TODAY IN THE WORD

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Job 38:1-11
Our God is a consuming fire. - Hebrews 12:29
TODAY IN THE WORD
In the beloved classic books, The Chronicles of Narnia, one of C. S. Lewis’s characters, Mr. Beaver, offers a profoundly insightful picture of Christ, portrayed in the books as Aslan the Lion. Mr. Beaver says, “One day you’ll see him [Aslan] and another you won’t. He doesn’t like being tied down--and of course he has other countries to attend to. It’s quite all right. He’ll drop in. Only you mustn’t press him. He’s wild, you know. Not like a tame lion.”

Not like a tame lion. That’s what Job must now learn. God doesn’t govern His universe as Job, or anyone, else thinks He should, but according to His unsearchable wisdom. God isn’t “tame”--He speaks to Job out of the storm--but He is perfectly good and completely loving.

So, when Job finally gets the audience with the Lord that he requested, he’s not the one asking the questions! Instead, like a prosecuting attorney, the Lord fires off the questions and informs Job, “You will answer me” (38:3). God challenges Job’s insinuation that He wasn’t administering justice fairly. This interrogation covers Job 38 and 39, but it could be paraphrased in this one penetrating question: “Were you present at creation?” (38:4). Of course, Job wasn’t. Therefore, Job isn’t in a position to accuse the Lord of being unjust or unloving.

To be fair, Job has had a few moments of brilliance in understanding God’s wisdom and perfection (see Job 28). But he’s also slipped into pride because he’d judged the Lord solely based on what he could see. He had failed to consider that there was more to the picture than what met his own eyes or came from his own understanding.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
As we come to the end of our study, it’s a good idea to review some key points. Job is rebuked by the Lord, not because of some rebellious sin, but rather because he was unwilling to let God govern the universe as God sees fit. This is something that all of us must learn. Like Job, sincere followers of the Lord may encounter pain and suffering for no apparent reason. But like Job, we must realize that a trusting submission to God’s greater purpose is required.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Job 40:1-14
We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. - Romans 8:28
TODAY IN THE WORD
We all know how easy it is to be critical. Whether we’re in work situations or personal relationships, we’re all pretty good at finding faults in others! Seeing the problem is usually the easy part--but when it comes right down to it, it’s often hard to come up with positive suggestions to improve the situation.

In today’s passage, we find the Lord taking Job to task for his harsh criticism of His ability to administer justice. In essence, the Lord says to Job, “If you’re going to be so critical, then show Me that you could do a better job!”

Recall from yesterday’s study that Job finally got his demand for a personal encounter with the Lord. But rather than Job questioning the Lord, the Lord cross-examined Job! This first series of questions ends with a stern rebuke: If you want to accuse the Almighty, then you’d better be prepared to answer Him (v. 2)!

And what answer does Job have? Not the one that he thought he’d have. Instead, Job is speechless. He begins to realize his own unworthiness as well as his limitations in understanding God.

You’d think that the Lord’s next response to Job might be a little harsh. Instead, He repeats the exact same exhortation that He uttered before the first cross-examination: “Let him who accuses God answer him” (v. 7; cf. 38:3). The Lord continues to press Job because He knows that until the root of Job’s pride is addressed, Job won’t be able to enjoy the deep communion with God that he so longs for. To have Job simply stop speaking doesn’t get to this root issue. In fact, it’s possible that Job would just quietly smolder if the Lord didn’t press hard. As Andrew Blackwood comments, “God desires, not Job’s silent rebellion, but Job.”
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Much of our focus has been on Job’s innocent suffering, but Job isn’t faultless. In fact, all of us have probably felt at some point that we could do a better job running the world than God. Job forces us to confront this pride.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Job 42:1-17
I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted. - Job 42:2
TODAY IN THE WORD
Missionary Carl Brown, who works in a Hindu country, relates the following story. A young woman, who had recently come to faith in Jesus Christ, began to take Bible classes. Soon after, she became quite ill. Her family told her this happened because she had forsaken the local deities. So they kept her isolated and refused to help because they felt she was being punished.

