Galatians 1:2-5
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“Grace and peace” is part of Paul’s greetings in all of his letters – in that order. We know that Grace is God’s unconditional, undeserved, surprising love – manifested most clearly in Jesus Christ – his life, death and resurrection – all for our sakes. There is no human element in God’s Grace – it is all his initiative and doing. We can experience this grace only when we open our lives to him, and allow him to flood in (because that’s the force of grace!). And here’s the thing: when we allow this love to flood into us, and keep filling us, we experience the fullness of the Almighty, his blessing, his abiding Presence. And that is the essence of shalom, peace. Maybe that’s why Paul wished “grace and peace” to all who received his letters – that is God’s will for every one of us.
Have you experienced grace, and continuing to do so? What about peace? Is God filling your life to fullness?

Prayer: Gracious and loving God: I need you – your unconditional, undeserved love; not just once, but again and again. I know that when I am filled with your love I will be filled with YOU! I want to be so filled with your fullness, my Jesus, that there is no space for irritation, conflict, despair, hopelessness – they will all be pushed out by your Presence. I want to know your peace, the peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7), a peace that heals, that hopes. You said in your Word that that was your will for me. I yearn for that now. Amen.

Song: “Grace and Peace” (Fernando Ortega)
CLICK HERE

GALATIANS DEVOTIONS
By Rev. Sunil Balasundaram
Introduction
These devotions are based on a letter that Paul wrote to the Galatian Christians. You can read about how Paul planted these churches on his first missionary journey in Acts 13-14. Like in other letters, Paul writes because of an issue that is disrupting the church. People were losing sight of the grace that gave them this new life of freedom in Christ. They were going back to a life of “slavery,” to Judaistic legalism, with the act of circumcision becoming the indicator of discipleship instead of faith leading to transformed lives. The issue is relevant today because at risk here is the grace, or unmerited, surprising love of God in Jesus that is often missed in the pursuit of holiness (maintaining “God’s standards”) because of a reluctance to listen to the Spirit. I pray that through these devotions you will (re)discover that grace! For an overview of Galatians,
 please watch: CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO

Remember, these are devotions – it is not a study. Please first pray asking God to speak to you, read the passage at least twice, then the devotion. Use the questions to help you think about how the passage relates to you, then pray the prayer I’ve written; it may be more important than the devotion! May I suggest you write your own prayer that is more relevant to your situation and add it to the comments to encourage others? Or maybe you have a question/comment that others can respond to. If you have a personal question/comment please email me directly. I’ve also chosen a song for you to listen at the end of each devotion. Be blessed!

Galatians 1:1
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It is often argued that Paul was the twelfth apostle who replaced Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus and then committed suicide. Paul himself says that his calling and commissioning came directly from Jesus and God the Father. He is referring, of course, to his “Damascus Road” experience in Acts 9. He also makes two other points about his calling and commissioning: there were no human intermediaries involved; and he was called by no less than the Resurrected Jesus Christ.

Why did Paul introduce himself so? How important is it that we know that we are specifically called and commissioned by God? What part do other humans play in that calling (after all Ananias did play a part cf. Acts 9:15-17)? How does the Resurrection affect what your purpose is?

Prayer: Thank you, Almighty God, for making me “fearfully and wonderfully” (Psalm 139:14). You know me from the inside out; you know my strengths, but you know (more than even I) my weaknesses and failings. And yet you sent your Son Jesus to die for me; that I may be made new through believing in his death and resurrection for my sake. And even more than that you have chosen me to be a daughter, a son. And if that was not enough you called me, entrusted me with your gospel of grace to be shared with others, that same grace that saved me, made me your child, and called me to be a “sent one” myself. May I never minimize what you have given me O generous, loving God. Amen.

Song: “Abide” (Aaron Williams. One of my favorites that I sing every day)
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James 5:19-20
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(Please read the passage before, or after, reading the devotion.)
NOTE: This is the last James devotion. Please look for an announcement for the next devotional series in our eNewsletter Connections and watch this space.

There are traces of Ezekiel’s call to be a watchman over his people here (Ezekiel 33:7-8). The mature follower of Christ has a serious responsibility for the spiritual welfare of others in the family (“brothers and sisters,” v.19). James is realistic about the possibility that anyone can lose their way; it can happen to me, and it can happen so subtly that I could have drifted far from Christ before I noticed it! That is when others in the church need to manifest their love by having the courage to “bring the sinner back” (v.20). We need to constantly remind each other of God’s grace (=undeserved love) in Jesus Christ that constantly gives us second chances – if we only turn back to Him. It will prevent the fallen believer from totally turning their back to God and choosing a life of self-destruction. And that same grace will once again be sufficient to bring forgiveness for the person’s sin.

