Matthew 6:25-34 "Let Go and Let God"

"Letting Go and Letting God"

This past year I've experienced a bunch of storms that I've created for myself. God doesn't let us go through these storms alone, even when we create them. I've had to keep giving things to God because I couldn't handle it, even when I thought I could, I ended up coming up far to short. Learning to completely trust God is the hardest thing I've ever had to do, especially since so many things cloud out God's tiny, quiet, calming voice.

This lesson, "Let Go and Let God", has become a motto in my every day life. And not just because I am stubborn, or weaker than someone else, but because I KNOW God can handle it when I can't. Which is most of the time. So I'd like to show you just how different life can be when you "Let Go and Let God"...

Over the past year, I've been paying close attention to my friends' lives. Why? Because I wanted to see the differences, the good and bad. Why am I keeping strong, when my friends who may be going through the same things I am, are falling apart? Why am I not sinking in the flood of this world, when my friends are? Why are things so much better for me, when my friends may have more stuff but they have harder times of it?

These questions plagued me, until very recently when I saw a message from my own sister and finally it clicked...

God is the difference.

Now, I'm not saying that my friends don't have God in their lives, what I AM saying is that they DO NOT "Let Go and Let God" - instead they try to be in control of all of the things around them, their whole day is plagued with the questions: "Will I make my bills? Will I be able to fill my family's bellies? Will I have clothes for them and me?" These are just a few, but you get the general Idea. Even though they know God is with them, they can't see past the worldly things.

This is never easy, I even have my moments, but then I remember something I've been taught - not by my parents, but by God's own hand. No matter what happens, God will never leave me and will always make a way where there is no way that I can see.

Over the course of my short life, I have learned that, no matter where you go or what you do, God will always love you, and will never forsake you - and when those storms come (and I mean the storms that make it seem like there's no end), God will make sure you stand strong through them IF you let him. So many people forget that small "if"... God will not forsake us no matter what, but he can't work in our lives as long as we try to keep control of it... IF we let Go and Let God, the storms will pass and we come out stronger and more prepared for the next day of bad weather... And we are able to hold our heads up.

In the book of Matthew, Jesus speaks about anxiety, or worry. Though this was written thousands of years ago, Jesus' words are still true to this day. I put it in a simple phrase that sums up the entire passage. "Let Go and Let God." But to some of you this may seem difficult to understand unless you've read the passage I speak of.

If you are worrying, are anxious, about your life, about your clothes, what you will eat or drink... God has spoken to you in Matthew 6:25-34...

"Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."

 The part I made bold and italic is the most important part of the passage. Because it is the moral of the whole thing.

Letting God do his work, by seeking him in earnest prayer and sincerity, will always reap the rewards of his Blessings. "Letting Go and Letting God" is a simple phrase, but honestly, if we all just let go of the things we can't control, and let God do his will in our lives - our lives wont be so difficult.

So, even though I still struggle with this, I do my best to remember it. My friends' lives are only difficult because they refuse to let God do his work in their lives.

True, we have bills, needs and wants in this world, but shouldn't we first seek God's righteousness first? If we keep our hearts on God, he will not fail to come through for us.
I've seen miracles happen, I have seen faith tested to the brink, I have seen homes shaken... but in all of it, I have seen those this happened to, stand strong and heads held high simply because they trusted God to take care of them. Maybe not in the ways THEY would expect, but then... God's ways are different than ours... his thoughts are higher and far better than ours, and he is completely capable of working in ways that astound and amaze us every moment.

So if your struggling in this world, if your trying to make ends meet, or your just tired of the fight - don't give up!
God is waiting for you to come to him, in humility and sincerity, and he will make all things work for the greater part of his Glory.
Remember, God doesn't give us more than we can handle, he also doesn't expect us to handle ANYTHING on our own...

