You Have Not, Because You Ask Not James 4:2

James continued to share where the “fightings and war” came from among the people within the “twelve tribes scattered abroad”. Their own “lusts” that “burned in their members” were the source of these “wars”, and in chapter four and verse two of his letter, James shared how they “have not, because” they “ask not” where we read:

You lust, and have not: you kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain:

you fight and war, yet you have not, because you ask not.

The verse begins, “You lust, and have not: you kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain:” James began with the words, “You lust” or “turn upon a thing, desire for, long for and covet”, “and have not” which means “and do not hold, wear, possess or keep”: “you kill” which means “slay and murder” “and desire to have” which means “burn with zeal and are heated to boil with envy, hatred and anger”, “and cannot obtain” which means “are not able to have power whether by virtue of one's own ability and resources, state of mind, favorable circumstances or permission to light or hit upon any person or thing to attain it”. James referred to the manner in which his readers work so diligently even to the point of heated passion to have their own ways, yet they never “obtain” them.

The verse goes on to say, “you fight and war, yet you have not, because you ask not.” James continued, “you fight” which means “are armed with combatants or those who engage in a hand to hand struggle, war of words, quarrel, wrangling, contention or dispute” “and war” or “carry on war and fighting”, “yet you have not” which means “still do not hold, wear, possess or keep”, “because” or “through, by reason of and therefore” “you ask not” which means “do not beg, call for, crave, desire or require”. James noted their passionate “quarreling and wrangling”, and they still did not receive what they “desired” simply because they did not “call for, require and ask” of God for them.

When we think through these words of James, we should be inspired to examine our own “desires”. Do we “lust” and “have not”? Do we “desire to have, and cannot obtain”? Do we “fight and war” and “do not have” simply because we “do not ask” of God. Our hearts must be stirred to look at our desires and determine if they align with those of God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. We, like Jesus, are to “be about the Father's business”, and if we are selfishly passionate about only those things which are our own “lusts”, no matter how ablaze we are about them, we shall not “obtain” them. Let the Holy Spirit of God show us where we long for things that do not align with Him, and may we submit ourselves to “asking” for that which He desires.

Next time James shares why we “ask and do not receive”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.