Study Desk

Do any of you need wisdom? Ask God for it. He is generous and enjoys giving to everyone. So he will give you wisdom.

As the sun rises and gets hotter, its heat dries up the plants, and the flowers fall off. The flowers that were so beautiful are now dead. That's how it is with the rich. While they are still making plans for their business, they will die.

The worship that God wants is this: caring for orphans or widows who need help and keeping yourself free from the world's evil influence. This is the kind of worship that God accepts as pure and good.

Another example is Rahab. She was a prostitute, but she was made right with God by something she did. She helped those who were spying for God's people. She welcomed them into her home and helped them escape by a different road.

But the wisdom that comes from God is like this: First, it is pure. It is also peaceful, gentle, and easy to please. This wisdom is always ready to help people who have trouble and to do good for others. This wisdom is always fair and honest.

People who work for peace in a peaceful way get the blessings that come from right living.

Or when you ask, you don't receive anything, because the reason you ask is wrong. You only want to use it for your own pleasure.

Do you think the Scriptures mean nothing? The Scriptures say, "The Spirit God made to live in us wants us only for himself."

God is the one who gave us the law, and he is the Judge. He is the only one who can save and destroy. So it is not right for you to judge anyone.

You don't know what will happen tomorrow. Your life is like a fog. You can see it for a short time, but then it goes away.

Your life on earth was full of rich living. You pleased yourselves with everything you wanted. You made yourselves fat, like an animal ready for the day of slaughter.

Brothers and sisters, be patient; the Lord will come. So be patient until that time. Look at the farmers. They have to be patient. They have to wait for their valuable crop to grow and produce a harvest. They wait patiently for the first rain and the last rain.

Brothers and sisters, follow the example of the prophets who spoke for the Lord. They suffered many bad things, but they were patient.

Are you sick? Ask the elders of the church to come and rub oil on you in the name of the Lord and pray for you.

So always tell each other the wrong things you have done. Then pray for each other. Do this so that God can heal you. Anyone who lives the way God wants can pray, and great things will happen.

Elijah was a person just like us. He prayed that it would not rain. And it did not rain on the land for three and a half years!

Now we wait to receive the blessings God has for his children. These blessings are kept for you in heaven. They cannot be ruined or be destroyed or lose their beauty.

I know the thought of that is exciting, even if you must suffer through different kinds of troubles for a short time now.

It was made clear to them that their service was not for themselves. They were serving you when they told about the things you have now heard. You heard them from those who told you the Good News with the help of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even the angels would like very much to know more about these things you were told.

So prepare your minds for service. With complete self-control put all your hope in the grace that will be yours when Jesus Christ comes.