TODAY IN THE WORD

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: James 2:12-13; Zechariah 7:1-14
This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart. - Matthew 18:35
TODAY IN THE WORD
A general contractor in Virginia was recently sued over a job he had not completed. A family expecting twins had paid him $50,000 to add several rooms to their small house; he had torn off the back wall of the house and then abandoned the project. After the family won in court, however, the contractor filed for bankruptcy–so that the family still could not recover any of the money they had paid him or won in the settlement. They ended up losing their $50,000 plus court costs, and they still have no back wall on their house.

Such stories of unscrupulous people who take advantage of others and manipulate the system to avoid punishment violate our sense of justice. It’s even worse when those who claim to believe in God manipulate and exploit others.

God takes bad treatment of the poor and lowly very seriously. In our reading today from Zechariah, God speaks to the people of Judah in exile about their religious practices. He declares that even though there was an abundance of religious ritual–ifaithfully praying and observing fasts–ithey had mistreated the poor (Zech. 7:9–11). The consequence was judgment: God allowed Judah to be sent into exile and Jerusalem to be destroyed (v. 14). Without the action of mercy toward the needy, God was not impressed by the religious words.

James sets up another contrast in today’s verses between mercy and judgment. As believers, we know that we have experienced the mercy of God in our salvation. Now we are to extend that mercy to others. Favoritism is the opposite of mercy–it is judgment. And if we are judging others by practicing favoritism, then we will find ourselves judged as well (see Matt. 18:21–35).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Can you think of a specific person or family in your church, neighborhood, or workplace that could use help? If so, how can you reach out to assist them?

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: James 2:14-19
A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. - Matthew 7:18
TODAY IN THE WORD
In 2003, Bono (lead singer of the rock band U2) toured North American churches and Christian organizations as part of his efforts to raise money to combat AIDS in Africa. His message was blunt: it is hypocritical for Christians to profess to pray for the lost and dying around the world and yet refuse to get involved to help them.

Bono may not have been aware of the numerous efforts by evangelical Christians to minister to those in Africa afflicted with AIDS, but his point about the need for action was consistent with our text from James.

James has not quite finished driving home the importance of care for the lowly and poor in the church. He has already said that the failure to do so characterizes self-deluding religion (1:27). Now he says that this failure indicates a false or dead faith (v. 17). He is reiterating and illustrating his earlier point (1:27): that God is pleased by religious faith that expresses itself not just in words but also in deeds that care for the poor and needy.

He particularly emphasizes care for those in the church, using the term “brother or sister” to note that these particular needy are fellow believers (v. 15). They should be the special focus of our generosity and mercy. Good words and intentions alone do not measure up toGod’s standard for the practice of true faith.

If we truly want to live wisely, we need to pay careful attention to the list of things that James tells us to avoid. These include judging with evil thoughts (favoritism), opposing God’s judgments, and failing to show mercy. If these things characterize us, we have a worthless religion and dead faith. We can never enter into the fullness of our heavenly Father’s good gifts (1:17) when we are not following His desires.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
If the strong message of the book of James has convicted your heart, take an extended time of prayer and confession today. Following God’s path puts us in conflict with our own natural impulses, and we won’t always avoid favoritism or show mercy. But God is always ready to hear our prayers of confession.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: James 2:20-26
The king of Jericho sent this message to Rahab: “Bring out the men who came to you.” - Joshua 2:3
TODAY IN THE WORD
The story is told of a group of old men who used to gather at a country store in a small town in northern Louisiana every Saturday to swap fishing stories. They’d describe the number and size of their latest catch and give great details about the struggle to reel in a particularly feisty fish. One day a younger man mentioned to the store owner that he’d like to take the men on a nice fishing expedition. “Oh, no,” the owner replied. “They never go fishing, especially not with each other. Then they’d have to back up all their stories with actual proof!”

The men may have been good storytellers, but they could hardly be considered fishermen if they never went fishing. James says that the same is true of us: if we only talk about being Christians and don’t act like Christians, we are deceived if we think that we please God.

To reinforce his point, James goes back to Scripture to find examples of godly men and women. These people encourage us to realize that James isn’t describing some sort of pie-in-the-sky idealism, but a way of life that others have actually followed.

