Old Testament: Jeremiah 7 & 8
Poetry: Proverbs 7
New Testament: James 5
James has focused his entire letter on Christian maturity — both in our faithfulness to God and in our conduct toward others. It’s not enough to just call ourselves Christ followers; we must be continually striving to grow closer to Him in our behavior, our morality, and our internal attitudes. Now James concludes his letter, and he does so by talking about where we place our trust in this life. This is very much a continuation of the thoughts James shares in chapter 4:7–12: Trusting God instead of the world.
“Therefore, brothers, be patient until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth and is patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, because the Lord’s coming is near. Brothers, do not complain about one another, so that you will not be judged. Look, the judge stands at the door!
Brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the Lord’s name as an example of suffering and patience. See, we count as blessed those who have endured. You have heard of Job’s endurance and have seen the outcome from the Lord. The Lord is very compassionate and merciful.
Now above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. Your “yes” must be “yes,” and your “no” must be “no,” so that you won’t fall under judgment.”
James 5:7–12
The impatience and callousness that can come from trusting in our wealth compared with the patience and strength that comes with trusting in God is the theme of chapter 5 of James. He puts this patience in the context of a farmer who has to keep a long-term view of their work, knowing that a lack of patience could result in a ruined crop. Our trust in God encourages us to be patient with Him as well as with one another.
Take people like Isaiah, Jeremiah, Hosea, and Job as examples of this kind of patience and trust. Their examples testify to us that our patient faith can endure anything through the Father. These people should be role models to us, not simply icons of faith. We should look at the way they endured their trials, at the ways they overcame discouragement and outright persecution, and strive to do the same.
Then we get to the “above all” statement. This is the sum of everything James has written so far regarding our mature faith. Putting God’s word into action, showing generosity, overcoming prejudice, taming our tongues, growing in humility, and putting our trust where it belongs — all of this boils down to a very simple principle: be honest.
· If we are honest with our perspective about suffering, we will understand that pains of this life are temporary and look to God’s greater purpose for us.
· If we are honest with God’s word, then we will put it into practice when it tells us to change things in our lives.
· If we are honest with the example Jesus has left us, then we will put others before self, discard prejudice, and seek mercy before judgments.
· If we are honest with ourselves, we will be mindful of the ways we use our words and control our language even when angered or frustrated.
· If we are honest about our place in Creation, we will be humble before God and put His will before our own.
· If we are honest in humility, then we will place our trust in the Creator rather than the perishable things He has created.
Applying the wisdom in James takes time. God has not left you alone in this but will work this out for you if you are humble and honest. May you be blessed this week and always seek the Kingdom.
-Andy Cisneros
Reflection Questions
- Honestly evaluate what you most often put your trust in. Your wealth, the world, your job, your family, your Creator? How can you display more trust in God Almighty? What would that look like?
- How mature is your Christian faith? What would help you grow even more mature?
- How would you rate yourself on each of the “If we are honest…” statements above? Which one do you think God would most like you to work on right now? What would be a great first step? Pray and tell God about the change and action steps you would like to make.
Seek Grow Love 