New Revelation from James!

     I have a week left in my study on the book of James.  When I read this book right before Christmas I don't remember looking at it with such clarity..it's amazing what God can and will reveal when the time is right.
     The lesson yesterday was on patience...something we all need constant work on!  Something I read really struck a chord with me: "You can't rush God. You can't push Him. You can't pull Him.  You can't tug Him or taunt Him.  If He has a mind to linger right were He is, you can't budge Him one inch.  You can, however, try to go without Him; but, chances are, you'll come back because, if you really have a heart for God, you'll be miserable beyond his blessing,"quoted from Beth Moore. 
     Wow, for some reason a light bulb went off when I read this(as much as it surprised me I know it didn't surprise God).   It doesn't matter how bad we want something or when we want it...it's up to God to decide when we are ready for those things to happen.  Everything has to fall in place at a certain time in order for his perfect plan to occur! 
     The other thing that really struck a chord with me was this: "A person has hardly begun to have a real fight on her hands until she starts serving in her full-throttle giftedness and effectiveness.  She who proves a threat earns an enemy you can bet will do everything he can to make her sorry," again quoted from Beth Moore.  Then the other thing that goes with that is this: "Here is the sobering truth about the nature of trials in the life of righteous persons, that God allows them to be tested in order to prove their faith...In some ways their endurance proves the Lord's boast in them,"quoted from Kurt Richardson. 
     Isn't that remarkable? What I got from this is the fact that we will face trials, when we are in the middle of that "fire" we can bet we are doing exactly what God wants us to do...keeping our faith and depending on him to get us through that fire alive!  But, isn't it amazing, that it seems that in the middle of that trial things seem to get worse?  That's because the enemy knows we are operating just the way God wants us to and he will do anything in his power to shake us from our rock!  In no way, can we let the enemy win...we must stand firm on our rock and know that God is doing this to refine us and develop our perseverance, patience and faith:)