Hannah-- A Virtuous Woman

It seems that a common theme in the Bible is faithful women who couldn't have children. In those days, having children was extremely important. You don't have to look hard to find numerous places where God says that children are a blessing and a gift. So these women who struggled to have children were devastated. Hannah was one such woman. She is a woman whose faith should be an example to us all.

Hannah was deeply loved by her husband

Despite the fact that she couldn't give him the children they desired, it is clear that Elkanah deeply loves his wife. In those days, when there was much less focus on romantic love and marriage was more for posterity, Hannah must have been a very special wife. 

Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. -Proverbs 31:11

Hannah kept her focus on the Lord

Hannah knew that no one could heal her except God. She doesn't lash out at her husband or Peninnah, who treated her so cruelly. Instead of blaming God, she turns to Him. She pours out her heart to Him. And when Samuel is finally born, Hannah says, "Because I asked the Lord for him." She never stops remembering that it is God who brings all blessings. 

She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. -Proverbs 31:26

Hannah kept her promises

How often is it that you utter a prayer asking God something and then, when you receive that thing, you don't even stop to thank God? Maybe it's just me, but I find myself doing that often and I have made a mental note to always remember to thank God when things I had prayed for happen! Hannah was a woman who remembered to thank God-- and not just that, she acted on probably one of the most difficult promises she could have made-- giving up her longed-for son. How easy would it have been for Hannah to keep Samuel? At that time there was a lot of corruption in the priesthood so it would have been easy for Hannah to justify keeping Samuel. After all, who would really expect Hannah to give up her beloved son? But she doesn't make excuses-- she keeps her word. 

If you want to read more about Hannah's lovely heart, you can read her beautiful prayer in 1 Samuel 2:1-10. Her heart for the Lord is indeed a wonderful example for us!

Anna-- A Virtuous Woman

If you don't remember Anna, I'm not surprised. She is mentioned in just three verses of the Bible, yet the lessons we can learn from her are profound.

There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage,  and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem. -Luke 2:36-38
 

She was part of a faithful remnant

At the time of Christ, the religious leaders were, well, not good leaders. They were far more interested in their own self-righteousness than being godly They made themselves look good by following multitudes of rules that they had added to God's law. Despite the leadership, there were still some in Israel who truly wanted to be godly and were waiting for their Messiah. Anna was one of those. She didn't allow herself to be dissuaded by the pseudo-righteousness of the leaders, but sought to know what God truly wanted. When Jesus was born, she was thrilled to hear the Messiah had finally come. And she got to meet him before she died!

She sacrificed of herself

Imagine spending ALL of your time worshiping God. She never left the temple-- she continuously prayed and fasted. She was completely devoted to God. Not everyone would be able to live that kind of life, but she could. Anna was quite young when she was widowed, so she would have been encouraged to marry again. Anna decides to remain single though and devotes her life to the Lord. 

She didn't make excuses

Being a widow in those times was difficult. She was most likely very poor. She was also very old. Those things didn't stop her. She wasn't worried about herself, about what she would eat or what she would wear. God would provide. She only knew that she had to serve God with everything.

She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. -Proverbs 31:25

She spread the Good News

After Anna saw Jesus, it says that she told everyone she could that the Messiah had been born. She didn't let fear of the religious leaders stop her. She wasn't discouraged by the lack of faith in others. She only knew that she had seen the Messiah and she had to spread the Good News! 

She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. -Proverbs 31:26

If only we could be as devoted and faithful as dear Anna!

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Rahab-- A Virtuous Woman

To be perfectly honest, I've never much thought about Rahab, a Bible character with a rather tarnished past. But Rahab was truly a virtuous woman and because we all have a tarnished past, I thought I'd write about this strong woman today.

Rahab feared the Lord

Now, I don't mean fear in the sense that she was afraid of God, although her faith probably sprung from a bit of fear. Rather, she was in awe of our awesome God. Rahab, a Gentile woman (remember-- until Christ, Gentiles were not included in God's salvation unless they converted to the Jewish faith) heard the report of the Jewish God and believed that He was the true God. At her time, the Israelites were conquering the land of Canaan, not by sword and chariot, but by God's miracles. Regardless of how she had been raised and the idols she most likely worshiped, Rahab had an ear to hear. While the city of Jericho shook in fear of what was to come, she did not fear.

