1 Peter 1:3-5

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Encouraging Words

Every major religion in this world relies upon the life and teaching of one human being. Christianity is the only one whose person is still alive, 2000 years after He walked and taught on this earth. Jesus is our Living Hope. He is the one who resurrected from the dead showing us our future. He is the one who showed us an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away that we will be participants is. He is the one that made it clear that there is a place in heaven that is reserved for those who believe and follow Him. Glory be to God!

James 5:16

Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

Personal Challenge

Living in America we have all pretty much embraced the mindset of independent individualism. On our own accord we can do anything. In Christianity, however, we are taught that we need each other in the body of Christ to grow in His image. Part of that community comes in confession of our trespasses to one another and praying for each other. This is part of our journey to becoming righteous. Glory be to God!

James 5:13-15

Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.

Encouraging Words

Faith is such an important part of our Christian journey. In faith, we pray while we are suffering, expecting God to be there with us and help us to be cheerful in that suffering. In faith, we sing psalms when God answers our prayers and even when He doesn’t. In faith, we call upon God to heal those who are sick knowing that God knows best what they need. In faith, we petition God for the forgiveness of our sins and rejoice in His mercy and grace. Glory be to God!

James 5:7-11

Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.

Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door! My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.

Encouraging Words

This passage presses us to be patient in all that we do and in our anticipation of the return of our King. In today’s culture, which is all about instant gratification, it is difficult to slow down and be patient. But in that patience we can find peace that our God desires for us to experience His compassion and mercy As we exercise patience with those around us we experience Gods’ blessings and are able to endure that which is going on around us. Glory be to God!

James 4:17

Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.

Personal Challenge

We often get all caught up in focusing on the sins that we commit and forget that there are also sins of omission. There are things around us that need to be done in the name of our Lord and we ignore or reject them. We are asked to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, take care of the widow and the orphan, and love our neighbor. When we do not do these things when the opportunity arises, that is a sin. It may be something as simple as speaking a kind word or as complex as getting all dirty helping someone out of the mire that they are in. These are the sins that can easily separate the sheep from the goats. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!

James 4:11-12

Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge another?

Personal Challenge

Ultimately, when the great day of judgement is upon us, every single one of us will be judged by our creator. It is not for us to judge another. Whether the other person is a Christian or not, only God knows their heart. This is always a difficult thing to do. People hurt us. They abuse us or take advantage of us. They exercise their free wills in ways that harms those around them. However, as we are called to love our neighbor, we are also called to not speak evil of them or judge them. I know that this is an area of my life that I still need to work on. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!

James 4:10

Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.

Command with a Promise

Are we in a relationship with God? If so, are we humbling ourselves before Him? We cannot stand upright in our pride for anything before our God because He is the one who has given us everything. He is due our love, respect, and worship. If we humble ourselves before Him, He will lift us up to be with Him. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!