James. To my surprise.

I've been reading the book of James lately.
Actually I've been following along with a small group of friends and we are all reading the book of James. We chose James because we were looking for a Beth Moore Bible Study that none of us had already completed.
James won.

To be honest, I wasn't so sure about it.
I was concerned that it would cramp my style.
I've always seen James as a style cramper. That sounds horrible. I mean, dude made it into THE Book of books. Who am I to say anything? My little blog corner of the world hasn't even made a portion of the dent that James made on the Christian community.

But the fact remains...
his book scared me a little.
And isn't that funny?
because I don't think that we as Christians like to admit when we aren't in love with a portion of the Word of God. Like it's blasphemous to be real or something,
 and like God is surprised.
Pretty sure He already knows.

But  I have to tell you.
Whenever I would read James, all I could think of was how I was going to face trials, but I was expected to be joyful. And how I needed to be a doer, not a hearer only.
That my tongue could use some taming.
To be careful not to show favoritism.
To be patient.
And to remember not to promote strife.
The list goes on.

All that to say.
I wasn't thrilled that we chose James.
I think I would have rather done Revelation.
And that's a book with a big reputation for being scary.

However....
as I've been reading the book of James, and following Beth Moore through the pages of the New Testament, I've found a couple things to be true.

First of all, I am occasionally incorrect.
This was found out almost immediately. Wow. Imagine my surprise.
I'm a mother after all. Don't we know everything?
Apparently not, because James is actually not the book of condemnation that I had always believed it to be.

Second...
I remembered something that I had forgotten.
I love the Word of God.

I had forgotten because I had allowed myself to be swept away by the million other things that are going on in this busy life of mine. And many of those things sadly have the influence of the world on them.
I had forgotten because I had come to look at time in His Word as a requirement instead of a privilege.
I had forgotten because I am human.

But now I remember.
I remember what it feels like to be excited over finding a nugget of truth.
I remember what it feels like to know that I know that I KNOW that He is real.
And that He is for me. And never against me.
I remember what it feels like to find my purpose in His Word and in Him.
I remember what it's like to fall head over heels for Him.
And I'm so glad I'm here again.

All that to say this...
His love for you is beyond the imaginable.
Sometimes it is difficult to hear Him in the midst of the world.
The world screams when He whispers.

And this...
If you find yourself bored with His Word, or lacking in motivation, don't give up.
Don't think He doesn't know this about you, or is angry over it.
Why else would He put it on the hearts of so many to write studies that help us navigate the waters of His Word?

(source)

Sometimes I can go it alone. Just Jesus and me. We walk through the pages of His Word and He shows me stuff that freakin. blows. my. mind.
Other times I need help.
A tour guide if you will.
And Beth Moore is proving to be a fabulous guide at this point in my journey with Him.

But either way, the point is to find yourself there, in His Word,
with Him, on a daily basis.
It is something you will never regret and will absolutely benefit from
on a scale of HUGE.
Win. Win.
Amen.