She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. -Proverbs 31:25

Rahab cared for others above herself

Who knows what could have happened to Rahab had her people found out she was a traitor. I'm guessing imprisonment or death. Yet she risked her own life because she realized these two men were on God's side. She wanted to be on God's side too. In caring for others, Rahab actually ends up saving herself AND her family. 

Rahab believed in forgiveness

All sin is wrong and all sin separates us from God. Yet in our own minds, I think we often see it a little differently. Someone who commits murder is usually thought worse than someone who cheats on a test. In the same way, perhaps Rahab felt her past was more sinful than others. But that didn't stop her. She believed in the power of God's grace to save anyone. Isn't that the hardest thing of all-- to believe that we, no matter our flaws, can be saved by God's grace??

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. -Proverbs 31:30

Rahab saved her family

Because of her faith and willingness to act, Rahab actually saved the lives of her family. Every person in her city was destroyed except for Rahab and her family, all because of Rahab's faith. In fact, remember Ruth? Rahab ended up marrying a Jewish man and they were the parents of Boaz, Ruth's husband! God saw Rahab's character and she too was placed in the most important lineage of all time-- the line of Jesus Christ.

She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. -Proverbs 31:27

Abigail-- Part 1

Ruth-- Part 2

Ruth-- A Virtuous Woman

Today I am sharing characteristics of another virtuous woman-- Ruth.  If you would like to read part 1 about Abigail, go here. Once again, to get the most out of it, go read the book of Ruth first... it's a short 4 chapters (:

Ruth was kind

Naomi praises both Ruth and her sister-in-law, Orpah, for treating her and her family with kindness. As we know, kindness is one of the fruit of the spirit in Galatians 5. Naomi and her family were strangers in Ruth's homeland of Moab, yet they were treated with kindness by Ruth. 

Ruth was devoted 

To God, and to her mother-in-law, Naomi. In the beautiful and famous words, Ruth says to Naomi: "Where you go I will, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God." Ruth was leaving behind everything... her land, her family, the gods of Moab. She knew that both she and Naomi would be poor in Israel because they had no husbands to support them. However, she knew something far more wonderful was ahead. She knew that her old life held nothing for her. 

Ruth was a hard worker

She wastes no time once she and Naomi arrive in Israel. Under the law of Moses, they were allowed to go through the fields and pick up grain that had been missed. She goes to the field of their relative, Boaz, and begins to gather grain. Boaz and his workers are impressed by her and comment on how she gathered steadily all day. She knows that she has to care for Naomi and she does not shy away from the task. This care and hard work attracts the affection of Boaz, who was himself a spiritual man.

Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life. -Proverbs 31:11-12

Ruth was obedient

I can't say that I really understand the process Naomi tells Ruth to go through, but whatever the reasons, Ruth obeys. She could have said that she wanted to make her own decisions about who she would marry, but she doesn't. She realizes the wisdom of Naomi and follows her advice. Boaz appears to have been an older man, but she doesn't care about that. What she does care about is Boaz's heart for God. 

Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. -Proverbs 31:30

One last thing to note is that Ruth was in the line of David, and therefore of Christ. I know this isn't a characteristic, but still amazing that God chose a woman from Moab to be in the line of His Son. She must have been a very special woman indeed. 

What virtuous woman do you aspire to be like?

What If We Weren't?

What if we weren't meant to stay in our comfort zone?

What if we weren't meant to live the American dream? To have the biggest house, a pool and 2.5 children?

What if we weren't meant to have the fanciest car?

What if we weren't meant to settle for this life?

What if we weren't meant to just read the Bible a few minutes every day and show up for church on Sunday morning?

What if we weren't meant to constantly desire what we do not have? What if we weren't meant to buy whatever our heart desires?

What if we weren't meant to go to college, snag a financially secure job, and live out the rest of our days without worry?

What if we WERE meant to step out of our comfort zone, to live more simply, to give more and take less?

