Trials can scare us. This daily devotional looks at how we are to react toward God when we are experiencing trials.
Nuggets
- We have to consider how we will respond to God when we are encountering trials.
- Sin is to be replaced with meekness and salvation, which is gained through the Word of God.
Devotions in Living Out Our Faith series
We often use these verses to guide our relationships with others. They do give us a good process on how to interact, especially during conflict.
But what have we been talking about? James has been telling us about faith, patience, perfection/maturity, and trials. He told us about blessings and gifts we will receive when we follow God.
James isn’t going to stick something else in here with no explanation. He is talking about our response to trials and our relationships with God.
Let's Put It into Context
Here is a running list of nuggets for the series.
Hearing, Speaking, and Anger
“Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God” (Jas. 1: 19-20 ESV)
We have to consider how we will respond to God when we are encountering trials.
James started off with the emphatic. We have to know this, and everyone has to do it.
It is important that we know what we are supposed to do. God will judge us on His standards, so we need to know what they are.
But knowing them alone isn’t enough. We have to do them. Our character doesn’t change unless we put them into practice.
No one gets a pass from doing things God’s way. It may look like that now because God is letting us exercise our free will. Free will is the ability within us to make decisions, which determine actions that produce character.
Yes, we get to choose, but one day we will have to pay the consequences for our choices.
Quick to Hear
We have to be ready to listen to God.
What I think James is talking about here is our attitude and level of submissiveness. We have to be docile. Docile means easily taught.
To read a related devotion, click the button below.
We have to want to learn what God wants to teach us.
How do we hear that? By eagerly listening to the Word of God.
That means being present on Sunday morning or whenever the service is. It means letting the Word of God talk to us when we read our daily devotion.
Put this into context again. James’ brothers were going through trials. They needed to listen to the Word of God.
We have to not only listen to the Word, but we also have to study it. Then we have to put it into immediate practice.
Slow to Speak
We need to be cautious. We don’t want to say the wrong thing.
Along with listening to God, James’ brothers needed to be especially cautious in approaching God. Yes, we have full access to Him after conversion.
But we have to approach God in the right way. We cannot come to Him thinking we are better than Him and know more than He does.
We can’t come with demands that God change things to the way we want them.
We need to listen to God and His Teacher, the Holy Spirit. We are not the teacher.
Too often when we pray, we just tell God what we want and move on. It is a one-way conversation.
We need to come to Him in submission.
But when are we supposed to be slow to speak the Word of God? We need to make sure we are spiritually ready to teach others what the Word says.
In other words, we have to be spiritually mature before we become teachers and preachers. We also know that we will always be learning, regardless of our spiritual maturity.
What I read Manton to say in Simple Duties is that we don’t judge God’s doctrines. We don’t interpret them our way.
We can tie slow to speak to swift to hear. If we are busy hearing — really hearing — we will be slow to speak. If we are formulating our response while listening, we have divided our attention and will miss some.
Notice that it doesn’t say we can’t speak at all. We have to make sure we have heard what we are supposed to be talking about before we say anything.
Slow to Anger
Anger does not lead to good character.
When put into context of the Word, this means, as Manton said, “… that the Word must not be received or delivered with a wrathful heart …”
Resource
Remember, faith produces patience, not anger.
Yes, Jesus got angry and cleared the temple of the money changers. That doesn’t give us license to be angry at God.
Take note of verse 20. “… for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God” (Jas. 1: 19-20 ESV).
Choose Salvation, not Evil
“Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls” (Jas. 1: 21 ESV)
Sin is to be replaced with meekness and salvation, which is gained through the Word of God.
James admonished us to “… put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness …” (Jas. 1: 21 ESV). Again, it is our choice as to what actions we are going to take. We are to be in control.
We are to relinquish evil. All of it.
We don’t hang on to our pet sin. We don’t compromise so that we come down somewhere in the middle.
But it is more than just giving up the sin. We have receive God through His Word.
We do this through meekness. Meekness is a personality trait exhibiting a mild or moderate disposition that places dependence on God.
We place our dependence on God.
I thought it was interesting that Trapp called meekness a freedom from passion and prejudice. If we are slow to anger, we don’t fall into the heat of the moment when our passions are boiling over.
Resource
Liddon told us why we are to receive the Word of God with meekness. He wrote, “It is not meant to add fuel to your controversies, it is meant to govern your lives.”
Resource
Don’t miss the last part of the verse. “… the implanted word, which is able to save your souls” (Jas. 1: 21 ESV).
The Word of God is able to save us — but not without something on our part. Salvation isn’t a gift that is automatically given to all.
We each have to choose to accept the gift of salvation. We have to have the desire to turn away from Satan and turn to God.
We receive the Word when, by faith, we believe it. We not only accept it to be true, but we also allow it to change us.
Making the Connections
James told us to be both swift and slow. We might wonder how to accomplish such seemingly opposite reactions.
To me, that seems logical. We are not going to react to our house burning down with laughter.
We are going to evaluate the situation and respond as needed.
What I think this is really saying is we need to be sober minded. Being sober is a character trait distinguished by self-control, genuineness, and sound moral judgment. It is a calm and temperate disposition.
This self-control is important. We need to control our ears and our tongue.
We have to control our ears because what we let into our lives can take over control of us. We begin changing our viewpoints based on what the world tells us. We compromise with them.
We can’t. We need to follow God exclusively.
We have to control our tongues because our inward character is shown through our outward expressions.
But what if the be swift really means be ready? Be ready to listen to when God initiates the lesson. Be ready for the trial that is going to teach us what we need to know.
We have to be ready for the trial brings and be content to endure it in order to be changed in the way God has for us. Don’t pass on the trial.
How Do We Apply This?
- Approach God in the right way, listening more than talking.
- Don’t judge God’s doctrines.
- Don’t boast about ourselves.
- Don’t be angry at God.
Resource
Father God. We tend to think trials are a bad thing. You have shown where they are used to grow us closer to You. We want to have faith and patience that leads to maturity. Help us to react in the correct ways. Amen.
What do you think?
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