An "Impossible" Directive - 2

The Dilemma        

Don’t the Scriptures that I posted yesterday sound like I’m to be ecstatic about the death of my wife – the death of my twin boy, the emotional pain of stuttering, the various negative and sometimes debilitating effects of Parkinson’s Disease?   When I observe our political system out of wack, or the economy going belly-up, or one of our loved ones wasting his/her life away, my response is to be joy? YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING. Something is haywire here or there must be a reasonable explanation.

            I checked three different study Bibles for explanation of this passage. Not a word. “God, give us wisdom as we endeavor to make sense of this portion of Your Word.”

            First, this is  not an isolated portion of Scripture. A directive theme of gratitude and rejoicing  runs through much of the New Testament possibly highlighted by these four passages.

 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18  Always be joyful. ¹⁷ Never stop praying. ¹⁸ Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 5:20 And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

            Romans 5:3-5  We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. ⁴ And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. ⁵ And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

            Philippians 4:4 Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice

            “Give thanks in all…. Give thanks for all….and always be joyful!”  Wow, that is beyond me. Is this for real NOW or is it a directive for that time. Let’s examine.

To Whom this is written

 To whom was James writing this letter? Verse one: “it is written to Jewish Christians scattered among the nations.” To fellow followers of Jesus. As followers of and believers in Jesus, the  principles apply to us today.

Let’s look first at some key words in our study passage. The first one is "when." We will look at that in our next posting. Remember, if you want the 12 page study in tact via email, let me know at rburwick@mindspring.com