James chooses Abraham and Rahab to illustrate his point. He wants to explore what made them pleasing to God. Was it the mere fact that they believed in Him? Clearly not, for even demons believe in God, yet they are neither pleasing God nor will they be saved (v. 19). But Abraham and Rahab pleased God because their belief in Him caused them to live in obedience to Him.

Both Abraham and Rahab chose to fear God rather than men, and they did things that appeared crazy to everyone else. Abraham was willing to obey God even when it appeared he would lose all hope of having children (Gen. 22). His faith in God’s promises compelled him to obey even when it seemed that God didn’t make sense.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
As James demonstrates in this passage, we can learn from and be encouraged by the stories of people in the Old Testament who tried to walk by faith and please God.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: James 3:1-2; Malachi 2:1-10
For the lips of a priest ought to preserve knowledge, and from his mouth men should seek instruction–because he is the messenger of the Lord Almighty. - Malachi 2:7
TODAY IN THE WORD
Perhaps you’ve seen the humorous poem describing a common perception of pastors. After spending the week visiting with the sick, counseling the troubled, comforting the bereaved, overseeing meetings, and preparing sermons, the pastor is greeted on Sunday by a churchgoer who exclaims, “What a job you have–you only work one day a week!”

Almost every pastor–and hopefully every churchgoer!–recognizes that the role of the pastor takes far more than just a couple of hours on Sunday. In our passage today, James warns that those who are teachers in the church, which would include pastors as well as others in authority, should take their responsibility and their lives before God seriously.

This is not a new command in Scripture. We turn to our passage in Malachi to see God’s warning to the priests of Israel after the nation had returned from the Exile. Here God threatens to judge them for their lack of listening to him or honoring His name. And how is this demonstrated? Through the way they minister and live.

First of all, God rebukes the priests for their false teaching (Mal. 2:. Such teaching not only puts them in danger, but also causes the people listening to them to stumble. Those who teach God’s people are responsible to proclaim truth, and the stakes for the people of God are tremendous. No wonder that James says that those who teach will be judged more strictly (v. 1).

Second, note in Malachi how these priests are living. Their false teaching is manifested in a lifestyle that shows favoritism (Mal. 2:9). God clearly says that this is not His way of dealing with people, and yet the priests have persisted to act in a way that shows partiality. God is concerned with our correct doctrine, but He is equally concerned with our correct conduct.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
If you have a position of authority in your church, whether you teach the preschool Sunday school class or lead an adult Bible study, ask the Holy Spirit to keep your teaching truthful and your life pleasing to God.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: James 3:3-8
No man can tame the tongue. - James 3:8
TODAY IN THE WORD
This past spring a particular athlete captured the attention of America. He had all the qualities we love in our sports heroes–he was big and fast and competitive and dominant. He did have a few unusual characteristics from the typical sports phenomenon . . . like four legs. He was the horse Smarty Jones, who won the first two races of the famed Triple Crown before coming in second at the Belmont Stakes.

Watching horses race is a vivid way to see the illustration James uses in this passage. These powerful animals careen around a track at speeds over 30 miles per hour, controlled and directed by riders whose weight is a fraction of the weight of the horse. How can a 100-pound jockey make a horse obey him? Through pulling at the reins that pull at the bit in the horse’s mouth.

In verse 2, James says that the ability to control our tongues is a sign of maturity. It also signifies that we are able to control the rest of our bodies, which means that we are not following evil desires. Clearly, mastery over our tongues has implications for our spiritual health.

Our passage today contains two illustrations about this relationship between controlling the tongue and controlling the rest of our body (“body” is used here as a metaphor for all of our activities). Just as the small bit in the horse’s mouth and the small rudder of a ship exert influence and control over the direction either will go, so also the tongue can set the whole course of a person’s life.

