Trials and Temptation

Let no one say when he is tempted, I am tempted from God; for God is incapable of being tempted by evil and He Himself tempts no one.

But every person is tempted when he is drawn away, enticed and baited by his own evil desires.

Then the evil desire, when it has conceived, gives birth to sin, and sin, when fully matured, brings forth death. ~ James 1:13-15

When we go through trials and temptation, we have this need to put the blame anywhere except the face looking back at us in the mirror. We put the blame on God, the world, our spouses, our children, other people, the way we were raised, our past hurts, and of course the most common one, the devil.

The truth is, God has given us free choice, and if we choose to allow temptation to overtake us, then it will. We are the ones that choose to be drawn away. We are the ones with the evil thoughts and desires. We are the ones that allow ourselves to be baited.

When we allow temptation to go from a thought to an action, we will sin, and when we sin, we are opening the door to death and destruction. This doesn't necessarily mean we will physically die. Depending on the sin, it could mean the death of a relationship, finances, dreams, a job, and of course physical death.

The only way to really overcome temptation is to renew our mind. And, the only way we can renew our mind is to study God's Word.

Every sin that we commit started in our mind. When we allow our minds to go astray, we open the door to sin, death, and destruction. This does not have to happen. God has given us power over sin. God has shown us through His Word how to overcome sin and death.

However, it is our choice. We can choose to be overcome by temptations or we can choose to overcome temptations.

I wrote an article awhile back that deals with the mind and tongue. The example I use in the article is anger, but the basic principal is the same. All sin starts in the mind. This article helps us to learn how to hold every thought captive under the Authority of Jesus Christ. We must submit our thought life to Him, and stop the thought before it ever becomes a manifestation.

Here is a link if you want to read it

Let's Pray,

Daddy God, thank You for freeing me from the chains of sin through the Blood of Your Precious Son, Jesus. Thank You that I no longer have to be overcome by temptation. Thank You, that Your mighty Word holds all the ammunition and help that I need to overcome the enemy and sin. Daddy God, I choose right now to turn away from sin and renew my mind daily. And when I mess up I will pick myself up and try again. Thank You. I receive Your strength right now, IN Jesus Mighty Name, Amen.

In His Love and Service,

Lara ;)

The Importance of Patience Under Trials

Blessed is the man who is patient under trial and stands up under temptation, for when he has stood the test and been approved, he will receive the victor's crown of life which God has promised to those who love Him. ~ James 1:12

Let's start with the original Greek text for blessed.

Blessed - makarious (mak-ar'-ee-os): supremely blessed, fortunate, well off, happy.

That sounds good to me! If I am patient and stand firm when I am tempted and under trials I am blessed. It doesn't stop there though. I also earn treasure in Heaven. Treasure that no thief can steal and no moth or rust can destroy. It is a promise of God.

He wants to give us something we can have while we are here on earth. When we stand firm and remain patient under temptation and trial we become SUPREMELY blessed. We gain true happiness. Why? Because we trust and are confident in our Mighty God and His Hand over our lives.

God also wants to give us an eternal reward for standing strong. He wants to give us a crown. WHOO HOO! I will wear mine proudly! I plan on getting that crown! I hope you do to.

Standing firm is an act of will. We must want to do it. It is never a matter of "can we." It is always ONLY a matter of will we. God has given us the power to do all things. It is our job to receive that power and exercise it by faith.

As far as the patience part of this promise, that's another devotional! LOL!
Here is a link to it.

The wonderful thing about when God wants us to do something is, He always has some awesome benefit or reward to give us for our obedience.
What a GREAT DADDY!

Let's Pray,

Daddy God, I just want to thank You for always making life as Your child a joy. Thank You for always giving rewards for my obedience. You are truly an AWESOME God. You are the perfect model of what a parent should be. I would be blessed to be even a fraction of the parent You are. I love You Daddy. I love You very much and I trust You completely. In Jesus Mighty Name, Amen.

In His Love and Service,
Lara ;)

Copyright © Lara Velez

Materialism

And the rich person ought to glory in being humbled by being shown in his human frailty, because like the flower of the grass he will pass away.