So, when your struggling, don't get upset, don't give up and don't get down-hearted... instead come to a quiet place in your home, nothing distracting you (if you have kids bring your kids with you and teach them that coming quietly to God is important), come to God on your knees, or sitting quietly on your bed. Even if your sitting in your cubical at work, or teaching in a school... God doesn't mind where you are, as long as you can focus on him.... Even a small amount of time... And give your struggle to Jesus, laying it at his feet.

And if you truly believe that God can take your struggle and help you through it, and have faith enough (faith the size of a mustard seed), God will always be there to help...

An example of how God can move if you Let Go and Let God...

Look at my life. I've posted much of things on my personal blog here on google. But I have more to those posts...
Through it all, I prayed, a lot! I didn't always get the answer I wanted, but I got the one I needed. I didn't always come out of those storms a sparkling shining angel, but I did come out of them stronger than before. I didn't always make it on my feet, but I did on my knees or crawling. I didn't always see the differences after praying, but they began to come out in ways I'd not expected. I didn't expect to be where I am today with what I have today... but because I let God do his thing, let God bless me and mine, and remembered to THANK HIM for each day... I am here. I am a living example of God's love and mercy. A living example how Living with God's hand on my life, can make life less of a hassle and more of an experience.

So always remember God loves you. He's always there, always with you. Even when the lights are out and it seems the darkness is going to last forever, God is there. He is willing and able. He can and will. But you must...

"Let Go and Let God"

Psalms 26 "Perfect Peace"

This past wednesday, I visited a church called Liberty Baptist in Gun Barrel City, Tx. The teacher there spoke of rejoicing in time's of trial. Well, this lesson has been taught by my previous pastor - however, there is something else to this teachers teaching, that caught my attention - something that's been on my spirit for a while...

Where do you find perfect peace?
A peace that is so profound and so wonderful that you can't help but feel completely calm and at peace. That perfect peace, the peace of God that is so perfect nothing can shake it.

Recently, I visited my parents house. My fiance spoke to me on the way back from there about the peace he felt in their house. The fact he could just relax; the burdens of the world left beyond the borders of the threshold. This peace, he spoke of, comes from God. From Him comes that perfect peace. My fiance then spoke about not having that at his parents house, that the burdens are always present when he walks into his own parent's house. The peace, the kind that God gives, is not found in that house. Why? What makes my parent's house so different than his parents' house? The answer is so simple, the answer is God.

You see, peace isn't about just being quiet and still. It's not about a truce between enemies. Real peace, is about knowing that everything is all taken care of. Perfect peace is knowing, feeling, understanding, loving, and yes, quiet and subtle. But it's only brought by God's Holy Spirit dwelling where ever He is welcomed.
My parent's have welcomed the Spirit of God into their home, not just by trusting and having Faith, but by letting God be just that... God. They know He controls their lives.

As me and my fiance spoke about this perfect peace in my parent's house and the absence of it in his parent's house, my fiance said the strangest thing I've ever heard him say... "I want that peace in our house, when we get our own place." I knew God was working on him, those words were the proof I'd been seeking. Perfect peace...

In Psalms 26:3-4

You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.

These small verses are a simple clue as to how we can attain that perfect peace.

A pastor spoke of this, I was quite taken by surprise when he spoke of peace, especially after the conversation with my fiance... it was different and it spoke to my spirit.

Where do you find perfect peace?
That question may boggle you a while. Do you find peace in art? What about reading a book? Is there peace in your home? Is your heart, mind and soul at peace, and I don't mean are you dead, but are you at peace?

God wants us all to have his Perfect Peace. His peace is not burdensome, it will never cause you chaos or make you weary. It will never turn you away and it will never discourage you. God's peace is so perfect in it's completeness that nothing can stand in it's wake.

A final story that reveal how Perfect Peace is God's gift to us, should we allow Him to be in control of our lives...

