Category: Devotions

Look around you. You don’t need to look far until you see need. With the world that has shrunk because of social media then our neighbours can be living thousands of miles away and yet are very close to us, they are as reachable as the neighbour next door. Even in 2024 with the advancement of the world there are still many who spend every day wondering how they can eat and where will they get water from and how will they pay their debt. James has something to say:-

“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” (James 1 v 27)

How do you treat people who do not have what you have? Who are you helping right now? James throughout the letter is very keen for us to understand and practice the importance of community. He warns us not to be ‘polluted by the world’ and though this could be that of morality, within the sentence it could also be that we are not self-centred and that is the God-morals to hold to.

Micah 6:8 ‘And what does the Lord require of you, but to do justice, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.’

The term mercy is the Hebrew word chesedh, God’s unconditional grace and compassion. The word for justice is the Hebrew word mishpat. Mishpat puts the emphasis on the action, Chesedh puts it on the attitude (or motive) behind the action.

To walk with God then, we must do justice out of merciful love.

The word mishpat in its various forms occurs over 200 times in the Hebrew Old Testament.

Its most basic meaning is to treat people fairly, rightly. It also means giving people their rights.

The mishpat or justness of a society according to the bible is evaluated by how it treats the groups of people found in Zechariah 7:10-11 “This is what the Lord Almighty says: Administer true justice, show mercy and compassion to one another. DO not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the immigrant or the poor.” James would have known this when he wrote of widows and orphans.

Any neglect shown to the needs of such people is not called merely a lack of mercy or charity, but a violation of justice, of mishpat. God loves and defends those with the least economic and social power and so should we. That is what it means to ‘do justice’.

Deut 10:17-18 “The Lord your God …defends the cause/mishpat of the fatherless and the widow and loves the immigrant giving him food and clothing”

So often God is introduced as the defender of the vulnerable. This is so significant.

So for the bible writers to introduce God as ‘a father to the fatherless, a defender of widows’ is significant.

This is one of the main things he does in the world. He identifies with the powerless, he takes up their cause. This sets our God apart from all the other ancient gods whose power was always channelled through and identified with the elite of society. Our God was and is always on the side of the powerless and of justice for the poor, needy and vulnerable.

Most people who are downtrodden by abusive power are those who had little power to begin with, God gives them particular attention and has a special place in his heart for them.

If God’s character includes zeal for justice that leads him to have the tender love and closest involvement with the socially weak, then what should God’s people be like? They must be people who are likewise passionately concerned for the weak and vulnerable.

Sometimes as Christians we get more concerned about our moral living and personal righteousness and obeying the laws of purity, than about living about the commandment of doing justice, loving mercy and speaking up for those who cannot speak up for themselves. 

It’s time for us to get bothered about what really bothers God.

Do women talk more than men? You may have read how women use 20,000 words a day compared to the 7,000 that men utter. It stems back to a 1993 marriage guidance pamphlet and strangely used by Brizendine, a neuropsychiatrist in his 2006 book, which, after being challenged promised to remove the figures in future editions. Comparing all the research that has been done over the years then the difference between who uses more words is negligible.

But here is another question: what is coming out of our mouths within the testing time?

“Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.” (James 1 v 26)

There is a language of the world and a language of the Kingdom of God which is very different.

Remember the story of the Hunchback of Notre Dame. At one point he carries the beautiful maiden high into the towers. They are talking to each other and he begins to weep. She asks him, “What’s wrong?” He replies, “I never knew how ugly I was until I saw how beautiful you are.” In the same way the vocabulary of a Christian can expose the empty words of a non-believer. This can be seen especially during a testing moment.

The words that flow from the Spirit-filled believer is like honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones (Proverbs 16 v24).

When you speak, Jesus speaks. When people listen to you, they listen to Jesus.

Our responsibility is to choose words to use during the tough season.