Prayer: I wonder Lord, do I really care enough for those in my spiritual family? Do I care when one “falls away,” sins, messes up, grieves You, that I have the love and courage to remind them of Your love to turn them back to You? I know that some of this is subjective, that what I see as “sin” may not be what the other accepts as such. But if I am attentive to Your Spirit, and I love the other person, can I not show Your love and concern by my own gentleness, courage, and vulnerability? Because the bigger question I can almost hear You ask is: “My child, if you do not care for your own sisters and brothers enough to be My Truth to them, why and how will you show My Love to those who don’t know me, even to those who scorn Me and cause you suffering?” I need you so much Lord Jesus, to make this happen in my life. Amen.

Song: CLICK HERE

James 5:14-18
BIBLE PASSAGE- CLICK HERE
(Please read the passage before, or after, reading the devotion.)

How does prayer work within a faith community, the church? In saying “they should call for…” (v.14) James implies that the need for others’ prayers (especially those of mature followers of Christ and leaders in the church) should be an essential and spontaneous part of every member of the church. There is definite power in the prayer of faith, as the Elijah reference illustrates (cf. 1 Kings 17:1; 18:41-45). James is not suggesting that we do not use doctors and medicine (Luke himself was known to be a doctor). Yet asking for the actual presence and prayer of the church’s “prayer-warriors” should not be the last resort, but the first/instinctive response in times of sickness. It speaks to the reality that sickness can have both physical and spiritual implications. Is the corporate prayer of the church that important to us?

Prayer: Lord, is it pride or ignorance that prevents me from asking for my church sisters’ and brothers’ presence and prayer when I am sick? Maybe this is another way You want me to “humble myself,” by actually wanting spiritual help during a time of physical need. Maybe You need me to recognize Your power through the maturity of someone that You have “gifted” within our fellowship. Loving God, I am open to learning the power and responsibility that goes along with prayer. Please teach me. Amen.

Prayer: CLICK HERE

James 5:13
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(Please read the passage before, or after, reading the devotion.)

James comes to an essential aspect in the “maturity and wholeness” in the life of a follower of Christ – prayer and praise: communing with God, conversing, listening, asking, being enthralled by the wonderful-ness of Him! Yes, there is suffering: Jeremiah faced opposition, Ezekiel personal grief, Hosea a broken marriage. There are also times of immense goodness and blessing. We can either be bitter because of the former, or become complacent with the latter. James reminds us that when we truly pray and praise, we are looking past the circumstances to a loving and all-powerful God whose relationship and will is central to our lives. In suffering, prayer believes that God is still in control and His grace is sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:9). In blessing, we praise and rejoice in the Giver of good gifts. [Check out Paul’s similar attitude in Philippians 4:12-13]

Prayer: How I yearn for that spirit of prayer and praise Lord. I want to make you Jesus, central in my life, so that every circumstance will be an opportunity to turn to you – whether I am hurting, or when I feel the fullness of Your blessing. I want to be able to pray like the Psalmist: “What else do I have in heaven but you? Since I have you, what else could I want on earth? …God…is all I ever need” (Psalm 73:25-26, GNT). Amen.

Song: CLICK HERE

James 5:7-12
BIBLE PASSAGE- CLICK HERE
(Please read the passage before, or after, reading the devotion.)

Patience is one fruit of the Spirit that needs to be nurtured. It doesn’t happen overnight. This too is faith in action. James helps us understand it in two ways – one negatively, the other positively. The lack of patience shows up rather obviously in what we say, and how we say it. Grumbling and swearing come from an impatient spirit that is far from deliberate, is impulsive, and often judgmental. The result is that we end up falling under the judgment of God because of it. Positively, patience sees the second coming of Jesus as a reality. And an integral part of preparing for His coming is “watching and (constructively) waiting” (Luke 19:11-27). This waiting can include suffering, but the result is endurance, and a growth in compassion and mercy – just like Jesus!

