James 1:5-8 (NIV) If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, Who gives GENEROUSLY to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive ANYTHING from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does. Along with God’s knowledge, understanding, and wisdom is faith. But, it has to be the kind of faith that Jesus gives us. An on-again-off-again faith won’t produce any results from God.

Like all the rest of us, you come to God with a “faith-filter.” We all start with an exclusive faith in ourselves; that means we believe we are our best friend and have our best interests in mind. Even if we do put our faith and trust in someone else, we do so because we BELIEVE and have decided they will do what we think is best for us. We are constantly evaluating all outside sources through this filter. We listen to a person, examine what they have said, and then decide whether or not WE THINK they and their words are good for us. If a person has a history of usually doing and saying things we agree with and want for our life, we put a certain amount of OUR FAITH and trust in them.

God created you to be in charge of your own life; He wants you to be able to stand back and evaluate each and every situation, philosophy, ideology, principle, and person and then decide whether or not you accept it or them. At this point, you are actually evaluating God and His principles; you are running all of these things Jesus is exposing you to in HELP eMagazine and the Bible through your “faith-filter.” Because Jesus and the Bible are only sharing God with you, you are deciding whether or not you like those things being offered. It is your God-given right to decide; but, your decision will give you certain RESULTS. Just like all of your decisions you have made up to this point have given you certain results, so will your current and future decisions.

The question you are probably trying to answer is, can and will God provide you with the things you want? Jesus is taking you through the Bible and allowing it to show you what God is like and what He has to offer. God doesn’t expect you to BLINDLY trust or have faith in Him. He is the One Who invented the concept of free will; it would have been easy for Him to create you with no ability to exercise or even want a free will. He knows that you and He cannot be true friends, if you are forced into the relationship. Love between you and Him has to be based on freedom of will for both of you. He loves you because He WANTS TO; now He wants you to be able to love, trust, and have faith in Him because YOU WANT TO.

Even though you “believe” you have your best interests in mind, you may have beliefs, concepts, philosophies, and ideas that are not serving your best interests. You need to find a source of knowledge, understanding, and wisdom that can be TOTALLY trusted or believed in. You need to find a true friend who is able to show you the right direction to go; none of us know everything.

You may NOT know how to fly a plane; but, if you choose the right pilot, they will be able to get you to your destination safely. There are a lot of things you don’t know how to do for yourself. But, if you choose the right information source, service, or person, it or they will see to it that you get what you need. This is what these studies and prayers are all about...finding the right source. BUT, finding the right source involves finding one that respects you, is honest with you, doesn’t have a hidden agenda, honors your rights, wishes, wants, and decisions, and a whole lot of other things. It must be a source that knows what the truth is, understands what it means, and knows how to apply it.

Who loves you more than you love yourself? Jesus and the Bible are saying that God does. But, that concept has to be run through your “faith-filter.” You have the right; and, us cooperating with Jesus have the obligation to help you see the truth in that concept. If you are going to relax in the Bible and God’s care, then you are going to have to be sure it and He are trustworthy. God loves you more than you love yourself; He knows everything; and He has the power to make everything work out for your good. But, you have to be CONVINCED that He is your very best source.

You are being provided with prayers that bring RESULTS; and, those results are for helping you start to trust God and His information. If you get results from these prayers and you explain them away by giving the credit to yourself, other sources, or to luck, then faith can't be developed between you and God. He is working miracles in your life; but, you would be refusing to see them.

Love is the most important attitude a person can have for another person. If they love you, then they will NOT do anything to hurt you on purpose. Truth is another very important issue because it keeps a person who loves you from making mistakes. God is love and truth; He loves you so much that He sent Jesus to earth to show you His sacrificial love for you. Jesus explained all the truth about the fact that your heavenly Father knows everything, sees your future clearly, has all power and authority, and wants the very best for you. Your heavenly Father is a better source of life-principles for you than any other source; and, He is willing to prove it by establishing a loving relationship with you.

God will not move away from the truth even in a small way. And, He will not mislead you, confuse you, just tell you what you want to hear, or force you to accept the truth. If you are willing to have a relationship that is TOTALLY based on truth, then God is the One you should establish a relationship with. If you are easily offended by the truth, if you just want to feel good about yourself, if you are willing to be ignorant about some facts, then God is not a good fit for you. If you want to have a relationship with God, then you have to be truthful with Him; and, you have to be willing to hear the truth from Him.

Is there anything you can’t do for yourself? Is there anything that you know can’t be handled by any other humans for you? Have you ever run into an impossible situation? Are you aware that humans are MUCH weaker, limited, and handicapped than God? You need a source of help that has the full potential of God. Mat 28:18 (NIV) Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.” Mark 10:27 (NIV) Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.” What a great source of help and relationship! This is a power-relationship that can’t be beat.