Jesus didn't call us to a life of luxury and ease. I don't know about you, but my life pretty much qualifies as comfortable. 

I'm scared to step out of that comfort, but I'm even more scared not to.

That's my challenge-- to myself and to you-- to start to move out of your comfort zone and into the life Jesus called us to live. It may be scary, but I think it will be so worth it. Maybe, just maybe, we won't discover our TRUE life until we stop settling for this life.

Abigail-- A Virtuous Woman

As a new wife myself, I find that the virtuous woman of Proverbs 31 is often on my mind. Not that one has to be married to be a virtuous woman (we know of many a single, virtuous woman!), but I've just been thinking on it more... and man, it sure is hard!

I thought that maybe I would take a few weeks to write about some of the women who inspire me from the Bible. It is uplifting for me to see that they go through struggles that all women face, sometimes they stumble, but in the end they remain virtuous. 

I would say that the woman who inspires me the most from the Bible is Abigail, so I'm going to start with her. I would suggest that you start by reading 1 Samuel 25. 

Abigail was faithful

How difficult it must have been for Abigail to be married to such an unspiritual man. Yet instead of losing her faith, she remains the example of faith to God. We don't know what the circumstances were that led to Abigail's marriage to Nabal-- whether it be a foolish choice of youth, an arranged marriage, or simply that Nabal had grown more foolish over the years. Regardless, Abigail did not let her faithless husband change her fervor for God's will.

Abigail was humble

Despite being the wife of a very rich man, Abigail bows herself down to young David, a poor man and a fugitive. Yet she knew who David was and who David was to become. More than that, she knew the God David served and she was willing to do whatever she could to remind him that killing Nabal was not a godly thing to do. 

She could have called him out for acting wickedly or foolishly, but she doesn't. She begs forgiveness from him even though she had done no wrong. 

She watches over the affairs of her household and

 does not eat the bread of idleness - Proverbs 31:27

Abigail was a hard worker

Just like the virtuous woman of Proverbs 31, Abigail doesn't wait for someone else to do the hard work. She saw that her household was in danger and she does what is needed to protect it. She is willing to do something that was "beneath" her role as a nobleman's wife.

She sets about her work vigorously; 

her arms are strong for her tasks -Proverbs 31:17

Abigail gave openly

Though Nabal refused to give up anything to David and his men, Abigail was more than willing to openly give to David. Not only because of the work he had done for her household, but because she was generous. She knew that everything Nabal had collected was not theirs to keep-- it had been given by God and therefore should be used to do God's work.

She opens her arms to the poor and

 extends her hands to the needy -Proverbs 31:20

Sadly, Nabal was not the righteous companion a woman like Abigail would have wanted. God had a better plan for her-- because of her faith, humility, and desire for His work. We have so much to learn from this wonderful woman!

Light

Light. 

What is light? A wave, a ray, a chance to have vision. A way to see outside of darkness. A wonderful dimension of our lives. On a physical level, it allows us to see what is around us-- the soft smile of a baby, the flowers blooming in spring, the face of your husband. Imagine if we didn't have the gift of light and vision. The world would be a very dark place (not to mention, we would all be dead without the light from the sun!) Since we usually associate light with the sun, the term light often also causes me to think about warmth. We might think of the warm sun as winter melts away (or here in California, never comes) or the salt and sand of the ocean. These are all little things that I think of when I hear the word light.

On a spiritual level, light represents godliness. EnLIGHTenment is what separates us from the darkness, from sin. It is what separates us from the rest of God's creation by allowing us to reason. The light from God's word gives us a moral compass to be able to see what is right from wrong. It gives us vision of what God wants and hopefully lights the path we walk. Without the light from God's word, the world would be a very dark place. Without the light from God's word, we would all be stuck in our sins, without hope. So when I think of light, ultimately I think of HOPE. A vision for the future that is full of the light from God. 

Verses Pin

Happy Friday! To make yesterday's verses more accessible, I decided to make a picture out of them. This way you can pin it to Pinterest or save it to your computer in one easy picture! Have a wonderful weekend!

