As I've been memorizing James, I've been moved to tears, have felt righteous anger and become much, much more aware at exactly how much further I have to go in becoming concerned with the plight of the poor, widowed, orphaned, destitute, downtrodden and forsaken ones. The ones my Abba says to serve and love with reckless abandon. But some unexpected and now highly anticipated things have grabbed my attention as well.
While God's word is becoming "implanted" in me (see James 1:21), I am seeing how it "saves your souls" (also James 1:21). It wells up in your memory and overflows into your heart...just when you need it...and I am forever grateful for this.
We journeyed to my mother-in-law's to spend Sunday and Christmas Eve with them. In her dining area I have walked by a painting many times...I'm certain I've even read it more than a few times as well. But now because God is implanting His Word into my soul, I looked at this painting and the proverbial "light bulb" moment occurred.
You see, every time I repeat James 1 to myself, I have said these words: "But the brother of humble circumstances is to glory in his high position; and the rich man is to glory in his humiliation, because like flowering grass he will pass away. For the sun rises with a scorching wind and withers the grass; and its flower falls off and the beauty of its appearance is destroyed; so too the rich man in the midst of his pursuits will fade away." (James 1:9-11)
A few weeks ago, I blogged about the confusion I felt over this passage. Was I the poor or the rich? (See Humble Glory) But Christmas Eve morning, when I walked by my mother-in-law's painting that reads,
"The grass withers, the flower fades,
But the word of our God stands forever." (Isaiah 40:8)
I realized it no longer matters whether I'm poor or rich in the eyes of the world...but it deeply matters what I do with the word God has given me. Both titles of poor or rich will someday pass away. When I stand before my Abba, financial status will not prevail...only "the word of our God" will stand.
Therefore, shouldn't that be my only focus now?
I like to use the phrase, "in the grande scheme of things" and another favorite is "does it matter in the eternal?" And really, "when all is said and done" (yet, another favorite phrase!) is it going to matter if I was rich in this life or if I was poor? No, what will last was if I believed and put into practice this belief (see James 1:22-25) that God's word stands forever.
If I received it implanted and was not just a hearer, but a doer of the word...then absolutely, positively...my life will have looked very different from others around me. I'm okay with that. Because as much as I love to garden...do I want to leave behind some pretty grass and fragrant flowers (which will just be fought over by some left behind anyway)...or do I want my life to have shown that God's Word stands forever?
Seems like a pretty clear choice to me!
While God's word is becoming "implanted" in me (see James 1:21), I am seeing how it "saves your souls" (also James 1:21). It wells up in your memory and overflows into your heart...just when you need it...and I am forever grateful for this.
We journeyed to my mother-in-law's to spend Sunday and Christmas Eve with them. In her dining area I have walked by a painting many times...I'm certain I've even read it more than a few times as well. But now because God is implanting His Word into my soul, I looked at this painting and the proverbial "light bulb" moment occurred.
You see, every time I repeat James 1 to myself, I have said these words: "But the brother of humble circumstances is to glory in his high position; and the rich man is to glory in his humiliation, because like flowering grass he will pass away. For the sun rises with a scorching wind and withers the grass; and its flower falls off and the beauty of its appearance is destroyed; so too the rich man in the midst of his pursuits will fade away." (James 1:9-11)
A few weeks ago, I blogged about the confusion I felt over this passage. Was I the poor or the rich? (See Humble Glory) But Christmas Eve morning, when I walked by my mother-in-law's painting that reads,
"The grass withers, the flower fades,
But the word of our God stands forever." (Isaiah 40:8)
I realized it no longer matters whether I'm poor or rich in the eyes of the world...but it deeply matters what I do with the word God has given me. Both titles of poor or rich will someday pass away. When I stand before my Abba, financial status will not prevail...only "the word of our God" will stand.
Therefore, shouldn't that be my only focus now?
I like to use the phrase, "in the grande scheme of things" and another favorite is "does it matter in the eternal?" And really, "when all is said and done" (yet, another favorite phrase!) is it going to matter if I was rich in this life or if I was poor? No, what will last was if I believed and put into practice this belief (see James 1:22-25) that God's word stands forever.
If I received it implanted and was not just a hearer, but a doer of the word...then absolutely, positively...my life will have looked very different from others around me. I'm okay with that. Because as much as I love to garden...do I want to leave behind some pretty grass and fragrant flowers (which will just be fought over by some left behind anyway)...or do I want my life to have shown that God's Word stands forever?
Seems like a pretty clear choice to me!
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