James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting. My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. (James 1, KJV)
Count it all joy when you fall into various trials (v2): Don’t be discouraged by the difficulties which you face in this life; I’ve not had an easy life: twice I’ve had cancer; I’ve been imprisoned for Bible smuggling; I’ve experienced financial hardship, yet through it all, I’ve learned to trust in Jesus and depend upon His Word. We learn more through our difficulties, than we do when life is calm. ‘Let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing,’ (v4).
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God (v5): Don’t be afraid to ask God for help. I do this daily. He will give you the answer, but ask in faith, don’t waver, otherwise, you will not receive what you are asking for from God. When I was in Austria this year, I went up the mountain behind the hotel, I was asking God questions; whereas later in the week, I was back on the mountain, I received the answers. But I had to believe, not unstable in my faith.
Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation (v9): God lifts up the humble. The rich and famous should be careful, you can be reduced very quickly. Just as flowers and the grass wither and fade, you can’t depend on your riches.
Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him (v12): In this verse, James returns to the theme first introduced in verse 2. Don’t give in under the test, there is a reward for those who remain faithful to the Lord. Your tests and trials do not come from God; He can’t bring evil into your life. It is your own desires, which causes the difficulties you face.
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning (v17): Look at the good gifts in your life, these come from God. There is an old song we used to sing, ‘Count your blessings, name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord has done.’ God does not change, He is consistent, the Apostle Paul writing to the Hebrews described God this way, ‘Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today and forever.’
Be doers of the word (v22): Let God’s Word be carved into you as in stone. You must act on the Word you hear. When God shows you what you look like in the mirror of His Word, fix yourself, put into practice what you believe. ‘Remember, it is a message to obey, not just to listen to. If you don’t obey, you are only fooling yourself. For if you listen and don’t obey, it is like looking at your face in a mirror but doing nothing to improve your appearance. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you like. But if you keep looking steadily into God’s perfect law - the law that sets you free - and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it’ (James 1:22-25, NLT).