This Is Why He’s My Rock!

James 1:16-18

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” James 1:17 (NIV)

This is what I want to think about.  I like the good stuff that comes from God.  But I do understand that I have to have the bad stuff to know the good stuff. 

This verse is stuck in the middle of a couple of topics in James.  I know it’s related to the previous chunk about temptation, but I wanted to set it apart for a crucial element in this sentence: 

“...who does not change like the shifting shadows.” 

I am a small, miniscule, tiny, tiny little human being who deals with other tiny little human beings here on earth.  There is absolutely no way I can even begin to comprehend the magnitude of God.  He created our entire universe, and possibly other universes beyond that.  He gave light to the sun, set the stars in the sky, and placed us on this earth, giving us everything we need.

But I only have my tiny little human understanding.  I do believe that God is bigger than everything, that he can do anything, and that he infinitely loves and forgives me.   Yet my human brain wants to relate him to something in order to make him more tangible.  The problem here is that the only thing I have to which to relate him is other tiny little humans. 

Tiny little humans who change with the wind.  Tiny little humans who lie, cheat, steal.  Who abandon, abuse, betray, deceive.  Who, without fail, never fail to let me down.

This is why it can be so hard sometimes simply to trust God.  It is not an easy task by any stretch of the imagination.  I’ve got all my human-inflicted wounds, my people trust issues, my expectations to be let down.  All of this wants to carry over to God and it is a daily task to work beyond that.  I must remind myself that my heavenly Father is not my earthly father.  My Friend among the stars is not like unreliable friends I’ve had here on earth.  My Eternal Love is not at all like the romances I’ve experienced on this planet.

I pray that this is something I never forget, and that it is a task which will become less and less work over time.  Because I know God.  I just have to stop trying to assign human characteristics to God in an attempt to understand him. 

Amen!  :D

I Already Planned to Sell My Couch, Now I Need to Have a Yard Sale!

James 1:9-11, 5:1-3

“Prosperity is as short-lived as a wildflower, so don’t ever count on it.”  James 1:10b (MSG) 

Growing up in the countryside of the Midwestern US, there always was an abundance of wildflowers growing in the fields and pastures.  While James refers to the wildflower withering in the sun, I think of winters, cold snaps, early and late freezes as ways I saw wildflowers die.  They came and went with the changing of the seasons and their lives were at the mercy of the weather.

A common misconception about verses like these is that the bible tells us money is bad.  But what it actually says is that the love of money is not good.  “For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.”  1 Timothy 6:10 (NIV)  It is not riches or wealth themselves that are bad.  But how important they are to me can make way for harsh judgment.

In the story of the young rich man (Matt 19:16-23; Mark 10:17-23), Jesus tells the man, “Go sell all your possessions... Then come follow me.”  Matt 19:21 (MSG)  It wasn’t that he couldn’t get to heaven while rich, but that his possessions were too important to him.   He was unable to let go of earthly things and follow Jesus because his stuff was more valuable to him than Jesus.   God doesn’t mind if I have money or possessions, he just doesn’t want my focus to be on things of this world.  If I am focused on making money or acquiring stuff, then my focus is not on God.

Then consider the ever-changing economy, stock market fluctuation, massive amounts of individual and national debt, depressions, recessions...  In the blink of an eye I can require major surgery that costs many thousands of dollars.  I can lose everything I own in a fire or flood.  Even if I had money, I couldn’t count on it always being there.

The only thing that is sure and constant in my life is God.  I can’t count on worldly prosperity, but I can count on God.  Keeping my focus on him and living according to his will I will be more fulfilled and spiritually prosperous than if I am trying to figure out how to get more money, get more stuff, get more, get more, get more.

So I will enjoy the wildflowers while they are here, but not mourn them when they are gone.  Because I know that while they come and go with the changing of the seasons, God who gives them life will always be by my side.  And I can count on that.

Amen!  :D