Bible League: Living His Word Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.In Chapter 4 of the book of James the author describes the struggles between believers within the Christian community he was addressing. He made it very plain that these struggles did not come from God, but "from the evil desires at war within you" (verse 1). He told them, "You are jealous of what others have, but you can't get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them" (verse 2). Instead of asking God for what they wanted, they fought each other for it. Even when they did ask, James said, "you don't get it because your motives are all wrong--you want only what will give you pleasure" (verse 3). Although they were Christians, they were not acting like Christians. They were acting like people of the world. In effect, they were spiritual adulterers. Although they were married to Jesus, they acted as if they were still married to the world. James identified the primary motivating factor behind these struggles as pride. Instead of submitting to God and the ways of God, they were struggling with one another in the pride of the flesh, in the pride of the sinful spiritual state. James made it very clear that God would not stand idly by while all this was going on. He quoted Proverbs 3:34 to show them that "God opposes the proud" (verse 6). God actively opposes all those whose actions undermine proper order in the church. The struggles of the church in James' day still happen today. The actions of the proud still undermine proper order in the church and God is still opposing them. The solution to the problem, from James' point of view, is to "humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you" (verse 7). Instead of struggling with other members of the church for whatever it is we want, we should humble ourselves before God and seek His will and His ways in our dealings with them. We should repent with tears for the things we have done and renew our loyalty and trust in God. Although God opposes the proud and brings them down, He gives grace to the humble and lifts them up. In due time He will lift up the humble in honor. Bible in a Year Old Testament Reading2 Kings 4, 5 2 Kings 4 -- The Widow's Oil; The Shunammite Woman's son rasied; Stew and Bread Feed Many NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB 2 Kings 5 -- Naaman Cured of Leprosy; Gehazi Smitten NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading John 4:1-30 John 4 -- Jesus Testifies to the Samaritan Woman and Townspeople, Heals an Official's Son NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion Blessed are all thosewho are careful to do this. Blessed are those who honor my Sabbath days of rest and keep themselves from doing wrong. Insight God commanded his people to rest and honor him on the Sabbath. He wants us to serve him every day, but he wants us to make one day special when we rest and focus our thoughts on him. For the Israelites, this special day was the Sabbath (Saturday). Challenge Some Christians set Saturday aside as this special day, but many accept Sunday (the day of the week that Jesus rose from the dead) as the “Lord's Day,” a day of rest and honor to God. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon Genesis 46:3,4 Fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation: I will go down with thee into Egypt; and I will also surely bring thee up again.Jacob must have shuddered at the thought of leaving the land of his father's sojourning, and dwelling among heathen strangers. It was a new scene, and likely to be a trying one: who shall venture among couriers of a foreign monarch without anxiety? Yet the way was evidently appointed for him, and therefore he resolved to go. This is frequently the position of believers now--they are called to perils and temptations altogether untried: at such seasons let them imitate Jacob's example by offering sacrifices of prayer unto God, and seeking his direction; let them not take a step until they have waited upon the Lord for his blessing: then they will have Jacob's companion to be their friend and helper. How blessed to feel assured that the Lord is with us in all our ways, and condescends to go down into our humiliations and banishments with us! Even beyond the ocean our Father's love beams like the sun in its strength. We cannot hesitate to go where Jehovah promises his presence; even the valley of deathshade grows bright with the radiance of this assurance. Marching onwards with faith in their God, believers shall have Jacob's promise. They shall be brought up again, whether it be from the troubles of life or the chambers of death. Jacob's seed came out of Egypt in due time, and so shall all the faithful pass unscathed through the tribulation of life, and the terror of death. Let us exercise Jacob's confidence. "Fear not," is the Lord's command and his divine encouragement to those who at his bidding are launching upon new seas; the divine presence and preservation forbid so much as one unbelieving fear. Without our God we should fear to move; but when he bids us to, it would be dangerous to tarry. Reader, go forward, and fear not. Daily Light on the Daily Path Psalm 69:20 Reproach has broken my heart and I am so sick. And I looked for sympathy, but there was none, And for comforters, but I found none.Matthew 13:55 "Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not His mother called Mary, and His brothers, James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? John 1:46 Nathanael said to him, "Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." John 8:48 The Jews answered and said to Him, "Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?" Matthew 9:34 But the Pharisees were saying, "He casts out the demons by the ruler of the demons." John 9:24 So a second time they called the man who had been blind, and said to him, "Give glory to God; we know that this man is a sinner." John 7:12 There was much grumbling among the crowds concerning Him; some were saying, "He is a good man"; others were saying, "No, on the contrary, He leads the people astray." Matthew 9:3 And some of the scribes said to themselves, "This fellow blasphemes." Matthew 11:19 "The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds." Matthew 10:25 "It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign the members of his household! 1 Peter 2:19-23 For this finds favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a person bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly. • For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God. • For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, • WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS ANY DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH; • and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; 1 Peter 4:14 If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. |
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