Devotional - January 25, 2023
James 2: 20-24 You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.
Apparently, the Jerusalem church had a lot of folks claiming Christianity, but are not. Sound familiar? James has had enough and decided to put his foot down. He directs his argument straight at the reader saying, "You..." Yet, we may ask, does James understand his reader's hesitancy to step out in faith? How many prayers have you prayed, even to the point of pleading with God to no avail? You fully believed God could perform the miracle you requested, but nothing happened. Often, this is what people think when questioned about their faith. Do they believe that God can perform a specific task? What James is referring to is not the same as what I just described. Believing God can do something is a request of God. When we make requests to God and nothing happens, it is hard to bear. Difficult as this may be to hear, it grieves God to see us grieving. Some may try to console others by saying our request must not have been God's will. That is a loaded statement that the speaker does not fully understand. God's will is not a simple matter. I have heard it said, God answers prayer with three words, yes, no or wait. I just cringe when I hear that... God's ways are considerably more complex than three words (Isaiah 40:28 & 55:8-9, Ecc 3:11, Ro. 11: 33-34). However, when we are faithful to the will of God. The will of God that we know from the Bible. We participate in the miraculous work of God on the earth (Romans 12: 4-10, 1 Corinthians 12: 12-27). Abraham was specifically told to go and sacrifice Isaac. By this point, Abraham had a long history with God. He has seen God's faithfulness time and again. Abraham does not lose faith in God at any point during the test (Gen 22:1), He tells the servant tending to the donkeys that he and his son Isaac will return (Gen 17:15 & 22:5). Abraham never wavers in his faith, because Abraham is God's friend (beloved). James references this in his letter (Isaiah 41:8). Friendship, true friendship, is a two way street. The affection found in friendship is mutual. Abraham trusts God like one would a beloved friend and it is reciprocated. You may think, with friends like that, who needs enemies. It is easy to misunderstand what was occurring when God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son. By doing so, God shows just how strong Abraham had become as a man of God. The focus of the event is to showcase the faith, the friendship, between God and Abraham. James is calling the church in Jerusalem, some of whom were Jewish and were familiar with the story of Abraham, to have that kind of relationship with God.
Pray with me..., Gracious God, we admit we can lose track of You amidst our daily troubles and care. Help us to stay mindful of Your presence and willingness to help us each day. Be with our loved ones, bless them in accordance with their needs. And bless our church Lord, so we can be the people You call us to be, in Jesus name, Amen.
God's peace,
Pastor Brian
