The story is told of a man and his dog who were talking along the beach when they came upon another visitor to the beach. The owner of the dog is very proud of his dog's newly mastered feat-so he says to the visitor, "Watch this!"

He tosses a piece of driftwood far out into the sea and the dog immediately runs on top of the ocean and fetches the wood and runs back. The visitor shakes his head in disbelief. Whereupon the owner repeats the procedure twice-the dog walking on the water the whole time.

Finally, he asks the visitor, "Did you see anything unusual about my dog?"

The visitor responds, "Your dog can't swim, can he?"

I like that story because it is a reflection of many people that I know, good, practical, realistic folks who seem to have an eye for the glass being half-empty rather than being half-full. In the best of all possible worlds, these guys say that it will collide with a giant comet in the near future. The light at the end of the tunnel is the headlamp of an approaching freight train. Unfortunately, many of them discountenance asking God for anything in faith even though many mysteries of faith are more obviously seen than anything tangible that they can know.

James 1:6-8 tells us, "But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord: he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways."

The author learned this by bitter experience and knew what he was talking about. James was a man who knew what it was to doubt. He was, after all, the half-brother of our Lord Jesus. Yet the Gospel narratives tell us that members of Jesus' family could not accept Him for the Messiah until after Christ's crucifixion and resurrection.

He was so close to the Son of God-likely James shared the same room with his elder Brother. Yet he did not share his Brother's love for the Father until much later. Consequently, James did not receive much from the Lord. He forsook many opportunities when he should have asked in faith.

The Gospel narratives also implied that Jesus' mother and brothers thought that Jesus was even a bit unstable, and had come to take Him home. Now James tells us that there is not one so unstable as one who is the "double-minded man" who doubts if God means what He says.

You will never find true stability in your circumstances. But you will always find security in Christ who never changes. Go to Him and ask Him in faith today, "who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him." v.5.

Have a blessed day!

Jeff Russell

Devotion for Today
Friendship Baptist Church
Langenselbold, Germany

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Fields/3695/FriendshipBaptistChurch

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