Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created. James 1:17-18
Dearly Beloved,
Greetings in the Name of our Lord and Saviour, our Joy and Certainty – Jesus Christ!
In this world that we live in – a world fraught with uncertainties – Jesus is our only certainty. He is the good and perfect gift from our God - our Father - who remains eternally unchanging and eternally loving, gracious and merciful.
Do you believe that our trials are good and perfect gifts that come from our loving God?
Through our trials, we get to learn, accept and experience His mercies today, in order that Christ’s salvific work be completed, actually, perfected, in us.
If we persevere and stand in our test of faith and allow Christ’s work to happen in our lives, believe you me, that is a good and perfect gift from a loving God.
This is a genuine experience of God’s mercies.
For only the genuine experience of His mercies will give rise to genuine faith.
Genuine faith is, in turn, expressed in genuine deeds; which for us, really means that godly faith is expressed in godly deeds.
The big question you must now consider is,
‘Have you genuinely experienced the mercies of our God?’
Don’t brush this one off.
Think about it for a while longer… …
What does it really mean for us to ‘experience’ the mercies of God?
Have you cried for mercy from the Lord lately?
We only cry ‘mercy’; only when we are fully aware that the problems we find ourselves in is far greater than us, or our ability to resolve it.
We only cry ‘mercy’ when we are brought to our knees due to our challenges, or in utter shame due to divine revelations of our sins and iniquities.
We only cry ‘mercy’ when we realize deep the truth behind the abysmal and tragic fallacy that we are in control of our lives and destinies. We are never in control – not over any, and all circumstances of our lives – not by a long shot.
We only cry ‘mercy’ when we comprehend the reality - that our lives are a constant series of trials through which God intents for us to be perfected into His likeness and Holiness; and that it is only through God’s mercies, would we be able to discover the pure and divine joy which James speaks about as we undertake the trials of our lives.
Thus, we anticipate trials in our lives, not because they are bound to happen, but because they must happen – for they happen to test our faith, to activate our ability to persevere, and to forge us in the fire of our trials – cleansing us from all our unrighteousness and re-creating us into His image more and more.
From henceforth, make it a point to perceive and discern every and all trials as divine opportunities to be purged of all unrighteousness, and urged by the Holy Spirit – surged with His power - to feel, think and act - more and more - like the true people of God that He has intended for us in the first place.
Through our trials, the world must see that we are of a different caliber, a different breed of human beings.
Through our trials, the world must glimpse eternal hope in our hope, experience pure joy through our joy, and witness God’s love in our embrace of His love for us.
Therefore, it is imperative that our trials serve to check our lives – as James alludes to in his foreword. (Ref: James 1:5-15)
If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do. (James 1:5-8)
What are your convictions? Does it have anything to do with Jesus being the Lord and God of your life?
What do you consider to be wisdom? Where or who is your source of wisdom?
Wisdom is not wisdom to you, if you are not convinced that it is.
Is the origin and center of your convictions, and by extension, your wisdom - established upon Christ?
Do you seek God for wisdom in the storms of life, or do you attempt to navigate yourself to safety?
God is generous, and gives wisdom to all who asks in utmost sincerity.
James teaches us never to doubt the generosity of God, because this doubt reflects not on the trustworthiness of the Creator of the heavens and the earth, but rather your own double-mindedness and instability - which is the result of our misguided and stubborn convictions that we could probably overcome the trials on our own.
A trial that can be overcome by our own means and resources, is not a trial to begin with.
And approaching a real trial thinking that you can, robs you of true wisdom, eternal convictions and the pure joy that is derived from coming before God and asking Him for His wisdom, strength and guiding hand upon our circumstances.
Trials check your convictions. And I pray that with every trial, your convictions of the salvific and eternal love of God become clearer, deeper and more steadfast.
Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower. For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business. (James 1:9-11)
Believers in humble circumstances speaks to those who know that they are poor in spirit; that they recognize their dependency on the Spirit of God for every ability and requisite to live and believe in the things of God.
There is a great deception that the materially wealthy is spiritually wealthy as well.
Far from it! That is a lie and a deception; as James points out.
The materially wealthy must recognize and pride themselves in their spiritual dependence upon the Lord, just as every genuine believer must.
Our trials check our circumstances. Our trials should serve to draw us closer to God, and to depend wholly upon His love, grace and mercy.
