James 1:25 “But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues it it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.”
I like to be rewarded for my work, don’t you? James says we will be if we are in the right place and doing the right thing.
I sometimes walk around for days and maybe months asking why I am not producing, being rewarded and seeing results in the things I do? It becomes an enigma for me to solve about my own life. I read Jersey’s blog on adversity and realized I too seem to have plenty of it. But Jersey spoke loud and clear that God is the answer and has been for her. She is being rewarded for the work she does.
I read Wendy’s two blogs on The Man Who Walked Into Heaven and The Wake-up Call. Surely this will put a chill in your bones. Yet, she laid out Biblical solutions and encouragement for us in her two stories. Wendy is being rewarded for the work she does.
I began to thank God for both Wendy and Jersey for coming into my life and the life of The Daily Lily as messengers of God to deliver a message. So I thought, Lord I feel like an enigma has been set before me like a game of chess and I need to solve it or make a move. WIN! Why am I not being blessed for what I do or maybe think I am doing?
Paul must have felt somewhat like Noah, myself and others when he wrote: “We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.” 2 Corinthians 4:8-10. The beauty of Paul’s words in the beginning verses of this chapter rings like a wind chime in our ears, “…but we never give up.”
Paul goes on to give us a glimpse into the law of liberty. We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.
Between the words of two great craftsmen of words James and Paul I see an illuminated picture. James tells me to basically go and look in my mirror and Paul says and don’t forget to turn on your lighted 10x magnified mirror so you can really see your face.
And don’t ever forget this, your power is from God. God gives each of us a gift or gifts and that is great power to give us a gift that is alive and working, and in good form and always on the cutting edge. A gift that really determines just who we are and what we are capable of doing.
God’s power puts a gift inside of us and we ourselves are like fragile jars of clay. But, James tells us that when we put our gift to work we are to be blessed. We are to have fruit from out gifts. Be rewarded. I do understand God’s Kingdom operates on the principal of sowing and reaping which is a reward system. I know that God has given each of us a gift to use but He does not reward us on the gift He gives us but on the fruit from the gift. From what we have or are doing with our gifts.
James tells us to look into the perfect law of liberty.’ Beautiful words are these, law with liberty. We understand the law which is the revealed directions of God. For instance The Holy Spirit has shown us a glimpse of this through Wendy’s and Jersey’s blog. We can read the story of Noah in God’s Word and confirm what Wendy has written. Jersey has given us a glimpse of God’s grace through adversity, We can take adversity as a teacher’ and read it over and over again in God’s Word from different writers. Then James says now that you have a glimpse of the revealed counsel of God and if you don’t forget it but start working it into your life you will be blessed with a harvest, with fruit. Jersey had a lovely way of wording it.” When she listens and follows God’s direction that He has a far better reward for her than she could of thought.”
Liberty, the law of liberty. is not the law of legalism, but freedom. We come to know God’s counsel and then we follow the counsel given. The liberty comes out of a desire to follow His advise out of an inward compulsion not out of someone made me do it. Or out of fear or strife but an inward compulsion. Pure freedom.
My question is what is my inward compulsion-motivation? God’s counsel says yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.
James paints art in a very contemporary form in chapter 1 as he gives light on our gifts, and encouragement to want to use our gift as it will bring forth great rewards. We will be blessed in what we do.
Wait-Stop! If I were you I would not comment here unless “You just feel it!” The Ghost might just show up- it is Halloween.
thedailylily.com 
There is so much in this blog to consider. One verse I thought about as relating to following and obeying God’s counsel out of an inward compulsion rather than a ‘someone made me do it’ as you say above is
Col. 3:23. “What ever you do do it heartily as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance for you serve the Lord Christ.” This speaks to me of motives of the heart, the innermost being…what drives to action. “Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.” (Matt 5:8). It seems the right core motive while using the gift should produce the fruit.
Core motive-authentic self. Isn’t this what you heard at the conference? Now the question for all of us we heard it, but are we able to recognize it or have we already forget we read and wrote this and similar things.
I am a seerer and I like to see the fruit?
I have often heard the expression, “good things come to those who wait.”
