September 2, 2014

WAIT FOR IT . . .

James 5:1–12

Barbara Stoerner
Tuesday's Devo

September 2, 2014

Tuesday's Devo

September 2, 2014

Central Truth

To those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior, God has graciously given the gift of eternal life and promised that He is coming back to take care of business. While we wait, we are called to be faithful and patient -- not to be controlling of our circumstances.

Key Verse | James 5:9

Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. (James 5:9)

James 5:1–12

Warning to the Rich

Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you.

Patience in Suffering

Be patient, therefore, brothers, 1 5:7 Or brothers and sisters; also verses 9, 10, 12, 19 until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. 10 As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.

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

Footnotes

[1] 5:7 Or brothers and sisters; also verses 9, 10, 12, 19

Dive Deeper | James 5:1–12

I'm a social person, but I find it even easier to talk when something is going wrong in my life. It becomes more of a complaining session than a conversation. Words flow even more freely from my mouth when I feel that I've been wronged by someone. Before I know it, I'm angry and ready to strike at anything that crosses my path.

In this portion of his letter, James sternly addresses the wealthy, but then he takes on a different tone with those who are being oppressed. He urges them to wait patiently and not take matters into their own hands and go against each other. He is confident that God will deal with all the evil and wrong that is being done.

Those of us who have put our faith in Jesus Christ know that God has already dealt with our biggest problem: sin. Romans 6:23 says, "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." He has saved our lives, so He will also take care of our smaller wounds. Also, He has promised that He will return, so we have something to look forward to -- we just have to wait for it.

Letting others' evil and wrongdoing affect me so much that it shows up in my life as sin is less than God's perfect plan for my life. In Ephesians 4:1b-2 (NIV), Paul implores believers "to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love." We have been called by God to be humble and patient because we love Him and what He did for us.

James refers to Job as proof of the Lord's compassion and mercy. Even if we don't get to see justice and the outcome of our faithfulness and patience with our own eyes, we have to trust that the same God who abundantly rewarded Job for his actions will do the same for us.

Discussion Questions

1. Has there ever been a time when you felt wronged by someone? What was your response to the situation?

2. What would be different about your life if you were always faithful and patient in every circumstance?

3. Have you allowed God to deal with your biggest sin struggles? If so, is there anything hindering you from trusting Him with the smaller stuff?