The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him in James 1:5,
"If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him."
James tells us that God gives to us without finding fault. It brings to my mind what God told Moses about himself on Mt. Sinai, "The Lord the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin." Exodus 34:6-7.
I don't know about you, but I do know about me. I have a lot of faults. The Lord doesn't have to look hard to find plenty with me. And, yet, here we are told that he gives to us without finding fault. And as he told Moses, he is compassionate and gracious. He forgives wickedness, rebellion and sin. James tells us this loving and merciful God should be approached if we need something like wisdom (something I find I need plenty of dependence upon God for), because he gives without finding fault. I'm afraid that if whatever God gave was based on finding no fault within us, I would be in the hapless position of never being able to receive anything from him. God simply doesn't look for faults when it comes to those who have believed in him! How wonderful God gives without finding fault!
But this isn't all God had to say about himself on Mt. Sinai. In the form of a riddle (at least it is a riddle with me...) God goes on to say, "Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished..." Exodus 34:7. It is here that I recognize that our holy and righteous God will not allow his justice to be thwarted. All sin will be paid for, but in a way that he can forgive us our faults, our sins. He sent his Son, Jesus Christ to die a miserable death on a cross so that I might receive the greatest gift of all from God: eternal life! He laid the penalty for our faults on the Son of his love.
James tells us that if we are to receive anything from God we must believe in him, James 1:6. Faith in God brings the gifts, the blessings of God. Eternal life certainly being the crowning glory of the gifts he gives. Wisdom, his Holy Spirit, life within his family... all are ours through belief in God.
To me it is astonishing and breathtaking to think of!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd love to hear from you!
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
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