Reading your Bible for Today January 19

January 19: James 1:12-18

KJV Key Verse: James 1:17
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

Devotion:
I can remember trying to discuss wars with a group of young people and trying to get their views on whether wars are right or wrong. The first thing we have to do before we try and figure out any answers is where things come from. Who starts wars, who keeps them going and why?

In Jeremiah 17:9 we find “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”. If we really want to know what a person is like, then we should look into their hearts... unfortunately, that is where we have a bit of a problem, we can't. We don't have to look too far before we find out where wars and fighting comes from. What happens when someone walks into you in the street? Your first reaction is probably not such a pleasant one! That is because it is a reaction and is coming from within you. When you think about what has happened, you probably smile and forget about it. But that first reaction is quite often what counts in the other person's eyes.

We are tempted with all sorts of things every day, not just people walking into us... We have to work hard at avoiding our adverse reactions to those temptations – we have to try our best to walk with God throughout our days. God is not the one who is going to be tempting us but rather the one who will be whispering in our ears to get us to avoid the bad situations in the beginning! But still we are drawn in by our lust and pride... and that is where the arguments start and what brings in the fighting or even wars!

We are God's creations and we have to act like it. We must make sure we keep Him involved in our lives so we can avoid the tempting situations in life. God is the one supplying us with all good things (even some of those things that we don't like are good for us!) We know He does not change, so why do we?

Points to Ponder:
Do you change when you are angry?

God is just. He does not change. He is always there for us!