Are you fully and absolutely aware of your humble circumstances? Do you believe that you absolutely need God in every area of your life? Or do you live in the lie and deception of self-sufficiency?
What would you consider your crowning achievements? Your earthly assets? Your riches? Your job? Your knowledge? Or perhaps, your health?
Notice that all of such ‘crowning achievements’ are constructs and results of our own efforts and toil, our self-dependence and self-sufficiencies; essentially devoid of any connection with God. And if any association with divine help is noticed, it merely serves to be ceremonial and cursory, and deemed superfluous.
No matter how you justify it, all such enterprises eventually lead to the idolatry of self – the basis of Man’s original sin.
James writes:
Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. (James 1:12)
The Lord Jesus Christ promises the crown of life – and when Christ talks about the crown, He refers to the eternal crown only He can bestow; just as when He talks about life, He refers to the eternal life only He can give.
And how do we receive this crown of life?
Certainly not by our genius or our tragic concepts of a fulfilling life, but by persevering under trial and standing the test.
This crown of life is the salvation of Christ. We do not and cannot work for it. But through our trials, we proof to ourselves the reality and efficacy of Christ’s finished work on the Cross at Calvary and in so doing, receive and believe in His everlasting love and kingdom.
Count on nothing else, but the eternal crown of eternal life that only Christ can give.
Count on no one else, but Christ; for it is in Christ, and through Christ, that we stand the tests and receive the crown of life.
When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
God does not tempt us.
God grants us trials – tests of our faith – for our sakes, not for His.
He does not need to know the results of our tests – He already does.
The results of our faith-tests are for us to realize how much we need Christ and how much more we need Him.
When we talk about temptations, we are speaking to the moments of our lives when we foolishly devoid ourselves of God’s presence, and rely solely upon ourselves. James speaks to this in the phrase “dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed’.
It is permission on our part to be forcibly taken away from God’s presence. This exposes us to the temptations that erode our humanity, through the conception and advancement of sin in our lives, which leads eventually to death.
Our trials test our character.
Is that the kind of character you have?
Do you blame God for the trials of your life – which exposes your gross misunderstanding of the goodness of God through your trials?
Do you also allow your trials to become temptations – the consequence of removing God from your life - which drags you further and further from the love and covering of God?
Do you set yourself up for temptations, thereby setting yourself up for sin and death?
Don’t do that to yourself. And if you are, stop doing that to yourself.
You have nothing to prove to God, or to the world.
On the day you decided that Christ is your Lord and your God, the Holy Spirit took up residence in your life, and imparted upon you His presence, purpose and power – everything that you ever need in fulfilling the Christ-life in the world on this side of eternity.
God allows trials in our lives so that we might prove to ourselves that all that He has promised to us has been given in full.
Appropriate the Spirit’s gifts in your life this very day, and discover for yourself the power of the living God that resides within you.
Stop acting like unbelievers in a crisis.
Stop being deceived. (James 1:16)
Vest yourself fully in the presence, purpose and power of God and live out His Truth for all the world to see, that
“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.”
Shalom.
Let us pray.
Our heavenly Father,
Hallowed by Your Name.
Your Kingdom come on earth, as it is in heaven.
You are the God who grants us our daily bread. And You are the God who forgives us – and so, we will freely forgive those who have sinned against us.
You are the God who does not lead us into temptations, but in fact, you are the God who delivers us from the evil one.
Thank you for Your revelation that You are a good God, and that your gift of salvation through Jesus Christ, Your Son and Our Lord, is good and perfect – for You are all that we will ever need.
Through our trials, we know that we are receiving every good and perfect gift from You.
Through our trials, we are thankful that we may experience Your mercies, which are new every morning.
May we continue to be fully present to You through our trials as we allow Your Holy Spirit to check our
And we are deeply thankful that through our trials, You always see us through.
You are Emmanuel – God with us.
You have never failed us, Lord. And there is absolutely no reason for us to think otherwise.
Thank you for the trials in our lives, Lord.
May Your divine sense rule over our common sense.
May Your divine love rule over our self love.
May we vest ourselves fully in the presence, purposes and power of the Holy Spirit throughout our lives for all the world to see, now and forevermore.
We thank You and pray all these in the name of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Dearly Beloved,
Greetings in the Name of our Lord and Saviour, our Joy and Certainty – Jesus Christ!
