I recently had the privilege of preaching from James 1:2-4. After receiving much encouragement in various forms and from numerous people, I have decided to blog through the sermon. My aim is to glorify our God and Father along with His Son, edify any who may read this blog, and hopefully mature in my own faith. Eventually I even hope to have some sermon notes on our ministry's website. So here we go with some introductory thoughts...
The complete paragraph begins in chapter 1 verse 2 and extends all the way to verse 12. It covers three main points and a conclusion:
1. Joy in Trials (1:2-4)
2. Wisdom in Trials (1:5-8)
3. An illustration (1:9-11)
4. Conclusion (1:12)
I suppose you can isolate each of these points to study them independently. In fact, you pretty much have to do that just to study the passage. However, to apply these points independently of each other takes away much of their power. While many people understand wisdom in trials to be simply a passage on wisdom, it is much more powerful to realize that the passage on wisdom logically follows the passage on joy. In fact, it helps to explain what you are to do if you are not finding joy during the trials of life! To not understand the relationship between these paragraphs is to limit the power and scope of Scripture; as well as misinterpreting the message God intended for us to hear.
I am going after this passage in a specific way. I want to learn what God is trying to teach us. He is the Author. He has a message He is trying to communicate. I want to find out what that message is. If we can understand the text the way one of the original readers would have understood it, we can then appropriately apply it to our lives.
You can read the passage here. Let me now give you a little bit of history regarding my intimacy with this passage. It all started about this time last year. Perhaps we were into July of 2006. We had just received a new class of seventh graders into our ministry. The Newecho and I had decided to ask our small group what book of the bible they wanted to work on memorizing. After some discussion, we decide on the book of James.
I did pretty well at memorizing the passages. Then something happened around January. I actually started to think about what I had memorized. I was meditating on Scripture! Now everyone knows that we are to do this, but who actually does it? Of those who do it, who actually does it effectively? Well, for whatever reason, this meditation was effective. I cannot describe what joy and peace filled my soul! I suppose if I could describe it, it would not be the peace that passes understanding.
I became fixated on these phrases. I could not get them out of my head! It was as if the Spirit of God had fastened my thinking to them. Sure I could do other stuff for awhile, but at virtually ever break I found myself thinking about these verses again! And it was not just the first twelve verses! This happened with every verse in the first chapter! I literally spent two or three months living joyfully! Now we did have some pretty big spiritual events during that time. But rather than create the joy, these events merely served to prolong it!
Honestly, there was another change! I was really looking to Christ and away from my sin. I had made a resolution to be faithful to read my bible and pray. I had a plan to fulfill that resolution. The Lord blessed that. When I focused on Christ, I was not even thinking about sinning! I was too lost in the wonder of God's Word to waste time with something so odious! Now, I still sinned. But the desire to sin and the lure of sin were almost non-existent! What a wonderful time it was!
My wife remembers the day I lost that joy. I have been fighting for it since then. However, the formula still holds true. When I am faithful to spend time with Him, I seem to have more patience. I seem to have more strength. I definitely have more joy! Joy, that bubbling happiness that finds its spring in Christ, is worth the fight because joy's Source is worth fighting for!
I hope that this mini-series on James 1 leads you to greater joy, depending on Christ for your complete satisfaction.
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