“12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, I am being tempted by God, for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.”
James 1:12-15 ESV.
When someone comes to the faith, the angels in heaven rejoice (Luke 15:7, 10). We get caught up in these moments. And rightfully so. Whether through baptism, the sinner’s prayer or any other choice, when people choose to follow Jesus, it is cause for celebration. But often we forget the endurance required to maintain our faith until our last breath.
As we journey with Jesus, there are many times when we question our faith. There are other times when we’re tested. Be that physically, mentally, spiritually or any other way. Life’s journey isn’t easy; we go through periods of relative ease and others of pain and suffering.
When things go belly-up for us, we can be tempted to blame God. After all, He’s the maker of all things. He created space and time, everything good on this green earth. But similarly, He created the universe as we know it with the ability for evil and suffering to exist. This isn’t the time to discuss this point, but as a result, we sometimes conclude that God is tempting us or causing our suffering.
In today’s passage, James states that God can’t tempt us. Why? Because God cannot and is not tempted by evil. There is no desire within Him for evil, and therefore, there is no temptation. For us, the temptation comes from our own depravity and sinfulness which gives space for the temptation to flourish.
Life is a long journey, and James is calling us to steadfastness. He’s calling us to remain firm in our faith, to have strong foundations – to dig our roots deep in Christ. The encouragement for today and the week ahead is to call on God. When you’re struggling this week, call out, and reach out to God. Ask for help. Ask Him to meet you where you’re at, to be with you until the end. If you can’t carry your burden, ask Him to carry it for you.
“6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.”
1 Peter 5:6-7 ESV.
God bless.
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