The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance [to the full, till it overflows]. (John 10:10, AMP)
We are wrapping up our James study this week. We will finish with James 5. Feel free to read it! This week, the devotionals will be a little lighter as I have family coming to town. Today, I thought I would share a passage of Scripture with you that puts James 5:1-6 into perspective.
Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins. (James 4:17)
Read more of James 4
This verse has dealt me quite a blow this week! Yikes! Really, I mean don’t you think James could have softened the blow a bit. Couldn’t he have made that verse a little easier to swallow? He’s truly not messing around and he went straight to my heart with this verse.
God continues to convict me and show me that once I know something is wrong, I can’t go back to it. I can’t compromise, not even a little. God deserves my best! I know there are areas in my life that I’m sinning towards God. I see in my health that I was doing so good. I had a great momentum going, but somewhere I lost that momentum. I could give you a thousand excuses why, but none of them seem good enough. God deserves my best with my health. He deserves my best in every area of my life.
Now listen you who say, Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money. Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” (James 4:13-15)
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. (James 4:7-8)
Read more of James 4
Let’s break down the four elements of this passage: (1) Submitting to God (2) Resisting the devil (3) Drawing near to God; and all of this is made possible through number (4) cleansing our hearts and making our way right with the Lord. It’s time to dive in deeper to all that God has for us.
Some people do not like to hear the word submit. They want control over their own lives because somehow they think they can do better than God can. I know I can’t. I see the beginning of this passage and I recognize my complete need to surrender my life before the Lord. He is the One with the answers, the One who knows the plans He has for my life, and He alone will be my strength through all things I face. It is my true delight to simply surrender to the One who gives me life.
“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” (Psalm 139:14)
What leads to [the unending] quarrels and conflicts among you? Do they not come from your [hedonistic] desires that wage war in your [bodily] members [fighting for control over you]? (James 4:1, AMP)
Through this passage, I have come to understand that most conflicts can be avoided if I recognize the source. The source being my selfish desires and struggle to have what I want in life.