Trials Come

Blessed

This year has been challenging to say the least, pandemics, loss of life, loss of jobs, loss of income, increase in depression, increase in abuse, increase in suicides, and the list could continue on and on;

There are people that would challenge me about saying we have been blessed, why because they don’t understand what blessed means;

Blessed is “an attitude of determined courage that is unaffected by external circumstances”;

Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., … Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (Jas 1:12). Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.

Your attitude determines if you are feeling blessed;

Your attitude determines if you see God working in your mess;

Do you have an attitude of being blessed?

Choices

God has given all of us the ability to choose between Him and sin - good vs. evil;

You and I are responsible for our choice and the accompanying consequences;

Remember this the world will present temptations not God, He cannot be tempted so therefore He will not tempt;

Casting Crown’s song Slow Fade says this in the chorus - “It's a slow fade when you give yourself away It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid When you give yourself away People never crumble in a day It's a slow fade, it's a slow fade”

Have you had slow fade in your faith during these trials, have you allowed the Worst Year Ever to diminish your ability to see God’s hand at work;

In verse 14 we see the word “enticed” - the Greek word is “Deleazo” (da-laa-zo) which means to draw in with bait an unsuspecting victim;

What you allow yourself to be “enticed” by will give way to sin, which will lead away from God, which leads to spiritual death;

Sin originates in people alone and no other source;

Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible: Complete and Unabridged in One Volume James 1:13–18

There is a great deal of violence done to conscience and to the mind by the power of corruption: and there is a great deal of cunning and deceit and flattery in sin to gain us to its interests.

Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible: Complete and Unabridged in One Volume James 1:13–18

Your own hearts’ lusts and corruptions are your tempters; and when by degrees they have carried you off from God, and finished the power and dominion of sin in you, then they will prove your destroyers.

Beloved

Isn’t it great that our faith comes from outside ourselves;

Our source of faith is the same source that called the sun to shine in order to light the darkness;

That our source is the giver of good and not evil;

That your source of faith calls you beloved;

Christ will meet you in your mess, the woman at the well John 4, Christ will leave the 99 John 15, why because you are beloved.