Go to God

This weekend, as we do every President's Day, we had the pleasure of hosting a youth conference at our church. Our speaker presented a great group of "go-to" verses that I am sharing, in addition to some that I added myself. Since we all feel lonely, sad, or frustrated at times, I think that these verses are a great way to remind yourself that we have an ever-loving Father. Print them out, post them, and look them up when you need that reminder!

Anxious or Afraid?

Philippians 4:6

1 Peter 5:6

Psalms 34:4

Psalms 46:1-3

Psalms 37:23-24

Bitter or Critical?

1 Thessalonians 5:18

Hebrews 13:15

Romans 12:19

Psalms 15:1

Depressed or Discouraged?

Psalms 34:17

Psalms 55:22

Psalms 42:5

Isaiah 41:10

Doubting or Lacking in Faith?

James 1:5-6

Mark 6:23-24

Hebrews 11

Matthew 21:22

Lonely or Sorrowful?

Matthew 5:4

Joshua 1:9

Psalms 34:17-20

2 Corinthians 12:9

What We're Thankful For

The big and the little, the holy and the mundane, here are just a few things our family is thankful for...

"I'm thankful for each other."

"Our Heavenly Father."

"Washing machines, cars, microwaves."

"An invitation to forever."

"I'm thankful for the Gospel and the Lord Jesus Christ!"

"God's nature."

"For clean water and sinks and soap."

"I'm thankful for thanksgiving!!!"

"Music and colors."

"I'm thankful for my family's health!"

"God's promise of eternal life... a life MUCH better
 than this! (and this is a good life)"

"Being able to travel easily and talk to people far away
quickly; being able to see our grandparents."

"Laughter."

"If I need help, everyone is usually willing."

"For a healthy body."

"Warm clothes."

"Warm sunshine, cool breezes."

"There are people willing and able to 

spread hope and the gospel."

"I'm thankful for strong legs and arms so 

that I can exercise and have good health."

"YOU."

"Kind smiles and encouraging words."

"The opportunity to spend most of my life

training the children I've been blessed with."

"Thankful for my brother's and sister's in Christ!"

"Thankful for my parent's health!"

"The Bible and our friends in our faith."

"Food and a family."

"That my family members will rub my 

neck when I get a headache!"

"A healthy family to share our lives with."

"The blessing and comfort to pray to the Creator of all."

"The nice fall weather."

"God's example of grace, mercy and patience;

Jesus' example of compassion."

"We never truly have to worry."

"A cozy bed, medicine."

What are you thankful for?
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, and

don't forget Who we should be thankful to!

Jesus for King

A Facebook friend wrote yesterday, "My candidate is not on the ballot today. Jesus for King, 2014."  I don't post this to be disrespectful to those to my readers who do vote, but simply to share why I didn't cast my vote yesterday.  While I am quite thankful for the country I live in and I respect the government, as we are commanded to in Romans 13, I believe my true citizenship lies in the future Kingdom of God.  

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. Romans 13:1-2

We are told that we are strangers and sojourners in this land. We are seeking a kingdom that is not yet here. Just like Abraham and his descendants, we are looking to be part of something even greater than what this world can offer.  Governments ruled by humans will never be perfect, but a government where Jesus is King will be truly righteous and just!

For we are strangers before you and sojourners, as all our fathers were. Our days on the earth are like a shadow, and there is no abiding. 1 Chronicles 29:15

These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city. Hebrews 11:13-16

I think of it a bit like my husband, Daniel, who is applying to become a permanent resident of the United States. Permanent residents live in a country, but they are not citizens. They don't have the right to participate in the government and are living away from their true country.  I hope that someday soon, Jesus will come to earth and I can claim my citizenship in his kingdom!  

We are told that God places the rulers in their places. He has that power, and I certainly don't want to be voting for someone against God's will.  While I might try my best to vote for who God wants, I can't claim that I would truly be doing God's will. Whoever is in power is there because God has placed them there. I certainly wouldn't have voted for many of the wicked leaders throughout history, but God saw fit to put them in power to accomplish His plan.  I will leave that decision up to God.  

He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding. Daniel 2:21

Jesus for King!

