Greetings, dear Readers!
Last week we considered the B•I•B•L•E, God’s Holy Word. We reminded ourselves of our old habits, and the need to find and dust off our Bibles and use them daily. Following this theme, we considered the parable of Jesus as the Good Shepherd whose sheep recognize his voice. This made us stop and consider whether we were familiar enough with Scriptures, that we, too, might recognize the sound teachings of our Lord and Savior. We considered what it means to be a People of Prayer, spending quiet, private, quality time alone with our Heavenly Father—the One who already knows every thought and inclination of our hearts—but the One who lovingly waits to hear from us. Next, we considered that it matters little whether we are the ones to plant the seed of the Gospel Good News in someone’s heart, or whether we come along after the seed has been planted and nurture it with encouragement and teaching...what matters is that all glory, honor, and praise belong to the Heavenly Father who causes the growth. Our job is simply to be a faithful worker in whatever task the Lord leads us to do. And finally, we ended our week by gaining a Fresh Perspective on our view of the Bible—that it is first and foremost a Book about God. It’s not about us; although we learn much from it; but it’s about God and his Creation, his love, his mercy, his compassion, his forgiveness. The Bible is a whole book with both Old and New Testaments telling the wonderful redemptive plan that God has for his people.
This week, we will embark on a new series of devotionals along the very same themes yet perhaps from new angles. I make no apologies for repetition; because honestly dear readers, sometimes that is what we need the most. My plan is to primarily use NIV, NET, and NLT throughout...and although using three texts together will add quite a bit of length to each reading; I make no apologies for the length since sometimes additional wording adds to our understanding. My encouragement is that you will always use an authentic translation of the Bible and never a paraphrase of what someone else thinks it should say. Finally, I ask you to begin and close your devotional time with prayer. As always, I thank you for reading, but I ask you to give all glory, honor, and praise for any understanding you gain to your loving Heavenly Father. He is always listening. He is as close as your next whispered prayer.
Now, I invite you to join with me as we delve deeper into God’s Word.
James 1:5-8
(NIV) 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 when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.
(NET) But if anyone is deficient in wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without reprimand, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed around by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord, since he is a double-minded individual, unstable in all his ways.
(NLT) If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.
Have you ever noticed that when most people are asked why they do not read their Bible more often; generally the responses include... it’s too hard... I don’t understand... I need help. Once when taking a painting class with my mother-in-law, she remarked that she didn’t like to paint scenes with rocks, because “Rocks are hard.” Well, yes, they are; but rocks can be beautiful and they make great foundations. So it is with personal time reading the Bible. It may be hard at first, but it can also be a beautiful time with the Lord, and it provides the most solid of all foundations.
Recently I was communicating with a friend and we were considering today’s passage. As I explained to him; even though it’s fairly obvious, NOTICE in the above passage James 1:5-8 that the “asking” is in regard to acquiring wisdom…NOT to winning the lottery or getting a new car. You would be surprised at how many people misuse this text to support the Gospel of Prosperity rather than a humble request for God’s help in understanding His Word.
During yesterday morning’s Sunday worship service, our Pastor reminded us that yes, sometimes it is difficult to understand what we read. But God provides wisdom. He encouraged us to start with 30 minutes a day, and although that may seem too long at first, gradually we will become more comfortable with it. It is important for us to read and understand, take notes if we wish; and to this he offered suggestions—yet the whole point was to simply start, acting in faith, and trusting God’s guidance.
I close with a personal note: Whenever I am about to study the Bible or write a devotion, my prayer is to ask God to guide my understanding and to provide the amount of wisdom and knowledge he trusts me to handle correctly. With too little understanding, I might be tempted to search for other worldly or incorrect sources...With too much understanding, I might become overwhelmed and shut down. So I always ask the Lord to determine how much wisdom, knowledge, and understanding to grant me; and I’ve never been disappointed, I’ve always been humbly grateful. He knows what I can handle, and he never makes me feel guilty or silly or dumb because I didn’t already know what I was reading. God is gracious. God is merciful. God is kind. God is always listening. God is ready to help and guide through his Spirit.
Gracious Heavenly Father,
Teach us to be Bible-studiers and Heavenly Father-trusters. Help us put away our worn out excuses for not delving into your precious Word. Grant each of us the amount of understanding you trust us to handle correctly. Open up to us the joy of knowing You.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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Write From My Heart at https://writefrommyheartblog.blogspot.com
Email: Dotty Willmon, writefrommyheartblog@gmail.com
Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®, Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Scriptures quotations marked NET are taken from the New English Translation Bible® http://netbible.com copyright © 1996, 2019 used with permission from Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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