Don’s Daily Devotions

Tues 7th July – Read James 5:4-6

V4:Now he speaks of the exploitation of the poor and vulnerable by the rich landowners for whom they labour – a frequent theme of OT prophets, who cry out against this evil in Israel. (See Ezekiel 22:29; Jeremiah 22:13; Malachi 3:5) In many ways James’ Jewish heritage, and ministry to Jewish Christians illuminates things in this letter. Both OT and NT declare that God is mindful of those so exploited, and will vindicate them, and judge their persecutors.

V5: He speaks of lives that value only earthly things and self-indulgence. Surely, we best see such verses as a warning to us all not to get too comfortable with the things of this world and not to put our trust in them. “A day of slaughter” is probably not literal, but speaks of the vulnerability of those who are exploited by the rich and powerful. Yet God knows!

V6: The victims are called “righteous” – Biblically that can only be made right with God through faith in Christ, so James is seen to be concerned with the oppression and exploitation of believers. Are the rich oppressors, then, those outside the church who persecute Christians,
to whom he writes to encourage them that God knows? Remember Matthew 5:11 -12.

Mon 6^th July  –  Read James 5:1 -3

V1-3: James again speaks very starkly to the rich, who put their trust and confidence in earthly possessions. These things will all fail them and leave them with nothing on which they can rely for eternity. All earthly things are ultimately corruptible, and all who trust in them will be left with nothing to plead on the day of judgement. Only misery awaits them. Many NT Scriptures point this same warning – e.g. Luke 12:16-21 ; 1 Timothy 6:9-10 , 1 Timothy 6:17-19. Is James addressing believers or unbelievers here? Surely, we best see such verses as a solemn warning against relying on the material things of this world, which can so easily possess our hearts. May the prayer – and balance – of Proverbs 30:8-9 truly be ours.

Sat 4^th July  –  Read James 4:16-17

V16:  Again in stark terms, James rebukes the arrogance of boasting about our own plans and our ability to fulfil them. We might wonder if he is addressing believers in such terms – may even ask if this is a circular letter sent to a wide range of locations, how can he know this is relevant to their circumstances and spiritual conditions? But again, we need to see such verses as a warning against our frailty and proneness to sin, (remember 1 Corinthians 10:12.) and to guard against the all-too human tendency to feel ourselves to be self-sufficient, and to boast about what “we” will do.

V17:  If we know, from God’s Word, what is right, yet do not do it, we are sinning against knowledge. So much of James’ letter is really a call to the obedient walk of faith which should mark the Christian life. Remember the Lord’s own words in John 14:15.

Fri 3^rd July  –  Read James 4:13-15

V13-14:  In what seems an abrupt shift of focus – though still the underlying emphasis is a rebuke to pride and presumption – James now warns against regarding our own plans and desires for the future (” tomorrow”) as sure and certain. We do not know what tomorrow will bring. Our life is such a frail and fleeting thing – like a morning mist. We cannot presume our plans will be carried out – we may not live to see ” tomorrow”, or even if we do, our plans may come to nothing for various reasons. How we are reminded of that in the current situation we are all in.

V15:  Rather, all our plans, hopes and purposes should be submitted to the will of God. Do we know this truth in living practice, or do we make plans like unbelievers, assuming they are certain to be fulfilled? Let us learn to submit everything to the perfect will of God.

Thurs 2nd July – Read James 4:11-12

V11: Again, believers are warned against ” bad-mouthing” one another – in any way. For how easily we may yield to this temptation in so many forms. This is, in effect, to say we have the right to judge others, see ourselves as superior to them. To do this is to deny or reject the real teaching of God’s Law, so to set ourselves up over it and thus ” judge” the Law itself. This is not to be a “doer” of God’s Word but a judge over it, as if we could pick and choose what to obey. Again, verses from the “Sermon on the Mount” are relevant here – Matthew 7:1-5.

V12: The only true Judge is the One who gave the Law and Whose Law it is (and see Genesis 18:25.) He alone can save – or condemn. Surely, we think here of the Lord Jesus Christ, God the Son, one with the Father – for we are told HE will be the Judge all will face on the last day (2 Timothy 4:1.) He will receive to Himself all who are trusting in Him as Saviour, but – how solemn- will condemn (“destroy” is the word we must take seriously!) those who are not. Knowing this, how can any who profess to know Him set themselves up to judge others? – And James is clear, that we do just that when we speak ill of them.

Wed 1st July – Read James 4:7-10
V7: To submit to God is willingly to give Him the obedience of our hearts, which is His due, to seek to do His will, not our own. Equally we are to “resist the Devil” and his temptations, and if we do we are told he will “flee from us” – frustrated by our obedience to the Lord.

