While December comes with much celebrating of the season leading up to Christmas (and rightly so), and although there seems to be a lot of hustle and bustle surrounding it, may we take the time to truly enjoy this season with the beauty God gives us within. May our hearts tuck into the quietness of the days and reflect. Reflect on all the days of this year that are passing, and may we look forward with hope and expectation to the new that’s coming ahead.
Blessings ~ Word for Life Says
“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven” Ecclesiastes 3:1. “Thou hast set all the borders of the earth: thou hast made summer and winter” Psalm 74:17. “Be still, and know that I am God…” Psalm 46:10
When was the last time you laughed out of pure joy? Not a giggle here and there, but from true happiness inside, the inner expression of the heart that cannot be contained?
To laugh like this is the outer proof that something wonderful has transpired inside. This type of enjoyment with life cannot flow from an empty well, so to speak. And if you haven’t laughed from pure joy in this way in a while, what is the well that you are daily drawing from filled with? Perhaps it’s not the lack of expression of laughter that’s the problem, because that will be a natural occurrence when one is filled with those things that will naturally produce it.
Then, there must be a problem with what’s in our joy tanks. There must be a depletion of those things that will, without effort, produce joy.
Today, in the natural, you can make a conscious effort to fill your life with those things that bring you delight and enjoyment. It can be something as simple as changing how you view a mundane routine and making it a place where the work may be mundane, but beautiful joy can be found in the work. It could also be as simple as changing thought patterns and where one chooses to focus. Philippians 4:8 helps us with this, saying, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”
God wants us to enjoy the beauty this life can offer: “And I commend joy, for man has nothing better under the sun but to eat and drink and be joyful, for this will go with him in his toil through the days of his life that God has given him under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 8:15, ESV).
While those things are good, true joy doesn’t begin or end there, and we should not rest or be solely content with a natural filling. As we are making the effort to fill our lives with the things that bring us joy, we must be even more mindful not to leave out the greatest source of joy found in the spiritual.
In heaven, we are going to know the extreme happiness of “joy unspeakable” (1 Peter 1:8), but even now, that kind of joy is ours for the taking because when we are filled with Christ, who is the ultimate reason for joy tanks being filled, the overflow of all He is in us will saturate our very lives from the inside out.
Trust me, my friend, we may not fully comprehend how it will all be or turn out in our tomorrows or future forever, but we can surely act on what we know today. Today, we know that we can laugh with pure joy because pure joy is what Christ brings to our lives. Today, we can focus our hearts on filling our joy tanks with Him, knowing that our wells cannot help but overflow in happiness and all that blessed pleasure that comes as a result from on high.
The Lord Jesus spoke this beautiful summary, saying, “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full” (John 15:11). Life may seem rough at times but there was a great exchange that took place at that cross on Calvary that gave us the great privilege of laying down what is burdensome and picking up a life filled with JOY!
Friend, look into your cabinet now and see how many things have an expiration date. But as children of God, we have His unexpiring word to cling to. We have this blessed assurance in every promise God has bestowed on us. Sometimes the journey will be harder than we would like it to be, yet the assurance remains the same, for “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?” (Numbers 23:19). Even if your days feel like you are standing on shakey ground, His promises are still immovable. Even if you don’t understand, His words are still true and will hold through the test of time, even to the very end: “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away” (Matthew 24:35).
“O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.” Psalm 22:3
Psalm 22 is known by all as the Messianic psalm prophesied of and quoted by Jesus Christ as He died and gave up His life for all mankind on that old rugged cross.
In the tragedy that would occur on Calvary, David tucks in this verse describing God dwelling in the place where His people praise Him.
If you are living a life of praising God, then no matter what circumstance you face, you are drawn near in heart and soul to Him, and the peace of His presence is never far from you.
One psalmist once declared, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all” Psalm 34:19, knowing that at the end of his course, victory was on the other side.
But on this side of life, we may still face many challenges and difficulties we are not keen on. For the very word tells of the distress it brings in one’s life. But it is in the midst of these struggles the individual must train themselves where the thoughts of their heart will lie: in the bosom of God’s faithfulness, or in the logic of human thinking.
The first would always be the winning choice regardless of one’s current condition, for in the bosom of God’s faithfulness, these moments of hardships, with the tears and turmoil they may possess, give way and make room to be refreshed in the fire by the God who will step in with you – to have one’s heart lifted with peace above the circumstance because praise has elevated you.
Oh, my friends, praise is powerful! Praise can lift you from the deepest pit and the direst of occasions. Though physically one may not experience the immediate relief they long for, but when our thoughts and intents of heart are transferred from viewing the troubles before us to the faithful God who has always been with us, we are raised by the power of His presence in the midst of the storm.
Naturally, we may be down, but inside we rise to the place where His glory dwells. Inside, we seem to soar into the heavenlies, leaving the cares of this world behind.
“O thou that inhabits the praises of Israel,” will He not also come near to you and me when we sequester ourselves with Him, lean upon His bosom of faithfulness, and just praise.
Tears may mingle there, but let praise be not absent.
