From James 1:19-27

The order of key concepts in our faith matters.  The Holy Spirit works in us creating faith.  Faith in Jesus Christ and in His work for us saves us from sin, death, and the devil.  Faith then leads us to act in the ways He taught us to.  Sometimes we get confused and reverse or mix-up that order.  Sometimes people put the actions first, saying that we have to do the right thing and be good enough for Jesus to save us.  That’s impossible, because we can never be good enough on our own.  Sometimes people put faith first, but they put action before salvation.  They say “you have to believe, but then you have to prove you believe with your actions before Jesus will save you.” That’s not consistent with what Scripture teaches at all!  We see this illustrated really clearly in John 8:1-11 where Jesus forgives and spares a woman caught in adultery, and after that tells her to “from now on sin no more.” Our salvation never rests on us, from beginning to end it relies on Jesus Christ.  In response to that incredible gift, as an expression of genuine faith, we go out into the world and do good works.  The order is of supreme importance.  The Holy Spirit gives faith, faith saves, and faith drives us to do good works.

With that clarified (hopefully as clear as crystal), we get back into our reading from James today.  He writes to “be doers of the word, and not hearers only.” He challenges us to be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger, and to distance ourselves from wickedness.  He is talking about the application of our faith.  We believe that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, has our best interest at heart when He commands us to love our neighbor and to serve those around us – so we would expect that our believe would drive us into love and service of our neighbors.  We are called to not just talk about it, but to be about it.

Focus on God

We are reminded in these verses that God graciously gives us the Word that is able to save our souls.

Function in Our Lives

We are encouraged to live out our faith in action.

Topics to Pray About                                                               

• Thank Jesus for perfectly living out the will of God during His earthly ministry.
• Confess to God the times where your faith doesn’t shape your present reality.
• Ask the Holy Spirit to conform you to Christ.

In His Service,

J. LeBorious

From James 1:1-18

The book of James speaks in a very matter-of-fact way about the life of a Christian.  He starts by writing about things that happen in our lives that test our faith.  James helps us to frame trials as something that will produce steadfastness in our faith. We are instructed to ask God for wisdom with absolute assurance that God will give it to us. This wisdom allows us to better understand and withstand the trials we face.  James urges us to boast in whatever action God is taking in our lives – whether it be exaltation or humiliation. Finally, he reminds us that temptation to sin does not come from God, but it comes from our own sinful desires. Instead, we thank God for the good and perfect gifts that He gives to us.

On first glance, these verses might seem like scattered truths and wise statements; however, they all give us tools for dealing with trials in our lives.  When we face difficulties in our jobs, in our families, in our vocations, in our hobbies, or in the spaces in between, the first response it to ask God for the wisdom to see what He is doing through those trials.  With that in mind, regardless of the circumstances, we rejoice (whether we feel like it or not) in the fact that God is working in our lives.  At the end of the day, we celebrate the growth that trials give us and remember that God’s gifts are always good.

Focus on God

We are reminded in these verses that God graciously promises to be with us in the midst of trials.

Function in Our Lives

We are encouraged rejoice in trials for the benefits they give to our faith and witness.

Topics to Pray About                                                               

• Thank God for the reminder of how we should act in the face of trials.
• Confess to God the times where you react negatively to opportunities to strengthen and grow in your faith.
• Ask God to give you strength, wisdom, and courage.

In His Service,

J. LeBorious

From Joshua 24

In Joshua 24 we get to witness some of Joshua’s last moments as the leader of Israel.  He begins by reminding the Israelites about everything God has already done for them.  Then he challenges them to respond saying, “therefore fear the Lord and serve Him in sincerity and in faithfulness.” God’s gifts to Israel came first and then their response is faithfulness and obedience. Then Joshua asks the Israelites to choose who they will serve and tells them that “as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” This is a phrase that has been made into art and put up onto the walls of people’s homes, a reminder of their commitment to serve the one, true God.

Sometimes verses that wind up being used like that get taken wildly out of context.  One example of that is Matthew 19:26 which gets used as an inspirational quote to say “you can do anything!” In that verse, Jesus is pretty specifically speaking about salvation being impossible outside of God – not that you can get that promotion if you really apply yourself.  Joshua’s declaration of commitment to God seems appropriate for us to echo today.  We know that God has done so much more for us than Joshua describes to the Israelites, and our response is still to faithfully fear and serve Him.