The problem is that the tongue is often an outlet for our evil desires. It reflects what is truly in our hearts–whether generosity and mercy, or favoritism and pride. Apart from God, the tongue is untamable. But we who are following Christ have the power of the Holy Spirit to enable us to keep our tongues–and our whole bodies–conformed to God’s desires. A lifestyle of wisdom and pleasing God begins with controlling our tongues.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
In our own power, there’s no way that we will succeed in controlling the speech that comes from our mouths. Thankfully, we don’t have to rely on our own power.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: James 3:9-12
An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips. . . . Do not … use your lips to deceive. - Proverbs 24:26–28
TODAY IN THE WORD
When Americans are polled about how much they trust certain people in various professions, used-car salesmen usually rank low on the list. As one survey participant said, “I can’t believe a word that comes out of a salesman’s mouth. He says, 'I want to get you the best deal,’ and all I hear is, 'I want to get all your money.’ I usually just figure that the opposite of whatever he says is really the truth.”

Unscrupulous car salesmen may have earned the reputation for their profession, but James wants to make sure that Christians aren’t described as liars and untrustworthy. In our passage today he continues his explanation of the impact of our speech on our ability to please God.

James thinks that duplicity–saying one thing and doing another, or in this case, saying two different things–is a serious problem. Earlier he noted that pious words that aren’t accompanied by merciful actions are the opposite of faith (2:16). Now he points out what is problematic about a duplicitous tongue.

This duplicity manifests itself as someone who will both bless God and slander people who love God. These patterns of speech should not characterize those who have been given new birth in Christ. We are changed springs, from which should flow sweet and renewing waters–not old bitter water that pollutes everything around us (v. 11). And if we are truly changed, we should see the evidence of that in our speech.

The key point James emphasizes is consistency. We saw in earlier verses that our actions should be consistent with our profession of faith. Now James notes that our speech itself should be consistent with our profession of faith. We shouldn’t have words and deeds that don’t match up, nor should we have words of praise for God and then words of destruction for the people of God. Living wisely means that we strive for using our bodies–and our tongues–in a way that blesses both God and others.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
We can cultivate this habit of blessing both God and others through practice. In your prayer time, focus on praising God for who He is.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: James 3:13-16
Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. - Proverbs 3:7
TODAY IN THE WORD
A new hit reality television show splashed into popular culture this past spring. Contestants on The Apprentice vied to work for real-estate mogul Donald Trump on a prestigious project with a reportedly huge salary. Those competing frequently made comments like, “I’ll do whatever it takes to win,” “I’m the most intense, competitive person here,” and “I won’t let anything stand in the way of my ambition.”

Business, sports, entertainment . . . all these aspects of our culture may prize and reward cutthroat competitiveness and driving ambition. But Scripture offers a different prescription for impressing God. Our lives should still have focus, but that focus is on how we can meet the needs of others and glorify God, not on what we can acquire for ourselves.

Throughout his letter, James has contrasted two ways of living. On the one hand, worldly wisdom encourages our desires to control us, which results in death. On the other hand is godly wisdom, which teaches that we submit ourselves to being led by God’s desires and find life. Here James gives some more specifics about the qualities and results of these two types of wisdom.

Worldly wisdom seeks to maximize its own position relative to others. This way of living is characterized by envy of what others have and ambition to get more for oneself (v. 14). The source of this way of life is no less than Satan, the father of lies, himself (v. 15). The result is a lack of harmony between people, the practice of evil, and ultimately death.

Godly wisdom is shown by a lifestyle of humility that seeks to bless others. As we will see in more detail tomorrow, this way of life produces peace and life.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
The apostle Paul echoes many of these same themes throughout his letters. As we seek to become more like Christ, Philippians 2 is one of the best passages to help us focus our hearts and lives on our Savior.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: James 3:17-18; John 14:23-27
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. - John 14:27
TODAY IN THE WORD
In 1969, former Beatles singer John Lennon recorded a song with lyrics borrowed from demonstrations protesting the Vietnam War, “And all we are saying, is Give Peace a Chance.” For true peace, John Lennon needed to look in a different place. Just as the wisdom of the world doesn’t look like God’s wisdom, so also God’s peace doesn’t look like the peace that the world expects.

Our passage from James follows up on the description of godly wisdom that we examined yesterday. We saw that the source of earthly wisdom is the Devil and the result is death. Today we see that the source of heavenly wisdom is God and the results are life-giving: pure, peaceful, considerate, merciful, impartial, and sincere (v. 17). So many people in our world, like John Lennon, long for these qualities but don’t recognize that they are truly found only in following God’s path.

