June 30 ~ James 5:16-20
16-18 Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed. The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with. Elijah, for instance, human just like us, prayed hard that it wouldn't rain, and it didn't—not a drop for three and a half years. Then he prayed that it would rain, and it did. The showers came and everything started growing again.
19-20 My dear friends, if you know people who have wandered off from God's truth, don't write them off. Go after them. Get them back and you will have rescued precious lives from destruction and prevented an epidemic of wandering away from God.
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
Do you know someone who is so exasperating that you are ready to simply turn your back and walk away? You have tried to talk to them about a relationship with Jesus Christ. You have invited them to church, stood by them when they had times of need. You have been a friend through thick and thin and “loved them with the love of Christ,” and none of it seems to make any difference. So why not cut your losses and move on to other things and other people?
If ever you need Biblical proof that we should never stop praying – that we should never give up on someone who needs to develop a relationship with Jesus Christ – this is the passage! There comes a time when you do have to sometimes back away from the person, but you NEVER have to stop praying for them. Never, ever, EVER underestimate the power of prayer. Even when it seems like the person is not listening or moving in the right direction, don’t stop lifting them before God.
I am reminded of a young man who moved to the West Coast and got lost in the drug world. Years later he returned home, a born-again Christian who was committed to teaching teens and young adults about Jesus and saying “No” to drugs. He said, “I had a grandmother who refused to stop praying for me, and in great part because of her prayers, I am here today.” A few years ago, someone I knew became so wacked out on drugs that he ultimately ended up in prison. He wrote to me that he remembered seeing me at my dad’s funeral, and I touched his arm and said, “I’ll be praying for you.” Years later from his prison cell, he wrote, “I never forgot that.” Five simple words… “I’ll be praying for you” – backed up by the action of really PRAYING for that person – can make a huge difference.
Just like Elijah, if we humbly confess our sins and come before God and ask for His help, He WILL give it! Does this mean that we have to stand up in church and air our dirty laundry – list our sins for the entire congregation to hear? No! But it means that we are not to act like we don’t have any faults or sins. I heard a pastor say that he can’t relate to someone who pretends to be perfect. “If you act like you haven’t sinned,” he said, “then I can’t relate to you.” Admitting that you struggle with sins and temptations and sharing how your faith strengthens you – how you rely on God’s grace and mercy to overcome – gives your witness a tremendous depth. Others see that what God does for you, He will surely do for them!
So be the “real deal” with others. Humbly admit that you are a sinner, but live a life that allows you to testify honestly to the great things God has done – and continues to do – in your life! Pray always… early and often! … and never give up on God’s power to do great things for others and to answer your prayers on their behalf! Now get going… you’ve got your work cut out for you!
©2008 Debbie
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June 29 ~ James 5:14
14 Are you sick? Call the church leaders together to pray and anoint you with oil in the name of the Master. Believing-prayer will heal you, and Jesus will put you on your feet.
15 And if you've sinned, you'll be forgiven—healed inside and out.
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
My pastor once told me that “I can’t go visit if I don’t know a person is sick!” Now, granted, some people like to play the martyr and pretend that they are so all-important that by some grand form of mental telepathy (or Divine intervention) the ministers and church members will know that they are sick or in need. But clearly, none of us are magicians or psychics, thank heavens, and James is giving us a specific mandate to TELL THE CHURCH LEADERS when you are sick or in need!
Does this mean you should run to your pastors and church leaders with every little sniffle? I don’t believe so. In Galatians 6:5, we are told that “each of us should carry our own load,” and surely we can bear up under a simple cold or other minor illness or injury, personal conflict, or something like a temporary financial squeeze. And honestly, if each of us ran to our church leaders with all of these things and did NOT carry our own load, nothing would ever be accomplished in the church. There would be no time to spread the Gospel to unbelievers or help the truly needy.
But… when big trouble comes… trouble you don’t feel you can handle alone… trouble that burdens you and weighs down your body and soul…serious illness or injury, marital problems, struggles with addictions, grief over sin in your life, financial ruin, overwhelming pressure to “keep all the balls in the air”, and more… James tells us that we are to seek help from our church leaders. It’s time for the “big guns” – an anointing with oil and prayer in the name of Jesus, the Great Healer.
Will all of your troubles be over? Will all of your diseases and injuries be healed? Will everything be restored in your personal life if only you have complete faith that God will do this? James says, “Jesus will put you on your feet.” Does he mean exactly that? I honestly believe that James means that Jesus will heal you – according to God’s will. This means that your healing may come in the form of learning to cope with your illness, as the Apostle Paul and Timothy did theirs. It may mean that you figure out a way to pay your bills over time or to reach a point of peace with your friend or spouse. It may mean that God shows you how to cut back on some of your activities and let some things go in order to be able to juggle all of your daily stresses. Or, it may mean that He instantly delivers you completely from whatever troubles you. But it is all a matter of His will, your faith, and confession of your need AND your sins.
