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But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. James 3:17 Wisdom from Above 13 If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. 14 But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying. 15 For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. 16 For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind. 17 But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. 18 And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness. James 3:13-18 James 3:13-18 presents what it means to be wise and understanding. James clarifies here that a truly wise and understanding person is one who does good for the good of others. A truly wise and understanding person embodies the humility of wisdom, through faith in Jesus, which lead him to putting others before himself. This is in high contrast with the wisdom from the world, which encourages and applauds self-serving behavior and attitudes. The promotion of self-love, self-care, and self-belief is nearly everywhere we look. James goes on to say that the wisdom from the world is fueled by wanting what others have and having the ambition to go after it. Scripture states that this kind of "dog eat dog" mentality leads only to "disorder and evil of every kind." Whereas the wisdom that comes from Above leads to peace, gentleness, and mercy. Humility of Wisdom As people, we often equate wisdom with being older and having had many life experiences. And we often equate understanding with having all the right answers to life’s many questions. Instead, Scripture says that wisdom is demonstrated through our actions and how we live, (regardless of our age, life experiences, or head knowledge). James reflects what he wrote about faith and good works in chapter 2: "I will show you my faith by my works." James 2:18 A truly wise person will display the humility of wisdom through what he does, not in just what he says he knows. The true measure of the wisdom that comes from Above is a life well lived, fully dedicated to Jesus, where good works naturally result through genuine repentance and faith in Him. As the book of Proverbs frequently says, humility is a crucial part of living wisely. (Proverbs 1:5-8). Without putting ourselves aside, we could never become the wise servants Jesus is calling us to be. Possessing true wisdom means being good stewards of our time, talents, and money, and putting others before ourselves, all because we trust in Jesus for salvation. Along with the gift of salvation, Jesus gives us the gift of His heavenly wisdom, and all the grace we need to follow it. "Look at Me" Let's consider the common career and motivational advice we come across on our tv and social media every day. Nearly everywhere we look is "Look at me....'Look at you.'" The average "life coach" or psychologist tells us to believe in yourself, determine what you want out of life, and go after it. This idea suggests that a successful person is someone who knows what they want and is able to obtain it for themselves. This worldly approach to life is so prevalent that it feels so natural to us. It's been pounded into our heads from an early age to "follow your heart" and work hard so you can "become rich and retire early" (Much of learning to follow Jesus is unlearning to follow ourselves, our misguided hearts, and the pattern of this world). Worldly Wisdom The world's definition of success is achieving whatever you want to get out of life. To accomplish this, you have to compare yourself to others and then determine what you want. This results in envying and coveting what other people have. Consequently, worldly wisdom says that you need to strategize to get those same things for yourself, which involves a level of self focus and selfish ambition. Worldly wisdom wants us to admire, praise, and make idols out of those who have worked hard and pursued a selfish and ambitious route to achieve wealth, status, and "the good life." This approach suggests that having selfish ambition is both admirable and valuable. The mentality becomes, "I'll do whatever it takes to get what I want." And the world applauds that. James says this is not the wisdom that comes from Above. In reality, why worldly wisdom is so normal to us is only because it is "earthly, unspiritual, and demonic." Let's remember, the whole world lies in the lap of the evil one (1 John 5:9), and before we followed Jesus, we naturally followed the system of this world because it was the only path we knew. Now we know a far superior one: Jesus: the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:16). As Christians, we are called to be in this world for a time, but we're not called to be of the world. (John 17:14-16 ) , since our real citizenship is in Heaven (Eph 3:20). Essentially, earthly wisdom will not and cannot benefit us beyond the confines of our very brief, physical existence. Not only that, its source is the devil. Like everything that is good, Satan likes to create a cheap imitation of it. The world's wisdom is counterfeit wisdom that promises to give us all the desires of our hearts, but never ever delivers. The Bible warns us against this kind of wisdom. Scripture says that such earthly