• A tight rein means you won’t be fooled to overlook any wrong you have committed.
• A tight rein means your inward holiness is displayed to the world.
• A tight rein means you make what you believe valuable.
• A tight rein means you don’t add to the hurt that has already taken place.
• A tight rein exposes other people’s sin.
• A tight rein means that you won’t face any regrets.

There are many who highlight their Bibles with a marker pen but their Bible never marks them.

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. ²³ Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror ²⁴ and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. ²⁵ But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.” (James 1 v 22-25)

This morning you will probably look in the mirror. You will check yourself out. You do it most days. “I’ve seen better but I’ve seen worse.” Every day you make a choice. You could walk away if you want because you are so busy and have many things to do. Maybe a few hours later you could tell a friend, “I spent 1 hour looking in the mirror this morning.” The response could be, “1 minute combing your hair would have been good.”

James says God’s Word is like a mirror. When you look into the mirror you see yourself as you really are and you have a decision to make: what will you do about what you see? James says that the Word of God brings freedom when you do it. That God sets you free within obedience. It may be hard to do what God tells us to do but it brings a quality of life to us that we could never achieve or the world ever give to us.

The mark of any disciple is obedience.

For us to be in the image of Christ, we need to know we are not first but second. We are not leading everything but following. We are not in charge but conforming ourselves to Him and not to our rights. We live in a society which looks so nice in that everyone is free to be whoever they want to be. But this is not true as a disciple of Jesus.

It is not more leadership conferences that are needed. But we do need to learn more about what it means to follow.

Hear through opening your eyes, slowing your life down, in prayer, meditation of the Bible, listening to others. Be taught.

Obey through change, through the difficult day of testing, it may not be the devil attacking you, it may just be the testing and perfecting of your obedience by God. So don’t run ahead thinking that hearing and obeying doesn’t apply and it is too slow a process for you. Neither become embittered by your life.

Look in the mirror and do something about it. If you do you will surely be blessed.

This chapter James is helping us to understand that we will all be tested to be approved by God. During that testing the tempter is near and we must resist and later James will tell us if we do we know he will flee (4:7). God is good. He gives good things and He is speaking to us through the testing. The question is whether we can hear Him.

“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.” (James 1 v 19-21)

Can you hear Him?

I love The Message on this: “Lead with your ears, follow up with your tongue, and let anger straggle along in the rear.”

1. Lead with your ears! Jesus often rebuked the Pharisees, ‘Have you not heard?’ They had heard God’s Word, they knew God’s Word, but had not been able to apply God’s Word to themselves individually.
2. Follow up with your tongue! How often do we speak before we listen when we come to prayer within our testing time? How can we speak when we do not know what God is wanting to say?
3. Let anger struggle along in the rear! How easy it is to be angry towards God when tested. Get rid of ‘This is not fair’ attitude.

There is one more beautifully written understanding of what James has written. “In simple humility, let our gardener, God, landscape you with the Word, making a salvation-garden of your life.”

Within the testing we may have our own opinions and desires, we may know what justice looks like and we may want the world to know it. James gives a contrast. Don’t be like that. He has already told us we were birthed by the word of truth, v18, now he says ‘accept the word planted in you’. Basically let God’s Word be heard within you, let it shape your responses and let the words of the prophet Jeremiah be known, “‘I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.” (Jer 31:33).

And finally … this will “save you” within the testing. Not only within the testing but for your whole life on earth bringing you to your ultimate salvation. Amen!

This English phrase may be strange to our International friends but we have used it for years, especially around Christmas and birthdays. The gift which has benefits that continue to repeat themselves for a long period of time is the ‘gift that keeps on giving’. Like a teapot but not like a box of chocolates!

In the time of testing when faced with temptations of many kinds it is important James says, to know that God is good. He is testing us because He is good. He does not tempt us for He is good. What He gives is good and what He brings lasts.