Prayer: I want to be like You, Lord Jesus. As I wait for You to return and “make all things new,” teach me that an integral part of that waiting is growing that fruit of the Spirit of patience in me. Just as You never let anyone “get under Your skin” and never grumbled about anyone, fill me with Your love so that I too will be patient, and therefore gentle with those in need. May my waiting for Your return be a season of growing in endurance, compassion and mercy. Amen.

Song: CLICK HERE

James 5:1-6
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(Please read the passage before, or after, reading the devotion.)

James can be brutally honest when he writes, but he does so just as Jesus did – in love. He moves to another delicate area where the follower of Christ needs to grow in maturity: in the way we relate to our possessions. He warns us that the more possessions we have, the more the desire to own more creeps into our lives. And it happens in four ways – we are tempted to hoard (vs.2-3), to be unjust and defraud the vulnerable (v.4), to indulge ourselves (v.5), to even betray those without fault only because they did not pander to our desires. Ultimately, he is reinforcing what Jesus said: “No one can serve two masters…You cannot serve both God and money” (Matthew 6:24). Maturity shows in what or who I choose to be my real treasure: what I possess…or the God who loves me and treasures me

Prayer: Lord, it is so easy to be owned by my possessions, instead of it being the other way around. I justify it by calling it being worldly-wise, or financially savvy, or securing my future. But all it does is take my focus off You (the Giver) and direct it onto the possessions You give (the gifts). And without my realizing it I stop being generous, because all I am looking out for is myself. Possessions and wealth can be so blinding – but You warned me, haven’t You, Jesus? Forgive me. I once again turn my eyes on You…Amen.

Song: CLICK HERE

James 4:13-17
BIBLE PASSAGE - CLICK HERE
(Please read the passage before, or after, reading the devotion.)

James shows me how wisdom and humility are so closely linked. Pride blocks God’s purpose (that His wisdom reveals) from becoming real in our lives. James is not saying that we shouldn’t plan for the future. What he is saying is that when I do all the planning for my future, I am living according to my purposes, and I am in control. And that is not God’s wisdom but an attitude of arrogance, and it is sinful. Humility reveals that God in His love has a purpose for my future. And when I live for that purpose, I am doing the right thing; I am living a life that will not “vanish like a mist,” and I am living depending on God’s resources.

Prayer: Gracious God, how silly of me to think I can control my future. But the alternative of “no control” fills me with fear of the unknown. Forgive me for my pride that gives me the false security in my own human resources. And thank You for showing me that there is another alternative – that of faith and wisdom. I believe that You have a purpose for my life in Christ, and that I can depend on You to provide the means to fulfill it. All I need is to be obedient…and humble. Amen.

Song: CLICK HERE

James 4:11-12
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(Please read the passage before, or after, reading the devotion.)

Reminder: There will be NO daily devotion tomorrow, Sunday. Hopefully most of you will join us either in person or through our Live stream Worship and listen to God yourselves. Come with open hearts!

Remember what James’ prime concern in his letter is: that the follower of Christ be “mature and complete, lacking nothing” (1:4) by putting faith into action (2:14-26). Small things “derail” this goal. When we say things against our “neighbor” to bring them down rather than build them up, we are really acting superior to them, allowing pride to take control. It doesn’t matter even if what is said is true. If our intent is to bring the other down, we are putting ourselves in a position of being judges over them thereby negating God’s grace for us, breaking Jesus’ “royal law” (2:8), and not humbling ourselves. The question then is: what do we say that builds others up, therefore building ourselves in the process (2 Corinthians 13:10-11)?

Prayer: Forgive me Lord, it is so easy to criticize someone else’s failings, forgetting that is my past and present as well. It is so easy to slip from humbling myself to feeling superior to others with failings I don’t have. Remind me Jesus that each time I become a “judge” to others I not only break your “royal law” to love my neighbors as myself, I also end up loving you less. I want to be just like you. So teach me, help me how to only be a “builder of others.” Amen.

Song: CLICK HERE

James 4:5-10
BIBLE PASSAGE- CLICK HERE
(Please read the passage before, or after, reading the devotion.)

And so we come to the only verse in James that actually uses the word “grace,” which is God’s undeserved, unlimited, unconditional love and favor, shown most completely in the person and work of Jesus Christ. James so desperately wants us to understand that there is really only one thing that we have to do to truly receive and experience the grace that God so generously gives. We need to humble ourselves. Humility is the one thing that God does not give us. This putting ourselves second (or last), this considering the “other” better than myself, this attitude of submission to someone more worthy than I – only I can do that; that’s part of God’s love gift of freedom that He has given us humans. It involves surrender, confession, tears, and a turning to God, yearning for Him. But the beauty is the joy that comes after that – when He lifts us into His arms!