When one of the Christian teachers found out about her condition, she rushed over and suspected a serious infection. Because they were convinced that she was cursed to death, the family agreed to let the Christian help the young woman. After receiving a series of antibiotics, the young woman made a full recovery and the entire village began to express interest in the Lord Jesus!

The belief that illness is judgment is common. As we have seen, Job’s three friends were convinced of this. But the book of Job shows clearly that God can use suffering to bring people to a deeper understanding of Himself. Had this young Hindu woman not experienced her illness, an entire village might not have become interested in the Lord. Had Job not suffered, neither he nor his friends would have come to a truer understanding of the Lord.

After his long cross-examination, Job finally recognizes his own humility and the Lord’s greatness. Job’s statement in verse 6 reflects an ancient Israelite way of expressing sincere humility. Most importantly, Job experiences restoration with the Lord beyond all that he could imagine.

Job had never truly forsaken God, despite his friends’ unjust claims. Now they must face the Lord and repent of the cruel things they said about the Lord and Job. What supreme irony that these “comforters” would now have to seek Job as an intercessor before the Lord (v. ! But the Lord’s charge to these three also forces Job to forgive them fully, as he must.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
As we conclude our study, we still haven’t received a definite explanation for innocent suffering. The “why?” remains largely unanswered. But we have learned a lot about what God might be showing us, a deeper understanding of Him, or how He might be using suffering in our lives, to display His glory.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: James 1:1-4
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds. - James 1:2
TODAY IN THE WORD
Selection as a guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery is one of the highest honors in the U.S. military. Those who are chosen must adhere to strict guidelines that govern what they wear, drink, and say. These guards are not permitted to swear or drink alcohol, even off-duty, at any point during their commission. They are to live in a way that reflects the honor and responsibility they have.

As we begin a new month and a new study, we will be reminded by James, the brother of our Lord, that genuine followers of Christ are known by their wisdom, or, to put it differently, by the way they live. In our journey through this epistle, we will discover James pointing us to a number of characteristics or markers by which we can discern Christian wisdom.

The first indicator he directs our attention to is joyful perseverance. Trials of many kinds, James tells us, ought to be greeted with a joyful spirit. Initially this strikes us as somewhat disturbing. Are we to go about seeking trials and rejoicing in sorrows for their own sake? The context of the passage suggests otherwise. James does not call us to seek out trials, but to be joyful in the face of trials that arise. Our joy does not stem from the trials themselves, but from the recognition that these trials help us grow to be more mature Christians by allowing us to practice perseverance. We only learn about sticking with Jesus in the hard times by actually going through the hard times and sticking with Jesus. That is, trials offer us the opportunity to grow in our faith--and as a result, grow in Christian maturity.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
If you are just joining Today in the Word, you may want to read portions of our study last month on the book of Job. (It’s available at www.todayintheword.org in the archives.) Our study of the book of James and a life of wisdom is the perfect follow-up to the themes of suffering and God’s purpose for our lives that we examined last month.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: James 1:5-8
If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God . . . and it will be given to him. - James 1:5
TODAY IN THE WORD
The story of Rehoboam has the marks of a classic tragedy. He inherited the throne of the kingdom of Israel from his father Solomon at the height of its power and prestige. Torn between the wise advisers of his father and those his own age, he decided to take the foolish advice of the younger counselors and increase the tax burden on the people. As a result, the kingdom of Israel split in two parts--Rehoboam governed only the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin.

Wisdom is generally the fruit of age and experience. However, those who believe in Christ are openly invited by God to receive wisdom from Him at any time. Whether young or old, all the Christian needs to do to grow in wisdom is ask God. When we find ourselves facing trials and we realize that we lack the wisdom necessary to get through them, God has promised to give us that wisdom if we simply ask Him.