In this world that we live in – a world fraught with uncertainties – Jesus is our only certainty. He is the good and perfect gift from our God - our Father - who remains eternally unchanging and eternally loving, gracious and merciful.
Do you believe that our trials are good and perfect gifts that come from our loving God?
Through our trials, we get to learn, accept and experience His mercies today, in order that Christ’s salvific work be completed, actually, perfected, in us.
If we persevere and stand in our test of faith and allow Christ’s work to happen in our lives, believe you me, that is a good and perfect gift from a loving God.
This is a genuine experience of God’s mercies.
For only the genuine experience of His mercies will give rise to genuine faith.
Genuine faith is, in turn, expressed in genuine deeds; which for us, really means that godly faith is expressed in godly deeds.
The big question you must now consider is,
‘Have you genuinely experienced the mercies of our God?’
Don’t brush this one off.
Think about it for a while longer… …
What does it really mean for us to ‘experience’ the mercies of God?
Have you cried for mercy from the Lord lately?
We only cry ‘mercy’; only when we are fully aware that the problems we find ourselves in is far greater than us, or our ability to resolve it.
We only cry ‘mercy’ when we are brought to our knees due to our challenges, or in utter shame due to divine revelations of our sins and iniquities.
We only cry ‘mercy’ when we realize deep the truth behind the abysmal and tragic fallacy that we are in control of our lives and destinies. We are never in control – not over any, and all circumstances of our lives – not by a long shot.
We only cry ‘mercy’ when we comprehend the reality - that our lives are a constant series of trials through which God intents for us to be perfected into His likeness and Holiness; and that it is only through God’s mercies, would we be able to discover the pure and divine joy which James speaks about as we undertake the trials of our lives.
Thus, we anticipate trials in our lives, not because they are bound to happen, but because they must happen – for they happen to test our faith, to activate our ability to persevere, and to forge us in the fire of our trials – cleansing us from all our unrighteousness and re-creating us into His image more and more.
From henceforth, make it a point to perceive and discern every and all trials as divine opportunities to be purged of all unrighteousness, and urged by the Holy Spirit – surged with His power - to feel, think and act - more and more - like the true people of God that He has intended for us in the first place.
Through our trials, the world must see that we are of a different caliber, a different breed of human beings.
Through our trials, the world must glimpse eternal hope in our hope, experience pure joy through our joy, and witness God’s love in our embrace of His love for us.
Therefore, it is imperative that our trials serve to check our lives – as James alludes to in his foreword. (Ref: James 1:5-15)
- Trials must serve to check our CONVICTIONS
If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do. (James 1:5-8)
What are your convictions? Does it have anything to do with Jesus being the Lord and God of your life?
What do you consider to be wisdom? Where or who is your source of wisdom?
Wisdom is not wisdom to you, if you are not convinced that it is.
Is the origin and center of your convictions, and by extension, your wisdom - established upon Christ?
Do you seek God for wisdom in the storms of life, or do you attempt to navigate yourself to safety?
God is generous, and gives wisdom to all who asks in utmost sincerity.
James teaches us never to doubt the generosity of God, because this doubt reflects not on the trustworthiness of the Creator of the heavens and the earth, but rather your own double-mindedness and instability - which is the result of our misguided and stubborn convictions that we could probably overcome the trials on our own.
A trial that can be overcome by our own means and resources, is not a trial to begin with.
And approaching a real trial thinking that you can, robs you of true wisdom, eternal convictions and the pure joy that is derived from coming before God and asking Him for His wisdom, strength and guiding hand upon our circumstances.
Trials check your convictions. And I pray that with every trial, your convictions of the salvific and eternal love of God become clearer, deeper and more steadfast.
- Trials must serve to check our CIRCUMSTANCES;
Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower. For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business. (James 1:9-11)
Believers in humble circumstances speaks to those who know that they are poor in spirit; that they recognize their dependency on the Spirit of God for every ability and requisite to live and believe in the things of God.
There is a great deception that the materially wealthy is spiritually wealthy as well.
Far from it! That is a lie and a deception; as James points out.
The materially wealthy must recognize and pride themselves in their spiritual dependence upon the Lord, just as every genuine believer must.
Our trials check our circumstances. Our trials should serve to draw us closer to God, and to depend wholly upon His love, grace and mercy.