The emphasis on peacefulness in these verses is particularly interesting. This notion of peace captures much of what James describes as someone who lives wisely. The peaceful person is stable and not tossed about by doubt. The peaceful person isn’t controlled by anger and passions. The peaceful person is able to control his or her tongue. When we are following God’s desires instead of our own, there should be a definite peace that pervades every area of our lives.

This peacefulness produces a harvest of righteousness, meaning that living wisely will make us more and more like Christ and more and more pleasing to God (v. 18). This is not a stoic “stiff upper lip” in the face of life’s difficulties, but a trust that our heavenly Father holds all situations in His hand. Our example is Christ, who demonstrated this peace while enduring suffering. He was committed to following His Father’s desires, and the Holy Spirit enables us to have that same peace today (John 14:26–27).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Many Christian hymns and songs have described the peace that comes from following God. From “I’ve Got Peace Like a River” to “It Is Well,” we have a wealth of music that reminds us of the blessing we have in Christ. The chorus to the hymn “Wonderful Peace” is particularly apt: “Peace, peace, wonderful peace / Coming down from the Father above. / Sweep over my spirit forever, I pray / in fathomless billows of love.” Choose a song that celebrates the peace of Christ and sing it in praise to Him today.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: James 4:1-3
Ask and it will be given to you. . . . In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you. - Matthew 7:7, 12
TODAY IN THE WORD
A list of reasons why churches have split would be both humorous and sad. While some divisions are caused by doctrinal disagreements or issues of truth, far more result from fights about what color the new carpet should be, what side the piano should be on, or whether the music leader wears a tie. How can a group of Christians become consumed with issues that appear so petty? It’s not a new problem among believers, but it’s comforting to know that God’s Word addresses this tendency toward division.

We don’t know much about the historical background of the book of James. Though scholars have drawn various conclusions from external evidence, we don’t know exactly when it was written or who the specific audience was. It does seem likely that James is writing to a church experiencing internal conflict. Regardless of the original situation that prompted this letter, James’s advice of living with godly wisdom is a recipe for a healthy church in any time or place.

Yesterday we explored James’s emphasis on peace (3:17–18). In our passage today, he shifts his attention to conflict in the church. First, he considers the source of this conflict: following our own evil desires rather than the desires of God (4:1). When believers don’t follow the guidelines of God, we reap the same consequence of discord as unbelievers who follow earthly wisdom (3:16).

We know from what James has already taught that today’s verses are an appalling way to describe relationships between Christians. Fighting, coveting, selfishness, evil desires, and wrong motives should have no place in interactions in the body of Christ.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Have you ever experienced conflict–quarrels, selfishness, coveting–with another Christian? If you are in the midst of one of these fights now, realize that this attitude and behavior is not pleasing to God.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: James 4:4-6; Hosea 4:1-3
Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. - James 4:4
TODAY IN THE WORD
The story of Hosea and Gomer perplexes many readers of Scripture. God instructs the prophet Hosea to marry a woman he knows will be unfaithful–she not only commits adultery, she also becomes a prostitute that Hosea must buy back from those making a profit from her (see Hos. 1–3). God does explain the reason behind His mysterious command to Hosea: “Because the land is guilty of the vilest adultery in departing from the Lord” (Hos. 1:2).

Hosea 4 details the charge of adultery that the Lord brings against His people. Their sin includes unfaithfulness, a lack of love, cursing, lying, murder, stealing, and adultery (vv. 1–2). God’s concern for His people on these issues hasn’t changed through the centuries; we will see that James rebukes his readers for many of these same sins, and we can be sure God still cares about these issues in our lives today.

Throughout his letter James has been drawing on themes that recurred in the Old Testament prophets, specifically justice and care for the poor (typified by the fatherless and the widow). In our passage today, James alludes to another theme frequently found in the Old Testament. The Prophets frequently refer to God’s relationship with Israel in terms of marriage, so it’s not surprising that Israel’s sin is referred to in terms of adultery. When Israel acted in ways that were inconsistent with their relationship with God, they acted adulterously.

