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| Sunday in the Backwoods Thomas Faed |
My Saturday Devotions: James 1:1-12
Scripture in black, my words in blue and red
1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,
To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations:
Greetings.
Trials and Temptations
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] 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.We know we will face trials. The question is not if, but when. Suffering can come in the form of a difficult-to-control child, a handicapped child, a job loss, the loss of a loved one, persecution, chronic pain, infertility, a broken relationship, a difficult husband or a difficult extended family, or loneliness and isolation. Suffering takes on so many different forms, I couldn't possibly name them all. Some people experience many at once.
The most difficult lesson suffering brings is this: "Yes, this terrible thing is happening to me or around me, but God is still good. He is always good." And just as important, he is always present.
God doesn't promise health, wealth, or happiness. He promises his presence.
Every person you know can have better physical and mental health, more wealth, a nicer family, a more mature and devoted husband, blessed kids, and a greater support system, and it doesn't mean God loves you less. This is a huge concept to understand and internalize.
I know this truth because the Bible tells me so: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 5:3
Poverty of spirit refers to a deeply known and felt need for God. A person with poverty of spirit understands that they are nothing without God. They can't live in and get lost so easily in this world, because so many of the perks of this world aren't available to them...either they were never available, or they were rejected when they were found worthless compared to the richness of communion with God. Usually, those with poverty of spirit must live a heavenly existence, a kingdom existence, to survive. They focus on the eternal over the temporal.
We are told in this passage to ask for wisdom. This is also a huge concept, because we tend to believe we can get it figured out ourselves, if we just try hard enough. When we humble ourselves and ask for this wisdom, it will be given to us. And then, we must not doubt it. We mustn't go back to our own intellect or heart to find answers. Our task is to give up worrying and obsessing. We must cling to the wisdom given us by the Holy Spirit. Cling and trust.
9 Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. 10 But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower. 11 For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business.
Never should we look at what others have materially, and wonder why we aren't similarly blessed. Wealth is not a blessing unless the one possessing it is willing to give it away. Let that concept sink in. Wealth is a blessing when used to bless others...bless others spiritually...such as relieving the suffering of the poor in Jesus' name.
Giving our families the best of everything, or giving them abundance, does not bless them spiritually; it distracts them from their need for God. We have to resist the temptation to keep our abundance in our own family. We weren't saved to revel in wealth on earth. We were saved to bring glory to God, and our wealth must be part of that. What we receive vertically (from God), we distribute horizontally (loving others as ourselves).
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.
Persevering under trial requires God working through us. It requires dying to ourselves. No one perseveres because of a strong will (how many times have I convinced myself otherwise?). We persevere when we humble ourselves, when we ask for the wisdom promised us, and when we cling to it.
A word of wisdom? How have your devotions been this week, friend? You won't go to church tomorrow and open your Bible for the first time since last Sunday, will you?
As mothers we are so busy; we give so much. But regardless of our work load, we cannot forsake devotions. We can't stay on a right path outside of fellowship with God. Bible reading and prayer are central parts of fellowship with Him.
~ We can't experience God without them.
~ We can't please God without them.
~ We can't bless our families without them.
~ We can't bless the Church without them.
8 comments:
Many good thoughts here. Hope your weekend is refreshing.
Dear Susan, I hope your weekend is lovely too. You bless me always!
Christine, I so appreciate this post, You are so very "real" and encouraging to me. I am so thankful for the wisdom and scriptures I read on your blog.I love when you said "God doesn't promise health, wealth, or happiness. He promises his presence." I think you need to start a book of your quotes :) I am so blessed by your friendship.
Christine I read your Awesome words of wisdom, from the question I asked. I was using Abeka, we just switched to Alpha Phonics, I really like the new program. I did, Teach your child to read in 100 easy lesson,last year he seemed to learn a lot...then he forgot it all. How is that possible? I have an ES Educational specialist, she is going to give me some literature on what to look for for learning disability. I have always been really anti "Labels" I have seen so many adults excuse their behavior because of a label they got as a kid. I really respect your opinion, what are your thoughts on that? Thanks for taking the time to help me.
Hi Tesha, thank you for your kind words.
About labels...when something doesn't seem right with a child, whether it be health, behavior, or learning, it is extremely hard on the parents and on the child. We want what's best for our children and we want them to develop good work habits and a good work ethic. If we are afraid of a label, or try to deny that there might be a problem, it could hamper our ability to extend grace and mercy toward a struggling child. Children need to know that when they genuinely can't perform as expected, it isn't their fault and it doesn't mean they are dumb.
They need to know that something is different in their brain, and that the difference means they have to work harder than others. They need to know that God loves them and that He will use the differences for his glory. And that because of this the disabilities aren't a curse, but a blessing in disguise, because they become an instrument of God's grace and power, as the Paul the apostle said about his thorn in the flesh.
But, I do agree with you that people can play a game with their "label" and use it to excuse poor work habits, poor work ethic, or poor moral behavior.
I think if we keep our standards reasonably high, while applying grace to the child, the label will do more good than harm. It's when the parents lower their standards too much and act as enablers that real problems arise.
It could be that your son just needs more time to grow and mature, and no label is necessary at all.
There are two main types of learning problems. One is an IQ issue, and the other is called a learning disability. There is a term used in education called a "shady eighty"--referring to IQ. This is a student with an IQ lower than average, but not so low that they might need a special ed class. A "shady eighty" child does not have a learning disability. They just don't have the same potential as others.
A child with a learning disability can have a normal IQ, or even a high IQ, but take longer to learn because of a certain stumbling block, like a problem processing visual information, or auditory information.
The learning-disabled child can learn far more than the "shady eighty" child, if the stumbling block is compensated for in some way. The child needs to be taught how to compensate, and then to be held accountable for compensating as directed.
If he doesn't improve by the end of second grade, check into having the local school district evaluate him. You could do it privately, but I don't know if insurance will cover it. I think the school district has to serve you if you are in their district.
It's nice that your contact person is giving you resources about learning disabilities, but I don't know how helpful it will be in deciding if your son is affected by a disability. Whenever I read the publications about visual or auditory processing disorders, my head spins. It's not easy reading by any means.
If you have the school district get involved, you aren't bound to take the services they might offer. You still retain all the power. They would give him a battery of tests, but they're not too terribly tedious. They'll try to determine if there is a discrepancy between his potential (his IQ) and his functioning. If his IQ is fine and his functioning too low, they'll then look for a disability. (If my memory serves me correctly...I've been out of education since 2005.)
Are there any readers out there who can help here? Do any of you know of user-friendly explanations for the most typical learning disabilities? Or a checklist of symptoms to look for?
Tesha, remember that he might just be a late bloomer. Having said that, I know what you are going through in trying to help him! You have my sympathies! And my prayers.
Here is one article that is fairly easy to read.
http://www.ldonline.org/article/6390/
about visual and auditory processing disorders
Tesha, I had more time to read through the details about auditory disorder versus visual disorder. If a child is having trouble blending and hearing sounds within words..ie. Which three sounds do you hear in the word "dog"?...and having trouble telling you which words rhyme, this points to an auditory disorder.
If a child is having trouble with sight words, telling numbers or letters apart, and forgetting what each math sign means, then a visual disorder might be present.
In either case, interventions can be used to help the child cope. For example, in the case of visual disorder, the child needs larger print and fewer words on a page or worksheet.
My son has a visual disorder, but each time we've come upon a stumbling block (sight words, telling math signs apart, learning times facts, telling the teen numbers apart), he's been able to get through them with time and the right materials.
So in any case, your son will learn to read!
Christine, you are truly amazing thank you for all the help.
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