![\"???????????????????????????????\"](\"https:\/\/fullmeasureofjoy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/DSCN0197m.jpg\")
<\/a>Yes, I\u2019m on vacation. No, I\u2019m not going anywhere\u2026well lots of trips around the beautiful state of Colorado are in the plans. We are hoping to see some gorgeous fall colors in the mountains. My brother and his lovely bride are coming for a visit. That is vacation enough for me folks!<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
This coming week, I\u2019ll be sharing some older posts. I pray that God will bless you abundantly this week.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Grace and peace be yours in abundance,<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Donna<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Grace and James<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n There is a little phrase in the Book of James that has caught my attention. Perhaps it\u2019s because I\u2019ve been looking for something with the word \u201cgrace\u201d in it. Or maybe even the fact that I\u2019ve been searching for a good verse of Scripture from James to display in my home. Whatever the reason, I have found a line that has taken on new meaning for me.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBut he gives us more grace.\u201d<\/em> (James 4:6a \u2013 NIV)<\/p>\n <\/p>\n If you are anything like me, you\u2019re going \u201cphew\u201d right about now. Yeah, I need more grace because sometimes my life doesn\u2019t exactly line up with the teachings of the Bible. And it\u2019s in those moments when God gives me more grace.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Now just because I have the opportunity to receive more grace doesn\u2019t mean that I have the right or should continue in sin. The Apostle Paul has a few things to say about that.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Paul also mentioned that grace abounds where sin resides in Romans 5:20b (NIV). \u201cBut where sin increased, grace increased all the more.\u201d<\/em> But Paul goes on to say, \u201cWhat shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?\u201d<\/em> (Romans 6:1-2 \u2013 NIV)<\/p>\n <\/p>\n So how are we to live? James offers a five-step plan for us to follow.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSubmit yourselves, then, to God.\u201d<\/em><\/strong> (James 4:7 \u2013 NIV)<\/p>\n Submission is a hard word for us to swallow. But in my study of submission through the years, it has become easier to understand and easier to implement into my life.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Everyone is under submission to someone. Some more than others. But being in submission to God, my Creator, is much easier knowing that submission assists in ridding my life of my sinful nature.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cResist the devil, and he will flee from you.\u201d<\/em><\/strong> (James 4:7 \u2013 NIV)<\/p>\n You would think this one would be easy, but the devil knows exactly how to tempt me (see yesterday\u2019s post). But let\u2019s remember that although we are tempted, God makes a way for us to escape the tempter\u2019s snare (1 Corinthians 13:10).<\/p>\n <\/p>\n God is faithful and He will be with us as we resist the devil.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cCome near to God, and he will come near to you.\u201d<\/em><\/strong> (James 4:8 \u2013 NIV)<\/p>\n Getting close to God only comes one way. Moving toward Him. To do so, we must build and grow our relationship with God. Bible study, prayer, and meditation all play a part of this precious courtship.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The result will be well worth the effort. Close proximity to God will never be suffocating or over-bearing. It will be refreshing and wonder-filled. And He will give more grace!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWash your hands, you sinners.\u201d<\/em><\/strong> (James 4:8 \u2013 NIV)<\/p>\n I am a hand washer. Not a germophobic necessarily, but I don\u2019t like to have dirty hands, especially in the kitchen. I understand this line.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n When I am \u201cdirtied\u201d by the world or my sinful nature overtakes my spiritual common sense, I must wash my hands. Wash my hands of the filth of wickedness, the bacteria of sin, the sliminess of iniquity.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Clean hands prevent illness in our physical world and according to James, our spiritual world as well.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cPurify your hearts, you double-minded.\u201d<\/em><\/strong> (James 4:8 \u2013 NIV)<\/p>\n Our hearts are to be single-minded according to James. Our hearts must belong to God completely. There isn\u2019t room for two Lord\u2019s on the throne of our hearts. Therefore, we must purify our hearts.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n King David mentioned clean hands and a pure heart in Psalm 24:4-5 (NIV). Listen to his words. \u201cHe who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false. He will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God his Savior.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The blessings we receive during this purification process are far more valuable than anything this world could offer. Anything!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Sounds easy doesn\u2019t it? This five-step process. Of course we cannot do it alone. God\u2019s Holy Spirit is with us to lead and guide us along the way. And when we slip up, God is always there to provide more grace.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I pray that your day will be blessed by drawing near to God. By asking His assistance in your most difficult situations. And especially by the abundance of grace that God lavishes upon each of us.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Grace and peace be yours in abundance,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Donna<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Yes, I\u2019m on vacation. No, I\u2019m not going anywhere\u2026well lots of trips around the beautiful state of Colorado are in the plans. We are hoping to see some gorgeous fall colors in the mountains. My brother and his lovely bride are coming for a visit. That is vacation enough for me folks! This […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_s2mail":"yes","_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[296,16,17,14],"tags":[1466,4751,4747,4460,4746,4752,48,97,4748,4749,4750],"class_list":["post-4942","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-experiencing-god","category-following-god","category-obeying-god","category-seeking-god","tag-book-of-james","tag-come-near-to-god","tag-grace-and-james","tag-james-47","tag-my-vacation-day-2","tag-pslam-244-5","tag-purify-your-heart","tag-resist-the-devil","tag-romans-520","tag-romans-61-2","tag-submit-to-god"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fullmeasureofjoy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4942","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fullmeasureofjoy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fullmeasureofjoy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fullmeasureofjoy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fullmeasureofjoy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4942"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/fullmeasureofjoy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4942\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4943,"href":"https:\/\/fullmeasureofjoy.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4942\/revisions\/4943"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fullmeasureofjoy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4942"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fullmeasureofjoy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4942"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fullmeasureofjoy.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4942"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}