Do Everything Without Complaining

Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life--in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing. Philippians 2:14-16

In my Bible study last week, I stumbled upon this verse. I have found this especially hard to do lately.  Like I've mentioned, school is extremely overwhelming for me and it's easy for me to grumble about it. A lot of my classmates spend a lot of time talking about how hard school is, and I often jump right in. Sometimes, I even start the complaining! But really, this verse is telling me to cut that out. That doesn't mean I shouldn't care about their troubles, but instead of joining in the complaining, I should be shining like a light.  Not complaining doesn't mean that you don't have difficulties or trials, it just means that you refuse to indulge in them.  I find that often, in my own struggles, a little positive thinking and a thankful attitude are all I need to feel better.  Not to say that all troubles can be overcome by positive thinking, but I think it can do a lot of good in any situation.  

To the world around us, a bunch of positive thinkers will stick out.  It's innate to complain, so if we stop complaining and have a thankful attitude, people will take note.  Maybe it will even give us an opportunity to share God's Word with them! I'm going to try hard this week (and every week!) to be a more positive thinker.  

Trust Him

A reminder for myself:

Trust in the Lord.

It can be difficult.

It can be scary.

When you have no control,

When you have no back up plan,

Trust in Him.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. Prov. 3:5

James challenge, part 5

I can hardly believe that we are almost finished with James. I am genuinely sad that this book is so short. Not that I don't love the whole Bible, but James is a book I really relate to and is probably the one that I use the most in my own personal growth.  So without further ado, James 5...

Verses 1-6:

It seems that James harshly speaks to rich people. I think we can safely assume that he isn't speaking to all rich people, but rather those who have taken pride in their riches. Like it says in verse 5, there are some that use their riches to indulge themselves and oppress others.  I think it is safe to say that James is rebuking those who live without care for others.  

Verses 7-12:

The believers were withstanding great persecutions at this time. As we know from reading the gospels, many believers also thought that the setup of the Kingdom was right around the corner. And it is... to God. To us mortals, though, it seems awfully long it coming.  James encourages the believers to stand firm.  Life was hard for them, and it might be for us too, but remember that the Lord is faithful.  

But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years , and a thousand years are like a day.  The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish ,but everyone to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:8-9

It may be slow, but God has a purpose for that "slowness." He is doing it for the benefit of us! And when I think of all that others have had to suffer for their beliefs, I don't think we have it bad at all.  Sadly, this may have the opposite effect and allow us to become complacent instead of longing for our Lord Jesus to return. 

For those who were going through great persecutions, James reminds them of the prophets (such as Daniel and Jeremiah) who had suffered greatly before them. If they can endure, then so can we all. 

I always thought the part about not swearing by heaven or earth seemed randomly placed, but I think it is actually referring to this same idea of not being able to control when things happen. Therefore, we should take care because you never know when something will happen that is outside of your control. You don't want to be making promises that you are not going to be able to keep.

Verses 13-20

James reminds us of the importance of turning to God! In good times and bad. Sometimes, that's the last place we turn, and then only when we can't figure out things on our own.  But as we grow, we learn more and more to turn to God first in our joy AND in our sorrow.

There is also something to be said for confessing your faults to another person. It can be a humbling experience, but also renewing. I think when I share my failures with another, it helps me realize the gravity of my sin, and to pray for forgiveness. It also helps others to realize that we are all in the same boat, so to speak. Sometimes I feel like I am the worst sinner out there, but it is relieving to know that everyone messes up but that there is still forgiveness! Praise our loving Father!

These verses about Elijah are pretty amazing. I never really thought about the phrase "Elijah is a man just like us" until I heard some classes on Elijah. The speaker pointed out that it truly means Elijah was LIKE US. So often, I look at characters in the Bible and think they have some kind of superhuman faith. But they don't, and we can see that in Elijah. Elijah was a passionate man.  He got afraid. He got angry. He pouted. He ran from God. But in the end, he was faithful. God understood Elijah's weaknesses, and He was still with him. God understands ours too! 