V8: And where we, in faith draw near to God, we are assured He will draw near to us – here is the intimacy of the relationship which grace makes ours in Christ. (See John 17:22-23.) – but for this, our hearts and hands ( i.e. our desires and deeds ) must be made clean (see Psalm 24:3-4.) but though James calls us to this, we must always remember that only in and through Christ and His shed blood are we made clean (see 1 John 1:7-9) Again he warns against “double-mindedness” – a divided heart cannot know the joy of this intimacy with God.

V9: He calls on them (and us) to recognise their sin, and be “spiritual mourners”, as in Matthew 5:4, where we have the promise that those who do so mourn will know God’s comfort. May we truly know such comfort, as we remain mindful of, and truly sorry for our sin.

V10: Those who humble themselves before God in this way will be lifted up – and ultimately know the wonder of the fullness of salvation, sharing in His glory for all eternity – all, and only, by His grace.

Tues 30^th June  –  Read James 4:4-6:

V4: Spiritual adultery – often God’s charge against His people in the OT – is professing to know and serve God while letting other things have the place in our hearts and lives that should be His alone. In OT Israel’s case it sometimes meant literally serving ” other gods” but here James is speaking of conformity to the ways and desires of the unbelieving world, and so to cultivate a relationship that makes them unfaithful to God, and so at enmity with Him.

V5-6:  The “quotation” of v5 is in fact not a specific OT verse, but seems to be offered as a summary of what God’s Word teaches about such “spiritual adultery” – that the Lord is a “jealous God” in that He will not share His people’s hearts with another – those He has given His Holy Spirit to dwell within them. Yet in our weakness and all too common proneness to such divided hearts, there is the wonderful promise of v6 “ He gives more grace!” – grace that we do not deserve, but which is all-sufficient. But proud hearts that seek their own will, not His, will not know the experience of that grace. We must come to Him in humble faith to receive the fullness of His supply.

Mon 29th June – Read James 4:1-3

V1:  James is concerned about division and – apparently – bitter dissention among those he writes to. He seems to feel this is a widespread problem. Remember this is a circular letter to various groups. It is certainly something we must always guard against – Satan loves to divide believers against each other, and so spoil the witness of a church. Typically, James addresses this in stark terms, and declares it is caused by their “passions” – literally, their pleasures, but clearly he means sinful desires which are given way to, and he says not only do such passions divide them and cause fights ( probably not literally, but it has been known, of course, and brought shame on the Lord’s Name ) but they also reflect turmoil within them ( the “double-mindedness” of James 1:8) which then leads to turmoil with each other.

V2:  These desires lead to coveting what others have ( remember what Paul says in Romans 7:7.) and causing such bitterness that James even uses the term ” murder” – again, probably not literally, but think of the Lord’s own words in Matthew 5:21-22. Do we take such verses seriously, as we ought to? They fail to bring what is in their hearts to God – not bringing their desires into submission to His will – instead they resent and think ill of each other.

V3:  And even if they do pray, that prayer is in the wrong spirit and receives no answer, for they are seeking to do their own will, not God’s. Does our prayer sometimes have the sub-text ” MY will be done”? Such a prayer will not receive an answer.

Sat 27th June –  Read James 3:17-18

V17: In blessed contrast, he turns to ” the wisdom from above”, the wisdom God gives to those who truly ask Him (again, James 1:5.) Such wisdom, in its effect and fruit in our lives is pure, and shows all the characteristics declared in this verse. We see echoes of some of the Beatitudes here, and also of what Paul calls “the fruit of the Spirit” (Galatians 5:22-23.) This God-given wisdom, by His own grace in our hearts and lives, is the answer to the things James has rebuked in the previous verses. We must not look to or trust in our own efforts, but to God’s work in us by His Spirit.

V18: And in the life that knows and shows the peace God gives in Christ, a life like Christ’s own, which is called blessed in Matthew 5:9, the 7th Beatitude, James declares that such a Christ-like walk will produce ” a harvest of righteousness”. But that harvest itself is the work of God’s grace in us, of course. Only in Christ can we be fruitful Christians. (John 15:4.)

Fri 26th June – Read James 3:15-16

V15: Such lives are far from the godly wisdom he is speaking of – rather they respond to the very opposite impulses, following the way of the world, – a broken world, estranged from God -(“earthly, unspiritual”) – but more, yielding to Satan’s temptations, and so “demonic”, inspired as it were by the Devil himself. How we need to heed such warnings as 1 Peter 5:8, Ephesians 6:11, and be on our guard.

V16: He seems to feel a particular need to rebuke the sins here -“jealousy and selfish ambition”, but he warns that they lead to many other kinds of sin. Truly, sin begets sin, once it has a grip on a believer’s life, there is a downward spiral. Only the grace of God can give us the victory, but always remember, it is already won, by the finished work of Christ.