Scripture
Faith and Endurance
2Dear brothers and sisters,[1] when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.
5If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. 6But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. 7Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.
9Believers who are[2] poor have something to boast about, for God has honored them. 10And those who are rich should boast that God has humbled them. They will fade away like a little flower in the field. 11The hot sun rises and the grass withers; the little flower droops and falls, and its beauty fades away. In the same way, the rich will fade away with all of their achievements.
12God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. 13And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong,[3] and he never tempts anyone else. 14Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. 15These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.
16So don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters. 17Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens.[4] He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.[5] 18He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession.[6]
Translation notes (6)
- 1:2 Greek brothers; also in 1:16, 19.
- 1:9 Greek The brother who is.
- 1:13 Or God should not be put to a test by evil people.
- 1:17a Greek from above, from the Father of lights.
- 1:17b Some manuscripts read He never changes, as a shifting shadow does.
- 1:18 Greek we became a kind of firstfruit of his creatures.
17Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens.[1] He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.[2]
Translation notes (2)
- 1:17a Greek from above, from the Father of lights.
- 1:17b Some manuscripts read He never changes, as a shifting shadow does.
One of the best gifts I have ever received was a guitar from my wife, Laura. It was one week before our wedding on my birthday, and my wife showed up with this present. I remember being overjoyed at this lavish gift and the love that she had for me. A gift is something that makes us pause and take in the moment.
In a world that is lost and broken, God gives us a perfect gift. He promises that we don’t have to be lifeless, weak, or dead, but instead, He gives us abundant life through the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit produces in us spiritual fruit that the world cannot take away. This fruit isn’t dependent upon our circumstances. It is God’s gift to each one of us when we choose to remain in Him. Take some time right now to pause and take that in. You have been given these fruits both internally and externally that last forever. As a result of understanding this good gift from the Father of Lights, we should be grateful. The best response to what God has done for us is to worship Him with everything that we have inside of us. We come together each weekend to celebrate that God has changed us on the inside, and we carry the aroma of Christ into our services at Sagebrush. It is the aroma of lives that have been set free.
Our hope is that after doing this Daily Devotional all week long that it would carry into celebrating with us at church. There should be a spring in your step, an excitement to sing, and a passion to serve. We hope to see you this weekend!
Moving Toward Action
This weekend as we celebrate the One who gave everything for us, we would encourage you to invite a friend to come along with you. Inviting a friend is as easy as using our Sagebrush App. Use the share button under the Locations Tab or find your Sagebrush location's invite in the Featured Tab of the home page and shoot them a text right now. If you are a social media person, take the time to post an invite today. See you at church!
Going Deeper
Read James 1:2-18 (NLT)
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