Welcome to Take 5!: Rejoice! Take 5!s are short quick Bible studies to help you start your busy day in the Word of God. Please get your journal, pen and settle down in God’s presence. Before you start your study time, take a moment to pray and ask God to guide you during your time in His word.
Please read the following verses from James 1: 1-5.
1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are in the Dispersion: Greetings.
2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you fall into various temptations,
3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
4 Let endurance have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
1. What word is used to describe James in verse 1?
Servant comes from the Greek word doulos which comes from the root deo which means to tie, to bind, to prevent straying. I appreciate that as a believer in Christ I am safely bound to God forever.
2. What is the last word in verse 1?
On the surface greetings looks like an ordinary hello. But the original Greek word for greetings (chairo) can mean so much more. James is not just saying a simple hello, he’s saying rejoice!
3. What are the people of the 12 tribes of the Dispersion supposed to rejoice about (vs. 2)?
I can truthfully say I need to work on the concept of rejoicing when I face difficult things.
4. Why can we decide to rejoice when facing various temptations and troubles? See verse 4.
All things are not good things. But God promises to use all things like trials, hard circumstances and difficult people for our good. As a matter of fact, some things can only be completed in us through trials and hardships.
5. What will we need to handle trials, hardships and difficult people (vs. 5)?
That’s right, we will need the wisdom of God, and we do not have to manufacture His wisdom on our own. He promises to give it to us. Liberally. If we only ask. Therefore we can rejoice!
Thank you for joining us in this space of grace to learn from the Word of God.
By Mary Kane, Spaces of Grace
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