Wednesday, March 8, 2017

UNSWERVED from the Deliberate Purpose! (James)

Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. James 1:3

Knowing: to come to know, recognize, perceive
Trying: the proving, a testing; by implication, trustworthiness; trial
Faith: belief, trust, confidence
Worketh: to do that from which something results, produce
Patience: steadfastness, constancy, endurance (the characteristic of a man who is unswerved from his deliberate purpose and his loyalty to faith and piety by even the greatest trials and sufferings)

The characteristic of a man UNSWERVED from his deliberate purpose. Focused. Goal oriented. Steadfast. 

There is a purpose to the testings and trials. There is to be a result from all that happens in our lives. We can have maximum calmness (James 1:2) in the midst of the trials, because we RECOGNIZE that God has a very SPECIFIC purpose. 

UNSWERVED from the Deliberate Purpose!

Tuesday, March 7, 2017

MAXIMUM Calm Delight! (James)

Continuing my study in James. 

My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; James 1:2

Brethren: a fellow-Christian
Count: (be) chief, count, esteem, governor, judge, have the rule over, suppose, think
All: the highest degree, the maximum
Joy: the cause or occasion of joy, calm delight, gladness
Fall into: so to fall into as to be encompassed by
Divers: variegated, various in character, diverse
Temptations: adversity, affliction, trouble (cf. our trial), sent by God and serving to test or prove one's faith, holiness, character, a putting to proof

Make the determination (rule over/have the power) to choose maximum calm delight when I am encompasses by a wide variety of trouble as God works to prove me faithful! (Rhonda's paraphrase)

Choose MAXIMUM Calm Delight!