geraldine was forever getting into messes and explaining her way out by saying “the devil made me do it!” All the time Geraldine was explaining how the devil made her do things, the audience could see that it was Geraldine herself who created her own problems. Geraldine was funny because she actually said what many of us tried to tell ourselves.

Sadly, there are lots of people today who would like to use Geraldine’s excuses. But James makes it very clear what is actually going on.

1. God does not tempt anybody. Why would a sinless, holy God want anybody to fall into sin? If God desires fellowship with us, why should he do anything to drive us away?

2. We are tempted when we are lured away and enticed by our own evil desires. There is a saying that “the thought is author of the deed.” We create our own problems by the things we think about. Proverbs 4:23 says “Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flow springs of life.”

All recovering alcoholics and addicts of various kinds can tell you that they have to guard their thoughts at all times. For someone addicted to anything, whether to alcohol or drugs or gambling or pornography, the second they are tempted, they must reject the temptation. Alcoholics Anonymous members have sponsors so that if a recovering alcoholic is tempted to take a drink, he or she can call their sponsor and the sponsor can help counsel them, getting them beyond the situation that has triggered the desire for a drink. The longer you consider an evil decision, the more likely you are to abide by it.

In the early days of computer programming, there was a phrase: GIGO – Garbage In, Garbage Out. The same thing is true for our minds. Put in garbage and that is what will come out. On-line pornography is a major temptation for many, whether or not they are Christians. Putting parental guards on your computer may help you protect yourselves as well as your children.

3. Desire gives birth to sin and sin gives birth to death. Actions have consequences. Decisions have consequences. There is no action that will not trigger some kind of reaction. One of Satan’s deadliest lies is the temptation to procrastinate. “Sure, you should do this or that good thing….but not today. Maybe tomorrow.” But tomorrow never comes, and meanwhile you are continuing to make choices by your very choice to procrastinate.

What is the answer to this problem: Identify sin as sin! Don’t entertain evil thoughts, or allow them to entertain you! Don’t give Satan so much as a toenail’s worth of space in your mind. And don’t blame God when you are tempted. The night that Jesus was betrayed, he warned his disciples to get up and pray that they might not enter into temptation. (Luke 22:46) This is still the best advice possible. When we call out to God for help, he will surely answer us!

PRAYER: Father God, thank you for your Word! Thank you that we do not have to be at the mercy of our own desires and that you give us a means of escape when we pray to you. Lord, please help all who read this to experience your love and your grace, your forgiveness and your mercy. And help all who read this to continually reach out in prayer, so that you may save them from temptation. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.

James 1:12 “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.”

We’ve all seen and heard them! You know the guys I mean! They sit around talking big about what they’re going to do some day….but somehow some day never comes. When King David was a teen ager, herding the family’s sheep and goats, he was the least impressive of his entire family! All of David’s brothers were tall, good – looking, and well – muscled. God sent the prophet Samuel to David’s family, telling him to anoint one of Jesse’s sons to be the next king of Israel. Naturally, Samuel looked at all of David’s brothers and figured one of them must be God’s choice. But God had other ideas. ”… the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or height, for I have rejected him; the LORD does not see as man does. For man sees the outward appearance, but the LORD sees the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7) While David’s brothers had been sitting around the house, David had been out fighting lions and bears to protect the family’s sheep. And it was David whom God chose to be king over Israel.

Sometimes we feel that when bad things happen to us, either we must have done something wrong or else God is angry with us. But neither one of those things might be the case. Life presents challenges for everyone. Here James is telling us that we should not worry about the things we suffer but we should continue to be faithful. It is not so much a matter of what kind of start we make as it is how we continue and how we remain focused, no matter what.

When we came to the village of Saboba in northeastern Ghana in January 1993, there was a small health center with eleven workers. There was no theater (OR). There was no laboratory. There was no electricity. There was no running water. We had a small pharmacy and one consulting room. I was a fully – trained general surgeon with no OR. When we had been in Saboba for a year, the Northern Ethnic Conflict of 1994 broke out. We had to begin operations and laboratory services in the middle of chaos. But God was faithful to help us. From that small beginning, we now have a 112 – bed district hospital with three doctors and a staff of more than 200.

I am not telling this story to boast at all. There were many times when we were tempted to despair and only the needs of the people drove us onward. But God was faithful. And this is the message of hope that James 1:12 gives all of us.

