James

Our next bible sharing is from James. I thought I'd read through the whole book to get an overview. So on Saturday I climbed into bed at the end of the day and got as far as v18 in chapter 1. Then I decided I was too tired and turned out the light. There was something lurking there which needed me to think, but I went to sleep instead!

The next morning I decided to try again, but again got no further than v18 before I gave up.

Last night I decided I would read JUST to verse 18 and THINK about it! Digest it!

The first thing that hit me was the fact that trials and temptations are not from God! (v 13) He is incapable of putting those things in our lives. What he does do is to allow those things to enter our lives. If we give in to them, we are allowing ourselves to sin. (v 14 - 15) Only good and perfect things come from God (v 17).

When we face trials, when life just seems to get too much for us. We have a choice! We can either allow it to swallow us up. We can sit in the depths of despair and cry and blame God. Or we can turn towards God, give him our worries, our fears, our problems! (v 5 -6)

One thing I've taken away from my time reading Psalm 119 is that we need to love God's law! We need to meditate on it and just praise God!

If through all our problems of today we just praise God, (not for the problems! but praise him for who he is) then we will be lifted up.

We are always in God's presence, but when we praise him, he gives us the strength and wisdom to go through our lives. He holds our hand and guides us.

So today I want to start the day by saying...

I love an amazing God! He is the creator of all I am, of all I see. I am just one small person, yet he loves me! I love an amazing, awesome God, because he first loved me! He doesn't hide himself from me but he has made himself known to me. The God of all creation, a pure and holy God! How awesome to think he wants ME in his presence!!