^“Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.” (James 1 v 16-18)

The sun, moon and stars (the heavenly lights) are always moving and changing their positions. Their variance is how they were created. But God is not like that. He is not in one moment offering good and then the next moment bringing bad experiences to you. He doesn’t have some winter period where the sun is not seen as much. He is constantly good. He is always good. He is the source of the good that comes to us. All the gifts that He brings to us are good.

There’s more. James has already explained that within the testing the lie of temptation is near. It isn’t from God it comes from our own ‘evil desire’. God has now given ‘us birth’. We have received His grace and His salvation ‘through the word of truth’. This is not the deception of temptation but the truth that sets us free within that testing to be ‘a kind of firstfruits of all he created.’ The Bible is full of this expression but it basically means the special, the chosen, to which God has redeemed us to be.

The testing period then does not need to result in us walking down the path of temptation. We are more than that. We are a chosen people and precious to Him. So within the testing that is who we are. The firstfruits of God to a world who need to know Him. God continues to give through us to a lost world. The Gift that keeps on giving.

This testing we go through is to approve us, it is the dokimos word that I wrote about a few days ago. God’s ultimate desire for our life is to bring us through it having stood the test of time and to stand before Him approved, mature in every way in Christ Jesus. Job understood this: “But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.” (Job 23:10) James continues to reveal an aspect within the testing that we must look out for and that is the temptation that latches on to the testing.

^“When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” (James 1 v 13-15)

So the testing time is God approving us, placing a value on us, maturing us. God is there at the centre of your trial. But we see something else is possible and we know it all too well in our life. That is of temptation. The temptation that says “I am justified because of this testing to go and do whatever I want to do. I deserve this.” The testing may be God leading you into a huge disappointment to mature you but then comes a temptation that says, “I am going to respond angrily” or “I am going to go and get drunk” or “I am going to go and overspend to make me feel better”. God has nothing to do with this temptation. There is no aspect of the testing that involves this. “Let no one say God is tempting me” for the reasons:-

1. The Message uses the word impervious to show us what James is saying. God is incapable of being damaged by temptation.
2. The source of temptation isn’t from God. He tests but He doesn’t tempt. He never entices.
3. The temptation happens because we drag ourselves away from the testing or within the testing into a fantasy moment. Let’s look at that for a moment.

Since the first lie in the garden the devil has continually worked at destabilising who you are in God. Every sadness he has exploited; every accusation he has magnified; every mistake he has echoed; he has continually reminded you of what you don’t have and who you are not. You need to work harder and better. He is the father of lies. He is the tempter. And if you are going through a test watch out today because he will not be far away.

The sinful desires are easy to list as a Christian.

But what are we grasping for? We reach, we long and we chase. These false dreams, deceptive satisfaction and poisonous fruit are by their descriptions dangerous. And we never get what we hoped for. In turn they attack us to steal, kill and destroy our lives and James says it gives birth to death.

So I encourage you today if you are in a testing period of time. Have a proper and right view of God. He does the testing but the tempting has nothing to do with Him. He does not want you to be lured by the use of bait even if you are hungry and it looks a needed response to give.

There are so many great verses in the Bible aren’t they? And this is one of them. This stand-alone verse bridges the gap between a concluding introduction and the start of another one.

And we are brought back to the teaching of Jesus.

“Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.” (James 1 v 12)

The word ‘Blessed’ is the healthy well-being of a person and yes, happiness. The Beatitudes jump to our minds. A list not to be achieved but to be recognised as what actually is. Preachers would often preach that we should be poor in spirit to be part of the kingdom. But not so much now since Dallas Willard’s Divine Conspiracy, which enables us to see the list as descriptive not prescriptive.

The world teaches us that happiness is achieved with what you have gained or earned. Jesus teaches us that happiness is found in Him. Those that enter the kingdom are people who realise that all that they chased after would never have satisfied anyway.

So who is blessed? It is the one who is not wanting sympathy, they are not giving up, they are holding on. You see, happiness is not dependent on circumstances, it is dependent on the Lord in the circumstance. The crown of life is eternal but it is also now.