We saw yesterday that trials are a means to strengthening our faith and moving us toward maturity. One way that they do this is by showing us the ways in which we lack wisdom. Trials often bring us to the point where we are able to recognize that our own resources are insufficient to cope with a situation. At such points we can see more clearly just how much we are dependent upon God. The very act of turning to Him and asking for more wisdom is an act that produces stronger faith and greater maturity.

Yet with this promise of divine aid James also gives a solemn warning. When we approach God in the midst of
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Whether you are young or old, God offers you His wisdom. This isn’t just the ability to have the right ideas about life--it’s also the ability to live life the right way.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: James 1:9-11; Mark 10:17­-31
The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position. - James 1:9
TODAY IN THE WORD
A recent car commercial depicts a man practicing all the ways he can tell his friends about his great new set of wheels. Standing in front of a mirror he practices dropping nonchalant comments into his imagined conversations. “Oh,” he says tossing his head in the direction of his car, “that’s just my new car.” Of course, the point of this commercial is that the man is so proud of his new vehicle that he desperately wants to show it off to everyone.

In our culture, almost from infancy we receive the notion that we should be proud of our material possessions. Cars, houses, boats, and other possessions are viewed as badges of happiness and success in this world. Those without these things are likely to be pitied rather than praised. Yet the Bible calls for a radical inversion of this way of thinking. James tells us plainly that Christians who are poor ought to take pride in their humble circumstances while the wealthy, instead of boasting in their possessions, ought to take pride in their lowliness (vv. 9­–10).

The point James seeks to impress on us is that God cares nothing for the wealth we tend to value. In God’s eyes the things we so often wrongly treasure are little more than wildflowers whose beauty quickly withers away (v. 11). Instead, God values spiritual humility. Being poor does not guarantee acceptance with God any more than it provides immunity from greed and envy. On the other hand, if wealth is attended by privilege in this world, Jesus warned that it also brings certain dangers (cf. Mark 10:17–31). The situation is similar to that of encountering trials. Those who never face them will have a weaker faith than those who do because trials are a means of growing in faith. The wealthy of the world may learn to value the wrong things and are simply not forced, in the way the poor often are, to depend daily on God’s provision for their very life.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Living humbly in a materialistic culture can be a challenge for all of us. But we can take steps to reclaim our identity, away from our stuff.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: James 1:12; 1 Corinthians 15:42-58
Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, . . . he will receive the crown of life. - James 1:12
TODAY IN THE WORD
A group of students at Princeton Univer-sity were polled on their ideas about the value of education. “Why should you pay more money for a prestigious university? Is it worth it?” The students almost all answered that it was, and one young man explained why. “You need to get the best education you can so you can get the best job you can. You need to make lots of money so you can afford to send your kids to the best schools, too.”

Most Americans agree that education is valuable, but the young Princeton student was describing a version of the contemporary American rat race: work and strive to get more stuff so that your kids are able to work and strive for more stuff. It’s an accurate description of many lives. The book of James calls us to a higher goal, one that is really worth all our effort and pursuit.

In our verse for today, James urges us to persevere--a word we’ve seen repeatedly in previous verses--so that we can obtain the crown of life. The word crown is qualified by the addition “of life” so that it is clearly identified with life itself. James is saying that our perseverance--with all that it means, as we’ve seen the past few days--is integrally tied to the eternal life promised by God.

James contrasts worldly riches and glory with things of eternal value (vv. 9–11). Those who persevere in times of trial, even though they may appear lowly according to the world’s standards, will gain something far more valuable than fancy cars, exotic vacations, a prestigious education, or worldly fame. Those who persevere and stick with Jesus receive eternal life in God’s presence in a resurrected body (see 1 Cor. 15).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Do you know what tempts you away from following Christ? It may be an experience of suffering, or it may be an experience of wealth that distracts your attention from the crown of life.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: James 1:13-15; Genesis 3:1-24
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. - Romans 6:23
TODAY IN THE WORD
Anyone who has ever spent much time around children has experienced the frustration of their disobedience. “Why do you keep getting candy out of the jar when you know I see you and you know you’ll be punished!” one exasperated mother asked her son. “Because I want candy,” was his honest reply.