My grandfather Joe, graduated this life Dec. 2, 1997 in his sleep. He and my grandmother were fully engulfed in God's ministry. True, they were human, thus they were flesh and bone and had problems of their own, but they knew without a doubt that God was in control. The day my grandfather graduated, my grandmother and I spoke to each other...
I don't remember everything she said to me, but I do remember hearing the sadness and pain in her voice. I remember the party we had and when we spoke face to face later on, I was crying as I hugged her and asked her if she was alright... She said, "I am. God is giving me the peace to know I will see him again in glory." (paraphrased). I didn't understand at that moment what she meant.

As I grew up I began to realize it. Because my grandmother did not give up on life. She lives to her fullest and fully for God. Every time I've seen her, or talked to her, she oozes that perfect peace, that perfect knowing... She knows God's in control still. She knows that her beloved ones whom she misses with all her heart, are waiting for her... But she knows, also, that God is not quite done with her yet. So she remains, a strong and graceful woman.

Perfect Peace, only given and found in God.

This is my bible study... sorry if it seems a little different than the others. I believe God will always show us something new each and every time we read the bible. I must have read Psalms 26 hundreds of times - but never fully grasped it, until now.

God bless you, and may His everlasting Perfect Peace be unto you and your family.

Job 1:1-22

7/23/13
Job 1:1-22
In reading this small part of Job, I have found that even at the loss of all you hold dear, God is still to be praised.
God doesn't test us, he refines us. In our troubles, he uses our choices to help us through tough times and hardships. Never has he forsaken one of his own or even a lost sheep. Even when we blame him for our troubles, which we actually caused, he still stands ready to forgive and receive us into the Kingdom.

In the past I found myself blaming God for a lot of things. When my grandfather was called home Dec. 2, 1997 I blamed God for taking away my grandfather. I didn't hold onto God, I pushed him away. I told myself I didn't need a god who took people I loved away from me. But then, when I did that, trouble came upon me faster than I could have ever thought possible and I found myself lost in sin steeped so high I couldn't see over the mountain.
I then found that God didn't make this happen, he wasn't testing me, he was refining me. He was looking to perfect the masterpiece he'd created in me. If I would only turn and thank him, instead of cursing him for it. But back then, I was still hurting and had not dealt with my pain properly... So I rejected him again.
Finally, I began to see with new eyes once more that God was not my enemy, that it wasn't HIM who was testing me, but it was the Enemy who was and the more I pushed God away, the more the enemy succeeded and won the battles against me.

But when I turned back to God, repenting and asking forgiveness and really seeing that God loved me enough that he never left my side even when I was steeping in sin... The enemy lost the battles after that, I held on to my faith. In my trials I kept my head high and held God close...

Job, he was a man of God, a man who wasn't perfect, but was right in God's eyes. He didn't know what his children did but he made sacrifices for them anyway just in case. He loved God so much he rejoiced in his losses and held tightly to God's hand even to the point of suffering. He suffered many things, but did not sin against God by cursing, or blaming him. Even when everyone else told him too - including his wife! But the thing is, Job did not curse God, he did not walk away from the Creator... His faith was strong enough that even the Enemy was shaken by the fact of it.

To have that kind of faith, that is true faith. That no matter what happens, God has a plan, that God is in control. That even when the world is falling in around you, God is still gonna stand there with you and hold your hand, pick you up, dust you off, and help you walk forward again. God knows I'm gonna stumble, he knows I'm gonna fall down. He knows I'm gonna make mistakes and sometimes I'll try to run ahead only to find that I've fallen behind again... But through it all, just as with Job, God loves me.

So to have the faith as Job had, I have a lot of growing to do... To be able to sit and take the worst that the world or enemy can dish out and say what Job said,
"And he said, 'Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.' In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong." (Job 1:21-22)
That takes faith...

In my trials, I must remember that God is not testing me - for God does not test, but refines. I must remember that God's love is eternal and that even though he knows I'll fall very short of perfection, I'll still be under his mercy and love. Because Job tells me that no matter how hard things get, God is always in control.

