- You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. James 5:8 – While James begins this chapter speaking to the rich that have abused their wealth, he now shifts his focus to those believers who are suffering dearly as they serve the Lord. Possibly they were the very individuals suffering under the abuse of the rich that James just spoke of, what we know though from scripture is that life for the early Christians was not without trials. What then do we see is James’ message for such believers undergoing such trials? Be patient. Settle your hearts in the wonderful truth that Jesus is coming back soon. This would have been such a foundational part to their life of faith while they suffered for the Lord, and it should be a foundational piece to our life of faith too. For we too are going to face trials of many kinds. We’ll have authorities abuse their authority, we’ll have sickness hit our family, and we’ll have our enemy seeking to crush us like he did with Job. In all that, hold fast to this wonderful truth, Jesus is coming back soon. He will make all things right and He will judge the oppressors of His people. We simply though don’t know how long “soon” will be. It may be today before you even finish this devotion. It may happen in 2035. We don’t know when this relief from the Lord will come, so let us be patient until it does. Don’t give up on the mission and take the examples of those in scripture who also endured for the Lord as fuel for your endurance. Have faith that the day will come when everything wrong will be made right and every enemy of God’s people will be no more. That day is coming. Let us wait faithfully for that day by serving the Lord and serving one another. While the wait will be hard, when Jesus in His glory returns, we’ll see the wait was worth it. I love you, but Jesus loves you more -Mac – Daily DEVO 3202
- My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. James 5:19-20 – How amazing is this that we can have a part in the rescue of someone’s soul! Now remember, Jesus is the one saving, but we can be used in the process of their saving. Like if you threw a life preserver to someone drowning, you played a role in their saving, but the preserver was the thing that saved them. However we choose to explain it, God is offering us a chance to be in the story of someone following Jesus. If you saw someone drowning, wouldn’t you want to help? God’s reminding us that there are people drowning spiritually all around us today, make sure you’re doing your part in getting the life saving message of Jesus to them. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 740
- As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. James 5:10 – I love how we just did our devotions over the minor prophets before stepping into James and now we have a passage directing us to dwell on the example of such prophets. They suffered so much grief, pushback, ridicule, and humiliation for their steadfastness of telling the people what God told them to say. They sat and waited patiently for God to move and bring about the promises. Some never even got to see with their own eyes the fulfillment of their words. We then are called to look at their example. Speak of Jesus even when the result may be ridicule. Say what God directs us to say even when pushback is likely to follow. Wait for the Lord, acknowledging that the fulfillment may not even come on this side of Heaven. This isn’t going to be a life everyone will fully step into, yet it is a life every believer is called to live. Will you be patient in suffering continuing to live as God directs even when the outcome is worldly loss? Trust then the outcome of a life lived for Jesus like this will see it’s fruits in Heaven one day. I love you, but Jesus loves you more – Mac – Daily DEVO 2132
Daily DEVO 