Devotional Thoughts on James
Rescue Mission (James 5:19-20)
Recently my wife and I have been watching a show about the work of the United States Coast Guard in Alaska. In several of the episodes, a commercial fishing vessel is in trouble and sinking. The captain of the vessel sends out a mayday call and the Coast Guard dispatches a helicopter to the location.…
A Man Just Like Us (James 5:17-18)
“Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.” (James 5:17–18, ESV) I knew a person once who…
The Forgotten Discipline (James 5:16)
“Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” (James 5:16, ESV) In the 1700s, a great revival broke out in America. The record of this revival indicates that at its foundation were the…
More Power (James 5:16)
“Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” (James 5:16, ESV) Years ago, I restored a British sportscar, an MGB. However, after driving it for a while, I decided to replace the slipping…
Prescription for Illness (James 5:14-15)
“Is any sick among you? 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 shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be…
Mountaintops and Valleys (James 5:13)
“Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.” (James 5:13, AV) We all go through ups and downs in life. Sometimes we are on the mountaintop and other times we are in the valley. When I was in the Army Ranger School in Dahlonega Georgia learning mountaineering techniques,…
Integrity (James 5:12)
“But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.” (James 5:12, AV) I remember growing up, sometimes kids would promise to do something and even swear that they would…
More Mercy (James 5:11)
“Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.” (James 5:11, AV) When I consider the issue of compassion and mercy, many thoughts come to mind. When I think of compassion…
Struggle of Suffering (James 5:11)
“Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.” (James 5:11, AV) All of us are going to endure trials in life. In many cases, if not most, we will struggle…
Persevering in Suffering (James 5:10)
“Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.” (James 5:10, AV) I remember in my first church receiving one of those less than gracious email diatribes. It was down right hurtful. I had poured my heart out into this couple…
Do Not Grumble (James 5:9)
“Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door.” (James 5:9, AV) One of the most difficult things for me in the pastorate was to endure the grumbling of parishioners in the congregation. It did not happen a lot, at least to my knowledge, but it did…
Patience (James 5:7)
“Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.” (James 5:7, AV) One day it seemed like I spent an eternity in a fast-food line. Under my breath, I…
Hedonism (James 5:5)
“You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter.” (James 5:5, ESV) One of the wealthiest men I ever personally knew drove a two-year-old Buick sedan. There was nothing special about the car. In fact, it was quite plain. He lived in a…
Abuse Cries Out (James 5:4)
“Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.” (James 5:4, AV) In my days of employment, I have worked for good employers and others…
Wasted Resources (James 5:2-3)
“Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days.” (James 5:2–3, AV) There is a television show called “Hoarders” that…
The Passion Problem (James 5:1-6)
“Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.” (James 5:1, AV) In 1843, Charles Dickens wrote a novel titled, “A Christmas Carol.” I remember watching the film adaptation of the story on television every year at Christmas time when I was a boy. The main character,…
The Omission Problem (James 4:17)
“So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.” (James 4:17, ESV) In 1983, the Lord saved me as I read a Gideon Bible in a Minneapolis hotel room. Shortly thereafter, I visited a church of another denomination. When I entered the church, in the narthex,…
The Problem of I (James 4:15-16)
“As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.” (James 4:16, ESV) In my first church experience, I remember a preacher once said, “The letter ‘I’ is in the center of the word ‘sin.’” His point was that there is a problem with “I.” I incorrectly interpreted that statement to mean…
Brevity of Life (James 4:14b)
“Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.” (James 4:14, AV) When I was a boy growing up in Pennsylvania, I spent a lot of time outdoors, even in the winter. We would…
Thinking Of Tomorrow (James 4:13-14a)
“Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little…
Speak No Evil (James 4:11-12)
“Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to…
Approaching God Part 3 (James 4:8-11)
“Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” (James 4:9–10, AV) When I worked in the printing business, I discovered that one of the things you could not print was a…
Approaching God Part 2 (James 4:8-10)
“Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.” (James 4:8–9, AV) When I worked in the area of field service for a…
Approaching God Part 1 (James 4:8-10)
“Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.” (James 4:8, AV) There are many prominent people in the world, but they are relatively unapproachable. Take the President of the United States for instance. Consider going to Washington D.C. and on…
Victorious Walk (James 4:7)
“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7, AV) Flip Wilson was a comedian in the 1970’s and hosted a television show titled, “The Flip Wilson Show.” In the show he introduced a character named Geraldine Jones. He played the part of Geraldine, a woman who was…
Avoiding God’s Opposition (James 4:6)
“But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.” (James 4:6, AV) I had a conversation with a man one time who did not like the direction of our church ministry. While we believed that the direction was from the Lord, he believed that we were…
Longing for Envy (James 4:5)
“Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?” (James 4:5, AV) I do not know how many times I was in line at the store, when a mother struggled with her child. The struggle went something like this. “Mommy, I want candy!” the mother trying…
The Wrong Enemy (James 4:4-5)
“Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” (James 4:4, AV) In school it was easy to make enemies by association. I mean, if you befriended a certain group people, you might…
Errant Prayer (James 4:2b-3)
“Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.” (James 4:2b–3, AV) I am reminded of a song made popular by Janice Joplin titled, “Mercedes Benz.” In the song, the lyrics go, “Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a Mercedes Benz? My friends all have Porches, I…
The War Within (James 4:1-2)
“What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?” (James 4:1, ESV) Growing up, I had two siblings, a younger brother and a younger sister. In the winter, we would often become bored, especially in the evenings when it got dark early and…
Contrasts (James 3:17-18)
“But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.” (James 3:17–18, AV) When I was in high school, I got involved…
Confusion (James 3:16)
“For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.” (James 3:16, ESV) Years ago, I worked for a company that printed paper in Savannah, Georgia. I started as the Plant Engineer since they had major equipment issues. It took a year to redesign the machine and get it into…
Earthly Wisdom (James 13b-16)
“But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.” (James 3:14–15, ESV) After serving in the U.S Army as an officer, I went to work for a Fortune…
Wisdom Seen (James 3:13)
“Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.” (James 3:13, ESV) When I moved to New Hampshire from Savannah Georgia, it was in March. While the winters were not over in March, the snow-falls were slight by New Hampshire standards, usually 12…
Shall It Never Be (James 3:9-12)
“Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.” (James 3:9–10, AV) Certain things just do not fit together. I remember in 1973, attending the Army…
Taming the Wild (James 3:7)
“For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.” (James 3:7–8, AV) When I was a young boy, my grandmother moved to the…
Forest Fires (James 3:5-6)
“And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.” (James 3:6, AV) There is a commercial that airs occasionally which features Smokey the Bear. The…
Directional Control (James 3:3-5)
“Behold, we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body. Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth.” (James 3:3–4, AV) We often…
What’s on the Inside (James 3:2)
“For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body.” (James 3:2, ESV) Pizza Hut came out with a commercial to go along with their $5’N Up Lineup of food products. The commercial featured a man…
Grave Responsibility (James 3:1-2)
“Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body.” (James 3:1–2, ESV) When…
Elevating the Lowly (James 2:25-26)
“Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” (James 2:25–26, AV) I met a woman one time who thought that she had sinned so…
Faith-Works Partnership (James 2:21-26)
“Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called…
Uselessness or Usefulness (James 2:20)
“But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?” (James 2:20, AV) Let us say that you had developed a cure for a most dreaded disease. You knew that it would work 100% effectively. Yet, with both the knowledge that it would work and the belief that it would work, you…
Half the Battle (James 2:19)
“Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.” (James 2:19, AV) The great American hero, GI Joe’s famous statement is, “Knowing is half the battle.” This statement came as a public service announcement that ended each one of the 1980 GI Joe cartoons. There would be a…
Living Witness (James 2:18)
“Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.” (James 2:18, AV) It might have been about 6 months to a year after the Lord saved me as I read a Gideon Bible in a…
Dead Faith (James 2:14-17)
“What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?” . . . “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.” (James 2:14, 17, AV) I worked with a man one time who talked a big game. One of the…
