Living My Faith Out Loud

I really miss blogging and so many of my friends have challenged me to start again so here goes…

I started a new Bible study on the book of James written by Warren Wiersbe. This morning I read through verses 1-12 in chapter 1 and a few things really stuck out to me. I think many of us are familiar with the beginning verses that challenge us to consider it pure joy when we face trials of many kinds. We quote it all the time and we especially love to “encourage” other people in this when they are struggling with their faith.  What really got my attention were verses 5-8. The NIV says, ^5″If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. ⁶But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. ⁷That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; ⁸he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.”

Verse 5 tells us that when we ask God for wisdom, He gives it to us generously and without finding fault. That is an incredible statement made by the Creator of the universe.  He is not just eeking out little bits of wisdom randomly, He is giving it to us GENEROUSLY! But this is the part that got me. Verse 6 says if we doubt Him, we are just like the waves of the sea that gets tossed by the wind. Think of a very strong wind blowing around a small boat in the sea. The boat has no choice where it goes, it basically goes where the wind blows it. I don’t know about you, but there is no way I am going to let my faith be dictated by the wind no matter what I may be feeling or what my cirmucstances or struggles may be.  I have to make a choice to believe that God is good and His Word is true or I will be like the boat. It doesn’t stop there but continues to say in verse 7 that if we doubt, we may as well not even think we will receive anything from the Lord and verse 8 says we are double minded and unstable. I don’t know about you but I want to believe that if I ask God for wisdom, He is going to give it to me generously and my prayer is that I don’t doubt Him because I surely do not want to be remembered as a woman who was double minded and unstable.  I want to be known as a woman who fears the Lord and has the kind of faith that moves mountains. I think it dishonors God when we doubt Him and it also places the emphasis on us and not on Him. I love how Ephesians 3:20-21 puts it, ^20″Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, ²¹to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen!”