If God has called you to do a work, God will help you. The work may be very difficult. You may find yourself with your back to the wall. You may find your health breaking down at times. You may find that the very people you are trying to help fail to understand and hurl cruel criticisms. But the important thing is to make sure that you are truly following the Lord. Hudson Taylor was the Founder of the China Inland Mission. When Taylor began his work in China, his original sending agency failed him and he finally had to resign. But from that humble beginning, CIM grew so that at one point there were more than 1500 missionaries in various parts of China. During the Boxer Rebellion in the early 20^th century, many CIM missionaries were martyred; yet, their fellow missionaries persevered. The work started by CIM was so well grounded that when the Communists overran China, they could not destroy it. One of Taylor’s favorite sayings was this: “God’s work, done God’s way, will never lack God’s supply.”

Today, what work has God called you to do? Do you feel inadequate? GREAT! That means that you won’t act presumptiously! If you feel totally sufficient for the situation, watch out! That is the very time when you are most likely to make a costly mistake. Far better to realize that it is only by the grace of God that you are able to work each day, that you MUST depend on God for your strength, your inspiration, for everything you need to do the work. But remember that one day there will be a reward – the crown of life. Is the struggle difficult? You bet! Is it worth it? Eternity wil give you the answer.

PRAYER: Father God, thank you for loving us and for calling us to be your hands and feet to a hurting world. Lord, help us to always depend on you and not to trust our own intuition, our own insight, our own knowledge, our own training. We thank you that you give wisdom freely if we will only ask. Help us to persevere and to continue to follow hard after you all the days of our lives. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

James 1:9-11 “The brother in humble circumstances should exult in his high position. But the one who is rich should exult in his low position, because he will pass away like a flower of the field. For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its flower falls and its beauty is lost. So too, the rich man will fade away in the midst of his pursuits.”

One year ago, there were a number of flourishing businesses in various locations throughout the world. Had you told these business owners that the world was about to be hit with a pandemic that would force people to stay home and would keep people away from their businesses, they would never have believed it! Today, sadly, many long – time businesses are quietly folding, victims of a disease that restricts people from any kind of social gathering. Truly, many who were quite wealthy one year ago have faded away just as James described so long ago.

The Apostle James is still at it, still shocking us and bringing us up short. In James’ world, there were the very rich civic and religious rulers, the middle class tradesmen and artisans, and then day laborers. Servants generally enjoyed the same status as the day laborers, and slaves were at the bottom. Then as now, there were many people who had to work hard just to make enough money for them and their families to survive from one day to the next. For those at the bottom, life was particularly difficult. So why is James talking about the “high position” of those who are in humble circumstances?

If we have learned nothing else from the events of recent months, we should have learned that money can evaporate. Viewed from a heavenly perspective, money is only a tool and sometimes not a very useful one at that. Jesus told his disciples in Matthew 6:19-21 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” In those days, people kept money in all kinds of places, including ceramic jars. These days, there are cyber thieves who hack into people’s accounts and steal credit card information or bank account information. These thieves then misuse credit cards or send all the money into their own bank accounts.

Is James saying that poor people are inherently more virtuous than rich people? No. One can be fixated on money, whether or not one is rich. But James is saying that those who are poor already realize that their futures are in God’s hands. Whether you have a lot of money or a modest amount of money, there is a temptation to trust in your money as your main source of support. Here James is warning us that none of us is actually in a high position. The only real difference between the rich and the poor is that the poor are conscious of their vulnerabilty while the rich may enjoy a false sense of security.

What is the answer to this problem of security? Jesus gave his disciples the answer: Store up treasures in heaven. Fix your mind on God; love Him, serve Him, and worship Him. “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.” Matthew 6:33

PRAYER: Father God, we thank you that you are our source of supply. We thank you that you know our needs even before we do. Lord, help us to trust you, to worship you, and to serve you all the days of our lives. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.

James 1:5 – 8 5 “Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith, without doubting, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”

There used to be a TV commercial for a brand of men’s aftershave called “Aqua Velva.” In the commercial, a man who had just finished shaving suddenly found himself being slapped on the face by an unknown hand. The accompanying slogan read, “Thanks! I needed that!” Viewers were to believe that men using Aqua Velva Aftershave would find the tingle of the aftershave on their faces as bracing as a slap in the face. These men would then go out and do great things, now that their aftershave had wakened them up. (It seems like an awful lot to ask of some aftershave!)

