Faith, Endurance and JOY

For the last 2 weeks I have cried out in the night and meditated on the Word of God.  I asked God to break into my heart and remove all that hinders His love!    Throughout my prayer times, I felt led to meditate on James.  This is not my normal "Go To" book in the Bible.  I like Acts, Ephesians and Psalms because they make me feel good, but James challenges the core of my heart.  I obeyed and started to study this powerful book, and it changed me. These verses impacted me the most. 

"Dear brothers and sisters, WHEN troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for GREAT JOY. For you know that when your faith IS tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. If you need wisdom, ask our generous God and He will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask Him, be sure that your faith is IN GOD ALONE. Do NOT waiver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people SHOULD NOT EXPECT to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do" -James 1:2-8 NLT

SELAH!!

Let our hearts be undivided, so that we can walk in the fullness of JOY!  I want the joy of the Lord to come and flood our hearts.  In the presence of God there is FULLNESS of joy at His right hand there are pleasures evermore.  That is where I want to be.  I choose joy over sadness and discontentment!