James–Part 23

Waiting. We do a lot of that–we wait in traffic and grocery lines and at doctor’s offices and a hundred other places–and most of us hate waiting. Why? Because we have been taught that wait-time is wasted time. If that is your perspective, James urges you to reconsider. The time we spend waiting is a gift from God. It allows us the opportunity to develop patience.

Be patient, brothers and sisters, as you await the coming of the Lord. Consider the farmer who waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient with it until it receives the autumn and the spring rains. You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near. Do not grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be judged. Behold–the Judge is standing at the door! As an example of suffering and patience, brothers and sisters, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Indeed, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.
James 5:7-11

James uses three examples–farmers, the prophets, and Job–to explain why patience is essential and how it can be developed. Today we’ll look at the “why,” and next time we’ll focus how to build it into our life.

The primary reason we need patience is simply this:
much in life happens unexpectedly and is beyond our ability to manage.

James–Part 22

Come now, you rich people, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you.
James 5:1

Woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.
(Jesus) Luke 6:24-25

When compared to the rest of the world, most Americans live in the lap of luxury, so it is not surprising that many of us become uneasy when we read what Jesus and James had to say about rich people. Some of the Lord’s harshest remarks were directed toward the wealthy.

The fifth chapter of the Letter of James echoes the words of Jesus and brings four charges against the rich. But before we look at the indictment James brings, let’s get clear about who is being addressed here. Verse 4 identifies the accused as wealthy landowners, a group that is often condemned in the Old Testament for greed and exploitation. They are not criticized for being wealthy; they are rebuked because they are consumed by avarice, and they are unconcerned about the people who work for them. So the passage is not addressed to all rich people, but to those who will not submit to God. James is speaking about nonbelievers who use their wealth to take advantage of others, and he makes four accusations:

James–Part 21

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that town and stay there a year, doing business and making money.” You do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. Anyone, then, who knows the right thing to do and doesn’t do it, sins.
James 4:13-17

Psychics, astrologers, palm readers, and others claim to have the ability to see what lies ahead, but the Bible categorically condemns such practices. Does that mean God does not want us to plan for the future? Of course not. The Scriptures encourage us to make plans, but there is a right way and a wrong way to do that. Sadly, most of us choose the wrong way to plan.

The fourth chapter of James tells us how to face the future in a God-honoring way, and uses a hypothetical business discussion to make the point. Imagine yourself seated at a cafe in downtown Jerusalem and overhearing a conversation at the next table between two business partners. One says to the other, “Today or tomorrow we will go to a certain town and stay there a year, doing business and making money.”

James–Part 20

God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Submit yourselves, therefore, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
James 4:6b-10

James wrote to a group of believers who were finding it difficult to get along with one another. I’m thankful for his letter because I live in a world filled with conflicts. And while there is little I can do about national and international conflicts, there is something I can do about the conflicts that rage in my soul.

In verse six, James quotes Proverbs 3:34 to identify both the cause of conflict and its cure: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” The Bible says pride is the source of our relational troubles. It is pride that leads us to conclude we deserve anything we desire. It is pride that says, “If there is someone or something I can possess that will make me feel better, then I deserve to have it, and I will do all I can to get it. After all, I’m worth it.”