This thought is so similar to what I read in the first chapter of James. We are to consider, to reckon something to be our chiefest source of joy and it doesn't make sense to even try, well, not unless we do it. Then, as we apply it to ourselves it begins to make sense and the light goes on...
Main Verse: James 1:2 "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;"
That "count it all joy" part means, "consider it this way" or "count it as such" --> and what are we to count as our chiefest source of joy? Of all things, it is falling into various trials that is to be thought of this way.
James expands on the thought and I'm certain that you've already heard of the workings behind our maturing in the Mind and Fellowship of Christ. The word of Faith is nigh thee and it's in our mouth. We just need to speak it. God will put that burden in you, this message is for every one of us. Lord knows how many times I've seen that God has put a burden on people for the whole body.
The light of the Body is the eye, the eye doesn't give off light, but through it, light enters. Mt. 6:22 In the context one of the literal greek words means lamp, the lamp contains the light. If the eye is single (single means unified) - it has to do with being simple (opposite of being double minded or confused) and sincere and honest, that a situation is regarded without a second thought --- verse 24 has to do with serving 2 masters, you can't do it. Verse 25 says, "take no thought for your life..." and being single means being simple and without a second thought. The Greek for "without a second thought" is used of a cloth that is folded over once. One fold, is simple - you fold a cloth once, being simple, not complicated or artsy, it's not folded to look pretty but instead simply to let it fit on the shelf you have, just a single fold - simple as that, God is going to meet the needs in your life, therefor have your heart simply and purely upon Him. In the concept this is what our eye is to be - Matthew ties this thought up with our treasures also - lay up treasures in heaven, verse 21, for where your treasures are there also will be your heart. Treasure has to do with that which is laid aside, and as the Greek points out, there's two different treasures: 'vertical' which has to do with a treasure that is used, and horizontal (there's these expressions in the Greek) and there is one that means it is 'horizontal' and that means it is laid away. And so here are treasure is, there our heart is and then it talks about the eye being single.
Hebrews 5:14 Let us understand that the eye is the spirit of man, and when it is given over to God and allows His light to enter, therefore it is the Spirit of God... it is the means through which the Spirit of God enters into our soul. Strong meat belongs to them that are full age. The eye is a spiritual preceptor that by reason of use, it might see both good and evil. The only way that we may see both good and evil is by the Word of God. In Psalms 119:105 it says, "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." That's the light and that's the lamp and yet it's our eye, if our eye be full of light... and the word is the light... it's saying that if your spirit be full of the word of God... you'll have light and you'll know how to walk. In Jeremiah, and I believe it's chapter 10, it says that it is not in man to direct his steps. But as we open our eye, and the light of God enters in, as we take in his Word and it is in-grafted into us, we are opening to God and He will direct our steps. This is what it means when it says "by being of a single eye".
Returning to James then, we are to count our trials, the ones that we fall into (through no fault of our own) as our chiefest source of Joy. What will you think about as your chief source of joy when you are with Him? What will we point back to as the source of our ultimate blessing? Will it be our trails themselves, seen from that perspective that caused our growth? That provided the endurance necessary for all believers to continue with him, single minded? We are to know something here: "Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience..." or endurance and we are to allow something here: "But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing..."
Therefore let your mind, your eye, be simple and set on God alone - and then your whole body will be sound and full of light. And in James 1:9 "Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted:" -- that he is not like "the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away, but rather that He is exalted by the Father of Mercy, and celebrated by those who are given to see such things.
It is a blessing to be counted among those who are called "sons of God" and those who are able to partake of such things.
