By: Elder Randy McCarthy
God’s providence, which is His faithful activity on our behalf to supply all of our needs, is unbounded. We may think of His providence in terms of the great things He has done or will do for us: the redemptive election of His people in eternity past; Christ’s substitutionary offering of Himself on the cross; His promised second coming when we will be resurrected in glory to live with Him forevermore.
But God’s providence to us goes beyond this; it is something that He gives to us day-by-day, hour-by-hour and even minute-by-minute. It extends down to even the very air that we breathe. And like the air, we often fail to notice that it is there. Indeed, at times it may feel like His providence is very far away from us.
In James’ epistle, the author opens the letter with the following statement:
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. James 1:2-4.
James is telling us to rejoice, that is, to be happy and thankful when we experience temptations, which in this context means trials or difficult situations. On its face this statement may seem rather quixotic. Contemplating this statement in view of our own experience, though, shows this statement is imminently practical and foundational for our faith.
The temptations under consideration in this text seem to be primarily directed to the types of difficulties, losses, disappointments, infirmities, and problems that are common to the Christian experience. Such trials and difficulties in this life are assured; our Lord promised it would be so. John 16:33; Gen 3:16-19. How we react to suffering says much about our character.
Many people use the existence of suffering in this world as an excuse for unbelief; how often have you heard someone say, “how can God allow this to happen?” or argue that “if there was a God, this would not have happened!” Others waste their lives being caught up in worldly political or social movements which falsely promise to bring about a Utopian paradise here on earth through the reformation of human nature and behavior. Still others react to suffering by indulging themselves in substance abuse or depraved lifestyle choices in an effort to escape their own feelings of helplessness and despair. This is the world we live in, and it was the same sort of world in which James penned these words.
The Christian is instructed to take a different view of suffering. As believers, we are not to deny its existence, or to minimize it, but rather to face it head on and see it as it is: a direct and necessary consequence of the fall of man. And yet God, in His providence, uses suffering to refine and purify the lives of His people as they journey here below. God is not the author of suffering in this world, but like all of his creation, He can use it to His glory. And He does.
When we suffer, James instructs us to count it joy, that is, to rejoice and be thankful. This seems strange. But it’s not that we are to rejoice that we are suffering, but rather to rejoice because God has promised to bring good in our lives because of it; that the trial of our faith will produce patience, and patience will better equip us to walk with God no matter our circumstances. Heb 12:10-11; Job 33:12-30; Phil 1:21-24.
If you think about it, any suffering that ultimately causes us to draw closer to God in dependence upon Him is ultimately a good thing for us to go through, no matter how unpleasant it is at the time. Heb 12:10-11. As Joseph told his brothers, what you did in selling me into slavery was an evil act, but God used it for good in saving the people of Israel. See Gen 50:20. Christ Himself learned to better serve as our eternal high priest through the things that He suffered during His ministry here on earth. Heb 5:8-10. So God’s providence extends even to our troubles, since this is a way in which God brings us closer to him, and makes us more like Christ. 1 Peter 1:7.
I believe this is why James, continuing his thought, says this next:
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.
James recognizes that what we may need most, particularly in times of suffering, is wisdom. Wisdom, after all, is skill in living; being able to make the right decisions and to see things as they really are. As Solomon said, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Proverbs 1:7. God is the source of all true wisdom, and all we need to have wisdom is to ask Him for it.
But James makes a further point that is worth considering: God will only grant a prayer for wisdom if it is asked in faith, nothing wavering (doubting). We can waver in a number of ways: we can doubt that God is really the source of wisdom, or we can be in a state of mind where we still wish to direct our own course and therefore are not committed to following God’s wisdom, or we may doubt that God really will grant our request. This is why the perfection (maturing) of our faith, particularly in times of trials, is so important: being thankful is an act of faith, and it increases our patience, which in turn strengthens our faith. Our strengthened faith leads us to request wisdom from God as we perceive our lack, and with increased wisdom given to us by the providence of God, we are equipped to be even more thankful.
There are many examples of the providence of God in the Scriptures. Some are open and manifest operations by God, such as the parting of the Red Sea or the feeding of the multitudes in the plains of Galilee. Others are more hidden, such as the providence of God exhibited in the lives of people such as Esther, Ruth, Job and Nehemiah. In each case, these examples show that God is always active in the lives of His children, providing for them in whatever circumstance they find themselves. The lesson that we must learn throughout our life is that God’s grace is, and always will be, sufficient for us. Let us learn the lesson, and be thankful.
Published: 2010-12-05 by RKM