Prayer: I can call it by other names O Lord, but I know that it is my pride that prevents me from fully experiencing Your gift of grace. You will never force me to see myself as I really am – broken, messed up, sinful, needy. But I now recognize that only when I give up my hold on myself, that I can actually see myself through Your eyes – a child of Your love. As I draw nearer to You in humility, the devil flees, but so does my pride, my pain, my past (and all the sin it contained). And so, O Lamb of God, I come…Amen.

Song: CLICK HERE

James 4:1-5
BIBLE PASSAGE - CLICK HERE
(Please read the passage before, or after, reading the devotion.)

God created me and saved me not only to be His child, but His friend! And He takes our friendship seriously. Maybe that’s why anything that goes against that relationship sours up, because real friendship puts the relationship first, over myself. And when I become self-oriented, self-centered, as the rest of the world wants and is, I end up acting against God and our friendship. God longs for me to yearn for what His will is, even as He wants what is best for me. Isn’t that what real friendship is?

Prayer: Wow! Almighty God, You want me to be Your friend? That’s why You made me, sent Jesus to die for me, gave Your Holy Spirit to be in me? How can I be so senseless to want the trivial things the world entices me with, when I have all of You? Forgive me Loving God. Open all my senses to experience what You have for me, that I may desire You and what You will with my entire being. Amen.

Song: CLICK HERE

James 3:13-18
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(Please read the passage before, or after, reading the devotion.)

A simple understanding of the word “righteousness” in the Bible is “to live in a right relationship with God.” This happens only by grace, when we trust in what Jesus has done for us on the cross, and depend on what the Holy Spirit does in and through our changed lives. This trusting and depending is at the heart of what James calls wisdom that comes from above. Wisdom is when we allow the Holy Spirit to take all our knowledge (of God and the world), intelligence, experiences, and use them to bring meaning and direction into our lives. It is God’s resource for maturity through adversity (1:2-8), and here it is His prescription for living a “good life” that is full of godly fruit (v.17). Is that the wisdom I desire more than anything else?

Prayer: O God of mercy, shield me from the “wisdom” that is not from You: the kind that is self-promoting, divisive, even devilish. I open myself to Your Holy Spirit. Work in me so that not only will I experience the good life You want me to have, Your wisdom through me will bring Your peace, one-ness, wholeness in the lives of all those around me. Amen.

Song: CLICK HERE

James 3:1-12
BIBLE PASSAGE - CLICK HERE
(Please read the passage before, or after, reading the devotion.)

We live in an age where what we say – words – don’t matter much. And that is unfortunate, because in Jesus’ and James’ “Kingdom world” that is blatantly (and hellishly) false! Why? Two reasons – words reveal first the standard (and character) of God, and second the heart of humans. James has already written about God’s “word of truth” which has the power to change us (1:18). And the New Testament again and again talks about “truth” as central to the gospel and its place in Christian behavior. As to the second, didn’t Jesus say “the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them” (Matthew 15:18)? James uses multiple examples of horses, ships, forest fires, taming of wild creatures, and underground springs to prove his point. The use of words reflects the “maturity and completeness” of the Christ-follower (cf. 1:4; 3:2, where “perfect” is to be understood as “complete”), and so be care-full in what you say!

Prayer: Lord, I did not realize that my words reveal not just the power of your “word of Truth,” but also the extent to which “word of Truth” has changed my heart, my life. Forgive me when my words have given a false witness of You, whom I say I follow. Forgive me for condoning (and even making excuses) when others have spoken against the truth, and thereby spoken against You. Please grow me by teaching me to use my words as you used them Jesus, making each word count for You. Maybe then I’ll come to understand that whether I know it or not, I become a teacher as well. Amen.

Song: CLICK HERE

James 2:20-26
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(Please read the passage before, or after, reading the devotion.)

“You senseless person” (v.20). Do I detect a sense of urgency in James’ tone? Again, James is not saying that anyone can get right with God by doing good works (please read the last devotion again). But he is emphasizing that what you do will be the natural result of what you believe (or who you believe in). Both Abraham (Genesis 22) and Rahab (Joshua 2) had decided in their hearts who they believed in, who they wanted to follow – Yahweh God, the God that Jesus called “father.” By their (subsequent) actions they showed what (and who) they had believed in their hearts even before that. James’ simple logic says that just as lives without God make us like spiritual “zombies” (the walking dead), faith is lifeless without that faith showing itself in obedience. So, how “alive” is your faith?

