Devotional - March 26, 2023
Scripture: James 4: 10-12…Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up. Brothers and Sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it. but sitting in judgement on it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you-who are you to judge your neighbor?
Yet again James proves to be the right book for Lent. He takes us to the core of what it means to be a Christian and a Christian Church. I hope during this study you have received a few of his challenges and have been doinga few things to enrich your relationship with God, others and yourself. When reading James you may wonder did he practice what he preached? He may haveor like us, it may have been his goal. I’m sure he had his struggles. It is not that we consistently achieve the standards proposed by James in his letter. At times, we struggle, too. What is important is that we acknowledge and uphold the standards. I included verse 10 in today’s devotional because of its importance. It deserves a devotion all its own. In Biblical times, often those who referred to as humble were the poor (James 1: 9-11). After all, they had no one to turn to for assistance. They had no advocate. Submission was not their lot; their survival skill. James reminds us that we are all like that before God. None of us can boast (Eph 8: 2-9). Yet, we serve a God who so readily humbled God’s Self in Jesus (Philippians 2: 5-8). What does that say to us about God and how God regards our boasting? Even now, God continues to be humble, as humble as when He rode into Jerusalem (Zech 9:9, Matt 11:20). And when God lifts you up, you rise with God (Isaiah 40:31).
The Jerusalem church had lost its sense of place and time. They were out of control. They were letting all kinds of false doctrine, gossip, and malice into their community, their church. Worst still, they were judging each other, slandering each other. They were acting as if they themselves sat in the judgement seat, all high and mighty. Why has judging others again become popular? (Matt 7: 1-2). I’m just thankful I have been forgiven (Ephesian 2: 8-9). Rather than judging, whatever happened to encouragement? (Heb 10: 24-25, Romans 15: 2,1, Thes 5: 11, Gal 6:2, Mark 9: 41, and Matt 10: 40-42). There is a saying; hurt people, hurt people. Unhurt people do too. Folks who are discouraged have a difficult time doing right because they have been hurt or upset by someone or someone’s. As much as you can, without losing your boundaries, be gracious towards folks who are out of sorts. Be willing to humble yourself for awhile for their sake (Matt 25: 44-45). Its easier to judge. I know. Unfortunately when we do, we do so according to our own agendas and from our own perspectives. But in doing so, we lost our case before God. Does that mean everything is alright? Anything goes, because we cannot judge anything wrong? No, we need to know right from wrong. As Christians, we uphold the standards of God. But how we do so is the key (Micah 6: 8). There is a world of difference between being judgmental and being just. God calls us to be just in our action and rest assured God will judge rightly in the end. Some still wince at that kind of thinking. They feel they will end up with the short end of the stick. Not so, we have every right to keep good and healthy boundaries for ourselves. God never takes that away.
Pray with me…Holy God, help us to stay patient during trying times. Help us to be just when we are tempted to be judgmental. Lord, hear us as we pray for our loved ones. Bless them according to their needs. We ask Your blessing on our church, we are thankful for it. We are thankful for all the ways you have blessed us, in Jesus name, Amen.
God’s peace…Pastor Brian