James is making the same point. Conflict in the church arises from unwise living and following our own desires. This is the same thing as living like the world–which is to say, it’s spiritual adultery and cheating on God (v. 4). Now we can understand why James uses such a strong tone here!

James highlights another contrast here between pride and humility (v. 6). Pride, pursuing our own way, puts us in opposition to God. Humility, however, positions us to receive blessings of grace from God (cf. 3:13). And this is the relationship God desires to have with us. James says that the Holy Spirit “envies intensely”–God loves His people, and wants us to walk in the path of life (v. 5).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Just as God used Hosea and Gomer to reflect Israel’s adultery with God, He uses the marriages of Christians to reflect the relationship between Christ and His people (see. Eph. 5).

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: James 4:7-10; Joel 2:12-17
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. - Proverbs 9:10
TODAY IN THE WORD
Pete Rose, known by the nickname “Charlie Hustle,” was always a baseball player that inspired strong feelings. Fans of his teams usually loved his hard-nosed play and all-out effort every minute of a game. Opponents usually hated his cocky attitude and in-your-face style. But neither love nor hate made any difference when Rose was banned from the game, the penalty for betting on baseball. Since then, Rose has written a book and gone on talk shows to proclaim his regret over his actions, but so far the ban remains in effect despite his declarations of contrition.

It’s a terrible feeling to know we deserve what has happened to us–and there’s nothing we can do to make the situation right again. Following the discussion of spiritual adultery, James addresses this problem. What if we have been following our own desires? What if we have been sinning against God? What if we haven’t been living wisely? What do we do?

With instructions like those in verse 9, this may seem like a depressing passage. Actually, it’s one of the most hopeful texts in Scripture. James gives us clear instructions on how we can renew and restore our relationship with God after we have sinned.

First, we must forsake our other love; that is, we must reject the temptations of the Devil to follow our own desires, to act proudly, to participate in conflict with other Christians, and to show favoritism–all the sins James has addressed in this book so far (v. 7). Second, we must submit again to God, pleading for the Holy Spirit to guard our hearts and help us follow His desires (v. . Mercifully, we’re told that when we humble ourselves before God, He will meet us there and restore us.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
In light of the command in verse 7 to “resist the devil,” let’s focus attention today on ways we can resist the temptations that threaten our relationship with God.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: James 4:11-12; Psalm 34:11-16
Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies. - Psalm 34:13
TODAY IN THE WORD
Although the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects the freedom of speech, not all forms of expression are legally acceptable. Slander is one of the types of speech that the Supreme Court has ruled can be restricted. But this doesn’t mean that the Court has made it easy to restrict slander. In order to win a slander case against someone (along with libel, which is slander in a printed form), you must be able to prove that the content of the statement was demonstrably false and that there was a malicious intent before the slander was spoken. Because of this burden of proof, very few slander cases actually are brought to court.

God’s Word has a clearer restriction on slander for Chris-tians: don’t ever do it! In our passage today, James returns to a theme that has recurred throughout this book–the use of our tongues. There are many ways we can use our tongues for evil purposes, and one is to slander and condemn people.

James clarifies why our slander, particularly against other Christians, is problematic. When we speak evil of others, we are sitting in judgment over them. Our critical spirit is then assuming the place of God, who is the only one who has the right to judge others. Our slander is another outworking of our pride and favoritism, two sins that we have already seen indicate that we are no longer walking according to God’s desires but are following our own path.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Sins that we commit with our tongue can happen so quickly, often before we’ve realized it.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: James 4:13-17
Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins. - James 4:17
TODAY IN THE WORD
Throughout the 1990s, one of the best-selling business tools was the Franklin Covey Planner. Developed with Stephen Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, these planners were designed to help organize and structure the lives of busy people. Companies held seminars to teach their employees how to use the planners so they could supposedly become organized and therefore more productive. Frequent conversations among professional people included discussion of the size, color, and features of their personal Franklin Covey planners.

There’s certainly nothing wrong with wanting to be organized. But today’s passage warns us about the danger of thinking we can get our lives so put together that we’re no longer open to what God may have in store for us.