Cares may be cast there but let not the Hallelujah’s be silenced.
“I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.” Psalm 34:1
“O praise the Lord, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people” Psalm 117:1. You do not have to be Israel’s biological child to praise the LORD. The heart of the saint, His redeemed one, crying out, “Abba, Father” (Galatians 4:6) knows that “praise is comely for the upright” (Psalm 33:1) no matter who they are or where they hail from.
“Give unto the LORD the glory due his name…” Psalm 29:2
“It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O Most High:” Psalm 92:1
We may not be before the ark decorated with cherubim, but we can come before the “Throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in times of need” (Hebrews 4:16) which is decorated with His undeniable glory.
And while there before that place of His presence, let us not just ask from Him, but let us offer to God our genuine, heartfelt praise.
Difficulties, struggles, and hurts – with great compassion for the trials some face, I will never downplay their experience. But according to Job, regardless of our present experience, we can still find a place of praise, for he said, “Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord” Job 1:21.
“Praise ye the Lord. Praise, O ye servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord.
Blessed be the name of the Lord from this time forth and for evermore.
From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the Lord’s name is to be praised.
The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens.
Who is like unto the Lord our God, who dwelleth on high,
Who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth!
He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill;
That he may set him with princes, even with the princes of his people.
He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the Lord.” Psalm 113
“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him” (James 1:5) is written in the opening chapter of this small, yet power-packed book, and in it James provides just that, wisdom that can be used in one’s daily life.
Practical living according to Scripture is the best way I would sum up the book of James. Although Christians may face many challenges and adversities, it does not exempt them from taking responsibility for their personal actions. If anything, it shows more who they are or are not.
From the attitudes we carry to living out the Word in our lives through its application and service toward others, to how we speak and view others – all of these take their proper place in the whole of the Christian’s walk of faith, and all of it matters.
And what better way to do this than through our practical, day-to-day living.
In this new series, I have grouped together some holy reminders for this practical living from the book of James to be used as individual lessons, or as the title suggests, grouped in a series. I am working on more lessons to add to this series and plan to update you as each becomes available.
As always, while I provide resources and activities for lessons and lesson development, I encourage you to do your own personal studies as well.
To access the lessons, simply click on the links below. Enjoy!
Why do we count it all joy? Because what we’re going through is producing a beautiful character in us. Because God will give us, in faith, the wisdom to deal with it all. And because we have a sure reward when this is all over with.
There are enough hearers, observers, and viewers of the faith. God needs some action heroes that will allow the Word to work in their lives. God needs more “doers!”
Faith is not silent. Faith is full of action. Faith is alive. Faith is shared through works to testify of its genuineness and sincerity. Faith does more than move mountains. If it is lived out in the lives of the men and women of God, it can help move hearts toward salvation!
Our words are powerful! As this lesson shows, they can be used to hurt or to heal; to edify or to tear down. James wants us to choose life with the words that we speak.
Peter, one who walked with Jesus and walked on water, knew the value of the faith he believed and carried in his heart. He had a deep concern that others would know this value too and refused to let anything stop him from passing it on.
He writes in 2 Peter 1:15, “Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance,” because for people like Peter, Paul, and the others that carried this holy message, facing death, suffering, and hardship due to the ministry was not a surprise. It’s as if they knew it was part of the package of following Christ (see 2 Peter 2:14; compare 1 Peter 4:12, 13).
Rather than let the thought of what they would face deter their faith or cause them to shrink back, they used it as a propelling place, putting even more fervency in the work of the ministry while they had time.
What about us? For some, when things get hard, it pushes a stop button on any progress gained. But what if we, with the same zeal and enthusiasm as they, refused to let the hard places stop our mission? What would happen if we, like a woman in the process of a painful birthing experience, continued to push through it all to receive the reward at the end?
There is power in the push! We are called to be relentless in our faith – not backing down, not easing up. We have the goal of heaven before us, and as those working as “joint heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:17) in this Kingdom work, we want to help and assist as many as possible to find their way to this faith.
That cannot happen if we stop or if we let the thought of what could happen hinder our progress.
We must adopt the mindset of the apostle Paul and say for ourselves, “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus,” (Philippians 3:14). This is a forward march that refuses to lessen the pace, instead the stride is intensified knowing the prize is ahead. The work continues with valiant efforts for the benefit of others.
Continue the push. Be relentless. None of what we go through or do for Christ will be in vain. “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord,” (1 Corinthians 15:58).
Our faith is of premium value. Nothing can compare to what we have in Christ. Refuse to back down. Refuse to step aside from the ministry God has laid on your life. Others are depending on you to keep pushing forward – to be relentless.
“But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.” Hebrews 10:39
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Mornings capture us with a sense of new. The freshness for what’s before us opens like a glorious flower that raises her petals to meet the sun’s rays. Whether the pace of the new days starts out fast or slow, there is a certain level of invigoration that permeates the atmosphere. It says life is here, meeting us again as we open our eyes and arise. What we see before us we have not encountered before. This moment in time, with the grace and mercy that comes with it, is unused.
