James 1 - "All You've Ever Wanted"

The Lord had me back in James 1 today, specifically verses twelve through eighteen...

12 God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. 13 And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else. 14 Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. 15 These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death. 16 So don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters. 17 Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. 18 He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession.

I love that....I am "his prized possession"...woo hoo! "He chose..." me! Woo hoo! Oh how I wish more people could realize these things. The world tears them down but the Lord wants to uplift them. People say hurtful things but the Lord wants to encourage them. Circumstances pull them down but the Lord wants to be their strength. Verse twelve is rich. When we go through trials on this earth and seek Him through them, we will be blessed with His peace on this earth and also be blessed with spending eternity with Him. He does not bring 'junk' down upon us. We do by the decisions we make. We must repent and surrender. This will allow Him full reign to bless us. A key in repenting and surrendering is it is not just a one time thing but is a way of living. The beginning of verse eighteen has deep meaning. "He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word." This birth is not a physical birth but is a spiritual birth. His truth is what we need to stand on. His truth is what will enable us to live a life with Him for eternity. His truth. Plain and simple. Where do we find His truth? In His Word. It is full of instruction on how to live a life pleasing to Him. It is also full of instruction of things that will pull us away from Him. 

Dear Jesus,
Woo hoo! Thank You for the reminder this morning that I am Your prized possession! Thank You for Your love, mercy and grace that enables me to walk with You daily. Father, I pray for ones who do not experience such a life. I pray they will see it is up to them to repent and surrender in order to have Your peace. I pray for those who are struggling with life being overwhelming. I pray they will realize life is not up to them but instead they need to allow You to live in and through them 24/7. Father, thank You for being My Truth! Amen.