Manifestation of Mercy (James 2:13)
“For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.” (James 2:13, AV) I heard an old story regarding Napoleon, the French dictator, that goes something like this. (I cannot verify the veracity of the story and do not know its origin.) Napoleon was presiding over the execution…
Freedom and Responsibility (James 2:12)
“So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.” (James 2:12, AV) The United States is considered to be the land of the free. This phrase is sung in our national anthem. Yet, with freedom, there comes responsibility. Freedom demands responsible people. Without responsible people freedom is…
Seriousness of Prejudice (James 2:8-11)
“If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.” (James 2:8–9, AV) I have met people who harbor prejudices against others deep in their heart. They…
Testimony of Wealth (James 2:6-7)
“Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called? If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:” (James 2:7–8, AV) Today, the media and many with a political agenda, have denigrated the rich in our country. They say that…
Kowtowing (James 2:2-7)
“For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand…
Diversity (James 2:1-7)
“My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.” (James 2:1, AV) We live in a world of diversity. We have people from very diverse cultural backgrounds. These are people with different ancestry, languages, clothing, appearances, cultural norms, etc. Above this, there are class distinctives.…
Pure Religion (James 1:26-27)
“Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.” (James 1:27, AV) In the previous devotion, we looked at the witness of the person who attempts to practice religious worship. I mentioned that one’s language would…
Worthless Religion (James 1:26-27)
“If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.” (James 1:26–27, AV) What is the value of religious worship? I have been to churches that incorporate a vibrant contemporary worship style. I have also been to some that use a…
Mirror of Truth (James 1:22-25)
“For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.” (James 1:23–24, AV) In 1812, the Brothers Grimm wrote a fairy tale…
Knowing and Doing (James 1:22-25)
“But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” (James 1:22, AV) Years ago, I worked in retail sales in a seasonal department that was responsible for toys and outdoor items. One of my jobs was to assemble display items. So, one day the boss assigned me and another…
Angry Talk (James 1:19-21)
“Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.” (James 1:19–20, AV) Years ago, when I was managing a printing plant in Savannah Georgia, one time I had an issue with the work performed by the…
Silence is Golden (James 1:19)
“Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:” (James 1:19, AV) When I was young, my father and mother, and I were driving with one of my dad’s friends and his wife. We were sitting in the back seat and my dad’s friend’s wife was talking…
Perfect Gift (James 1:16-18)
“Do not err, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his…
The Lure (James 1:14-15)
“But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” (James 1:14–15, AV) I was pretty much raised with a fishing rod in my hands. At a young age, my dad…
The Impossibility (James 1:13)
“Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:” (James 1:13, AV) I had to confront a man one time who left his wife and moved in with the girl next door. I spoke with the man to tell…
The Crown (James 1:12)
“Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.” (James 1:12, AV) In 1973, I entered the United States Army Ranger School in Fort Benning Georgia. In the previous three years, officer candidates from our…
Boasting (James 1:9-11)
“Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted: But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away. For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the…
Avoiding Seasickness (James 1:6-8)
“But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.” (James 1:6–8, AV) I have…
Why? (James 1:5)
“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” (James 1:5, AV) In 1994, just before the Winter Olympics, there were two prominent female figure skaters destined to compete in the U.S. championships and then the Olympics. They…
Blessed Adversity (James 1:2-4)
“My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” (James 1:2–4, AV) Years ago, I began running to get in better physical condition. It began with…
Amazing Servitude (James 1:1)
“James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.” (James 1:1, AV) In my former devotional, I mentioned that the James who wrote this letter to the “twelve tribes of the dispersion” was James the half-brother of Jesus. The majority of biblical scholars agree…
Know Your Audience (James 1:1)
“James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.” (James 1:1, AV) Once, while servicing a printing machine that our company sold to a business in Cincinnati, I met a group of executives from their corporation. They wanted to go out to dinner with…
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