For the sun comes up with a scorching heat and parches the grass; its flower falls off and its beauty fades away. Even so will the rich man wither and die in the midst of his pursuits. James 1:10-11

Last time, we talked about lack and finding things to be thankful for. Today, we talk about when we have plenty.

These two verses can almost appear to scorn the rich. However, two things stand out to me.

The first thing is verse 10. This verse is explaining that being rich may give you many material possessions, but it cannot protect you from the trials of life. When you are rich you are still human with human problems and circumstances. Remembering that will humble you. Lest you get "puffed" up.

The second thing that stands out for me is in the next verse. Even so, will the rich man wither and die in the midst of his pursuits. This is an extremely powerful statement. The pursuit of riches can be a very dangerous one. We can get so caught up in having material things and luxuries that we forget what is really important.

This verse clearly says that the person who spends all of their time pursing the riches of this world, will die in the midst of it. Our purpose is to fulfill God's purpose, not what our own. Money will NEVER make you happy. The treasure you earn that is waiting in Heaven is what our focus should be on. That is eternal treasure where neither moths nor thieves can take it from us. When we put all of our time and effort making wealth in this world we are fools. This is only a grain of sand in eternity.

Am I saying wanting wealth is wrong? NO WAY! I want to be wealthy and have requested it from God. However, my life does not revolve around pursuing it. It revolves around God and His will for my life. If HE makes me wealthy...YIPPEE!! If not, YIPPEE! Either way, I know that He knows better than I.

Another thing to remember, if God has blessed us with wealth, it is NOT only for us to enjoy and give scraps here and there. It is meant to further His Kingdom, help others when we see a need, give MUCH, and then think about ourselves.

When we spend it all on ourselves, and only give a small portion of what's left over, then we are being poor stewards. We will grieve the Holy Spirit when we are selfish. That is something that I never want to do.

Let's Pray,

Daddy God, help me to see the "big" picture. Help me to let go of the pursuit of earthly riches and grab hold of my eternal treasures. Help me to understand what that is. I want to please You, and live my life in Your will, not my own. I trust you, Daddy. I know that You will never do anything or give anything to me that would harm me. I also know that You would not keep anything good from me unless it was not good for me. I release all of my desires to You. In Jesus Mighty Name, Amen.

In His Love and Service,
Lara ;)

THANKFULNESS

Let the brother in humble circumstances glory in his elevation as a Christian, called to the true riches and to be an heir of God. James 1:9

In this verse we are being told that if we lack in finances, we should be content. Content in knowing that even though we do not have earthly riches we are an heir to eternal treasure in Heaven.

This can be a very difficult thing. It is very hard to "feel" content when you don't know how you'll pay your rent or where your next meal will come from. I have been there. it can bring bitterness and frustration. It almost did me in. Praise God, though, He said he will never give us more than we can bare...even if we "think" we cannot bare anymore.

No matter what you financial burdens are the way to break free of the mental poverty is to be thankful. And yes, there is ALWAYS something to be thankful for.

~ If you have arms and legs, be thankful you have them.

~ If you have eyes, be thankful you can see your child.

~ If you have a roof over your head, be thankful your not in the streets.

~ If you have health, be thankful you have no diseases.

~ If you have children, be thankful for their laughter.

~ If you have a bed to sleep in, be thankful your not on the floor.

~ If you had a meal today, be thankful you did. Many did not.

~ If you have even one outfit to wear, be thankful your not naked.

~ If your reading this, be thankful you have electricity and internet access.

~ If you have a car, be thankful you don't have to walk.

And....

If you are saved, be thankful that you won't burn in hell for all eternity!

These examples were only to get you started. I'm sure you can come up with MANY more reasons to be thankful.

The most important thing to remember is exactly what James said, "Glory in your elevation as a Christian, called to the true riches and to be an heir of God!"

Let's Pray,

DaddyGod, thank You for calling me from my mother womb. Thank You thai I am Your child and heir. Thank You for saving me from hell. Thank You for loving me. Thank You for the MANY blessings that I have but do not always see. Help me to see them and realize that I could be in MUCH worse circumstances. I love You. In Jesus Mighty Name, Amen.

In His Love and Service,
Lara ;)