Tag Archives: the book of James

December 6
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“As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. 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 5:11, NIV)

Suffering is the “tax” that all of God’s creatures pay for the corruption of Creation. In a perfect world, suffering would not exist. Yet, our world — though wonderful and good in so many respects — is not perfect.

Suffering is difficult, inconvenient, confounding, and often expensive in time and treasure. If you do not think suffering to be a blessing — you are correct to think so! It is perseverance through suffering that we admire. It is fidelity through adversity that we cheer.

The blessing in perseverance is not the “finish line,” but the course (whether it be an obstacle course, a race course, or a course of study).

Perseverance not only reveals the nature of our character, and improves it; it reveals God’s character for what it has always been: Full of compassion and mercy.  – Luther

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December 5
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“Now listen, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.’ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, ‘If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.'” (James 4:13-15, NIV)

The late French President Charles De Gaulle is famously quoted as saying: “The cemeteries are full of indispensable men.”

To guard against “overplaying” our hand in this life requires humility, which may be defined as saying, “God, you are God — and I am not.”

The continuous acknowledgement of God’s supremacy as we move from assignment to assignment, and task to task, takes nothing from us. On the contrary, it gives each moment a will and a purpose that reflects the presence of the Almighty.  – Luther

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December 3
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“So then, if we do not do the good we know we should do, we are guilty of sin.” (James 4:17, Good News Translation)

You will not find a more simple, direct, or pure definition of sin than what is written in today’s scripture verse.

This definition does not cover all sin, but it does address what we refer to as “sins of omission”: Knowing but not doing. Following this principle, it might also be said that we sin when we have but do not share what we have with others.

James’ letter is, I think, the most practical book in the New Testament. It addresses the common issues of our life as disciples of Jesus, and is well worth the 15 minutes or so it would take even a slow reader (like myself) to cover its five, short, chapters.

James reminds us that we need not sin.  Do you believe it?  – Luther

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