Hunkered Down Devotion

James 1:1-8 (Voice)
James, a servant of God and the Lord Jesus, the Anointed One, to the twelve tribes of Israel who are spread across the earth: I send you my warmest welcome!
2-4 Don’t run from tests and hardships, brothers and sisters. As difficult as they are, you will ultimately find joy in them; if you embrace them, your faith will blossom under pressure and teach you true patience as you endure. And true patience brought on by endurance will equip you to complete the long journey and cross the finish line—mature, complete, and wanting nothing. 5 If you don’t have all the wisdom needed for this journey, then all you have to do is ask God for it; and God will grant all that you need. He gives lavishly and never scolds you for asking.
6 The key is that your request be anchored by your single-minded commitment to God. Those who depend only on their own judgment are like those lost on the seas, carried away by any wave or picked up by any wind. 7 Those adrift on their own wisdom shouldn’t assume the Lord will rescue them or bring them anything. 8 The splinter of divided loyalty shatters your compass and leaves you dizzy and confused.

I’m wondering if you have ever heard, or maybe even told this lie: God will never give you more than you can handle.  First, don’t be too hard on yourself, I think many, if not most of us have ventured into that bad advice zone at one point or another.  But I am here today to tell you that it just isn’t true, and it certainly isn’t Biblical.  In fact, from a Biblical perspective, the exact opposite true.  

When we run into difficult times and trouble,  it is in these moments that we must turn to God and ‘lean not on our own understanding’, and in so doing gain true wisdom from being guided by the Holy Spirit of God.  The longer we try to get through our lives – whether we are experiencing good times or bad times – by ourselves, the harder things will get for us and the further away we will get for true wisdom.

And finally, it is when we embrace the wisdom of God found by following the leading of the Holy Spirit, through our lives that we can find joy – even in the midst of our times of trial.

Sharing God’s Love,
Chip  

Prayer:  Lord, thank you that we don’t have to have or be enough on our own, but that you are there for us.  Give us your wisdom and help us find your joy.  Amen.