- But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. James 1:6 – I believe we’ve all likely been at this place before where we’ve prayed for something, yet the end result was still not receiving it. Likely it wasn’t just something selfish or childish either. Maybe you prayed for the healing of a loved one or prayed someone’s heart to change, yet that person died and that person’s heart is still hardened. Did we doubt too much? Did we not have enough faith in our prayers to get what we asked for? Let’s not camp in a place like that for I believe that can only lead us to a dark place, I also believe that’s us misunderstanding the text. When God tells us to ask in faith, it’s inviting us to ask in such a way that we have complete confidence in Him. Complete confidence that God is able to do the thing that we ask and complete confidence in His love for us and His desire for us to have His goodness in our story. It’s shifting the faith from placing it on “faith in getting what I prayed for” to “faith in the One who provides what I ask for.” For God, in His perfect will, may not give you what you ask for, but that doesn’t mean He isn’t able or doesn’t love you. It also doesn’t mean you doubted too much and it was a result of your lack of faith. Sometimes it can be, if we truly are in a space of doubting God like our passage speak of, and God will let us see the results of doubting Him. So instead, let’s ask things of the Lord that are first according to His will, like the asking for wisdom within this passage, then let’s ask knowing He is able and loves us. When He answers, we’ll praise Him, whatever the answer may be. For if God chooses to bless in a different way than we prayed for, that doesn’t me He isn’t good, it means He has different plans. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 3198
- Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. James 1:12 – Passages like these comfort me because it reminds me of the truths about my struggles. It’s reminds me that even though my enemy is telling me there is no other way and no chance of me not falling into his way, there actually is another way to go so I don’t have to follow after the path of my enemy. It reminds me that God is about blessing our faithful walk. It also reminds me that I’m not some broken Christian because I’m facing struggles. That it’s not like I’m a failure at being a Christian because struggles are coming up. Be reminded today that within your walk with God struggles and temptations will arise, there is a different path to go than following the enemy again, and God blesses us when we are faithful. I’m praying this helped your walk today somehow. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 736
- But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. James 1:22-25 – Was yesterday a “doing” day? Often when I read passages like this I like to check it with my immediate past. Was what was said true of me yesterday or did I live differently than I should have yesterday? I’m being called to not just learn and hear the words of God but be doing it and living out what I hear taught. I’m supposed to, as the next verses say, be visiting orphans and widows and keeping myself from the sinfulness of the world. And this isn’t the first time in my life I have heard these words and likely not the first time for you either. That’s said let’s go back to our first question…was yesterday a “doing” day? Or was it simply a hearing day? Did we faithfully do what God is telling us to do or was it a day fully knowing what we’re to do and just simply not doing it? If there is a level of conviction with answering those questions, don’t let shame or guilt weigh you down. Let that conviction be the push you need today to make today different than yesterday. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2128
Daily DEVO 