Lastly, James points out the magnitude of saving someone spiritually. It's wonderful to save someone's life by preventing them from getting hit by a car or performing the Heimlich maneuver, but this life is only temporary. How much greater to save someone spiritually by giving them a hope for eternal life! Like the angels who rejoiced over the one found sheep, we should be seeking that ALL should come to a knowledge of our God.

I hope that you have enjoyed these devotions on James. If you missed one, here are links to each chapter. Have a joyful day!

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

James Challenge, part 3

Happy Wednesday everyone! Hope you are enjoying a fabulous week. I know I am! I am loving this week and the delightful summer nights, one of my favorite things ever.  Are you ready for James 3? James 3 is a lesson I really, REALLY need to learn... controlling the tongue.

James 3

Verses 1-12

It's amazing, isn't it, how the tongue is such a powerful thing? We let is take over and control our lives. James says we let  it "boast" and it's so true! Our tongue is what says it will do things, but it really is our other body parts that accomplish the task. For example, it is our tongue that might brag about how we can run a marathon, but it's our legs that actually do it! Hopefully we aren't the tongue in our own churches, boasting of things that we leave for others to do.

 

"But I tell you that men will have to give account of the day of judgement for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned."  Matthew 12:36-37

The things we say are so powerful and they DO matter.  Often I forget how much they matter. We can do great good or great harm with our words. We can build people up and we can tear them down. It's scary because I, and others, often don't realize the destructive power of the tongue. The things that fly out of our mouths without thought can never be retrieved.  

Verses 13-18

But it's not just our words that matter. James says that if we are wise, we will show it in our good lives. However, if we (unwisely) have selfishness in our hearts, it will be manifest in our life. We can try to boast that we are wise, but our life will reveal otherwise.

Think about all the things James lists as aspects of wisdom: pure, peace-loving, considerate, submissive, merciful, fruitful, impartial, and sincere.  These are usually not considered to be virtues in our society!! They are often belittled along with those who practice them. But God tells us to "sow in peace" to "raise a harvest of righteousness!"

Choose to do it God's way!

James Challenge, part 2

Welcome to James 2, my friends! I must say that I am so excited about studying the book of James and I hope that you are enjoying it too.  Once again, I will break the chapter down. This time, into verses 1-13 and 14-26. If you missed part 1, go here!

James 2

Verses 1-13:

James starts out with a plea to believers: to not let their walk in the Lord be tainted with favoritism.  This is about more than just treating our brothers and sisters unfairly (although it is certainly wrong too)-- it's also saying that we are the judge and we know best. If we favor some, we judge that they are more worthy than another. That is truly only the decision of God and Christ.  Even more so, the "poor" that we might look down on are really only poor in the eyes of the world. To God, they might be immeasurably rich.  

Truly, we cannot be keeping the greatest commandment if we show favoritism. When we show favoritism, we are NOT loving our neighbor.  As Christ has pointed out, James points out as well-- if you break one point of the law, you break them all! Sadly, we all fall short, but thankfully, God is merciful!

So if God is merciful towards us, shouldn't we be all the more merciful with others? After all, we are only human, not an all-powerful Being. Yet He chooses to forgive and have mercy, and so should we. It reminds me of the time Christ says that with the same measure you use, so it shall be used toward you. The example of David in regards to this is brilliant.  When David is fleeing from the evil King Saul, he time and time again shows mercy to the undeserving King in sparing his life.  Later, when David sinned by committing adultery and murder, God forgives him. Perhaps it was David's very mercy toward Saul that God remembered when He decided to show the same mercy to David.

Verses 14-26:

Faith and works seems to be a never ending discussion that can get very tricky. But the point of the matter is, works won't save you because they don't necessarily come from faith. BUT faith isn't real unless it is manifested in works.  When James points out that Abraham was justified by believing God, we should note that the very act of believing God was a work in itself!  In the end, it's so easy to say something, but we must actually DO! God knows our hearts... which can be either immeasurably comforting or very frightening. 

But He knows. He knows when you are doing your absolute best. He knows your heart, and He is merciful. 