and short-sighted thinking is in high contrast with the life Jesus calls His followers to live. The apostle John described this worldly wisdom as " the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life  (1 John 2:16) And he goes on to say, "And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God lives forever. " (1 John 2:17) Satan's Cheap Imitation Satan's cheap imitation of wisdom only brings more and more thirst without the quench. It always keeps us striving and laboring with an empty hole in our hearts that never fills up. We remain thirsty and unsatisfied in Satan's kind of wisdom. James highlights that when everyone focuses solely on themselves and only works for their own interests, the outcome is disorder and confusion. In this world, an astonomical number of personal agendas clash and compete with one another, creating a chaotic environment that feels both normal yet super exhausting for us all. The other outcome of worldly wisdom is "every evil or vile practice." When we're only focused on our own self-serving goals and agendas, it'll eventually require us to step on and push away others to get what we want. Worldly wisdom encourages us to justify our selfishness, and makes us blind to our sin and deaf to any correction. In order to continue competing and advancing in the world, we will ultimately need to compromise on what is right. In our school systems, they teach our kids the mass lie of evolution by natural selection: "survival of the fittest" That's drilled into us from a young age. This theory suggests we have to beat and step on others in order to succeed in life. If personal success is the ultimate objective in life, many different forms of immorality become acceptable and normal to us. When people follow the wisdom of the world, pain, sorrow, and disappointment become commonplace, while acts of self-sacrifice become rare, (although we do see a lot of people announcing and parading their good works of helping others on social media, which is not truly selfless). Jesus tells His followers to perform charitable deeds and acts of kindness without seeking public’s recognition or praise. (Matthew 6:3) True biblical love is rare. Heavenly Wisdom Those who follow the wisdom from Above experience a very different life. In verse 17, James outlines the traits of wisdom that comes from Above, from Heaven, which is God's wisdom. His wisdom is granted to those who have placed their faith in Jesus for salvation. Believers trust that Jesus will provide everything we need in His perfect timing, to continually bestow every good gift (James 1:17), and to satisfy every longing of our hearts, as we head for eternal life with Him in heaven. Consequently, as believers, we are willing to forgo opportunities of more wealth, status, or pleasure. Instead, we choose to serve the Lord, as He gives us exactly what we need, when we need it. And He is so, so gracious with His gifts and perfect with His timing. Submitting to God leads to outcomes that greatly differ from those driven by selfish, worldly ambitions. James characterizes godly wisdom as "pure," derived from the Greek term hagnē . This signifies "undivided, chaste, or pure." Such wisdom is refined, simplified, and concentrated on a single purpose: fulfilling whatever our Lord Jesus is calling us to do. The wisdom from Above is peace-loving, prioritizing the resolution of conflicts as opposed to creating them. This wisdom is gentle, considerate to others, inclined to serve rather than argue or engage in disputes. It is reasonable and submissive, open to understanding different perspectives and accommodating someone else's ways over its own. The wisdom from Above is rich in mercy and the positive fruits that flow from being gentle, considerate, reasonable, submissive, and merciful. Heavenly wisdom is impartial, avoiding favoritism. This wisdom is sincere, in that there is no pretense or manipulation to get what it wants; There is no need for double-mindedness (saying one thing but meaning another). Life becomes so much easier, simpler, and much more joyful for the Christian when they let go of the need to get whatever they want at any cost. Without having this agenda in a "dog-eat-dog" world, conflict and strife dramaticallly decrease, while peace and joy increase. However, the only way to truly abandon this agenda altogether and escape worldly wisdom is to have true saving faith in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Jesus lived the perfect life we could never live. He willingly went to the cross, suffered and died the death we deserve. He alone did the work for us. He paid in full the debt we owed for our sins. In three days, Jesus rose again from the grave. So whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). It is by grace through faith alone in Jesus that we are saved, not by works. For the Christian, Jesus provides everything we need at every moment, and He is the Giver of all good things, namely our salvation in Him. Jesus is our Wisdom! What a gift from Above. Devotion inspired by and reworded from Bibleref commentary. It's one of my favorite sources. Also, I'm aware it's lengthy. I plan to go back and simplify where need be. Just felt I needed to hit publish.

