Keep Your Eyes on God!

My friends, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. Why? Because you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way!

If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and He will give it to you. He will not be upset with you for asking. But when you dp 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. Those type of people who keep all their options open should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the selfishness of the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.

Believers who are poor have something to brag about, for God has honored them. And those who are rich should brag that God has humbled them. They will fade away like a little flower in the field. The hot sun rises and the grass withers; the little flower droops and falls, and its beauty fades away. In the same way, the rich will fade away with all of their wealth and achievements.

God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him. And remember, when you are being tempted, don't blame God and say, "God is tempting me." God is never tempted to do wrong, and He never tempts anyone else. Temptation comes from our own selfish desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give rise to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it only leads to death.

So don’t be misled, my friends! Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes! He gave us life by giving us His true Word. And we, out of all creation, became His prized possession.

Understand this, my friends: We must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry & upset. Our anger does not produce the goodness God desires. So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, because it has the power to save your soul!

But don’t just listen to God’s word! You must do what it says too! Otherwise, you are only fooling yourself. If you listen to the word and don’t do what it says, it is like looking at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and then forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you read and hear, then God will bless you for doing it.

If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are also fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless! Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for the homeless and loveless in their need and refusing to let the world corrupt you.

Peace and love be with you,

James