We may develop more subtle methods of disobedience as we get older, but our basic reason for sinning against God is usually the same: there is something we want, and we think that maybe this time we’ll get away with it. Our passage today has strong words to describe the consequences of following our own desires apart from God.

James has set up a contrast between two ways that we can choose to live our lives. As he has described in earlier verses, we can persevere in faith, receive wisdom from God, and ultimately obtain eternal life (v. 12). Or, we can follow our own desires, sin against God, and ultimately receive the consequence of death (v. 15).

When the choice is spelled out in black and white, it seems obvious that we would want to choose life. The problem comes when our own desires present themselves to us as wisdom. This was the case with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden (see Gen. 3). As the serpent tempted Eve to eat the forbidden fruit, she rationalized to herself that indeed, this must be the right choice--after all, the fruit was tasty, attractive, and would make her wise (Gen. 3:6)! But her desire blinded her to the reality that eating this fruit contradicted a direct command of God.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Even some churches have been deceived by their own rationalizations and have decided that what God has called “sin” should be called “blessed.” This should reinforce our attitude of humility before God, recognizing how easily we can be led astray.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: James 1:16-18; Romans 8:18-25
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. -
TODAY IN THE WORD
One of the earliest lessons that parents teach their children is not to take candy from strangers. This seems odd to young children--candy is good, so someone offering it must be good, too. Parents have to help their children understand that candy is only good when it comes from an adult who loves them; otherwise, the candy that seems good could actually hurt them.

Yesterday we looked at the example of Adam and Eve and the relationship between desires that contradict God’s commands and sin. As descendants of Adam and Eve, we are all sinners. We all stand to inherit death, which is the result of our sinful choices that rebel against God (see Rom. 6:23).

But God was not willing to give up on His creation. By means of sending Jesus, the same God who spoke a word and created all things has spoken a Word again to bring new birth. Our birth into this world will eventually end in our physical death. But our spiritual birth is into eternal life.

James wants us to understand that the truly good things in life actually come from God (v. 17). The “candy” offered by the world may appear to bring happiness, fame, wealth, or security, but it really leads to death and decay. Christians must remember that God has far greater blessings in store for those who love Him.

As those who believe in Jesus, the Word of truth, we are the firstfruits of a redeemed and renewed creation (v. 18). We have been given the greatest gift of all through our salvation from the curse of sin and death.

In addition to this perfect gift from our Father, God continues to provide us with other good gifts, such as wisdom, encouragement, and direction in life.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Part of wisdom is knowing the difference between gifts that are truly good and those that will lead us astray. God is the source of all good things in our lives, and those blessings should point us toward Him.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: James 1:19-21; Romans 8:5-17
A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver. - Proverbs 25:11
TODAY IN THE WORD
A caller to a radio talk show discussing careers wondered why his best employees seemed to be leaving. “I increased their salaries and gave them the best projects,” he explained. “But we have a few run-ins and they leave anyway.” When the host asked the caller to describe the “run-ins,” he mentioned that they were incidents when he yelled at his employees for their mistakes. “I think that’s the problem,” the host declared. “People don’t want to deal with anger, even it comes with more money. I think you need some anger management courses if you really want to keep your employees working for you!”

Anger management . . . in our society this is the answer to uncontrolled rage that disrupts our families, relationships, and workplaces. These techniques may be helpful, but as we see in our passage today, James also talks about anger management, and prescribes a radical solution--a new life in Christ that makes new attitudes and behaviors possible.

As we have already seen, our desires lead us into sin (vv. 14–15). But God desires that we live righteously. Yet He doesn’t just declare that He expects this from us without also providing the means to make it possible. Verse 21 points toward the resource: “Humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.”