Earlier, James challenged our pride by calling for a reversal of our values from the world (1:9–11). Instead of prizing wealth, we are instructed to value life in God. Now we return to themes of wealth and pride and find a more direct critique: we can often take pride in our success and make great boasts, not only about what we have done but even about what we think we will do (v. 13).

This rebuke is probably directed at rich believers, for those in business could relate to these sentiments. It’s also noteworthy that such boasting is a misuse of our tongues. There is no place for such pride and boasting in the Christian life (v. 16).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Do you attribute your success to your organizational skills, your work ethic, or your natural talents? These things are good, but not if we put our trust in them and take the credit ourselves for what we have accomplished.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: James 5:1-6; Luke 12:13-21
Watch out! . . . a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions. - Luke 12:15
TODAY IN THE WORD
Compared to most of the rest of the world, Americans as a whole are fabulously wealthy. Certainly poverty exists here, but even those considered “lower middle class” in the United States have more possessions and opportunities than those considered “wealthy” in most countries.

Our passage today is not speaking only to the “super-rich,” the billionaires of the world. Especially as Americans, we need to pay close attention to this word from God about how we view our financial resources.

James has made clear that how we view money and treat both the rich and poor is an integral part of living out our Christian life. We cannot ever think that this is an area off-limits to God. If we are to live wisely and receive God’s blessing, we must recognize that the wealth of this world is fleeting. The world says that it’s wise to put our confidence in wealth, and that we should do whatever it takes to acquire more. This way of living leads only to destruction–both of the material things and of our own souls.

Jesus told the parable of the rich fool to illustrate this same point (see Luke 12:13–21). This man’s neighbors must have looked at him and thought, “My, he’s certainly doing well. He just built another barn!” But the Lord knew his heart, and he was judged according to his own desires, not what he had accumulated in possessions.

The key is to use our wealth wisely. We are to be just and fair to those who depend on us, whether employees or family members (v. 4). We are not to abuse our resources (v. 5). And we are not to hoard our money and possessions, but we are to be generous and willing to help others (v. 6).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
It may be easy to read a passage like our text today and immediately think of how it should convict others. You may think, “I’m not a millionaire, and I don’t abuse my employees!”

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: James 5:7-9; Matthew 24:45-51
You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near - James 5:8
TODAY IN THE WORD
A group of Christian high school students was asked when they would like Jesus to return, if they could choose. Most said something like, “After I get married,” or “After I have children.” A few said, “After I buy a sports car,” or “After I go to college.” Not one said, “As soon as possible! I want Jesus to return today!”

It’s revealing that when Christians who live in places like the jungles of Papua New Guinea or Ecuador are asked that question, they frequently say, “Come quickly, Lord Jesus!” (see 1 Cor. 16:22; Rev. 22:20). There’s something about the experience of suffering that sharpens our awareness of and desire for Christ’s return.

James wants all of us, whether rich or poor, to focus on the return of Christ. We should all be living in light of the end–Jesus will return to earth, and all of us must give an account. Living wisely means that we live our lives in the knowledge that Christ’s return means both judgment and reward.

If we are focused on the return of Christ, what will our lives look like? James provides the answer. We will be patient, doing the right thing without giving up. If we keep watering and waiting, we will reap the harvest of righteousness (v. 7; cf. 3:18). Just as with a farmer, there are many elements beyond our control. But we continue to have faith in God’s Word, and that faith is expressed through our godly lives.

As before in James 4:12, we see a reminder of how judgment, and the resulting fear of the Lord, is used to motivate us to live wisely and patiently (v. 9). There’s an important warning against the temptation to complain about other believers. How we treat those with whom we interact in the world is important, but God is very concerned with how we are treating each other in the church.

Throughout the book of James, we’ve seen exhortations against favoritism, envy, fighting, and grumbling in the body of Christ. These do not reflect the desires of God, and they will bring judgment.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Focusing on the return of Christ doesn’t mean that we sit around twiddling our thumbs, while we gaze at the sky. It means that as we go about our daily lives, we live to please God because we know Christ could come at any moment.

If you have lost your focus on the return of Christ, make Revelation 22:20 your prayer today: “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.” If you find that for any reason you don’t want Jesus to return just yet, see what it is that’s blocking your focus and confess it to God today.