The Book of James is a very short book; however, reading Jame is a lot like being the subject of that T.V. commercial. Line after line, James is doing everything he can to wake people up with verbal slaps to the face! First James starts by talking about the benefits of suffering. Now a few short lines later, James is addressing another common problem: that of the “mugwump,” the man who can’t make up his mind and who veers from one direction to another. Someone who is a mugwump has his mug, his face, on one side of the fence and his “wump” or rear end on the other.

Unfortunately, many of us behave like mugwumps, especially if we pay too much attention to news media. Go on – line or turn on the television and you can find all kinds of dramatic and eye – popping headlines. But headlines are generated to catch attention, and the articles may contain little or no truth. Your mind really will feels as if you have been caught in an ocean storm. You can easily become mentally seasick!

Where does wisdom come from? How do we gain wisdom? Someone once said that we gain wisdom by learning from our mistakes. But what if we make a mistake that leads to a deadly consequence? James has the answer: wisdom comes from God. God is a good Father who gives wisdom to anyone who will ask sincerely. If you pray and ask God for wisdom, you should be looking for His guidance. That guidance is most likely to come from the Bible, but God also uses friends and relatives and sometimes even strangers to help us.

When my mother was dying with cancer, my father was extremely distracted and expressed his confusion to a friend who was not at all religious. “But, Lowell,” this friend advised, “the Bible says that God’s ways are higher than ours..” and the friend went on to give my father Biblical advice that comforted him. Clearly, this was a situation in which God put His words into the mouth of a non – believer because that was what my father needed to hear at that point. God is a God of infinite variety and He will move everything to help those who cry out to Him.

Please notice something: James says that “God will give wisdom generously to all without finding fault.” Nothing is mentioned about being good enough or having met any other criteria. The only thing God requires from us is the humility to recognize that we need wisdom so that we will ask for it.

But it is not enough merely to ask; once we have received wisdom, we must act on it. When I was in general surgery training, I helped care for a man who was a severe diabetic. We had had to amputate one of this man’s toes because it became infected. At that point, the rest of the foot was healthy. I spent a long time with this man, urging him to be very careful about how he handled his feet, particularly stressing the dangers of his trimming his toenails too short. (Diabetics with poor circulation in their feet can easily develop infections from the small wounds left after aggressive trimming of toenails.) Unfortunately, several months later, this same man returned with a far worse infection and that time we had to amputate the lower part of his right leg, all because he had failed to follow simple instructions about caring for his feet. If we receive wisdom but fail to act on it, we are like someone who has been given the keys to a brand new car, only to continue riding a junky bicycle.

How do we know if we have received divine wisdom? James 3: 17- 18 has the answer: “But the wisdom from above is first of all pure, then peaceable, gentle, accommodating, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial, and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap the fruit of righteousness.” The mark of the Holy Spirit is peace. When you pray and ask for wisdom, start looking for God to give it. Also look for the peace. Because when the wisdom is truly from God, the peace will come.

PRAYER: Father God, please give each of us humility to ask for wisdom and then the wisdom we need. Help us not to be mugwumps, not to be double – minded, but to wholeheartedly follow you all the days of our lives. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.

James 1:2 – 4 “Consider it pure joy, my brothrs, when you encounter trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Allow perseverance to finish its work, so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

“I don’t want to hear anything more from someone who hasn’t earned his or her Ph.D. in suffering!” The year was 1990. We had just returned from Ghana, where we had stayed for two years. We had made many friends among the Ghanaian people and had become semi – fluent in one of the major tribal languages.

But the group that had sent us out refused to fully assess our situation. Jumping to conclusions, the group that sent us had ended our term at two years, refusing to allow us any defense, any discussion, or any appeal. To make matters even worse, ridiculous and hurtful things had been said by people who had no grasp of the challenges of our situation. Now we were back in America, and well – intentioned acquaintances were mouthing useless platitudes.

By the time I made this statement to my friend, I had decided that these acquaintances evidently lived in shrink – wrapped situations. Shrink wrap is the clear stretchy cellophane that covers vegetables and fruits in packages, protecting them from any harm. During that terrible time, the people who were most helpful were those who had suffered the most themselves. One friend had endured repeated sexual abuse by her stepfather; another was in the midst of a difficult divorce that she did not want. Yet another friend had several children caught up in substance abuse despite all her best efforts.

It’s amazing but true that frequently those who have suffered the most are not only the least likely to speak about their own suffering but also the most likely to sympathize with others. So what good is suffering anyway?

