Great is thy faithfulness, O God.

From time to time, we experience troubles, problems, persecutions and challenges.  Thank you LORD that You are unchanging.  You are the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.  Your faithfulness never changes, never wanes.  Thank you LORD that You will help us, when we are down and discouraged, because of these hardships, sickness, pain, struggles and troubles that we experience.  Thank you LORD that You will help me to not  worry about how things will turn out, because You are sovereign and in full control.  Help me to rest in that assurance.  Great is Thy faithfulness, O God.  

Text:  James 1:2-8, 12-18  NIV  

2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 

3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.  

4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 

6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 

7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 

8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 

14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed.  

15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

16 Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. 

17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 

18 He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.

SCRIPTURE INSIGHT

An iconic photo shows the tread of a boot against a gray background. It’s astronaut Buzz Aldrin’s footprint, which he left on the moon in 1969. Scientists say that footprint is likely still there, unchanged after all these years. Without wind or water, nothing on the moon gets eroded, so what happens on the lunar landscape stays there. 

It’s even more awesome to reflect on the constant presence of God Himself. James writes, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17). The apostle puts this in the context of our own struggles: “When troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy” (v. 2 nlt). Why? Because we’re loved by a great and unchanging God!

In times of trouble, we need to remember God’s constant provision.

Perhaps we might recall the words of the great hymn “Great Is Thy Faithfulness”: “There is no shadow of turning with thee; / thou changest not, thy compassions, they fail not; / as thou hast been thou forever wilt be.” Yes, our God has left His permanent footprint on our world. He will always be there for us. Great is His faithfulness.

By Kenneth Petersen

COMMENTARY:  The letter of James is written to “the twelve tribes scattered among the nations” (James 1:1). “Twelve tribes” alerts the reader that the recipients are Jewish. Everything we know about ancient Israelite culture, society, and identity applies to the readers.  

“Scattered among the nations,” identifies them as immigrants who were dispersed because of persecution. Perhaps forced, perhaps not. They were living in a place and among a people that were not their own. They were the minority group, culturally and religiously. Phrases like “trials of many kinds” (v. 2) take on new significance when we think about the kinds of trials an ethnic and religious minority might face.  BY J.R. Hudberg

From me:  From time to time, we experience troubles, problems, persecutions and challenges.  Thank you LORD that YOu are unchanging.  You are the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.  Your faithfulness never changes, never wanes.  Thank you LORD that You will help us, when we are down and discouraged, because of these hardships, sickness, pain, struggles and troubles that we experienc.  Thank you LORD that You will help me to not  worry about how things will turn out, because You are sovereign and in full control.  Help me to rest in that assurance.

Posted October 1, 2023