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sing it with me…

‘dear Liza, dear Liza, there’s a hole in the bucket, dear Liza a hole…
so, fix it dear Henry, dear Henry, so fix it dear Henry, dear Henry, fix it.’

I woke up this morning with that song running through my head. Silly, huh? Welcome to my world. After singing the first two verses and remembering no more I decided to look up the lyrics online. If you don’t remember, Liza proceeds to tell Henry the obvious way he should fix the bucket only to ultimately come around to the fact that there is hole in the bucket so he can’t really complete all of her well thought out suggestions for completing the task. Poor Henry just needed someone to give him a new bucket.

Ever feel like that? Like you just need a new bucket? Lately I have been keenly aware of the hole in my proverbial bucket. It seems resources just pour out as I diligently complete all the obvious tasks to repair the breach. This is not new in my life, it’s just lately the whole process seems more futile. You know how it is - sometimes we work things up in our minds and suddenly things are worse than they’ve ever been before…then the enemy adds his two cents on top of that. I find myself wanting to be selfish, to withhold, to hoard, to take all I can to fill the void.

And so, I find myself optimistic. No, really. You see, I love a good challenge. And every time I hear the voice of God simply stating the obvious… keep working, keep being faithful, keep giving - I am reminded He has better in store for me. So, rising to the challenge I seek to give more, to become decidedly unselfish and to rejoice in the successes of others. Why? Because I know a new bucket is coming… when it’s God’s time. I know this because He always has a new bucket. What an awesome thing it is to truly hear the heart of God and know His faithfulness.

I am blessed beyond my wildest immagination - in spite of the big hole in my bucket. Take it away, James…

Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way. If you don’t know what you’re doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You’ll get his help, and won’t be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who “worry their prayers” are like wind-whipped waves. Don’t think you’re going to get anything from the Master that way, adrift at sea, keeping all your options open. When down-and-outers get a break, cheer! And when the arrogant rich are brought down to size, cheer! Prosperity is as short-lived as a wildflower, so don’t ever count on it. You know that as soon as the sun rises, pouring down its scorching heat, the flower withers. Its petals wilt and, before you know it, that beautiful face is a barren stem. Well, that’s a picture of the “prosperous life.” At the very moment everyone is looking on in admiration, it fades away to nothing. Anyone who meets a testing challenge head-on and manages to stick it out is mighty fortunate. For such persons loyally in love with God, the reward is life and more life.

Don’t let anyone under pressure to give in to evil say, “God is trying to trip me up.” God is impervious to evil, and puts evil in no one’s way. The temptation to give in to evil comes from us and only us. We have no one to blame but the leering, seducing flare-up of our own lust. Lust gets pregnant, and has a baby: sin! Sin grows up to adulthood, and becomes a real killer. So, my very dear friends, don’t get thrown off course. Every desirable and beneficial gift comes out of heaven. The gifts are rivers of light cascading down from the Father of Light. There is nothing deceitful in God, nothing two-faced, nothing fickle. He brought us to life using the true Word, showing us off as the crown of all his creatures.

James 1:2-18 (Message)

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