I grew up during a time of hand-me-downs and leftovers. It was not an unheard-of concept to rely on things that were previously used by another or putting aside portions of a meal that remained for later use. “Waste not, want not,” is often what people would say. It was frugal living before frugal living became popular. We are seeing a resurgence of its popularity due to the current economy that is calling people’s attention to rethink how they approach money, life, and their stuff.
But for the children of Israel, there was one thing that God didn’t want them to rethink, and that was their faith and trust in Him. Even though they were relatively new on their exodus journey from Egypt, God taught them a lesson He hopes will last a lifetime – they can put their confidence in His commands, in His promises. They had no reason to doubt God’s goodness.
So, when the need for food arose, He instructed Moses on what the people should do: “Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no,” (Exodus 16:4).
Further reading gives us a bit more details:
Vv. 11, 12 says, “And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God” (emphasis added).
V. 15 explains, “And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the Lord hath given you to eat.”
And in v. 19, Moses instructed them to “Let no man leave of it till the morning.”
Every morning, when they opened their eyes, they were expected to walk by faith, depending on their daily provisions from God’s holy hand.
When they chose not to rely on God and to take matters into their own hands, and to keep some behind so that they wouldn’t have to worry about the next day, “it bred worms, and stank” (v. 20). When they decided they couldn’t trust God and believe that He would provide for their tomorrows, their personal, human efforts deteriorated right before their eyes. Instead of being beautiful and nourishing, it became something that was disgusting and unpleasant.
There are a lot of things we can be frugal with, but faith isn’t one of them. Jesus, in the Lord’s Prayer, called us to pray for “daily bread” (Matthew 6:11). Every morning we are reminded of our need for God, to pursue Him more, and again. As a tummy rumbling for morning nourishment, we are drawn to come to Him and be spiritually satisfied. We are leaning on the Father every single day for His holy provision: “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him,” (Lamentations 3:22-24).
Every morning we get to reestablish our love for Him, reestablish our commitment to Him, and walk in His faithfulness another day. We get to come to Him, seeking our “manna” for the day, reaffirming He is our source. He is our God! He is our Portion (compare Jeremiah 51:19; Psalm 16:5; 73:26). He is the place where we not only find our holy sustenance, but it is where we trade the wrongs for what is right. It’s where we exchange the ashes of this life for the beauty of who He is.
“Every day” the children of Israel were commanded to go look for what God had for them. Every morning, their expectation and hope were to be on God alone. He, then, supplied their needs (Philippians 4:19) and sustained them for the day’s journey.
If your days seem limp and powerless, lacking the inspiration and sustenance for this time we live in, draw nearer to your daily Portion. Every morning partake of the Bread of Heaven so that your life may be properly fed.
In your pursuit to be properly fed, do as the children of Israel were instructed:
Come daily. Every morning the promise of bread awaited them, but they were the ones who had to put in diligent effort to rise and go get it.
Gather what was needed. Every family was allotted a certain amount so they lacked nothing of all God’s provisions. Don’t cut your time and opportunity short when you come to the Father. The Bible says, “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart,” Jeremiah 29:13. Wholly, go after your portion so that you lack nothing of all God has for you. Stay before Him and gather what is necessary for the day’s journey.
Come back tomorrow and do it again. And the next day, and the next day, and so on. This is a life of longing – a life that refuses to go unsatiated. “As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God,” (Psalm 42:1). Drawing nearer to God is to be our daily desire. He is our holy pursuit. Daily I am unsatisfied in my soul if I don’t come to Him and fill my appetite upon Him who is “I AM THAT I AM,” (Exodus 3:13).
The promise still remains: “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled,” (Matthew 5:6).
As we are coming down to the end of this week, we may have faced many things that try to deplete our energy and strength. But in Jesus, we find the renewal of all we hope for and need. He is our source of Living Water! John 4:10, 14 says, “Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” What a blessed gift for this day!
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God is not only this great and wonderful God that we read and learn about, but in our walk with Him we experience Him; we feel Him in every area of our lives, and through every situation we face. Even if words escape us and we can’t properly explain it, and even if we don’t see it clearly right now, we know that He is there because we can feel Him alive in us, working around us and through us, covering us, carry us, and holding us through it all.
After an extremely busy day yesterday, this morning during my devotion time, I was blessed with the most beautiful of songs.
I sat in my time of quietness and I listened as the birds of the morning sang their song. Although Spring is not fully upon us (it’s 32° here right now), this prelude of its coming, the songs of those beautiful birds refreshed me, inspired me, and lifted me for the day ahead.
And that is how our Heavenly Father works. He really does know what you need. He knows how to fill the gaps where you may feel depleted. He knows how to refresh you to tackle new days, new moments, and new challenges.
Sometimes, these times of refreshing won’t be found in big events that scream, “Look at me!” Sometimes it is found in something as simple as a bird’s song.
“For I have satiated the weary soul, and I have replenished every sorrowful soul.” Jeremiah 31:25
“But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31
“It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28
Word For Life Says... 