This study was done back in July, however, it is more true today than back then. Anyway, please remember these are just my personal studies and I do not pretend to know everything. Please also remember that I am not a pastor, this study is merely a way for me to share what I've found by reading my bible (ESV) about me and the person(s) described within the Word.

Psalms 62:1-12 & 63:1-11

Psalms is a book written for the songs of David, King of the Israel. This book not only tells us the heart of David, who was said to be a heart after God's heart, but it also tells us here and today that God is closer than we first thought. I've read these two chapters over and over, and each time I've gotten something different out of them. They are my personal cries, they are my personal prayers and my personal songs. For God is the strength we seek, God is the wisdom we need, and God is the refuge when the storms of life come crashing down upon us.
Sounds cliche, but it's true. For when David sang the songs, he trusted that God would save him from his enemies, that God would keep him from harm. Which God did. Because David TRUSTED him to do so. He didn't put God in a box, or make him seem out of reach - these two chapters bring it home to me, I hope they can bring it home to you too.

Lets start with chapter 62...

~~~

Psalms 62

This song speaks to me in such a way that reminds me of my childhood. When I would wait patiently to hear a word from God. That innocent patience with unwavering trust. My soul would always feel refreshed and revived, once I cried out in humble honesty to the Lord. Why? Because God is the salvation of my soul. He refills it with life and living water when it is dying and parched.

People claim that "John 3:16" is the verse that you must remember, I agree - to an extent. Because, before John was born, David spoke of God's salvation, he spoke that God saves those whom trust in him. You see, in John's time, God had come to us in the flesh of Christ - but the knowledge that one must trust and believe in God, was already in the world!

Psalms 62 speaks to me each time, a little differently. Especially verse 8.

"Trust in him at all times, O people, pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us."

Because I have such trouble with trusting people, this chapter reminds me that God is truly trustworthy, not just because he's our salvation, but because he's also my safe haven when I'm in trouble.

To those of you who live in dangerous parts of the world, a safe haven is important. Well, in times of hardship, struggles, turmoil in your own personal life, God is our safe haven. I would love to sit and say that I trust God all the time and whatnot, but even I am human and fall short of that small simple thing.

Psalms 62 is a great reminder that God is our saviour, refuge, and our everlasting companion and Judge.

Psalms 62:1-12

For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken. How long will all of you attack a man to batter him, like a leaning wall, a tottering force? They only plan to thrust him down from his high position. They take pleasure in falsehood. They bless with their mouths, but inwardly they curse. For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress, I shall not be shaken. On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. Those of low estate are but a breath; those of high estate are a delusion; in the balances they go up; they are together lighter than a breath. Put no trust in extortion; set no vain hopes on robbery; if riches increase, set not your heart on them. Once God has spoken; twice have I heard this: that power belongs to God, and that to you, O Lord, belongs steadfast love. For you will render to a man according to his works.

~~~

Psalms 63:1-11

Psalms 63 keeps in line with the previous chapter. However, this one speaks more of how my soul is satisfied constantly with the Lord's blessing and his merciful love. It's hard at times to think that I'm loved by the Lord of all Creation, but it's true. I'm loved without restraint. Even when I've done wrong, God still loves me, and this chapter reminds me that God is STEADFAST in that love that he gives.

No matter what, as long as I have faith in Him that I can come to him with EVERYTHING and he'll love me through it all. No matter what the issue may be! In God's undying love, he has steadfastly shown me that I am His and he is mine.

No matter what trials or struggles I face, God is my refuge. Not humans. not the world, but rather, God is the safe haven that shields me against the deadliest of the Enemies arrows. I know that, by reading this song of David, that God is close to me, that he's not so far away that he can't be personally involved in my life... I can see, just by reading and listening that God is clearly with me. Psalms 63 is the chapter that brought me back to God when I had fallen astray and had forgotten him in my wanderings.