James Challenge, part 1

Happy Monday! I have been going through the book of James with Daniel, and it is one of my FAVORITE studies. James is just so chock-ful of wisdom. A while ago my dad gave a talk and issued the James challenge: to read the book of James once a week.  So I thought I'd take five weeks on here to write about the book of James in my own version of the challenge. I hope you enjoy! 

James 1

I will divide it into the 3 sections my Bible has it divided into-- verse 1, verses 2-18, and verses 19-27. I'm not going to quote the verses here so make sure to read the chapter first.

Verse 1: 

James is the brother of Jesus, but it is interesting to note that he doesn't make mention of this fact. He appeals to them merely on the basis of his servitude to God and Christ. We, too, come before God and the believers not for our parents or family, but on the merits of OUR character and faith.

Verses 2-18:

Obviously I love verse 2 because that's what I have called my blog... Pure Joy. What does it truly mean to take joy in our trials? As I have suggested on this blog before, I believe this joy is different than just being happy. It is much deeper. It's a joy in our hope that doesn't depend on outward circumstances. While our trials might not make us happy, we can take joy in the fact that they bring us closer to our hope! However, taking joy in our trials is a hugely difficult task, so James reminds us in verse 5 that if we lack the wisdom to be able to do so, all we have to do is ASK! Ask your Heavenly Father, and He will come to your aid!

In a similar vein, when we waver or are "two-souled" we are literally saying that we doubt God's ability. We may well doubt ourselves but we should never doubt Him! Instead, when we falter, turn to Him to persevere. James points out that God is ALWAYS faithful and doesn't change. People change, but God doesn't, and we should be so thankful for that! The idea of the of our God being like the Sun is beautiful. The Sun never changes but the heat and light we receive from it depend on OUR position to it! 

Verses 19-27

Ahh... quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry. It's an age-old proverb and yet many (including myself!) fail to do so. But James warns us that this lifestyle isn't just a good suggestion, it is essential to bringing about the life that God wants in us!  

It's so easy to hear something and think it's great advice but forget to actually apply it's lessons. James reminds us that we must constantly focus ourselves to achieve the results desired.

Lastly, one of my favorite verses is verse 27: "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." I've heard it suggested that the "and" isn't actually in the original text, so the meaning becomes that looking after orphans and widows is what keeps us from being polluted by the world! 

Hope you have enjoyed just a few comments on James chapter 1. Please share any comments you may have!

Looking in the Wrong Place

One of the Bible characters that resonates most deeply with me is Leah. I often wonder what it would be like to be Leah. Leah, who longed so desperately to be loved by Jacob. Leah, who couldn't measure up to the beauty of her sister. Leah, who was cruelly given by her father to a man who didn't love her. Leah, whose husband passionately loved her younger sister.

Poor, poor Leah.

Leah was looking for love, but she wasn't looking in the right place. In the account in Genesis 29, it says that the Lord SAW that she was not loved and gave her four children. The God of all the universe looked down at Leah and saw her.  After the birth of her first son, Leah thinks, Surely my husband will love me now. Again, after the birth of the third, Leah thinks finally, finally, Jacob will love her.  But alas, Leah is still searching for love in the wrong place.

It isn't until her fourth son, Judah, that Leah realizes that she is looking for the wrong love: This time, I will praise the Lord, she says. And finally, she gets it. Jacob might not love her (yet) but God did.  Finally, finally, she can be full. 

However, there is a happy ending. I think, as evidenced by the fact that Jacob was buried beside Leah and not Rachel, that Jacob finally learned to love Leah. Maybe not because of her beauty and charm, but because she had become full of the Lord.  In that place where the godly couples Abraham and Sarah and Isaac and Rebekah were buried, so Jacob chose to be buried beside Leah.

As humans, we look for love. We desire to be filled, to be whole. I think God made us like that to learn to yearn for Him. Only the love of our Father can truly fill us and make us whole. Only when we are first filled with God can we truly accept and receive love from others. For years, we may be searching for "The One," but there is only One who makes us complete. So if you are desperately desiring to be loved, know that that love can be found. It's not in the man of your dreams, it's in the arms of your Father in Heaven. He sees your heart, just as He saw Leah's.

Run to Him. 

This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. 1 John 4:9-16