For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it." Hebrews 12:11 My Father Knows Best For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for a lifetime; Weeping may last for the night, But a shout of joy comes in the morning. - Psalm 30:5 The Lord's anger is but for a moment compared to His favor, which lasts a lifetime. Even when He disciplines His children, whether to correct us in our sin or train us deeper in our faith, He is always patient, kind, and compassionate. The Lord's discipline may bring sorrow to the believer for a little while, but once we are trained by it, sorrow departs, and joy fills the heart. Weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning. Sometimes, God uses struggles and difficulties to correct me and guide me away from sin. (Heb 6:7-8). Other times, He allows for trials of various kinds to come into my life so that I may grow in my faith, "training" me to develop a deeper trust, love, and obedience to Jesus (James 1:2-4). This is likened to a relationship between a parent and child, where the dad and mom disciplines their son or daughter to teach them the right way to live. In hindsight (even if it's decades later), the child is able to see the unpleasant discipline for what it really was and loves and respects their Mom and Dad even more for it. (I hated not having cable tv when I was little. I was embarrassed that I was one of the only kids in my class who didn't have it. That was painful haha! But now I am so thankful to my amazing parents. They knew best, and they protected me from all that garbage that I would've definitely snooped into). I love you Mom and Dad. Thank you. I know my Heavenly Father allows all His children to experience trouble in this short life (John 16:33), and I trust that He has a transformative purpose in them. Whatever dark valleys I may go through, I know my Heavenly Father will transform all my hardship and struggles to contribute toward my good (Rom 8:28). I am to accept it as spiritual discipline from a Heavenly Father who loves me. My Father knows best. Three Things Trials & Discipline Do: Proves My Salvation Produces Peace & Righteousness Prepares Me for Eternity Proves My Salvation No one enjoys being disciplined. It's no fun, that’s for sure! Trial periods are challenging times that test my faith and love for Jesus. Adversity often reveals what I truly believe and desire in my heart and brings to light the idols I need to turn from. The apostle Peter states that going through trials serve an important purpose...to prove the genuineness of my faith in Jesus, which he states is far more precious than mere gold. So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. 7 These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. 8 You love Him even though you have never seen Him. Though you do not see Him now, you trust Him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. 9 The reward for trusting Him will be the salvation of your souls. 1 Peter 1:6-9 The end reward of trusting Jesus through all my trials and spiritual discipline is the salvation of my soul. Now, that's worth it! When my faith has been tested to be proven true, it gives me assurance of my salvation, which is a GINORMOUS blessing in and of itself. To know I am truly saved and belong to the Kingdom of God is a joy unparalleled to anything else! That amazing reality really keeps things in perspective for me and strengthens me in the midst of my trials. The joy of the Lord and my salvation gives me supernatural strength when I'm feeling weak. Produces Peace & Righteousness No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way. -  Hebrews 12:11 The Lord's discipline, although is often times highly uncomfortable for a while, resembles an athlete's training. During the exercise, the athlete finds it "painful rather than pleasant." However, later on, the athlete sees his own growth and progress due to those vigorous training sessions. Similarly, my faith in Jesus grows and strengthens as I experience the Lord's discipline, resulting in me producing the " peaceful fruit of righteousness." Spiritual discipline produces peace. When I have been trained to live right by following Jesus, a clear conscience and a peaceful soul is the result. "Earth has no words to convey the holy calm of a soul leaning on Jesus." CH Spurgeon During hard times, my focus tends to be on my uncomfortable circumstances. But through them, God is training me to focus on Jesus instead, and I can trust Him that my suffering is not in vain. God's Word teaches me to accept and submit to discipline as spiritual training (Heb 12:9), trusting that my Father knows best. It's only when the trial has passed that I often recognize how God used it to grow me in my faith and