Faith Under Pressure

Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.
If you don't know what you're doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You'll get his help, and won't be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who "worry their prayers" are like wind-whipped waves. Don't think you're going to get anything from the Master that way, adrift at sea, keeping all your options open.
When down-and-outers get a break, cheer! And when the arrogant rich are brought down to size, cheer! Prosperity is as short-lived as a wildflower, so don't ever count on it. You know that as soon as the sun rises, pouring down is scorching heat, the flower withers. Its petals wilt and, before you know it, that beautiful face is a barren stem. Well, that's a picture of the "prosperous life." At the very moment everyone is looking on in admiration, it fades away to nothing.
Anyone who meets a testing challenge head-on and manages to stick it out is mighty fortuante. For such persons loyally in love with God, the reward is life and more life.
Don't let anyone under pressure to give in to evil say, "God is trying to trip me up." God is impervious to evil, and puts evil in no one's way. The temptation to give in to evil comes from us and only us. We have no one to blame but the leering, seducing flare-up of our own lust. Lust gets pregnant, and has a baby: sin! Sin grows up to adulthood, and become a real killer.
So, my very dear friends, don't get thrown off course. Every desirable and beneficial gift come out of heaven. The gifts are rivers of light cascading down from the Father of Light. There is nothing deceitful in God, nothing two-faced, nothing fickle. He brought us to life using the true Word, showing us off as the crown of all his creatures.

James 1:2-18 from The Message

This passage really helped me get through today. I was awakened with a text that said Jordan may not have a job for much longer if business doesn't pick up. Of course I couldn't go back to sleep, so I came in the living room and started praying. As I was praying, God told me to open up the Scripture and read. Well I have been reading from Jeremiah, but he told me to go to James. When I get to the first page of James, the first title is "Faith Under Pressure". Wow! That is exactly what I needed to hear! As I began reading, the first verse that popped out at me is the verse that I bolded above, verse six. I had spent a while praying that morning, but I was still worrying. James told me that I should ask God and not worry any longer or else I would just be tossed about like wind-whipped waves. That was exactly what I was still feeling like. So, I began to pray again and gave it to God. I am trusting.

The next thing that stood out to me is the extended metaphor about prosperity. Nothing ever lasts forever. Everyone has their times that they are tested and I suppose we are ready for our next test...a little sooner than I would have liked, but I'm ready!

I'm still praying about the last part that stood out. "There is nothing deceitful in God, nothing two-faced, nothing fickle." This past week there have been several times when a few people have tried deceiving us and have been very two-faced. I'm praying about how to handle this situation. I don't want to call these people friends, but they are a part of our life...for now.