Now, as a little girl, I’m not sure I liked that expression, with the known
fact, that children can be impatient (as well as adults). If you have ever
traveled with a child to an exciting place, you can understand: “are we
there yet” or “how much longer?” You said in your blog: “I know that God has
given each of us a gift to use but He does not reward us on the gift He
gives us but on the fruit from the gift.” Providing this wonderful web page
is a sure way to get God’s Word to the world, and I’d like to personally
thank you for allowing me to be a user. Now, as I read 1 Corinthians 2:9,
your “enigma” becomes as clear as a mirror, you spoke about. “Eye hath
not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the
things which God hath prepared for them that love Him.” Now, we all know
that you love God and you minister to people in many ways. One great gift
that I have witnessed is how you bring God’s Word to life, and help people
apply it to everyday living. Also, I am certain with this web page and your
ministry, lives have been touched and people have accepted Christ. Is there
any higher reward than knowing that someday you can walk on the streets of
gold and touch the walls of jasper and be in the very presence of our Lord?
Tammy, thanks…Your gift shines so bright it gives light to light another’s candle. With healing and encouragment and the care and proper use that you use to use your gift the fruit is there for the taking. By choice we can receive our healing and encouragment from your healing words right here at The Daily Lily.
You are so skilled with the use of your gift and the care and maintenance of it that it surely shines bright. You are not a forgetful hearer and doer when you look into the mirror.
Hey, I finally got it you have solved an enigma.
This morning God showed me that we are being clothed in peacock feathers. I thought Lord what does this mean? As I read this blog it came to me what this means. We have an outer body which is continuously decaying. We can not stop this. We have a more glorious and ever changing inner man which is being perfected everyday of our lives as we walk with the LORD JESUS CHRIST. This man is getting more and more beautiful. We do have peacock feathers which represent the freedom we have in Jesus. We are free, God gives us flight for our soul. We are new in Jesus Christ. YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Freedom!!!!!
Rena, “peacock feathers” speaks loud and clear about now, don’t you think? God showed you this vision prior to the week-end conference you and some others attended as well as my new church experience. Clothes, manners and etiquette seemly were a big issue. Our “Emily Post” of the church experience. The manners and etiquette of some others may have caused our inner man to start to decay rather than be perfected. Most likely our manners might have affected some as well.
Change is inevitable but growth is a choice. We must make the choice for growth to perfect our inner man you spoke about since you said “as we walk with the Lord Jesus Christ.”
I heard on the news recently that if I wanted my body to be healthier that I should eat fat from nuts not donuts. I just frankly don’t like that. But, I have a choice to eat donuts or nuts. These enigmas are getting more and more perplexed as I pause and think on them. I understand that you heard the speaker Lisa Bevere at the conference say the South has a religious spirit over it. Well, we probably all have a religious spirit over us but again what are we going to do about it. Did we remember your vision and apply appropriately at the time. Did we pay any attention to the “law of liberty” and apply it. We do need to get back to some basics and that is applying things we know and are able to change and do. Like get us some peacock feathers!
I thought long and hard on this blog, because it just caused me to do that. I started wondering about the rewards for what we do..are compulsed to do…I thought of ..I really dont feel like cleaning my dining room table off , so it sits there as a catch all for you name it its there…until someone says they have a need then I am motivated into action to clear that table to use it as a place to do the work such as sewing or bead work or crochet..and it is a compulsion within as you have stated…I understand this part I think I do…but when it comes to right and wrong compulsion and motivation..I got to thinking on this too and thought of that show Th e Next American Idol….some of those people had a gift/talent to sing and it bore fruit they won….they had people behind them cheering them on they could “feel it”.. they were compulsed/motivated…..did it and it bore fruit….record deals and money….and then there were the people who had people cheering them on they could “feel it”…they too were compulsed/motivated…but all of the ears in tv land and in hearing distance told them…you just dont have it..its not your thing…but they just couldnt believe it..they had a passion,,,compulsion…motivated and a cheering following….and they left not wining or bearing fruit and still not giving up….. that really scared me because they were only going to go try again some where else..a cycle….(was that the ghost you were talking about? .so I ended up back where I started…On that Mountain you wrote about in that blog …..Mountain Called Truth…dj
woooooooooooooo, Ghost, that come to haunt us all and especially this time of the year! Don’t be too afraid it’s probably just the real self under our own mask.
Hey, Dot, I think you are about to solve the enigma. I don’t see fear as your mask or intimation as your costume but a searching, seeking and we know the answer, you will surely find.
I got the feeling from “The Mountain of Truth” myself just yesterday. My own words from my article (see Popular content right side of this page to read this article) “When one finally sees truth and hears truth to the point of speaking truth it is only because one has a measure of perfection within them.”
The measure of a man is measured from within and will show without a doubt in the costumes we wear even tonight 10-31 when all the ghost seem to come out and to our doors only begging for candy!!!
I aint afraid of no ghosts!..Ghost busters!….you are right ..to finally see, hear, and speak the truth this makes the ghosts..go…no fear no doubt no intimidation…only Christ in you/us the Hope of Glory…..dj