There is a period of waiting during the trial, it is a test, but we serve One who was also tested in fact in every way and never failed. “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation.” (Isaiah 28:16)

A tested stone. In every way possible He was tried, tempted, tested and He came out totally obedient.

Here is the guarantee. If you are under trial today and holding on then joy is yours that the world cannot give; victory is yours for Christ has overcome the world; dignity is yours though you originally felt worthless; you can grow through this suffering for He is with you.

Your value must be seen from the perspective of God and not of this world. How easy it is to fall into the temptation that our worth is based on material possessions or popularity.

James refers to the rich several times in his letter. It is difficult to determine whether these are believers within the community and he is addressing the behaviour of the poor and the rich together or whether the rich are the unbelievers oppressing the poor of the church. I am sure there are many who have a better viewpoint on that. I don’t think it matters too much but I am just noting it.

“Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower. For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business.” (James 1 v 9-11)

James tells us that our bank balances can impact our spiritual perspective negatively. The poor can complain, become bitter and miss what God offers them. The rich can get their worth from what they hold and they miss the fact that what is in their hands is temporary, it can fade away even when they live but definitely when they die.

When I am with the Christian poor in every nation of the world I am always drawn to the thought that of all the stages of the world where God could be, He is here the most. He is here with the broken, the bruised and the forgotten, the poor. He is not here in weakness but with power, glory and great joy. There is a richness that I have never experienced and have longed for all my life. Better a poor man who can see heaven open than a rich man whose worldview is the earth. James reminds them not to hold their head in shame but recognise that they have a high position in the economy of God and in the community of the Church.
In contrast whereas the poor should lift their head, the rich should bring their head down from any lofty position to realise that it is not what is in their hands that counts but who is in their life. You will know several Christian rich people who God uses to bless the poor. And you are most probably one of them! You might not call yourself rich in comparison to others but you give to the Church and to missions, charities and people in need. You do not glory in your possessions and your money. You know every earthly thing that you have is fading away. You know if there is any arrogance because of your prosperity it will be exposed and humiliated by it not lasting just like a flower in the garden. You know it is never about how much you have or how little you have. It is seeing this world through the perspective of God.

“When they were up they were up and when they were down they were down and when they were half way up ……… they were Christians”

The Grand Old Duke of York! What a great Pastor?! He had his work cut out, he had 10,000 in his church!

Sorry for those who haven’t a clue who the Grand Old Duke of York is!

It is just so difficult considering our trials and difficulties with ‘all joy’. It can be a difficult message to hear. How do I know whether to ask God to deliver me from these trials or to strengthen me within them?

But James knows this, that’s why in his next breath he says:

Get wisdom

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” (Hebrews 1 v 5-8)

We desperately need heavenly wisdom, if we are going to be able to go through the trials. Note the repetition of the word lack, James is wanting the Jewish Christians to aspire to completeness, wholeness, and he gently says ‘if any of you lacks’, but probably he’s saying ‘since you all lack’, the realisation that we as followers of Christ do lack, ‘ask God for wisdom’. 

Wisdom helps us to see more clearly.

Wisdom is knowing God with a living heart-knowledge which gives real insight into life, into right and wrong, which regulates conduct and shapes our whole selves, it goes way beyond knowledge, it illuminates our intellect. Wisdom is equivalent to practical religion. It is far superior to knowledge.

Wisdom is to see things clearly, having a godly insight into things as they are. Seeing earthly things and temptations as they really are. If we have this wisdom we won’t lack. 

And to encourage us to ask for this James reminds us just what God is like:

He is generous – whenever we ask for wisdom God will give it, and he gives it to all, to anyone who asks. 

And wonderfully he gives without finding fault – he doesn’t meet us in our trials and suffering and say to us, ‘What on earth are you doing now, don’t you know how to get out of this!?’ Or ‘Look at the fine mess you’ve got yourself into now!’

We must ask!

