Read: James 5:7-12
Today’s passage talks
about how to respond rightly when you are wronged. It’s not a matter of “if” you will be wronged,
but rather “when” you will be wronged since we live in a fallen and sinful
world. As Christians we must learn to handle
mistreatment rightly because God does not promise to protect us from being wronged. According to James, the key in overcoming mistreatment
is patience. The Lord is returning as
Judge and He will make all things right!
This should encourage us to keep walking in righteousness in tough
times. It should also be a warning
because He will not just judge those who have wronged us He will also judge
us. The passage illustrated patience’s
with the example of the farmer (v. 7), the prophets (v. 10) and Job’s
perseverance (v. 11). When the righteous
suffer for no fault of their own, they must wait on the Lord to judge the
wicked and reward them for their endurance.
The theme of patiently
enduring trials is woven throughout the entire bible. When we read the prophets we find that
following the Lord and serving Him does not protect us from all trials. In fact, many of the prophets were persecuted
because of their message. Then there was
Job, an upright and blameless man who feared God and turned away from evil (Job
1:1), yet he suffered tremendously. God
blesses those who endure, not those who quit.
This does not mean that we will always feel good about what we are going
through – trials are hard. The point is
to submit to God in the midst of the trial.
We can only do this if we truly believe that God is in control of our
hardships and that He has a purpose that He is accomplishing. No matter how difficult our trials we must
not doubt God’s goodness or love.
The final verse in this
passage (v. 12) may seem a bit out of place as it has to do with taking
oaths. The real issue is speaking the
truth at all times as this verse is not a ban on taking oaths, such as in the
courtroom. In the last two chapters
James has been discussing worldliness, wealth and pride which result in
relational conflicts. Here James is
calling believers to truthful communication.
Truth is essential for trust. Therefore
let your “yes be yes and your no be no”
(v. 12).
Prayer and Journaling
1. God is love and a God of justice. Thank Him that He will right all things in
His time. Praise Him that we can depend
on His justice and do not need to take things into our own hands. Thank Him that by living in relationship with
Him we can listen to His voice and know when to take a stand and when t to be
silent.
2. Ask Jesus to remind you of an injustice you have experienced
in your life. Write down what you receive. Ask Him to give you clarity concerning this
injustice in the area of what He wants to accomplish in you through this
injustice. Thank Him for what He shows
you.
3. If you are waiting for Jesus to do something in your life,
ask Him if He may actually want you to do your part in taking steps and doing
what is right even when you don’t feel like it.
What would these steps look like for you?
