The right response ~ James 5:13-20

Are you suffering?  Pray.  Are you cheerful?  Sing praise.  Is someone sick?  Get help from others.  Each circumstance comes with a response.  Sometimes we get so caught up in matching the correct response to each circumstance that we forget the one thing that is common to all situations.  God.  The response is not as important as whether or not God is in on the action.  Do we ever think to ourselves, I will handle this problem and let God take a bigger issue?  Those exact words may not cross our minds, but we often act as though they did.  The fact is God knows our hearts.  He knows when we let Him lead our decision making.  Even though two people facing the same situation react in the same manner, God knows which one did so with His guidance and which one did so without it.  The response does not make the difference; God does.

We come to the end

Only one more passage remains in the book of James.  We will cover that passage two weeks from now at TNT, so we end our devotions here.  Feel free to continue to read and comment our previous posts.

Waiting patiently ~ James 5:7-12

Not only are we to have joy in our suffering and trials, James says we should have patience as well.  The good news is it is easier to be patient when we are joyful.  However, that doesn’t change the fact that we are suffering and experiencing trials.  James uses the analogy of a farmer who plants a crop to describe how we should wait patiently on the Lord.  After the seeds are in the ground, we can not do much else except wait for the plants grow.  God takes care of this process, not us.  Worrying about the growth of the plant is about as effective as staring at a pot of water and waiting for it to boil.  Neither one accomplishes anything.  Instead it takes your attention and energy away from things that you could be doing.  If we believe in God, we know what the end result will be.  Therefore, we should put all worry aside and be joyful and patient in the fact that this too shall pass.

Dealing ~ James 5:7-12

My way of dealing with trying times, especially those not to my liking, typically involves a bit of complaining or griping about the situation.  When stated as a fact, I immediately see the error in that action.  However, during those moments when I gripe or complain, my mind seems to justify the reasons under the guise that I am simply sharing what is on my heart instead of falsely pretending that life is perfect.  Truth be told, I am really just complaining.  James began his book telling us to persevere, to be steadfast, in all things.  He returns to this same idea in chapter five and furthers the notion by reminding us of Job.  Who can forget the story of Job?  It is the ultimate book of perseverance.  James plainly states in verse nine, “Do not grumble.”  I agree with James that we have much work to do in this area.  

Dangerous oaths ~ James 5:7-12

James 5:12  “But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath, but let your yes be yes and your no be no, that you may not fall under condemnation.”

Swearing, or taking an oath, is something that is very dangerous, but we seldom hear about it.  We may not think that we take oaths, but we do more often than we know.  It is dangerous for two reasons.  First, because if we take an oath to do something, and invoke God into it, then if we do not succeed we must face our failure more severely.  Second, because sometimes we draw God into something and try and force him into our box.  This is not right.  God is beyond us.  God’s ways are beyond our ways.  If we invoke God into anything that is not of the faith (for instance Politics) than we try to force God into our view-point.  But we are supposed to be conformed to the image of God.  Not God to the image of us.

 

by Josh

Where is Your Treasure?

James says this in 5:3:

“You have laid up treasure in the last days.” (ESV)

James makes this simple statement. And in it’s context, he is referring to the rich who have stored up the wrong kind of treasures in the last days. But, his statement is true for everyone. We are ALL storing up treasure for the last days…the question is: where are we storing those treasures?

Jesus says we have two places we can store our treasures.

Matthew 6:19-21 ESV
19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.”

Our two possible locations are 1) earth and 2) heaven. The treasures on earth do not last. They are destroyed and stolen from us. They break down. And it’s silly to place our hope in treasures that have no lasting value.

Storing treasures in heaven, though, is different. Those treasures do not break down. They do not rust or fall apart. They last. Money given to a missionary to reach others for Christ will last a lot longer than your car. Clothes donated to the naked will last longer than you think. Food given to the hungry will be given as unto Christ.

Where are you storing your treasure?

Who am I? ~ James 5:1-6

One might think James just didn’t like rich people.  In an ideal world, no poor would exist because those who have would share with those who did not have.  Thus, everyone would have.  This is not how our world functions.  The poor usually recognize their need for God and submit to His authority.  The rich tend to fall into the trap that they have the means to provide for themselves.  Some even go so far as cheating the poor in order to stay on top.  We often define ourselves by our possessions.  If we have wealth, we are rich.  However, who are we when these things are gone?  Clothing is destroyed by moths.  Gold and silver corrode.  They do not last; they are not permanent.  God lasts; He is permanent.  If we define who we are by who we are in God, we will never have to ask, “Who am I?” since God never changes.

Whoa vs woe ~ James 5:1-6

My first impression after reading James 5:1-6 is Whoa!  We can summarize this section by a different kind of “whoa.”  Luke 6:24 says, “But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.”  When discussing the development of children into adults, you might hear how young people do not consider the long-range effect of their decisions like adults do.  Is the same true for Christians?  How often do we forget about the promises awaiting us in heaven and look only at what the world is offering to us right now?  We look at the riches, the glamour, and the glory of life on earth and forget that what we find here pales in comparison of what is to come for those who believe.  We have the choice: we can have our riches and fun now while on earth or we can patiently wait for the absolute best that will ever be offered.

Think before you eat ~ James 5:1-6

James 5:4 — “Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts.”

The Lord hears those who cry out to him, he listens to those who are afflicted.  Whether in this life or the next, those who oppress the poor, those who oppress the faithful, they will pay for it.  Their own wealth stands up to condemn them.  This should frighten us greatly.  In the civilized western world, we comprise about 20% of the world’s total population.  But we consume 80% of the world’s resources.  Billions live in poverty and despair while we live in abundance.  You know, when I was eating hot dogs and baked beans this weekend, I didn’t stop to think that most of the people in the world would be eating a handful of rice or bread; if they were lucky.  While I was drinking a glass of cold milk at home I didn’t stop to think that 1.1 billion people don’t even have clean water to drink.  What about you?

 

by Josh

Get out of the cookie jar ~ James 5:1-6

Mom just baked some chocolate chip cookies, your favorite.  It’s almost supper time and you know you’re not allowed to have any but mom just left the kitchen and they look so good, still warm and gooey.  What do you do?  You can eat some and risk being full for supper, or worse getting sick, both ways leading to you being found out and your parents being disappointed in you or you can choose to eat your supper rather than the cookies.  Think of the world as the cookie jar, and all that it has to offer as the cookies.  You eat of the world, but where do you end up?  James 5: 2-3 says that all of your worldly cookies are going to disappear and turn into nothing.  But that’s not the bad part- it’s the price you pay for giving into the temptation.  It’s the eternity in hell that makes worldly cookies bad.  What is your choice?  Will you eat of the cookie jar and pay the price later or will you withstand the temptation and receive happiness in eternity with God later.  We’ve all eaten cookies in the past, but our Father loves us and extends his grace to us if we repent and try to live for him as best as we can.  He gives us a second chance to make the right decision.

 

by Tina