Proverbs 28:13 says "He that covereth his sins shall not prosper." Psalms 66:18 says, “If I regard iniquity [sin] in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.” You must “come clean” with God in order for Him to be able to work in your life. I know this is a lot to think about when you are in the middle of a crisis, but this is a vital step. Release all possible roadblocks to your healing and blessing. Confess your sins and approach God in prayer with a faith-filled heart and a humble spirit.
Pastors and church leaders do not have ESP. God doesn’t always equip them with a “sense” of the specific needs of those in their flock. There is nothing wrong with asking for help… and many stand ready to pray with you and assist you in finding God’s peace. If you need anointed prayer from your church leaders, don’t hesitate to call them. Then be prepared to humble yourself before God and accept His answer, with faith that His will for your life is always perfect.
©2008 Debbie Robus
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June 28 ~ James 5:13
13 Are you hurting? Pray. Do you feel great? Sing.
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
James reminds us to pray when we are sick or sad AND when we are happy and well. And too often, we forget the last part – we only pray when things are not going well or we are facing some sort of crisis. We pray only for others who are sick or in need, and we fail to thank God for good things He has done in our lives and the lives of others.
For the next week, try this exercise: each day take a sheet of paper and draw a line down the center. On the left, list all of your praises. List everything positive you can think of… from your cold that is going away to the car that pulled in front of you but didn’t hit you to good weather and a great Friday night date! Be specific and see how many good, positive events and blessings in your life you can list. On the right-hand side, list needs and concerns… your sick friend or family member, a conflict with someone else, a sin (or sins) in your life, those who are hungry, homeless and hurting, war and strife, natural disaster – anything you can think of that you need to talk about with God and lay before Him.Use this list as your guide as you pray each day. Be mindful of not only the needs and hurts and sins on the right-hand side, but also of the joys and blessings on the left. I can’t promise that the left-hand list will be longer than the right side, but put yourself in a position to see more of God’s blessings in your life each day. You might want to consider doing this in a spiral notebook and keeping it as a sort of “prayer journal.” I have found that reviewing “prayer lists/journals” from a year or more ago can be quite revealing and rewarding. Often I can see my own spiritual growth – as well as the prayers that have been answered over time.
Pray when you are hurting and in need, but pray also when you feel great. There is a dumb little saying – “vote early and vote often.” Try inserting the word “pray” for the word “vote” – as in, “pray early and pray often” – and remember to include prayers of thanks along with your heavenly requests.
©2008 Debbie Robus
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June 27 ~ James 5:12
12 And since you know that he cares, let your language show it. Don't add words like "I swear to God" to your own words. Don't show your impatience by concocting oaths to hurry up God. Just say yes or no. Just say what is true. That way, your language can't be used against you.
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
I enjoy watching The Late Show With David Letterman. I think Dave is often funny and usually very “human” in his approach. He doesn’t seem superficial. I guess you would say he is a likable guy. Jay Leno is also likable. For someone in his position, he doesn’t seem pretentious, and like Letterman, when he talks about his childhood and his family, you feel a connection with him – like you are talking to a friend.
I don’t know if it has gotten worse or I have become more sensitive, but I find myself cringing at some of Letterman’s attempts at humor in recent months. And one of the things he does to emphasize many of his points is to swear the oath, “by God.” He does it a LOT! And it is disturbing. I am sure he thinks nothing of this, as is the case with lots of people who use this same oath. I have no clue what he believes Spiritually or whether David Letterman is a Christian. And I am not passing judgment on his faith. That is not my place. But this oath bothers me.
I will have to say that Jay Leno doesn’t seem to stoop to peppering his comments with oaths. And maybe you don’t find him to be as funny. But I have to wonder… would Letterman still be funny – or even more so – without these oaths? Do they really give him the credibility he apparently seeks by using them – the “punch” and “oomph?” Does saying to someone, “I swear this it the truth!” make it more so – or more believable? Are we living lives that require us to swear on someone else in order to be credible – as if just stating the facts is not enough?
I have to tell you, I never gave the phrase, “I swear” much thought until I read this verse in James and studied it. I want to be a person of such integrity and honesty that people know I mean what I say and speak the truth – without having to add an oath to confirm that. What about you? Do you pepper your sentences with swearing and oaths? Would what you say mean as much without these embellishments? Shouldn’t it?