This chapter showed me just how steadfast, God can be. He loved me when I fell away, he wept when I didn't come home, he helped me EVEN though I refused to acknowledge him, he gave mercy to me when I held no mercy on others, he forgave me when I couldn't forgive him, he gave me grace when I pushed him away... Through all of that, he never left, never turned his back, never walked away... never cursed me though in my heart I cursed myself. When sin held sway completely over me, he loved me through it and brought me closer to him.

All because of the song David sung to him, all those years ago. It became alive in my life, it became a guide in my walk to Christ, it helped me see clearer, listen closer, and understand better - that God is not distant, but close, very close. All I had to do was trust and believe and know that he was there and that he could help me...

But just because I found the starting line to my faith, doesn't mean the struggles to keep it were over with! Far from it! Today, I face greater challenges (because I again fell away from God) and yet, he's never left me. He's picking me up each day, giving me a ray of light and grace and telling me everyday that he still loves me. He revealed my misstep and I repented, I still find myself remembering that misstep and I still repent, but I do not regret anything. Because God has told me to hold on to my faith. To trust him, to thirst for him with my soul of souls. To continue to seek him, with each day I wake and sleep I remember him.

Psalm 63 is very close to my heart. Because in all the wanderings I've had, it reminds me over and over that God is love, and that he's steadfast in it.

Psalm 63:1-11

O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you, my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips, when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night; for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy. My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me. But those who seek to destroy my life shall go down into the depths of the earth; they shall be given over to the power of the sword; they shall be a portion for jackals. But the king shall rejoice in God; all who swear by him shall exult, for the mouths of liars will be stopped.

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These statements and opinions are solely my own. I do not pretend to understand or comprehend the bible in it's entirety; these opinions and stories are of my own personal take on the stated above portions of the Written Word.

Yes I wrote this disclaimer so that people would not assume. I do not wish to lead anyone astray because of a misunderstanding on either part. However, I do hope that my opinions and statements will help you in your journey to understanding for yourself what God has for you in each part of the Bible.Thank you and have a great day! 

James 1:2-18

Let me begin from the beginning...

The last few months I have been separated from the Fellowship of the Body of Christ. This is something that has happened before and has caused multiple issues for me. Simply because, I am weak in my faith and the Enemy knows just how to attack me. Alone as I am, without the fellowship and encouragement of my fellow Christians, I struggle each day to make it through. I have been seeking to do right, but finding myself lost in the trials and stumbling blocks of the world around me.
I've even tried to being bible studying on my own, but again, the desires of the flesh grab my attention more and more. Pulling me from the Word like a boat drawn on the rapids. So in order to hold myself accountable, I have decided to study the bible and do it diligently. I'm not a perfect person and don't claim to know ANYTHING about God's Word nor do I claim I can understand it all... This bible study is simply to put my thoughts in order, after reading the Word, and maybe it will help someone else who might be struggling and give them encouragement.

Being social creatures we crave social interaction, but the world has another way of simply isolating us: Technology. I hope that my views help you find your own and that God will also speak through me and help me understand the meaning of His Written Word.

Welcome...

To...