Choose this day whom you will serve, but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

Focus on God

We are reminded in these verses that God graciously gives His gifts freely.

Function in Our Lives

We are encouraged to respond in sincerity and faithfulness.

Topics to Pray About                                                               

• Thank God for all of His gifts, especially the gift of salvation.
• Confess to God the times where you have chosen to serve other masters in your life.
• Ask the Holy Spirit to strengthen your commitment to Him.

In His Service,

J. LeBorious

From Joshua 23

Prosperity and peace can present an insidious challenge for our faith. There is a temptation to start to take credit for our success, to start to take God’s blessings for granted, or to forget what God has done for us in the past. In the reading for today, Israel is in the midst of an era of peace and prosperity in the Promised Land.  Joshua records that God had given Israel rest from their enemies and they had settled well into this prosperous new home.  It seems logical and appropriate that Joshua would take this opportunity to gather the leaders of Israel and remind them about their relationship with God. He reminds them to muster their strength and “do all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, turning aside from it neither to the right hand nor to the left.” Joshua also warns them about the influence of the nations surrounding them, the nations that follow other gods, to make sure that their influence does not lead Israel away from worship of the one, true God.

Joshua’s reminds the Israelites of what it means for them to be God’s people, and that call and challenge can still apply to Christians today.  We are still called to live according to the instructions that Jesus left behind, to observe everything that He commanded us.  As difficult as it might be, we are called to be uncompromising when it comes to our commitment to God’s Word.  This is a challenge that takes strength, a strength that we pray for from the Holy Spirit. Joshua’s warning about the influence of the surrounding peoples is also still valuable.  We live in a multicultural, religiously pluralistic society. We should be careful what parts of that we engage with, making sure that nothing we do and nothing we get ourselves involved with will lead us away from our worship of the one, true God.  All of this also comes with the reminder that “not one word has failed of all the good things that the Lord your God promised concerning you.” God’s promises never fail, most notably in His promise of a Savior, most notably in the person of Jesus Christ.

Focus on God

We are reminded in these verses that God graciously follows through on all His promises.

Function in Our Lives

We are encouraged to cling to God’s Word and avoid things that might lead us away from Him.

Topics to Pray About                                                               

• Thank God for the wisdom of the leaders He chooses for His people throughout history.
• Confess to God the times where you have failed to cling to His Word and its instructions for your life.
• Ask the Holy Spirit to strengthen your commitment to Him.

In His Service,

J. LeBorious

From Joshua 22

As the Eastern tribes return to the land God had set aside for them, the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh built an imposing altar.  The other tribes of Israelite catch wind of this and confront the tribes, concerned that they have built an altar to a foreign God.  They were afraid that this breach of faith with God would bring calamitous retribution on the entire people of Israel.  The tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh explain that the altar was built to God because they were afraid that some future rift would separate their descendants from Israel’s other places of worship.  They built their own altar to ensure that their future generations would still be connected to the one, true God.  Once they explain their motivation, the rest of the Israelites turn away from the impending war and the altar is consecrated as a witness that the Lord is God.

This single case study provides an excellent historical case study for reconciliation.  Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh operated out of fear for the future. The other tribes made an negative assumption about what Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh were doing.  These two attitudes combined to create a conflict.  To the Israelites’ credit; however, they did stop to have a conversation that cleared up the misunderstanding and reconciled the relationship between tribes.  These events can remind us that sometimes people are motivated by a fear of what could be, a fear that might not occur to others.  We can avoid the trouble Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh experienced by sharing our own fears for the future, relying on the community God surrounds us with to support us.  We can avoid the trouble Israel almost started by making an effort to put the best possible construction on things we see others doing (e.g., first assuming that the altar was to God, not to some idol). Finally, we can avoid many of the conflicts in our lives by taking the time to stop and ask for the more complete picture.

Focus on God

We are reminded in these verses that God graciously leads His people to peace and reconciliation.

Function in Our Lives

We are encouraged to communicate and empathize with one another.

Topics to Pray About                                                               

• Thank God for the support system in your life.
• Confess to God the times where you have failed to communicate or have assumed the worst about someone else.
• Ask the Holy Spirit to bless God’s church with faithful unity.

In His Service,

J. LeBorious