James tells us that suffering comes through “trials of many kinds.” Most of us don’t learn very much the first time we encounter injustice or difficulties. We sort of soldier our way through but remain basically unchanged. Many times, we blame others for the problems, conveniently ignoring any contribution we ourselves might have made. Or perhaps we really do come up against pure absolute injustice; we haven’t done anything to deserve the problems we are facing. But again, the first few times this happens, we are still likely to just slog on through and hope that situation never occurs again. Unless and util we encounter trials of several different kinds so that we suffer at different levels and in different circumstances, we are not too likely to learn perseverance.

“But what good is perseverance anyway?” you might ask. James tells us that our faith must be tested in several different kinds of trials before we develop perseverance. Every time we survive another trying situation, we gain faith that we will be able to overcome the next challenge. As our faith grows, we also develop the ability to continue onwards, no matter how many negatives we find in our situation.

I used to love to listen to my dad’s stories of growing up on the farm in the age of horses because things were so much more difficult and yet people were able to succeed in farming despite those problems. Dad told me about years of drought, years of poor farm prices, the terrible weather in the 1930’s that led to blizzards, dust storms, hordes of swarming insects attacking crops, floods, etc. Through all of these things, the farmers continued to endure, to adapt, and to move on.

When I was a kid, we had a horrible sickness that attacked many of our baby pigs, wiping out much of our hog population and threatening our family’s livelihood. Watching my parents endure helped me to realize that it was possible to cope with terrible situations and to move on. (I will never forget the stench of the burning bodies of the dead baby pigs; there were too many to just bury.)

Finally, James tells us that when perseverance has completed its work in us, we will be “perfect and mature, not lacking anything.” We can fight against a trial, or we can see how we can cope, how we can adjust, how we can move forward. It sounds incredibly trite, but it is true: suffering will either make us bitter or better. Which will it be? The choice is yours.

PRAYER: Father God, help us to see your hand in all of our circumstances, the bad ones as well as the good ones. Please help us to endure suffering and to learn perseverance. We thank you that you are a loving Father and that you send us trials to help mature us and not to destroy us. We thank you that there is always a way of escape, spiritually if not physically. Please help us to see your hand in our problems right now. In the mighty Name of Jesus. Amen.

James 1:25 – 27 “But the one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom, and continues to do so—not being a forgetful hearer, but an effective doer—he will be blessed in what he does. If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not bridle his tongue, he deceives his heart and his religion is worthless. Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”

Today we have a number of different groups all demanding reparations for past hurts. There has always been injustice in the world. Beginning in the Old Testament, the Bible is full of admonitions about caring for widows and orphans and strangers. Why? Because widows and orphans and strangers are the most vulnerable groups in any society. Widows have lost their husbands and must fend for themselves. Orphans have no parents to care for them and are at high risk to be trafficked and enslaved. (Consider the story of Joseph – one of the first recorded cases of human trafficking in the Bible.) Strangers may not know the language or the culture of the land in which they find themselves and are at risk for exploitation.

Protesting injustice is one thing. Working against injustice may be quite virtuous. Destroying the hopes and dreams of others, destroying homes and businesses and entire neighborhoods of innocent people – this is something else entirely. Protesters have moved into neighborhoods and have threatened long – time citizens who have nowhere else to go. Many of the people in neighborhoods that have been taken over are older people – some even are widows or widowers. In many cases, they are the vulnerable.

Now, someone might say, “Well, I am not religious, so this verse does not apply to me.” It all depends on your definition of religion. If you are speaking about organized religion, that might be the case. But if you are describing that cause or purpose that motivates you to action and that is the most important thing in the world to you, then everybody is religious about something. The question that must always be asked about someone’s beliefs is this: what is the fruit? what is the outcome?

We are free to choose our own actions. We are free to choose to build up or to destroy, to encourage or to condemn. But we are not free from the results of those choices. Galatians 6: 7 says “Do not be deceived: God is not to be mocked. Whatever a man sows, he will reap in return.” One secular saying sums it up well: what goes around, comes around.

“But,” you say, “I don’t believe in your God.” No problem. That is your choice. You have free will to choose to believe or not to believe. But whether or not you believe, the fact remains that all actions have consequences. The measure you give out will still be the measure you receive.

PRAYER: Father God, thank you for loving us so much that you sent your Son Jesus to die for us. Lord, let all those who read this devotional consider your words and turn their hearts to you. In the mighty Name of Jesus. Amen.