“Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.” James 4:1-3 (NKJV)
When it comes to faith there is much more involved than just having prayers answered. Faith in God is an action on our part that believes in Him, trusting Him, even when He doesn’t seem to be with us. There are too many people who say they have quit being a Christian, because… You could fill in your own words there and have the answer. What they usually mean is they have quit believing in God.
The reasoning for their lack of faith is that “God never came through for me”, or something in that realm of reasoning. Well, I have news. Faith is not about us. It is, greatly about Him. He is whether we believe Him or not.
There are also too many professing Christians who see God as being similar to the infamous “Genie in the bottle”. You know; “Rub the bottle”, and a genie pops out, and he or she grants you three wishes. When God is seen this way it shames His name and being. This form of “belief” really has no use for God, or no genuine faith. It is a “What can I get out of God” mentality. This type of faith ask for a brand new, spectacular home, that will WOW the friends and neighbors. It also ask for the finest and fastest new car. It may even ask, from a man, for a beautiful new wife. You get the point. These things seem laughable, especially when there are people who have no home, no car, and some whose marriages are unstable and falling apart.
James writes in our verses, “You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.” When people live without the satisfaction and peace of God they are always wanting things, and more things; they are never satisfied. Usually, God is not in their thoughts, except to rub the bottle their way to get what they want. They will not receive. What is needed is a genuine relationship with God.
Will a genuine relationship with God guarantee the receipt of whatever thing you desire? NO! Unless your desires are the desires of God. The Psalmist wrote, “Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalm 37:4). If you look at this verse from a “Genie” perspective you are going to think that God is promising you your hearts content. What it is really promising you is when you have God’s heart you will have His desires. His desire for you and I is our best. He knows what that is, and we can trust Him to give us His best. In fact He already has in the person of His Son Jesus Christ.
When we ask for things in our flesh we ask “amiss”. In these things God is not pleased. Does that mean that God will not meet our needs? NO! It does mean that He will meet our needs according to His will and for His glory. We must remember that what we often see as need, God may see as greed.
Walk With God Today.
-Tim A. Blankenship
Filed under: BIBLE STUDIES, Christianity, Devotion, Discipleship, James, Theo/Doc | Tagged: Culture, Family, Guarantee, James, Jesus Christ, Life, Prayer, Psalms, Relationship
