I understand, Lord, what You want me to do
Keep writing poems and leave the rest to You.
I’ll do my best then and do as You have planned.
Yes, I’ll keep on writing; the rest is up to You.
You own the cattle on a thousand hills
And it won’t be hard for You to pay these bills.
You know the cost of living, the cost of each book
You know where the money is, You know where to look.
You never asked me to find the money, only write
Just another poem, whether it be day or night.
I’m sure You will be faithful, but will I?
Yes, Lord, I want to be faithful and I’ll try.
“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: 5-8)
My grandfather took every task he did seriously and he always wanted to be faithful in using his talents for the Lord. This poem reflects this and has made me think. Am I faithful in the little as well as the big tasks the Lord has for me to do?
Have you ever been at the beach when the waves are crashing against the rocks and the wind is whipping around the water until you’re left to scurry away?
This is the picture I get when I read verse six of James, chapter 1.
These verses aren’t meant to be taken alone but in a group. In other words, context does matter and I need to really understand what it means to be driven with the wind.
First off, James is talking to people who desire wisdom.
What is wisdom?
To understand wisdom it is good to understand a couple of other words. In Proverbs 2:1-5, we see all three words used that I want to talk about. “My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.”
To get to wisdom or to have wisdom we need to first have understanding. Understanding is the why. Then we see that we are to cry after knowledge. Knowledge is the what. Wisdom is the how. So, if we can understand why we need knowledge of what we do or say in life then we can have wisdom on how to live.
We already know that wisdom is the principal thing (according to Proverbs) and so we know we want to have it.
Therefore, if we feel like we are lacking in wisdom, we just need to ask and God will give us as much as we want. In fact, He will give us a bountiful amount of it just for the asking!
James goes on to explain what the wavering means. When we waver in our faith to God we become just like the waves of the sea that are driven and tossed about with the wind. When we become doubtful in our faith then we become like those waves of the sea and verse 7 tells us then that we will not receive anything of the Lord. I’d say asking for wisdom, in faith, is a pretty important thing to do!
Not only this, but verse 8 concludes this part of the chapter by explaining that if we begin to waver in our faith then we become a double-minded man. A double-minded man is someone who when their faith wavers up and down there will be great unsteadiness in their lives as far as conversations and actions. This will produce a testimony that is not God-honoring and will confuse the world around them. We will also not please our Lord and Savior.
Let’s remember that, although the waves and winds are beautiful to look at, we don’t want to have faith that resembles them. Keep your testimony strong by living a life so led by faith in Jesus Christ that many will want to have what you have. When you end life, you’ll hear, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant:” (Matthew 25:21)
JOY IN FAITHFULNESS