James 1
1. James a servant of God, and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered, greetings.
Some people say that there are some “lost” tribes of Israel but this is not true. The original word for Jews who lived outside the Holy Land is “Diaspora” which means “scattered seed.” John 12:24, Matthew 13:38
See also Matthew 13:55, Acts 1:8, 8:1, 1 Corinthians 15:7, Galatians 1:19.
2. When different kinds of trials (or interruptions) come into your life, allow the Lord to show you how to have joy during the trial.
Look ahead to the joy that is coming after the trial. ALLOW the Lord to give you a peaceful joy -do not push this inner, confident joy away or you will move towards inner bitterness (Hebrews 12:15). See also 1 Peter 1:6-7.
3. You will see that these things improve your faith and give you strength to hold on to what you have.
Give patience time to work. Those who are patient are mature. An example of how important it is for us to endure trials can be found in the life of a caterpillar. In the second stage of its life a caterpillar builds a cocoon and begins the process of becoming a butterfly. It is important to allow a butterfly to struggle as it breaks out of its cocoon.
If we attempt to “help” the process by tearing open the cocoon, the butterfly will not develop the strength in its wings which it will need to fly. We are told to count it joy when we find ourselves in a “cocoon” of trials. We prefer to count it joy when we escape trials. God wants to prove to us that trials are His way of making us stronger.
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And keep holding on so that you need nothing else to be complete. But if you need wisdom ask God for it and it will be given to you. God gives to everybody generously, and does not become angry when He is asked.
Ask for wisdom to know what to do with this testing. See also Matthew 5:48, Colossians 1:11.
Notice we are reminded to ask God if we need wisdom. He will not rebuke us for asking. God does not accuse us as Satan does (Revelation 12:10). Who else in the Bible asked for wisdom?
Has God shown you that He will do something in your life? Then you are in the same place that Abraham was. Abraham was promised something (Genesis 15:6) and his assignment was to hold onto the Lord until the promise was fulfilled. This is the test of our faith. Can you wait on the Lord to deliver on His promise?
If you get ahead of the Lord then He will retreat from what He was going to do and wait for you to get out of the way.
The secret of the Christian life is that it is about Him and not about you. Will you allow yourself to be embarrassed as you wait? Can you resist the temptation to take things into your own hands?
Does it really matter what people think? Will you argue with the Lord over this thing or let it alone and watch what He does?
See also Matthew 7:7, Jeremiah 33:3, Psalm 40:1, Proverbs 13:10.
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But you need to ask in sincere faith without doubting, because the one who does not have faith is like the waves of the sea carried back and forth by the wind. A double minded person cannot expect to receive anything from the Lord and is unsteady in all of his ways.
This man follows whatever passes by and looks good to him (Proverbs 14:12). Jehoshaphat is one of many examples of a double-minded man. (1 Kings 22:7).
See also Romans 1:21, 2 Corinthians 10:5, 1 Peter 2:20, 2 Chronicles 16:9, Matthew 6:22
9. If you are poor in this life then give God glory because He has given you a higher position spiritually.
In some way, we are -right now- walking in heavenly places! Ephesians 1:3
10. Let the rich man give glory to God when he is humbled because he will someday pass away as the grass.
It is good for me that I was brought low, it taught me to pay attention to your decrees. Psalm 119:71.
See also Matthew 6:28, 11:29, Isaiah 40:6
11. For the sun rises with scorching heat and the grass dies and the flower falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way the rich man will fade away.
I was jealous of the proud when I saw them getting rich even while they are doing evil. Psalm 73:3.
See also Isaiah 40:6.
12. Happy is the man who holds onto the Lord during a time of trial, because after he has passed the test he will receive a crown of life which the Lord has promised to all that love Him.
In all of this, Job did not sin by blaming God. Job 1:22
See also 1 Thessalonians 2:19, 2 Timothy 4:8, 1 Peter 5:4, Revelation 4:10.
13. Let no man say, “God is tempting me” when he is tempted by evil because God Himself does not tempt anyone.
Adam accused God of being responsible for his temptations. Genesis 3:12
14. Every man is tempted when he is pulled away and lured by his own desires.
It is not your fault when another person decides to follow evil. Lust (or unlawful desire) never delivers what it promised.
