Episode 45: James 1

Today's Meditation is based on James 1 from the Passion Translation I am a love-slave of God and the Lord Jesus Christ. When it seems as though I am facing nothing but difficulties, I see it as an invaluable opportunity to experience the greatest joy that I can. I know that when my faith is tested it stirs up in me the power of endurance. And as my endurance grows even stronger, it will release perfection into every part of my being until there is nothing missing and nothing lacking. When I long to be wise, I know that all I have to do is ask God for wisdom and he will give it! He won’t see my lack of wisdom as an opportunity to scold me over my failures but he will overwhelm my failures with his generous grace. So, I ask empowered by confident faith without doubting that I will receive. I am not ambivalent, believing one minute and doubting the next. Because I know that being undecided makes me become like the rough seas driven and tossed by the wind -- up one minute and tossed down the next. I am not half-hearted or wavering, which would leave me unstable. Because I know I cannot expect to receive anything from the Lord in that condition. If I am poor, I boast in God's ability to place me on high. If I am rich, I boast  that he has humbled me. I know that all earthly glory will one day fade away like a wildflower in the meadow. I do not pursue wealth, for as the scorching heat of the sun causes the petals of the wildflower to fall off and lose its appearance of beauty, so will wealth pursued wither away. My faith remains strong, even while surrounded by life’s difficulties, and I continue to experience the untold blessings of God! True happiness comes as I pass the test with faith, and receive the victorious crown of life promised to every lover of God. I never say that God is tempting me. I know God is incapable of being tempted by evil and he is never the source of temptation. I do not let my own desires and thoughts drag me into evil or lure me away into darkness. Evil desires give birth to evil actions. And when sin is fully mature it can murder you. So I don't allow myself to be fooled by my own desires. Every gift God freely gives me is good and perfect, streaming down from the Father of lights, who shines from the heavens with no hidden shadow or darkness and is never subject to change. God was delighted to give me birth by the truth of his infallible Word so that I would fulfill his chosen destiny for me and become a favorite one out of all his creation! I am quick to listen, but slow to speak. And slow to become angry. I know that human anger is never a legitimate tool to promote God’s righteous purpose. I abandon everything morally impure and all forms of wicked conduct. Instead, with a sensitive spirit I absorb God’s Word, which has been implanted within my nature, for the Word of Life has power to continually deliver me. I don’t just listen to the Word of Truth and not respond to it, for that is the essence of self-deception. I always let his Word become like poetry written and fulfilled by my life. I listen to the Word and live out the message I hear. I look in the mirror of the Word to discover the reflection of my face. I perceive how God sees me in the mirror of the Word, and I remember my divine origin. I set my gaze deeply into the perfecting law of liberty and I'm fascinated by, and respond to, the truth I hear. I am strengthened by it, and I experience God’s blessing in all that I do! I have an intimate and abiding relationship with God, and I carefully guard my words so my heart doesn't drift away into the shallow emptiness of religion. True spirituality that is pure in the eyes of Father God is to make a difference in the lives of others, to help them through their troubles, and to refuse to be corrupted by the world’s values. Until next time, be blessed and be a blessing. ---- Music from Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
https://uppbeat.io/t/brock-hewitt-stories-in-sound/serenity-prayer
License code: E6GCYFWBRO10DAXQ

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