Prayer: Thank you for James’ honesty when it comes to our faith, Lord. But I know your (and his) intention is not to discourage us. I realize it is to remind us how real your love is, how present you want to be in every aspect of our lives. You want us to experience what faith really can do if we put it into action. It will not only change us entirely, but it will also change those around us as well. Please grow my faith O God; I want to be “mature and complete” as you intend me to be. Amen.

Song: CLICK HERE

James 2:14-19
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(Please read the passage before, or after, reading the devotion.)

Reminder: There will be NO daily devotion tomorrow, Sunday. Hopefully most of you will join us either in person or through our Live stream Worship and listen to God yourselves. Come with open hearts!

Janes is not obsessed with the concept of trying to work ourselves into God’s favor and heaven. He truly believed that Jesus was indeed the only way to having a relationship with God (2:1b). And that only by faith in His grace (that undeserved love given without limit or condition) could God transform our lives. But he keeps reminding us of this natural progression: God’s grace -> our faith -> transformed living -> works of love (just as Jesus worked in love) [cf. How Paul says it in Ephesians 2:8-10 and Philippians 2:12b-13] How can we separate faith from its outworking? There is humor and irony in inferring that surely we were better than demons! Demons also believed in the existence of God (a strange kind of “faith”), but their response is terror. In contrast, shouldn’t our faith response to God and His love be one that shows what transformed lives do – actually helping those in dire need, and not being superficially religious?

Prayer: Loving God, forgive me for the way I separate my relationship with you from the relationship you want me to have with the people of the world. It is so easy to form a “checklist” of what it means to be a follower of Christ, and keep checking each thing off: prayer, bible reading, church worship, charity, giving to the church… But that’s not what you want of me, do you Lord? Because sometimes that seems almost like the demons that live in terror because of the power you yield. I now realize that the reason you transform me is to live like Jesus did, where faith and love (showed in works) are so fused together, they cannot be separated. Just like you and me. Amen.

Song: CLICK HERE

James 2:8-13
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(Please read the passage before, or after, reading the devotion.)

How you regard a person will dictate what you do with what they say. In calling “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (cf. Jesus’ “Great Commandment” in Mark 12:29-31) a royal law, James, in his humility and worship, regarded Jesus as King. And to James, dis-obeying such a law by showing partiality on the basis of outward appearance and prejudice was as bad as sinning against King Jesus and God. On the other hand, showing mercy and love to others irrespective of who they are is proof that we have understood what God has done for us. We have then understood that God really showed us mercy instead of the judgment we deserve. Isn’t that the very definition of “grace”? So, how have we responded to this grace?

Prayer: Oh my goodness! I did not realize that my bias and prejudice toward others meant so much to you, O God of mercy. I did not realize that it reflected the extent of my response to your love, as well as whether I regarded you as Master and King of my life, Lord Jesus. Forgive me, for I have sinned. I truly want to be a “doer” of your Word by being an embodiment of your love. Keep working in me, Lord; please keep challenging me that you might indeed make me “mature and complete, lacking nothing” (1:4). Amen.

Song: CLICK HERE

James 2:1-7
BIBLE PASSAGE - CLICK HERE
(Please read the passage before, or after, reading the devotion.)

“…really believe in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ (or, the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, RSV)” (v.1). That’s what is important to James: real faith (= a living relationship with Jesus) is shown in attitudes and behavior. A simple test: how do we naturally treat strangers among us – whether in the church or outside – on the basis of their external appearance? Do we see them as much of the world would, and discriminate in our behavior toward them on the basis of that appearance – low respect for the poor-looking, high respect for the rich-looking? Or do we see them as Jesus (who really is the only one deserving of “really high respect”) would – all of us as needy, and therefore to be treated with equal mutual respect? Faith should change our “eyes,” and that should change our behavior (cf. Matthew 6:22-23)!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I didn’t realize that I grieve and even insult your Name by the way I see people according to their appearance and discriminate in my behavior towards them. Forgive me for convincing myself that knowing you is only a spiritual matter. You want my relationship with you to constantly make me more and more humble – just like you. Then maybe I will see others as you see them, and act towards them as you would. In compassion. Help me to see; transform me to act. Amen.