Romans 8:5–17 elaborates on the difference between a life controlled by the sin nature and a life controlled by the Holy Spirit. Because of our belief in Jesus Christ, we have His Spirit at work in us, leading us to life (Rom. 8:11). We are not struggling alone to live righteously to please God--we are able to live rightly because the Holy Spirit gives us the power to resist sin (Rom. 8:13).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Anger may be a significant struggle in your life, and if so, these verses should remind you of the urgency of submitting this to the Holy Spirit so that you will not be dominated by your temper.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: James 1:22-25
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. - James 1:22
TODAY IN THE WORD
The American obsession with looking our best seems to be spreading to an unlikely group. A new product line of personal grooming products, including shampoo, conditioner, and cologne, is being marketed for boys aged 9 to 16. “Although the stereotype is that young boys don’t care about how they look, our research indicates that even 10-year-old boys say looking good is one of their top priorities,” the brand manager said.

In our passage today, James uses the illustration of looking in the mirror to drive home his point about living wisely. All of us--even 10-year-old boys, apparently--can relate to the experience of examining our appearance in the mirror. Of course, James’s point isn’t personal grooming; he’s talking about the condition of our spiritual appearance.

James continues the discussion of whether we will follow our own desires or the desires of God. He has already clarified that the path we choose will lead either to death or to life, and we have seen that part of the process of following God means living humbly rather than being controlled by anger (v. 21). This humble acceptance of the word is not simply a passive activity, however. James explains what this acceptance really means.

First, listening to the word is a key component. We need to make sure that we are spending time in God’s Word, through our own Bible study and hearing Scripture taught. Apart from studying the Bible and hearing biblical teaching, we cannot even begin to know what God’s will is for our lives.

But listening alone is not enough. The second critical step is to obey what the Word says. If we are only reading the Bible but not putting into practice what it teaches us, then we are deceiving ourselves. We are in a position to believe that we are pleasing God when in fact we are not living righteously.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Ask the Lord to hold a spiritual mirror before your life today. Are there any areas that aren’t pleasing to Him?

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: James 1:26-27; Matthew 12:33-37
For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. - Matthew 12:34
TODAY IN THE WORD
In My Fair Lady, the musical adaptation of George Bernard Shaw’s play Pygmalion, main character Eliza Doolittle sings in response to declarations of love by her suitor, “Don’t talk of love lasting through time, make me no undying vow–show me now!”

In our culture of the sarcastic one-liner and the quick retort, it’s easy to think that matching our words with deeds isn’t really that important. But James shows us otherwise and points out the spiritual significance of this very issue.

We saw yesterday that James warned us about the possibility of deceiving ourselves. Simply listening to God’s Word does not make us right before God. We must also obey. Today’s verses give us a concrete example of that obedience: the connection between our words and deeds.

So far, James has set up contrasts between the path to life and the path to death, worldly wealth and spiritual riches, and control by sinful desires and God’s desires. Again, we see two opposing illustrations of James’s point.

First, we have someone who imagines himself to be a good, religious person. But his own desires control him, manifested in his lack of control over what he says (v. 26). In verse 19 we had the illustration of anger controlling someone; now we see the tongue controlling someone. This indicates that God’s desires are not the focus and pursuit of this individual, and he is sadly mistaken if he believes that God is pleased with him.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Tomorrow we will gather with other believers in church, where we will likely sing hymns and songs of praise to God. We will join in prayers that bless the name of the Lord. This is appropriate and fitting for our corporate worship of God. But worship doesn’t end there–it extends to every moment of every day. Our worship includes controlling our tongues with our family and coworkers. It includes meeting the needs of those around us. This is the life of worship that pleases God and indicates that we are truly seeking His desires.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: James 2:1-4; Deuteronomy 10:14-20
You are to love those who are aliens, for you yourselves were aliens in Egypt. - Deuteronomy 10:19
TODAY IN THE WORD
As debates about higher education in America have intensified, from the rising cost of tuition to affirmative action to relevance for jobs, admissions committees at colleges and universities have faced greater scrutiny. Several elite universities have admitted that they give preferential treatment to applicants from wealthy families for two reasons–not only can their parents afford to pay the entire tuition bill, but they also might be courted as major donors to the university.