Think about all the types of lures for fishing or trapping: live bait, attractive colors, bad smells, etc. 1 Corinthians 10:13
It is useless to spread a baited net in the sight of any bird. Proverbs 1:17
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When lust has become pregnant it delivers sin and when sin is fully grown is brings death. Do not be tricked, my dear brothers.
Evil causes the death of relationships, marriages, and your conscience. When these things are destroyed they can only be brought back from the dead by total surrender to God - who is the only One who can bring something back from the dead.
Until an arrow pierces through his liver; as a bird hastens to the snare, so he does not know that it will cost him his life. Proverbs 7:23, Psalm 7:14
17. But every good and complete gift comes from above, from the Father of all light, and in Him there is not even the smallest bit of shadow or changing.
Our enemy is the father of darkness, everything that is hidden is part of the kingdom of darkness. God wants to bring everything out into the light. The devil threatens to expose our sin if we do not allow him a foothold in our lvies. This is called blackmail.
See also Malachi 3:6, Deuteronomy 8:18, Luke 12:3, 2 Corinthians 4:2
18. By His own will, He made us His sons through the Word of truth, that we might be the first fruits of His new creation.
For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” Romans 8:15
See also Leviticus 23:10, Colossians 1:5-6.
19. Since you know this, my dear brothers, let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to be angry
Being careful means to think twice, speak once. Do NOT add more wood to the fire!!!
For lack of wood the fire goes out … Proverbs 26:20
20. The anger of a man is not the way to bring the good things of God.
A soft answer turns away wrath, but an angry word stirs up anger. Proverbs 15:1
He who is slow to anger is better than the strong, and he who has control over his spirit is better than he who captures a city. Proverbs 16:32
See also Proverbs 14:29, Ephesians 4:26.
21. Put away everything that is not clean and everything that overflows from evil and receive the Word that is grafted into you and is able to save your soul.
Romans 11:17 refers to the grafting of branches from one tree onto another. The word here is “implanted.” God wants us to allow His word to overflow inside of us, not just patch it onto the outside of our lives.
22. Do not only listen to the Word but put it into practice, or else you will be lying to yourselves.
This is not the first time that the Bible points out that we must be doers. We cannot just telling ourselves that we are following Jesus while doing nothing to put it into practice.
Do not focus on how impossible it is to climb a mountain, obeying God is done one step at a time.
Work on turning away from evil, then taking back any territory you allowed the devil to stand on. If you keep your focus on what God wants you to do, as you see it in His Word, then He will cause everything to fall into place. Matthew 6:33, Isaiah 58:8
Keep therefore and DO these things; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, who will hear all these things, and say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.” Deuteronomy 6:4
If any man will do His will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. John 7:17.
See also Romans 2:13.
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Anyone who hears the Word but does not put it into practice is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and immediately forgot the kind of person he saw in the mirror -he looked at himself and went away.
When you read the Bible, make up your mind that there is something in the chapter that can speak to your life. If you don’t apply what you learn, and plan to act on it then you will miss what God is saying to you.
And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. Matthew 13:22
See also Matthew 11:15, 27:24, 1 Corinthians 13:12, Jeremiah 17:9.
25. But the one who looks closely at the perfect law of God, (the law of freedom), and remains in it, and does not forget what he heard, but practices it, this man will be blessed in the things that he does.
The perfect law is the law of love. Real love sees what people really need. See people as creatures who are looking for someone to love them. See them as tied up with chains and pray for God's mercy on them no matter what kind of evil they are involved in.
Compare the careless look to the careful look in the mirror. See also John 8:32, John 14:15.
26. If any man thinks he is doing what is pleasing to God, but does not control his tongue he is deceiving his own heart and his service to God is worth nothing.
When there are too many words, someone will be offended, but he who controls his lips is wise. Proverbs 10:19, Proverbs 26:20, Jeremiah 17:9.
27. This is what is pleasing in the sight of God: to visit widows and orphans in their trouble, and to keep yourself clean from the things of the world.
But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? 1 John 3:17
Deliver those who are being taken away to death, and those who are staggering to slaughter, Oh hold them back! Proverbs 24:11
See also Psalm 68:5, Proverbs 15:25, John 17:14, 1 Timothy 5:3-5.