to read God's Word as well as spending time in prayer.
When I regularly engage in spiritual disciplines God
reveals Himself to me in powerful ways. His Word becomes
alive and speaks into my circumstances. I connect with
Him below the surface, at the heart level, where His Spirit
begins to minister and guide my thoughts.
Because we live in a fallen world and therefore inherit
a sin nature, we must be careful how we live each day.
For followers of Jesus remember this, we are most
vulnerable when we think we are kickin it for the
kingdom of God, when we think God is pleased
with our works, and when we think we can rest on our
successes. When we begin to let our guard down
we open ourselves up to the enemy and His plan
to distract and mislead God's people. That is why
the Bible warns us:
Ephesians 5:15-16 New International Version 1984
Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil
1 Peter 5:8 New International Version 1984
Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around
like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
For these reasons above we must remain humble and realize
the importance of staying connected to the Holy Spirit.
We must plant God's Word in our heart. We must not lose
focus and attempt to do God's work in our own strength
and in our own way. We have to recognize that without God
we are powerless. The enemy would have you believe that
you have power and that you can handle the temptations of this
world in your own strength. Remember, be careful when you are
confronted with these thoughts. Only God can properly set the
course of your life. Only God can give you the perspective and
strength to deal with temptation.
We are also exhorted in James to persevere when we are oppressed, and mistreated
Jesus warns us in John 16:33, "in this world you will have trouble",
but then goes on to say "But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
So when we read James 5:11 which tells us "We consider blessed
those who have persevered." we know trouble will come our way
but we also know that Jesus has already defeated sin and death and
our hope is in Him and the victory He completed on the cross. So when
we struggle due to the actions of others, we can rest in the fact that Jesus
can help us. In fact, when we are tempted Jesus promises us this:
Hebrews 2:18 New International Version 1984
who are being tempted.
What an awesome Savior we have! Even in temptation and suffering He is right there
with us willing to help us.
Even when we experience physical or spiritual suffering we
can rest in the promise that "The Lord is full of
compassion and mercy." (James 5:11)
The only way to know this is true is through experience.
Have you ever felt God's compassion and mercy in your
suffering? Think about this for a while before you
continue reading.
One thing that jumps out at me is that during my
struggles and suffering as a believer, God never
abandoned me. He was and continues to be my source
of comfort and strength.
I can remember my moments of torment and physical pain
being filled with God's love. He extended His hand toward me
giving me a solid anchor that I could hold on to. I really felt God's
compassion in my suffering. And as my suffering ended, I relished in
His mercy, and love, and grace.
As followers of Jesus there is something else we need to realize.Part of our
suffering is due to the fact that we don't belong in this world. Our time here
is really a preparation to be with God in Heaven. James encourages us to be
patient as we wait for Jesus to return.
James 5:7 reminds us: "Be patient, then, my brothers, until
the Lord's coming."
Question: What do we do while we wait for Jesus' return?
While we wait we must always focus on the mission of
God has given us.
Matthew 28:19-20 New International Version 1984
of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to
obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always,
to the very end of the age.”
We must focus on loving God and others:
Mark 12:30-31 New International Version 1984
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your
neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
We must also think about leaving a legacy for future
generations. Our love, faith and service to God
can have a deep and powerful impact in our families
and in the world around us.
Here are some other things we must do:
James 5:12 New International Version 1984 (A Believers Word must be Trustworthy)
Above
all, my brothers, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your “Yes” be yes, and your “No,” no, or you will be
condemned.
Integrity is the key. How can non-believers trust us
when we share Gospel if we ourselves
cannot be trusted. If a non-believer looks at our life
and sees contradiction, we can damage the image of
Christ and even cause believers to stumble.
James 5:16 New International Version 1984 (Confess and Pray)
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that
you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
Self introspection is important. We need to be more in tune
with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit can open our eyes to
the truth and lift the veil of deception of our misguided ways.
That is why prayer and confession should not be taken lightly.
During our time with God, praying and confessing our sin will draw
us closer to Him. He desires a close relationship with each of us.
If we say God is our #1 priority, where is the evidence of
that in our lives? Are we giving it all to God?
I know it is difficult sometimes, but we should
consistently strive for a daily God focused life. We
must look for the things that separate us from God and
remove them with God's help. Along with sin,
distractions play a large role in keeping us from
focusing on God. Prayer and meditation on God's Word
can be hindered when we don't have a quiet place to spend
time with Him. Find a time and place to be alone with God
even it it means getting up a 1/2 hour earlier in the
morning. There is no better breakfast than receiving
spiritual nourishment with your cup of Joe.
One last thing.
James 5:20 New International Version 1984
save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.
Those who wander from the truth and live a life
separated from God need help. Ask yourself, What can I
do to help them?
Sometimes it seems futile to help someone whose "Will"
stands in direct opposition to God.
I know because generations of my family have been
champions of this effort.
I pray for them, I love them, I try to inject wisdom
and truth whenever I can. But I realize it is God who
changes the Heart of a person. But I also know that I should
always look for opportunities to share my personal God story.
God will put people in our lives to give us the privilege of planting
seeds of hope. I must make sure I continue to be in relationship with
my family in hope that one day those seeds of hope will begin to take root.
We should also invite others to part of our communities of faith.
If God extends an invitation to us, shouldn't we do the same
for others?
Character matters:
Remember each example of a Christ filled life can
help change some of the "bad stereotypes" that damage
the reputation of the Church and followers of Jesus.
In this time when so many people are lost & suffering
our Christ-likeness can make a difference.
My prayer is that we will live a purpose filled life. That we will
fulfill God's calling. And that each of us will be known by our
identity in Christ so that there will be no question who we are
and whose we are.
Just Sayin..............Dave
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