My Bible Study...

~~~

Book/Chapter: James 1:2-18

Thoughts:

A while back, my old pastor spoke about James in the new testament. He said there were 3 kinds of people in the world:

1. People who are going into trials/tribulation

2. People who are going through trials/tribulation

3. People who are coming out of trials/tribulation

Lets focus on the first one...

1. INTO trials/tribulation:

I'm not sure I quite understood my pastor when he spoke of it, but I believe I do now... You see, when my pastor spoke of this I had just started coming OUT of trials... but little did I know that more were around the corner.

I've stated in my introduction that I've been away from the fellowship of other believers for quite some time, this is a perfect example of how the Enemy can bring trouble into our lives. But though that trouble comes to break us and smash us, I've found in James, the solution to overcoming the Enemies plans. Don't worry... it's nothing magical or mystical, it's really quite simply and yet the hardest thing to do in times of trouble... REJOICE!

James states that our trials are for a reason, to test our faith, to build our steadfastness in Christ, and to build ourselves up so we can stand against the Enemy with the Lord's confidence and to give us the courage to know that God loves us even when we fail.

I haven't fully understood this message much, but I have it in my spirit that it is ministering to me. Because I've come into a trial.. One that is breaking and smashing me around. I keep trying to hold my head up, to see the "silver lining" but I forget, I don't "feel" like thanking God for the hardships that I've got to go through because of my own choices. But recently, my spirit has been churning and burning inside me and I've recently discovered that it's God's gentle way of letting me know I need some time with Him. Desperately.

See, I'm entering a trial now. Will I fail? I don't know, but I hope not. Will I be steadfast? I can't say, only that I know that God will catch me should I stumble. Will I come out unscathed? Only if I trust God and praise Him for the testing of my faith!

Because you know what? The Enemy can't harm you, God wont let that happen. As long as we rejoice in our trials and know that He is God. That we live by Faith not just by works, but by believing that the impossible for us, is certainly possible with GOD!

Looking over James, has been a troublesome thing for me, because I hate admitting that I'm going through it, I'm never sure if I'm coming out of or going into... but I'm never through it seems, and James says to count it all JOY!

Lets look at the second one...

2. GOING THROUGH trials

Again, I can relate. My pastor is dead on to me. I can't seem to look past the fact that James - some 2,000 years ago - was dead on to me too! I needed to be reminded that God still loves me, even though I'm struggling in my faith...

As I said before, the Enemy knows exactly where to hit me. So with all his power, he attacks - simply because I'm a daughter of Christ. James tells us that we should boast in our trials, that those who are rich should boast of being made humble, and the poor to boast in Christ's mercy and love. James also tells me that God will give freely, whatever we ask - if asked in truth and faith. Without doubt! A doubting man, according to the book of James, is a double-minded man who can not believe due to the doubts he has. God can't work in my life because I doubt I'll actually get what I've asked for.

Am I double-minded? Do I doubt God? These questions relate to me because... yes, sometimes I doubt if God is really listening, I doubt I'll get anything I've asked for because I've reduced God to a small nothing instead of believing he's bigger and larger and can do anything!

James says to rejoice when we go through trials... I find it hard especially right now with so much going on, but in truth, if I rejoiced instead of complained, the Enemy will have to find another means to drag me down and thus putting him on the defensive! I believe that whole heartedly, that God can do anything - but sometimes my flesh likes to tell me otherwise.

Lets look at the third one...

3. COMING OUT OF trials

When I finally came out of one trial, I was so relieved I thought I was done... but it's a fool who thinks that outside his death bed! My trials continued to come... so again I fell away from God and the Enemy took over. But I still hold fast to my faith. I stumble more than walk, I fall more than stand, I fall behind more than run ahead... but I still hold faithfully to the truth that God is God! The Enemy attacks in other ways, whispering in the ear that will listen... and because I've been away from fellowship and christian friends I've listened several times and always it has lead me to sorrow and pain. When will I learn? James still tells us to have faith, to trust that God will provide. That we are created by His very hand! We, of the Faith, are the first fruits, His!

But another thing James tells me that I must always remember... God doesn't TEMPT us! God TESTS us, but only to make us stronger. Temptations come from our own fleshly desires which give birth to sin and sin to death. But James states that all GOOD gifts; life, salvation, livelihood, etc. Come from God the Father! So do not be thinking that God will tempt you he wont.

Anyway, as I explore the different aspects of my personal trials and tribulations, I see James speaking directly to me about what I should be doing, how I should do it, and how I can overcome those trials simply if I rejoice about them instead of complain...

James 1:2-18

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 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. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.

Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trail, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God," For God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.