How? With confidence and certainty. These verses are not meant as condemnation by James, he’s not saying those of you who doubt or struggle or wrestle with stuff, won’t receive from God, rather he’s saying don’t be looking to God half-heartedly, looking to God but really looking to other places for help as well. 

Be sincere when asking God for wisdom, just in the same way he is completely sincere about giving it to you. 

How amazing it is, that to obtain such godly wisdom all we have to do is ask. 

We don’t have to study harder or get qualifications. James isn’t saying to us if we lack wisdom we should read more, go and visit more teachers, or become more learned. If you want to learn theology you have to study it, to become a doctor or lawyer or anything else you’d have to study. But this is different.

This isn’t about a head knowledge but about the heart. This wisdom is seated in the human spirit, God’s spirit dwelling within us. If it’s divine wisdom we require, we are to ask. The insight, that is so clear and vivid and so perfect, is from God. It comes to us from the Spirit that dwells within our hearts.

May our prayer be one today of ‘Lord, grant me wisdom, wisdom to see things the way you see them. Wisdom so that I will lack nothing.’ 

Sometimes we’re so keen to pray and ask God to remove the suffering, to get us out of it, rather than ask for wisdom through it. We need wisdom to make the right use of it. 

We need to see wisdom as the prized possession.

It is about 50 AD, so after the death of Jesus. James writes to those ‘scattered among the nations’. He urges them to be patient and to persevere during the trials and temptations, to continue to live consistently with what they learnt previously in Christ and to live humbly in God. 

The Apostle’s heart was to bring comfort, to reassure them that they haven’t done anything wrong to be in this situation, but they can still trust God, still rejoice in the things of the kingdom, wherever they are, in all places, and at all times. 

Above all, James is wanting them to get the wisdom of God in this terrible time for their life. Despite what they are going through he encourages them to press on to seek the wisdom of God, and become complete and whole, moving towards living in the likeness of Christ. 

7 times the book of James refers to making us perfect, the true meaning of that word, is whole, complete, living a life of consistency and being authentic. 

Authenticity is choosing heavenly wisdom, trusting God, deciding to listen and do, serve and love others, speak in love, care for the poor, devoted wholly to God, despite the situation of life.  

The two main influences of James’ letter come from the Sermon on the Mount teaching where Jesus introduces us to an upside down Kingdom but also the Wisdom found in Proverbs especially ch 1-9. It is the wisdom of God that we will see come through time and time again.

The Holy Spirit through this book of James says to us this morning, whatever you are going through, no matter how tough …

Consider it pure joy … or

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (Hebrews 1 v 2-4)

Now we need to hear James right here. He’s not saying be joyful about suffering, but rather be joyful in suffering, because we know what God can and does do for us through suffering. 

James is not saying to us, pretend your trials are fun. He’s urging us to remember what God is doing in this. It says ‘count it all joy’ or ‘consider’ it joy. He’s not saying how we should feel, but rather how we should think. 

But why am I going through this? That is often the question. James says it is for the testing. He uses the word ‘dokimos’ and it means approval. The word is found underneath many ancient pieces of pottery that archaeologists have discovered. It meant that the pieces had gone through the furnace without cracking: it had been approved. God’s ultimate desire for our life is to bring us through it having stood the test of time and to stand before Him approved, mature in every way in Christ Jesus. Job understood this: “But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.” (Job 23:10)

I’m currently re-reading a classic, ‘Man’s search for meaning’ by Viktor E Frankl. He was a psychiatrist who died in 1997 but a Nazi concentration camp survivor. He lost his parents, brother and his wife all in the camps. How do you survive this? Here is his most famous quote and it is about finding a new perspective: “Everything can be taken from a man except one thing: the last of the human freedoms – this is to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”

James says this new perspective is productive, it brings steadfastness which is an endurance to remain in the toughness of life and keep your spiritual fervour. Doing so means it will be worth it. For you will be approved.

That is what it means to find a new perspective when it is tough.