James 1:2 "my brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials"
- Exams!!! (my very small trial. hahaha)

James 1:5 "if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, Who gives to all liberally and without reproach"
- how the Lord knows we lack so many things.. and He is a wellspring of goodness!

James 1:12 "blessed is the man who endures temptation"
- never blame God for any temptation you are unable to resist -- if the devil has a hold on you, its cos you havent been asking the Lord for enough strength

James 1:17 "every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, in whom there is no variation and shadow of turning."
- God is truth. there is also one truth, one morality, and this is judged by God's standard - there is no grey area.

James 1:21 "therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls."
- the Lord's Word implanted in your heart!

James 3:6 "and the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. the tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell."
- be careful with the words you say!

James 4:7-8 "therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. draw near to God and He will draw near to you..."
- the Lord defeats the evil one. He is an everlasting God.. faithful, loving, gracious, forgiving. :)

James 4:14 "come now you who say 'today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit" (THIS TOTALLY SOUNDS LIKE OUR LIFE PLANS SOMETIMES which is terrible hahaha)

James 4:15 "whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. for what is your life? it is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away."

- only the Lord knows how im gonna do for this round of exams.. it is not because of what i plan, what i do, or what i hope. it is the Lord's will for my life.. He has proven to be gracious and merciful - i have no reason to doubt that His goodness will not overflow even in this season of my life!

James 5:16-18 (and all the above... enduring trials... enduring temptation... receiving the implanted Word... reigning in your tongue... trusting in the Lord's will...)

it all culminates into this- effectiveness in prayer.

"... the effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for 3 years and 6 months. and he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit."

Elijah was a man with a nature like ours... and yet God paid very special attention to His prayers.

Daniel 10:12 "do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come because of your words."

from the day i set my heart to understand the Words of the Lord, He promised to hold onto me, hear me and complete the good work He has begun in me. im not always perfect.. always learning, but i am so much more at peace with the fact that exams are upon me (beginning tomorrow), and as much as there are still gaps in my knowledge of the law, i know ive done my best and the rest of it is in God's hands.

pray for me!!! :)