Are you fully and absolutely aware of your humble circumstances? Do you believe that you absolutely need God in every area of your life? Or do you live in the lie and deception of self-sufficiency?
- Trials must serve to check our CROWNS;
What would you consider your crowning achievements? Your earthly assets? Your riches? Your job? Your knowledge? Or perhaps, your health?
Notice that all of such ‘crowning achievements’ are constructs and results of our own efforts and toil, our self-dependence and self-sufficiencies; essentially devoid of any connection with God. And if any association with divine help is noticed, it merely serves to be ceremonial and cursory, and deemed superfluous.
No matter how you justify it, all such enterprises eventually lead to the idolatry of self – the basis of Man’s original sin.
James writes:
Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. (James 1:12)
The Lord Jesus Christ promises the crown of life – and when Christ talks about the crown, He refers to the eternal crown only He can bestow; just as when He talks about life, He refers to the eternal life only He can give.
And how do we receive this crown of life?
Certainly not by our genius or our tragic concepts of a fulfilling life, but by persevering under trial and standing the test.
This crown of life is the salvation of Christ. We do not and cannot work for it. But through our trials, we proof to ourselves the reality and efficacy of Christ’s finished work on the Cross at Calvary and in so doing, receive and believe in His everlasting love and kingdom.
Count on nothing else, but the eternal crown of eternal life that only Christ can give.
Count on no one else, but Christ; for it is in Christ, and through Christ, that we stand the tests and receive the crown of life.
- Trials must serve to check our CHARACTER;
When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
God does not tempt us.
God grants us trials – tests of our faith – for our sakes, not for His.
He does not need to know the results of our tests – He already does.
The results of our faith-tests are for us to realize how much we need Christ and how much more we need Him.
When we talk about temptations, we are speaking to the moments of our lives when we foolishly devoid ourselves of God’s presence, and rely solely upon ourselves. James speaks to this in the phrase “dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed’.
It is permission on our part to be forcibly taken away from God’s presence. This exposes us to the temptations that erode our humanity, through the conception and advancement of sin in our lives, which leads eventually to death.
Our trials test our character.
Is that the kind of character you have?
Do you blame God for the trials of your life – which exposes your gross misunderstanding of the goodness of God through your trials?
Do you also allow your trials to become temptations – the consequence of removing God from your life - which drags you further and further from the love and covering of God?
Do you set yourself up for temptations, thereby setting yourself up for sin and death?
Don’t do that to yourself. And if you are, stop doing that to yourself.
You have nothing to prove to God, or to the world.
On the day you decided that Christ is your Lord and your God, the Holy Spirit took up residence in your life, and imparted upon you His presence, purpose and power – everything that you ever need in fulfilling the Christ-life in the world on this side of eternity.
God allows trials in our lives so that we might prove to ourselves that all that He has promised to us has been given in full.
Appropriate the Spirit’s gifts in your life this very day, and discover for yourself the power of the living God that resides within you.
Stop acting like unbelievers in a crisis.
Stop being deceived. (James 1:16)
Vest yourself fully in the presence, purpose and power of God and live out His Truth for all the world to see, that
“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.”
Shalom.
Let us pray.
Our heavenly Father,
Hallowed by Your Name.
Your Kingdom come on earth, as it is in heaven.
You are the God who grants us our daily bread. And You are the God who forgives us – and so, we will freely forgive those who have sinned against us.
You are the God who does not lead us into temptations, but in fact, you are the God who delivers us from the evil one.
Thank you for Your revelation that You are a good God, and that your gift of salvation through Jesus Christ, Your Son and Our Lord, is good and perfect – for You are all that we will ever need.
Through our trials, we know that we are receiving every good and perfect gift from You.
Through our trials, we are thankful that we may experience Your mercies, which are new every morning.
May we continue to be fully present to You through our trials as we allow Your Holy Spirit to check our
- Convictions,
- Circumstances,
- Crowns, and
- Characters.
And we are deeply thankful that through our trials, You always see us through.
You are Emmanuel – God with us.
You have never failed us, Lord. And there is absolutely no reason for us to think otherwise.
Thank you for the trials in our lives, Lord.
May Your divine sense rule over our common sense.
May Your divine love rule over our self love.
May we vest ourselves fully in the presence, purposes and power of the Holy Spirit throughout our lives for all the world to see, now and forevermore.
We thank You and pray all these in the name of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.