In our passage today, James makes clear that this type of preferential treatment should never exist in the church. If we are to live wisely and please God, we cannot be characterized by discrimination on the basis of wealth.

It may appear from the chapter break that James is changing topics, but actually he is continuing his themes from chapter one: submitting ourselves to God’s desires is the path to life and blessing. We’ve already looked at his examples of anger and our tongues; now we see another instance of how we should be controlled by God’s desire–the way that we treat both rich and poor people.

At first glance, James’s instruction may seem rather easy to follow. But when we are honest about our natural tendencies and preferences, we must admit that it is easier to go to church with people who look like us and who won’t embarrass our sensibilities. Besides, those who come with greater resources can support the church financially, while those who are poor will probably require more assistance.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Many American churches appear to be clusters of “sameness”--same race, same socioeconomic status, even same age. If this happens because the churches aren’t welcoming others who are different, it’s violates God’s wisdom.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: James 2:5-7
But many who are first will be last, and the last first. - Mark 10:31
TODAY IN THE WORD
An old proverb describes the person who treats a generous individual badly as being like the dog who bites the hand that feeds it. James might describe his readers today as a dog who feeds the hand that bites it! The beneficiaries of these readers’ favoritism were the same people who had exploited them.

Yesterday we saw James’s assessment that favoritism based on wealth is really an exercise of evil judgment. In our text today, he further explores this point.

James clarifies who exactly these rich visitors to the church are. It is bad enough to treat wealthy believers better than poor ones, but from today’s verses, it appears that these rich visitors aren’t even Christians! They are characterized by bringing lawsuits, exploiting the poor, and slandering the name of the Lord (vv. 6–7). Their concern is what they can gain for themselves and how they can use others for their own benefit.

We may be tempted to think these believers were either extremely deluded or very materialistic if they were trying so hard to impress these wealthy people. Before we rush to judgment, though, we need to understand that these rich visitors were people of considerable power and influence. Seeking to please and impress them would be the natural human response--out of fear or a desire for self-protection from their lawsuits and exploitation.

James is inverting our natural system of looking at things here. By favoring the rich and judging on outward appearances, we end up slighting those whom God loves and who love God. Our desire to impress those who are wealthy or who have power over us but who do not honor God reveals that we are operating according to the world’s values and not according to God’s desires.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
James tells us that having a proper understanding of power is an important part of living wisely.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: James 2:8-11; Matthew 22:34-40
Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. - Leviticus 19:18
TODAY IN THE WORD
Four-year-old Chris eagerly waited for his neighbor Will to come over to play. He arranged all his favorite toys in front of the door and announced to his mother that he was going to share all these toys with Will. When Will arrived and began to play with Chris’s favorite fire truck, though, Chris shouted, “No! Mine!” and hit his friend. After he was disciplined, his mother asked, “I thought you were going to share your toys! What happened?” “I didn’t know he was actually going to play with them!” Chris wailed.

As Chris discovered, it’s easier to talk about sharing and loving our neighbor than to actually put it into practice. In our passage today, James emphasizes that if our actions don’t match our words, those pious sounding phrases are actually worthless.

We’ve seen that judging by outward appearances is really judging with evil thoughts (v. 4), and we end up passing judgment on people whom God loves (v. 5). This judging is a clear violation of a scriptural command, and therefore it’s a failure to live according to God’s Word (1:22–25).

James continues to examine our obedience to the commands of Scripture and the desires of God. The command to love one’s neighbor is one of the two commands that Jesus lists as fulfilling the entire Law (Matt. 22:34–40). James makes clear that when we show favoritism, we fail to love our neighbor. And if we fail to love, we are sinning against God.

When we mix religious talk with the practice of favoritism, we are really practicing an empty, worthless, self-deceptive religion (1:26). Even if we think we are obedient on every other count, we are still failing to live wisely in a way that demonstrates our faith (v. 10).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Certainly we must practice compassion with those in our own congregations who need our help. It’s also appropriate for us to care for other believers around the world who face dire poverty.