Song: CLICK HERE

James 1:26-27
BIBLE PASSAGE - CLICK HERE
(Please read the passage before, or after, reading the devotion.)

“Like father, like son” is not usually used as a compliment. Yet in Jesus, that is exactly what happened – “Whoever has seen me (Jesus) has seen the Father” (John 14:19). And that is what God intends for us as His children – “Be perfect…as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). Jesus’ death, resurrection, and promise of the Holy Spirit is so that we would be saved (made whole) and adopted (made His children, to be like the Father). James suggests three simple (and obvious) ways to show this. First are our words – not just what we say, but how we say them. Do we reflect who our Heavenly Father is by our words? Second is our compassion – how we show the Father’s care for the most vulnerable. In those days they were orphans and widows; today the list would include victims of every form of injustice and violence. Third is our holiness – how we live as if we are in the world, yet not of it: distinct, different, just as Jesus is (read John 17:15-18).

Prayer: You are asking too much of me O God. But are you? You expected no less from your Son Jesus; you intend no less for us your children. Maybe it’s because I only see myself as a human on my way to (hopefully) heaven. And you see me as your growing (and therefore not complete as yet, and fallible) heavenly child placed on earth to represent you. You desire that I reflect you in the simplest ways that you will work through me by your Holy Spirit in me – words, compassion, holiness (Your distinctiveness in me). Thank you for who you are making me to be. Amen.

 (Song lyrics of “Into the night”: CLICK HERE)

Song: CLICK HERE

James 1:22-25
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(Please read the passage before, or after, reading the devotion.)

Verse 21 ends with “Word…which can save you.” In other words, God’s Word can make you whole…complete. [The Greek word translated as “save” and “salvation” also means “healed,” “made whole.”] So it would be logical that God’s Word in us makes us whole when we obey it; so that is what we would naturally do. But apparently not. There are some who look, listen seriously into God’s Word – and then do nothing with what it speaks about in their lives. The analogy drawn about the person and the mirror is funny – absurd even – and yet true for many. Much like the person who hears but ignores Jesus’ words in his analogy about the one who built his house on the sand, which collapsed in the wind and rain (cf. Matthew 7:24-27). Be hearers and doers. James is simply repeating what Jesus said. Listen intently, then put God’s revelation into practice. The result always changes the doer!

Prayer: Forgive me, Lord; I wasn’t listening. You first warned me to talk less and listen more. Now you challenge me to not just listen, but do something about what I hear. And keep doing it! You assure me that contrary to what it seems, my obedience does not imprison me; it will actually free me. Not only will I be doing your will, but that’s also how you transform me; you make me whole. That’s how I experience the fullness of who you are – your blessing. Help me to be a listener. But not just stop there – help me to be a doer of the Word too. Amen.

Song: CLICK HERE

James 1:19-21
BIBLE PASSAGE - CLICK HERE
(Please read the passage before, or after, reading the devotion.)

If God’s intention for us is to grow from new birth to new lives, how does he make that happen? I’m pretty sure that James has Jesus’ Parable of the Sower (Mark 4:1-20) at the back of his mind while writing this. Just as Jesus kept repeating “Let anyone with ears to hear listen,” James calls us to be attentive to God and his Word. This is more than having a regular devotional time; this is having an intentional listening ear! Receptivity to God always has two aspects. The first is preparation – having an attitude that is not defensive, does not pander to selfish passions, and turns away from the “weeds and thorns” of our past inclinations. The second is response – humbly allowing God’s Word in us (cf.v.18) to grow in us (and thereby grow us) by our obedience.

Prayer: Help me to be honest with myself, O Lord. I am so quick to speak, whether to defend myself or to show I know more, but in so doing I do not listen for your Voice through your Word and your people. I excuse my anger as righteous indignation, forgetting that I am not all that righteous and besides. Forgive me, Lord. I will be intentional in listening to you. May your Word grow in me even as I obey you so that you, Lord Jesus, may fill my life. Amen.

Song: CLICK HERE

James 1:17-18
BIBLE PASSAGE - CLICK HERE

(Please read the passage before, or after, reading the devotion.)

Reminder: There will be NO daily devotion tomorrow, Sunday. Hopefully most of you will join us through our Live stream Worship and listen to God yourselves. Come with open hearts!

