entirely different. Our translation would be a positive watchword for this materialistic society. It tells us, “be satisfied.” How many people do you know who are truly contented with life? They have a car, but they want a better one. They have a home, but they want a larger one. They have a job, but they want a different one. They have a TV, but they want a colored one. They have a wife . . . but perhaps I’d better stop there. The wonderful practicality of the Gospel is not only that it brings us eternal life, but also, if we fulfill the requirements God has estab lished, complete, overwhelming satis faction and contentment will be our blessed lot. Wisdom for Trials Part II James 1 :2 begins with the term of affection, “My brethren.” This is not just a pious cliché used for an open ing remark. This is a term of sacred endearment s ig n ify in g the close bonds of Christian fellowship in love. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if in the problems of our churches, when there are misunderstandings, petty griev ances and jealousies we approached the matter in the same manner? “My brethren” ! So important is th is word of affection and strong Chris tian love that James uses it seven teen times in these five chapters. James now makes this paradoxical pronouncement, “Count it all joy when ye fall into divers tempta tions.” How can one possibly look at his trials and testings and still rejoice? Usually I have a tendency to count something joyful to escape difficulty. Sometime ago, I was in New York City on business, heading for Chicago to attend a Christian radio confer ence. All flights to the Windy City had been cancelled, however, because of a tremendous storm which had buffeted the entire area. They said
cerned about what he is going to eat, or where he is going to eat, or where he is going to live, or what kind of clothes he will have to wear. All of these things are the responsibility of his master. This is what is meant when in the sixth chapter of Mat thew our Lord exhorts His disciples, “Therefore, take no thought saying, What shall we eat? or, what shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?” (vs. 31). Two verses be yond, the familiar 33rd, we have the exhortation — promise which many of us have committed to memory, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” The unfortunate part is that while many of us want the “things,” we are not willing first to seek the kingdom of God and His righteous ness. James is addressing this letter to the twelve tribes which were scat tered abroad. Because of the Baby lonian captivity, these children of Is rael had been dispersed to the utter most parts of the earth. For every Jew in the homeland there were two scattered throughout the world. This has always been God’s method of ad vancing His cause. He scatters, that others may hear and be evangelized. The word scattered or dispersed is made up of two words, “sowing” and “through.” God was furthering His message in the known world through sowing these Jewish people in areas to which previously they never would have gone. So it has been through the centuries. The one last word of the first verse is simply, “greeting.” It was during World War II that I received a personal letter from the President of the United States. It was a famil iar form which began with the word, “Greeting.” That was anything but a happy salutation. It struck a note of uncertainty not showing what the future might hold. The word greet ing here, however, means something 4
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