Patience
James 5:7-12 (NIV) Patience in Suffering
7 Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. 8 You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. 9 Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door! 10 Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.12 Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple “Yes” or “No.” Otherwise you will be condemned.
Be patient, He says. Don’t grumble, He says. Do you ever want to look up to the heavens and say, Father, do you actually know me? Then you look at it again. Be patient? Oh, wait. He says be patient “in suffering.”
Well, that is a different matter.
Now we have entered into the territory where we are to give thanks for everything, for that is the will of God. 1 Thess 5:18. That I can do!
Oops. Here’s another “thou shalt not”
Don’t grumble against your brothers and sisters. That means fellow believers. So, what are we supposed to do if we have a valid (we think) complaint? Might I suggest we pray for them and then pray with them.
Lastly, we are told not to swear by heaven or earth or anything else. Another landmine! As children we learned to cross our hearts and hope to die. And if we were really serious we added “spit the devil in the eye.”
As we grew older, we learned to say, “I swear on a Bible,” and then “a stack of Bibles.” Lord, have mercy. Matt 5:3:37 tells us to “let your yes be yes and your no be no.” Isn’t that simple?
So, does God really know us? Of course He does. Perhaps if we read these instructions over and over again they will be like a tree planted by the living water that will yield fruit in its season. Ps 1.
May we live in the simplicity of a life grounded in faith and rooted in the understanding that God is our source. Let us depend upon and follow Him.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Lord Willin’ and the Creek Don’t Rise
James 4:13-17 (NIV) 13 Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” 14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 15 Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. 17 If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.
Boy, this one always hits home with me. I am a planner. I make lists and try to check off things I have done, and hopefully, will not miss anything important. But how many times have I jumped ahead of God and how many times have I pledged to wait, yet my impatience gets the best of me?
I pray my plans do not rise to the level of boasting but instead are just a mark of good stewardship. And I pray I will never again become so self involved that I fail to ask God’s will for my life and that I listen with my whole when He speaks.
Growing up in the South I heard a lot of colloquialisms that were based on common sense and a recognition of who God is. Plans were often finalized with the phrase “Lord willin’ and the creek don’t rise.”
May we be so tuned in to God that He is the first thought as we start our days and the last thought as we end our nights. And may we remember as the psalmist said that God is the keeper of our days.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
A Call to Community
James 4:7-12 (NIV) 7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
11 Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. 12 There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?
The epistle of James, written by the half brother of Jesus, was composed at a time when Jews had scattered in an attempt to escape persecution and even death. There has sometimes been unfair criticism against this letter, calling it legalistic and a proponent of salvation through works as opposed to salvation through faith. Instead, James taught that works were the result of, not the means to, our salvation.
In this portion of our scripture, James begins by referring to the ceremonial washing by priests before entering the temple. We, today, recognize the spiritual significance of approaching a holy God in awe and reverence. There is no magic formula to a relationship with God, but I believe there are actions we can take that will hinder our relationship, and thus prevent us from growing in Christ. When we fail to honor God in all we say and do, it will not be long before we begin to treat others in a way that contradicts everything Jesus taught.
We are called to humility which leads to treating others with kindness rather than in judgment. I love the scripture from 2 Corinthians 5:11 (MSG) Christ’s love has moved me to such extremes. His love has the first and last word in everything we do.
When the love of Jesus has the first and last word in everything we do, we will recognize the holiness of God and we will help build a community of believers that can withstand any assault by the enemy.
May we join together in faith and unity, relying upon the love within which God has infused us and His Holy Word.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Resist Being Proud
James 4:1-8 (NIV) Submit Yourselves to God
1 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? 2 You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
4 You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us? 6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:
“God opposes the proud
but shows favor to the humble.”
7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you.
James 3:17 – 4:7 (MSG) Get Serious
1-2 Where do you think all these appalling wars and quarrels come from? Do you think they just happen? Think again. They come about because you want your own way, and fight for it deep inside yourselves. You lust for what you don’t have and are willing to kill to get it. You want what isn’t yours and will risk violence to get your hands on it.
2-3 You wouldn’t think of just asking God for it, would you? And why not? Because you know you’d be asking for what you have no right to. You’re spoiled children, each wanting your own way.
4-6 You’re cheating on God. If all you want is your own way, flirting with the world every chance you get, you end up enemies of God and his way. And do you suppose God doesn’t care? The proverb has it that “he’s a fiercely jealous lover.” And what he gives in love is far better than anything else you’ll find. It’s common knowledge that “God goes against the willful proud; God gives grace to the willing humble.”
7-10 So let God work his will in you. Yell a loud no to the Devil and watch him make himself scarce. Say a quiet yes to God and he’ll be there in no time. Quit dabbling in sin. Purify your inner life. Quit playing the field. Hit bottom, and cry your eyes out. The fun and games are over. Get serious, really serious. Get down on your knees before the Master; it’s the only way you’ll get on your feet.
I have spent the last few days in the Epistle of James, and today I read the first eight verses in Chapter 4 in both the NIV and the Message. It is apparent that James was not concerned with bringing the sinner to Christ, but instead his focus was teaching the Christ follower to live holy.
I love the way the Message paraphrases the final verse: Get down on your knees before the Master; it’s the only way you’ll get on your feet. It reminds me of a song in the ‘80’s—“Get on Your Knees and Fight Like A Man” by Petra. I made the statement earlier this week that one of the worst mistakes I ever made was ceasing to get on my knees in prayer.
Why is our prayer posture important? It conveys our attitude toward God. When we humble ourselves before a holy God we are recognizing our sinfulness before Him. Can we show our humility while sitting in a chair or lying in our bed? Of course, we can. It is all about our heart attitude.
Today, what would happen if we began relating to God as the Supreme authority in our lives? What would happen if, when we end our prayers “in Jesus’ name” we were asking only for something that Jesus would want us to have?
May we learn from today’s scripture that either God is first in our lives, or we are first. We cannot have it both ways. Choose God.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
It’s the Way You Live that Counts
James 3:13-17 (MSG) 13-16 Do you want to be counted wise, to build a reputation for wisdom? Here’s what you do: Live well, live wisely, live humbly. It’s the way you live, not the way you talk, that counts. Mean-spirited ambition isn’t wisdom. Boasting that you are wise isn’t wisdom. Twisting the truth to make yourselves sound wise isn’t wisdom. It’s the furthest thing from wisdom—it’s animal cunning, devilish plotting. Whenever you’re trying to look better than others or get the better of others, things fall apart and everyone ends up at the others’ throats.
17-18 Real wisdom, God’s wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced. You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor.
Yesterday after our service I downloaded “The Message” onto my Bible app. I use primarily the NRSV and the NIV study Bibles. But our pastor has used “The Message” on occasion and I found I enjoy the way it reads. 17-18 Real wisdom, God’s wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others.
I wonder how many people are lacking in Godly wisdom because they have redefined the meaning of wisdom to match the world’s understanding rather than God’s. Had you ever considered that Godly wisdom is connected to the way we treat others?
Being mean spirited, boastful, twisting the truth does not lead to, nor does it reflect, wisdom. Instead, such behavior reflects a shallowness that is not of God.
May we develop true wisdom as we grow in gentleness and mercy toward others.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