We mustn’t think of God as someone who keeps preventing us from the things we like – something like a “party-pooper!” On the contrary, God wants to give His best to His children. And He does so generously; that’s His very nature which doesn’t change. While “sin gives birth to death (v.15),” God, on the other hand, does something extraordinary. He plants His Word in our hearts which in turn brings about a new (spiritual) birth in our lives (cf. John 3:3). He gives us absolutely new lives which, like the first-fruits in the Old Testament, can then be offered back to Him as a love offering. Do we?

Prayer: Thank you, gracious God, for every good gift. You’ve kept nothing good away from me! You gave me new life, and with it, yourself – your Holy Spirit. But that’s not all; you have given me every other blessing besides, of loving relationships, of every necessity. I have discovered that I lack nothing Lord, when I have you. Thank you. But now I must learn what it means to give myself to you as “first-fruits:” the best of who I am, the best of what I have is all I can give you in response. So take Lord, receive. Amen.

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James 1:12-16
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“The devil made me do it” or “If God loves me, why didn’t He stop me?” is what some people say when they mess up, do something horribly wrong, cause intentional pain, in short, sin! James knows how easy it is to deceive oneself. He knows the truth of what Paul writes in Romans 7:14-24, that our human inclinations are self/pleasure-oriented and enslaving. Left to ourselves, we will follow those inclinations, which will eventually translate thought into action, and we end up sinning, with the resulting spiritual destruction. The Christ-follower is not immune to this, because of the human tendency of self-deception. But what they do know is that, as followers of Christ, they can recognize when those instincts surface and turn back to following Christ (and not themselves) because they love Him more.

Prayer: I almost fell away from you Lord, that time when I listened to my own inclinations and instincts. I made all kinds of excuses, but in the end I knew it came down to “Do I love Jesus or myself more?” Thank you for your love, gracious God, because that’s what won the day. All I could think of was “How can I do this and hurt the One who loved me enough to die for me?” I realize now that every temptation is a kind of test – of love – that asks me, “Do you love me, Jesus, more than these?” I do, Lord. Amen.

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James 1:9-12
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Please don’t misunderstand James – he is not saying that it’s a virtue to be poor, nor is he saying that it’s a sin to be rich. There are rich and poor people in the world, even among followers of Christ. That is a reality the Bible recognizes. But what James reminds the person “in humble circumstances” (a person of modest economic means) is that when they know Christ in their lives, they actually have spiritual dignity and wealth that is tantamount to lasting riches (read-Mark 10:21; 2 Corinthians 8:9). On the other hand rich believers should remember that their riches had absolutely no influence on God showing His grace in their lives. God deals with them as if they had nothing and still gives them grace. That is what they should celebrate – that God blesses us not because of what we are or have – which could vanish in a moment – but because of who He is: a God of Love who gives.

Prayer: You became poor so that I, through your poverty, may become “rich” (cf. 2 Corinthians 8:9). How can I ever say that I am poor, if I know you are by my side, Lord Jesus? Your Word reminds me how you richly bless me with “every spiritual blessing.” Forgive me when I take my eyes off you and focus on my circumstances, just like Peter took his eyes off you as he walked on water and began sinking! Forgive me too when all is going well and I focus on my blessings, forgetting the Giver. I humble myself before you, O gracious Giver – whether it is in plenty, or when I have nothing. It is You I need most of all – you will always be my crown. Amen.

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James 1:5-8
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Ever heard of “growing pains”? It’s true because growing can be painful, even (and especially) if that growing is to make you “mature and complete” as a Christ-follower and child of God. We will need more than our own resources for that growth; we’ll need God’s wisdom to negotiate all that the evil one, the world (the culture around us), and our own (often foolish, selfish) human inclinations throw at us. We will need to see things as God sees them, and then respond as He would have us, with insight and faith. And that to me is what Godly wisdom is all about. And James says that all we need to do is ask God for that wisdom. He will “give generously to all,” with no strings attached. That is a promise to claim!

Prayer: God of all wisdom and comfort, so often I feel the pain of my suffering doesn’t allow me to see you clearly. Sometimes I feel you don’t even care. I forget that you cared so much that you bore the cross for my sake. At such times, I rely more on my own understanding and strength than on yours. And even when I do ask you for your wisdom, I am unwilling to listen to your answer because it is different from what I want and expect. Forgive me for thinking I know better. Forgive me for not believing that you really love me, and that you will grow me and my faith through the suffering. I surrender my fears, doubts, and suffering to you O Lord. I will trust you with single-hearted devotion. Amen.

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