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Fodder for thought

Fodder for thought. James #16 ....

listen to podcast:

https://www.pastorwoman.net/podcast/episode/3b0aa831/fodder-for-tho...

James chapter four preaches all on its own, read in its entirety. In these few verses, our Lord's half brother hits on our need to pray, to be committed and stay near to God, to maintain humility, and to keep our tongues in our mouths.

We see the ugliness in the news, in our workplace and oft in families, as James raises the question: "What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don't they come from the evil desires at war within you? You want what you don't have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can't get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don't have what you want because you don't ask God for it. And even when you ask, you don't get it because your motives are all wrong-you want only what will give you pleasure.

You adulterers! Don't you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God. Do you think the Scriptures have no meaning? They say that God is passionate that the spirit he has placed within us should be faithful to him. And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say,

"God opposes the proud
but gives grace to the humble."

So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.

Don't speak evil against each other, dear brothers and sisters. If you criticize and judge each other, then you are criticizing and judging God's law. But your job is to obey the law, not to judge whether it applies to you. God alone, who gave the law, is the Judge. He alone has the power to save or to destroy. So what right do you have to judge your neighbor?

Look here, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit." How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog-it's here a little while, then it's gone. What you ought to say is, "If the Lord wants us to, if the Lord wills we will live and do this or that." Otherwise you are boasting about your own pretentious plans, and all such boasting is evil.

Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it."

Amen! James chapter four in its entirety, because even though it is great to take it in chunks and apply it to our lives, cross-referencing other scriptures on the same subject, we need to also look at it in context, seeing the whole.

We will step a little closer to a couple of the themes James mentions, starting with you don't have what you want because you don't ask God for it. Translation: Pray! Don't you remember what my half-brother Jesus said? Ask and it will be given to you.1,2

And how about Paul? Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.3

In the last two weeks, I have marveled at the way God has answered my specific prayers. And here's the thing . . . are you listening? God answers in really unique, oft creative ways! i.e. ways I could never have guessed or asked of him. That's because he is a good Father.

I am a huge listener of podcasts; one of my favorite guys is Jeremy Foster out of Houston, Texas. He is funny, he is talented (he sings!) and he loves the Word of God and the people of God. This was this past weekend's powerful message on prayer. Remind yourself what you already know, Friends; God answers prayer. https://hopecity.com/does-god-answer-prayers-pastor-jeremy-foster/ Hope City Church.

Do you have a need? Ask God. Go ahead - stop what you're doing and pray. And then, continue to lift your need before God.

James did not just talk about wisdom, he gave us wisdom. Let's heed it.

Christine

PastorWoman.net

1 - Matthew 7.7

2 - And look at all of these verses that are related to this one: Matthew 7:7 : 1Ki 3:5; Mt 18:19; 21:22; Jn 14:13, 14; 15:7, 16; 16:23, 24; Jas 1:...

Fodder for thought

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