Thursday, 24 April 2008
Posted by Bart on April 24, 2008
I read James 1 this morning.
Lord thank you for speaking to me through others yesterday. It is good to be quiet at times. I will listen again today for the whispers of your spirit. I specifically ask for wisdom concerning Your great church, may I hear you rightly in the Holy Scriptures. I claim this wisdom by Your word in James 1:5.
Father, please grant your wisdom to Cathy, Bishop Wills, and the UMC during general conference. May they have hearts, minds, and bodies strong with Your strength. I offer Your words back to you as a prayer.
James 1:19-25
19 My dear brothers and sisters, always be willing to listen and slow to speak. Do not become angry easily,20 because anger will not help you live the right kind of life God wants.21 So put out of your life every evil thing and every kind of wrong. Then in gentleness accept God’s teaching that is planted in your hearts, which can save you.
22 Do what God’s teaching says; when you only listen and do nothing, you are fooling yourselves.23 Those who hear God’s teaching and do nothing are like people who look at themselves in a mirror.24 They see their faces and then go away and quickly forget what they looked like.25 But the truly happy people are those who carefully study God’s perfect law that makes people free, and they continue to study it. They do not forget what they heard, but they obey what God’s teaching says. Those who do this will be made happy.
Amen.
April 24, 2008 at 9:39 am
I am thinking of faith and confidence today. Hebrews 11 says, “For faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”
We are to be people of faith. We are to be confident in what we hope for.
I like the definition of hope being, “A desire accompanied by an expectation.” That means that we have a desire and we expect that desire to become reality. We have a promise from Jesus never to leave us and never to forsake us. I have a hope (a desire plus and expectation) that is true. Therefore I push on.
Bart and all. I have been exceptionally busy at church. I have barely had time to sit, think, and write a post for my blog. But you all have been in my prayers.
Peace
Jim