IT

 

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds," James 1: 2 NIV

Ever noticed when one appliance is not functioning, it gets lonely so at least one other appliance joins the repair needed list?  Often life feels like we juggle many trials at once.  Our prayer for one at a time seems to be ignored. Real life is many kinds of trials.  Trials are not something we choose or schedule. Life challenges happen at the inopportune moments.  Superstitious folks think bad happens in sets of three.  Some exhale a sigh of relief when the third trial is identified.

James is a realist.  He reminds us trials of many types will be a part of life.  It's a guarantee.  James gives advice as a prelude to our experience of this fact of life.

First, he opens the advice with "consider".  My favorite study aid is Strong's Concordance.  When a word in scripture "jumps off the page", I look up the Greek or Hebrew word in Strong's to get a better understanding of the word's meaning.  A couple of synonyms (same as words) spoke to me:  Command and lead.  Consider makes me think I have to weigh options of whatever noun is coming in the sentence.  I can waiver on how I handle what comes next in life.  Command and lead remind me to be assertive, proactive and optimistic.  If I face a trial with the understanding that God will lead me through the situation, I will attain the "it."

Second, the it, the goal, the ability to endure life, is pure joy.  Handling life trials seems a strange path.  Yet the fact of life is we are not in control or command of all we see.  Life is intertwined with so many people and events.  One of Strong's description of joy gives me focus.  "Calm delight" is a characteristic I've noted in the spiritual giants I've known.  I think of it as  I Trust.

Pure joy is not cart wheeling happiness.  Pure joy is trusting assurance based on experience with a God who joins, protects and leads. IT- I Trust.

Third, "brothers and sisters" remind me God knows us so well.  He brings flesh and blood, warm to the touch, friends, sometimes closer than a sibling, to assist us with the trials of life.  He never leaves us alone.  He is with us always and so are the rest of our tribe, or family, of believers.  You recognize them by their slight smile of assurance that God is greater and the twinkle  in their eye which encourages us to IT- trust and follow God, God alone.  These people remind me of IT- I Trust.

To restate James' advice for living:  Be resolved to live through real life events with calm delight.

Let's Engage:

What Aha do you see in this verse?

Who is a spiritual giant in your life that you recognize has the calm delight?

When life delivers challenges, obstacles and trials, which member of your tribe of believing brothers and sisters will you call?

Who are you to be a brother or sister to, who needs to be reminded to trust our loving and merciful God?

I'm back!

 

Some of my ancestors

James 1:1, NIV - ’James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings.”

Greetings!  It's been a while.  I've been distracted by many things since I've last written.  No excuse because the biggest obstacles are plain laziness and procrastination!  This is another attempt at  "Another Beginning", my blog.  Glad I follow the God who believes in second, third and even fourth chances.  I do appreciate grace!

I enjoy writing and formulating a point from my musings while reading scriptures. Putting aside my online Bible app, I took my faithful old Bible in my hands, hoping to find the next book of the Bible to  ponder.  Nothing really sparked my creative juices until one of the half dozen emailed devotionals lit the "light bulb" of an "AHA"!  The scripture that day came from the book of James.  James tells us to be not just hearers of The Word but doers.  I like doing. So here we go "doing" the book of James.

James is a key name in my family.  My dad and brother are James.  My uncle and cousin are James.  There are several James' in my ancestry chart!  Many children in our family have James as a middle name, like my son. 

The traditional view of the author of this book is James, the half-brother of Jesus.  I like to think of the family connection.   The author, James, grew up in the same household as Jesus (!!!!) and also has a broader view of family  as he opens his letter with greetings to the 12 tribes.  He knew who his tribes were.  I know my biological tribe of James' because of the name and relationship. Now I'm greeting my potential online tribe, whoever they are who read my blog musings.

A tribe is a social division of communities by social, economic, religious or blood ties.  A tribe has a common culture.  We can build an online tribe with the common culture of believing that Jesus' blood saves us from the penalty of our sins and establishes the opportunity to have a personal relationship with God and each other.

I am not an "old dog who can't learn new tricks!" The past year I've learned to Zoom, participated in several online bible studies and made new  friends online.  I'm .expecting new ideas and perspectives from an online "tribe".

During the past year I've appreciated the value of connecting with people online. I hope some of you will engage in discussion.  What light bulbs of enlightenment does the scripture offer you?  Leave a comment, please, or send me an email.  I've resolved to respond in a bit more than my customary one word replies.  So let's build a tribe together! (Be sure to click the subscribe link so you'll know how consistent this restart of the blog will be.  My goal is once a week. OR send me an email and I'll personally let you know.)

LET'S ENGAGE

What word or phrase jumps off the page for you?

What is your favorite greeting? ( I had a friend who always asked me "What did the Lord teach you today?"  I tried to be ready with an answer whenever I knew I'd be seeing him.)

What has the Lord taught you today?

T he

R eason

I

B log:

E ncourage Endurance with Excitement for THE Eternal.