©2008 Debbie Robus
------------------------------------------------------------- June 26 ~ James 5:10-11 This is IT – this is exactly what James was telling us in this passage when he says God knows every last detail. THIS is what it means to stay the course. The McCully family has had a thousand opportunities to give up and fall apart – and away from God – since February 2007. What an incredible example they are of how to live for God… through anything and everything… to “stay the course.” How God has used THEM to bless ME – and I hope you are blessed and encouraged as well. Stay the course, depend wholly on God, and find Him in every detail of your life. And the last one… “GOD heals almost everything” – except I would challenge you that GOD heals EVERYTHING if we allow Him to work in us. It is not our place to criticize, hold grudges, gripe and complain. Trust me on this one – this is VERY hard for me. But I know it is required – that I must really, honestly “let go and let GOD.” I’m willing to try harder… are you?
10-11 Take the old prophets as your mentors. They put up with anything, went through everything, and never once quit, all the time honoring God. What a gift life is to those who stay the course! You've heard, of course, of Job's staying power, and you know how God brought it all together for him at the end. That's because God cares, cares right down to the last detail.
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
As I write this devotional, our little friend Job McCully is once again in the hospital in St. Louis. He went back for his six-month follow-up visit after a lung transplant on December 11, 2007, and he had some sort of infection. Strong drugs were started, tests were run, and things went crazy for awhile, including some freaky reaction that caused his blood to become almost 100% triglycerides (fatty substances) that you could visibly see in a vial of blood. His mouth is blistered, and he has had so much diarrhea that his mother says his bottom looks the same. Job is in a lot of pain. He hasn’t seen his dad since May 31st, and only recently did he get two separate 4-hour passes to leave the hospital. Once he went to the zoo – they didn’t ask if it was okay, his mom and sister just took him. The other day he went to the Ronald McDonald house and played video games with his sister Nicole. When it came time to return to the hospital, Job’s mom says he cried and cried and begged to just go home where they could “all be together again.”I don’t know about you, but I would be ready to quit! I am not sure I could have actually gone back to the hospital if I were Job. I am not sure I could have taken him back if I were his mother, Tina. Here is what she wrote on Job’s CaringBridge page just 9 days ago…
©2008 Debbie Robus
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June 25 ~ James 5:9
9 Friends, don't complain about each other. A far greater complaint could be lodged against you, you know. The Judge is standing just around the corner.
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
I don’t know about you, but I’m really having a hard time with the teachings of James, because so many of them are hitting me squarely between the eyes! I’m reminded of the passage in Matthew 7, where Jesus tells us to take the plank out of our own eye before we work on the speck in someone else’s! The King James Version says “Grudge not against one another…” or risk being condemned.
How many times do we do this? Would “weekly” be a fair, if generous answer? We get aggravated at one another over the least little things and blow them way out of proportion. And who wins in these situations? Absolutely no one except the devil!A friend e-mailed me a list of “40 Tips for a Better Life” recently. While some of them I wasn’t totally on board with, because they do not line up with scripture, here are a few I think are worth sharing:
©2008 Debbie Robus
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June 24 ~ James 5:7-8
7-8 Meanwhile, friends, wait patiently for the Master's Arrival. You see farmers do this all the time, waiting for their valuable crops to mature, patiently letting the rain do its slow but sure work. Be patient like that. Stay steady and strong. The Master could arrive at any time.
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
Waiting patiently is one of the hardest things for human beings to do. I remember when my niece was little, and she could hardly stand it until Christmas Day arrived and she could open her presents. I still see her when she was about 15, standing in our living room on December 23rd, saying, “I don’t think I can stand it! Can’t I just open ONE present tonight?”
I also remember how hard it was to wait for my niece to arrive in this world. The closer it got to my sister’s due date, we would frequently ask, “Are you feeling okay? Is it time yet? Is anything happening?” We didn’t know when the baby would come, but we knew in our hearts it would be amazingly fantastic! Meanwhile, we were busy getting ready for her arrival… making her nursery just right, gathering all of the necessary supplies (bottles, diapers, and more). My sister and her husband took childbirth classes and did everything the doctor told them to do to assure a safe, healthy delivery.
I remember how hard it was to wait for our wedding day. I marked the days off on a big calendar I had created on a piece of cardboard. And as with many things, the closer “THE DATE” came, the harder it was to wait. But there were many things to do, plans to make, and work to be done before the big day, and it all had to fall into place according to the plans we had made.
There are things we cannot rush. Babies have to spend about nine months growing and developing in their mothers’ wombs before a healthy birth can occur. Fruits and vegetables must stay on the vine until they ripen, or they will not be edible. Relationships must mature and develop if they are to stand the test of time. Think of your friendships. Those that will endure didn’t “just happen.” You may “click instantly” with someone, but for your friendship to endure the test of time, you will have to nurture it and patiently let it develop.
