That Good Part

From Ray Stedman.... READ: Psalm 77:11-13 I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds (Psalm 77:11-12). The crucial words in these verses are "I will." They indicate that the psalmist has caught hold of himself. He is no longer the victim of his feelings, and that is the point. The control of his life shifts from his heart to his head, and that is the way God intended it to be. He sees that the place to begin is not with himself, as he has been doing, or with his circumstances, but with God. And the proper order is not with prayer and then meditation, but the reverse: to begin with meditating about God, which leads to petition based on an understanding of who God is. That is the way out, and it points up the trouble this man has had before. He began his prayer with himself at the center. You can see that in his words. This problem that has brought him to God occupie...

“Listen, my beloved brethren…..” James 2:5 James is writing to believers that have been scattered to different areas by the persecution of the church. I love the book of James. It has been called the book of Proverbs in the New Testament, filled with practical instruction and correction. Since I need ample and regular doses of both, I read a chapter of Proverbs daily and James a couple times a year. Verse five of chapter two comes on the heels of James exposing something that happens often in church: preferential treatment of people considered more desirable than others. While James is talking about the rich, well dressed people, there are several groups we may be tempted to give preference to in our churches. Maybe they are big donors, very generous with their financial resources. Maybe they are the ones filled with good words for us, compliments and encouragements that can border on insincere flattery. Maybe they are just the ones who don’t cause any trouble, don’t need much from us ...