strengthen my relationship with Jesus. With a peaceful heart, I can look back and observe my maturing process, guided by the Lord's unpleasant discipline. I can see more clearly His gentle and loving Hand through it all, and trust and obey Him even more for it. Prepares Me for Eternity Most of us are familiar with the famous Romans 8:28 verse: God works all things together for good for those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28 But what we often forget is its context and what is at the heart of this verse, which is “to conform us to the image of His Son” (Rom 8:29). The ultimate goal of every Christian here on earth is to prepare us for eternity by conforming us to the image of Christ. Becoming more like Jesus carries along with it right living and the peace that surpasses all understanding. So, all my trials and all my unpleasant and painful training in the Christian life are simply accomplishing the most important goal of the Christian life: making me more like Jesus, and preparing me for eternity, all so that I may glorify God and enjoy Him forever (the sole reason for my very existence). What I do here on earth, how I spend my time, how I endure suffering, and how I trust, love, and obey Jesus through both the good times and the "bad," will ring in the halls of Heaven forever. Weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning, and that shout of joy will be for an eternity! Encouraging Scriptures for You & Me For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us . Romans 8:18 • Let us always remember that those who have put their total trust in Jesus for salvation, will experience only temporary suffering here on Earth (Rom 8:18-25). He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." Revelation 21:4 • Jesus' sheep are guaranteed that all their earthly sorrow, pain, and tears will eventually come to an end, while eternal joy will be theirs in Christ Jesus forever and ever.  We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility He endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up. Hebrews 12:2-3 And let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9 • When going through trails, We should look to Jesus as our Prime Example. We are to keep our eyes on Him and not give up. There is an eternity of joy awaiting all those who believe in Jesus. • Jus' keep on keepin’ on ;) Jesus will help you. Wait patiently for Him, trust Him, and He will act (Psalm 37). Our Father knows best.

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; the one who believes in Me will live, even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” John 11:25-26 Edward Herbeck • "Twas the Night" • 72" x 30" Acrylic on Canvas • Herbeckart.com Hallelujah! Jesus Loves Me. Jesus loves me. Jesus died for me. Jesus rose from the dead. By grace, I believe in Jesus. Jesus is Lord of Heaven & Earth. Jesus is my Savior. With Jesus, I have nothing to fear. Jesus paid for all my sins on the cross. Jesus gifted me with eternal life. Jesus is my hope, my peace, my joy, my confidence. Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life. John 11:25   I love Jesus only because He first loved me. 1 John 4:19 Hallelujah!   Dear Heavenly Father, Father, I praise You for planning my salvation and choosing me before the foundation of the world to be set apart and saved (Eph 1:4-5,11). I praise You for Your magnificent plan of redemption through Your Son, Jesus (Eph 1:9-10). Jesus, I praise You for purchasing my salvation. I have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of my trespasses (Eph 1:7). And s ince I have been united with Him in His death, I know I will also be raised to life as He is (Rom 6:5), the First One to be resurrected (1 Cor 15:20). In Jesus, I am blessed with eternal life and every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places (Eph 1:3, 4,7). Holy Spirit, I praise You for protecting my salvation. When I first believed in Jesus, He officially sealed me (Ephesians 1:13). Once God poured His love into my heart through the Holy Spirit (Rom 5:5), sanctification began, and the Holy Spirit became the guarantee of my salvation (Eph 1:14). Once saved, always saved. I am eternally secure, and I will never perish. No one can snatch me away from Jesus or my Heavenly Father (John 10:28-30). I am so thankful to have been given the gift to hear Jesus' voice and believe in Him, to follow Jesus and learn from Him, to love Jesus and obey Him, to have peace in Jesus and rejoice in Him, to praise Jesus and worship Him, and to give Jesus all the glory and tell others about Him. What amazing grace! He is risen! I serve The Living Christ, and one day I will live and reign with Jesus forever in His Heavenly kingdom with all who believe in Him too. The best is always yet to come because Jesus loves me, and He loves you too. Hallelujah! Jesus loves me. All glory belongs to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. This I pray all in Jesus' name, amen. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, and will not fade away, reserved in Heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 1 Peter 1:3-5

Jenna's recommendations of Christian ministries that hold to biblically sound doctrine and reformed theology with faithful ministers of the Word who provide trustworthy teaching and exegetical preaching on Scripture through selected sermons, podcasts, and biblical lessons. < Back John MacArthur Grace to You Ministries www.gty.org Grace to You My Favorite Sermons & Biblical Teaching • Getting the Gospel Right • Becoming a Better You? • Bible Questions and Answers Part 65 • Demons and Magic • Divine Sovereignty & Human Responsibility • Do Not Love the World • God's Demand on Discernment • Happy are the Humble • Is Jesus the Only Way? • Who is Jesus? • Jesus is God • Mormon Religion in a Nutshell • Scripture and Science • Taking the Mystery Out of Knowing God's Will • Testing the Spirits • You Must Be Born Again • Why Does God Allow So Much Suffering and Evil? • Where Heaven Is and What It is Like • The Authority of Scripture • The Clarity of Scripture • The Sufficiency of Scripture • The Challenge of Science • Why We Believe the Bible is True • The Theology of Creation • What Do Muslims Believe About Jesus? • The Unforgivable Sin • The Letter to the Ephesians - Introduction • The Origin of Evil • The Benefits of Suffering for Christ • The Truth About Hell • The Heresy About the Catholic Mass • Can A Woman Be a Pastor?

Would you like to have an original, custom drawing of your dog or cat? Pet portraits are also a wonderful gift idea for the special people in your life and a great homage to your furry best friend. Custom Drawings If you're interested in a custom drawing of your pet, reach out to me for details and pricing here . Browse Jenna's Pet Portfolio See More To view more of my art, visit: Artist Collections

At JennaLovesTheTruth.com, I have one great purpose. I'm here to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. God gave me the gift to be an artist and the passion and love to write. I want to share His Word, be a light for others, and glorify Him through the talents He's graciously given me and the desires He's placed in my heart. My life's ultimate purpose is to glorify God and be a blessing to others, and my life's calling is to share the gospel. About Jenna Loves The Truth At JennaLovesTheTruth.com my purpose is to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ. By God's grace, I built and designed JennaLovesTheTruth.com as a place to speak the truth in love, encourage my brothers and sisters in Christ, and point everyone to Jesus, Lord of heaven and earth and our Savior (John 8:12). The Lord gave me the gift to be an artist and the love to write and play the piano. I want to share the truth and glorify Him through the talents He's given me and the desires He's placed in my heart (Psalm 37:4). Throughout my website, you will see butterflies as a theme. Butterflies represent transformation and new life, as my own life has been transformed since being brought to saving faith in Jesus, by God's grace. Therefore if anyone is in Christ, this person is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come (2 Corinthians 5:17). I want to encourage everyone to open God's Word to come to know the biblical Jesus and not a false jesus of the imagination. Scripture is the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith in Christ (2 Tim 3:15-17). From Genesis to Revelation, the entire Bible is God's amazing story of His mercy and saving grace toward sinners in Jesus Christ. The written Word of God tells us about Jesus, the Living Word of God. From the Old Testament through the New Testament, Scripture all points us to Jesus, the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6). Jesus Christ is Lord to all and Savior to all who trust in Him. Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, according to Scripture alone, for the glory of God alone. For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever! Amen. Romans 11:36 “A true man reveals himself by his words. Therefore it is the Lord Jesus Christ who is called the Word of God. Jesus Christ is God speaking. God thinks what He says, and the thoughts of God are embodied in the person, work, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, His dear Son. God could’ve never revealed Himself so fully in any other way than by giving His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). ~ CH Spurgeon Art Writing Music