So what does this have to do with God and the return of Jesus? We don’t know when Jesus will return – or even if it will happen in our lifetime. But we have to make preparations. We have to grow in our knowledge of God’s Word and our faith in His promises. We have to develop our relationship with Him, nurture it, and wait patiently for his return. IF Christ comes while we are still alive, it will be better than Christmas, more exciting than a baby’s birth, more delicious than any vegetable or fruit we can harvest – the biggest “Platinum Wedding” of all time! If we meet Him in heaven first, that will be equally fantastic. But the KEY is preparation and patience… steadily doing the work to get ready. Waiting patiently IS hard, but as we read in Lamentations 3:24 (NIV), “I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him." Is the Lord YOUR portion? Are you patiently working and waiting?
©2008 Debbie Robus
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June 23 ~ James 5:4-6
4-6 All the workers you've exploited and cheated cry out for judgment. The groans of the workers you used and abused are a roar in the ears of the Master Avenger. You've looted the earth and lived it up. But all you'll have to show for it is a fatter than usual corpse. In fact, what you've done is condemn and murder perfectly good persons, who stand there and take it.
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
I have to admit, when I first read this passage, I wasn’t sure how it applied to us today. But after reading it in several translations, and simply sitting back and asking God, “What are you telling me?” I got a clear picture.See, we may not have “workers” or employees, but we “hire” people every day… the people who collect our garbage and mow our lawns work for us. The man or woman who cuts our hair works for us. The person who sells us a bag of chicken tenders in the deli works for us. Even your teachers and preachers work for us, to some degree! And more often than not, we don’t treat those “in our employ” like we should. We are rude and crude, if not downright dishonest and abusive. Quite frankly, we often take the “they work for ME” attitude and invoke some sense of entitlement in that thinking.
By the same token, you can’t escape the talk these days of how we are abusing the earth and our natural resources. Everywhere you look, we are being encouraged to “go green” as if it is something new, when all along, it’s been right here in James 5! We have looted the earth and lived it up… and all we have to show for it is a thin-to-almost-non-existent ozone layer, sun damaged skin, bulging landfills and fat midsections!
We have thumbed our noses at God and each other long enough! It’s time for us to relate to every person we encounter as the precious child of God that he/she truly is. It’s time we treated everyone fairly, kindly, and with respect. And it’s time we started treating our planet better, too. Now that you know that God has sent this message through James, can you see that we HAVE to do this, if for no other reason than to please Him?
So, our challenge is to make a deliberate effort to treat others fairly and with respect – at all times – and to find ways great and small to honor God’s gift of Planet Earth. Others will see your example and follow suit. Can you see the ripple effect this can have? Don’t do it for the politicians, your pastor, your mom, or me! Do it because God has ordained it in James 5, and pleasing Him is all that matters. With God’s guidance, we CAN make things better. We CAN make a difference and reclaim what God gave us!
©2008 Debbie Robus
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June 22 ~ James 5:1-3
1-3 And a final word to you arrogant rich: Take some lessons in lament. You'll need buckets for the tears when the crash comes upon you. Your money is corrupt and your fine clothes stink. Your greedy luxuries are a cancer in your gut, destroying your life from within. You thought you were piling up wealth. What you've piled up is judgment.
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
I know I have told you about this before, but I found myself recently watching a cable TV show called, “Platinum Weddings.” This show chronicles the plans for weddings that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars… and one I watched recently cost over $1.3 million! What could possibly cost this kind of money for a wedding? Flowers are flown in from Brazil. Custom china and solid gold flatware are used to serve the reception meal. There is often not only a reception meal, but a pre-wedding cocktail party, followed by another cocktail party between the wedding and reception with “carving stations,” shrimp, caviar, an open bar and much opulence. Some brides have more than one dress – and diamond jewelry for each outfit. Grooms arrive in everything from stretch limousines to helicopters to riding atop an elephant! Bands are flown in from around the world to perform. One Las Vegas reception opened with a couple of trapeze artists dangling high above the tables.
Are these people any more married than the couple who stands before a judge in City Hall and repeats their vows? Absolutely not! Do you know how many mosquito nets $1.3 million would buy for children in Africa to protect them from potentially deadly diseases like malaria? What inner-city school – or any school for that matter – couldn’t benefit from a “donation” of $1.3 million or even several hundred thousand dollars? How many flood victims, tornado victims, homeless, orphaned, and jobless could benefit from a couple thousand dollars, or even $200?
And yet, the desire to do things “bigger and better” than the next guy has become a world-wide obsession. Those who have money to spend (and some who don’t) are doing a bang-up job of blowing out all the stops! Meanwhile, people are hungry and hurting in every corner of our world. And God sees this! He sees, as James puts it, the “greedy luxuries that are a cancer in the gut.” And He sees his children who are hungry and hurting and could benefit from some of this wealth. And God is not pleased. The Bible talks about not storing up treasure on earth (material wealth and possessions) at the expense of Heavenly treasure (meeting the needs of others).
When the “Platinum Wedding” couples stand before God, I wonder how they will explain their extravagance and excess! When YOU stand before God, what will be YOUR legacy? Will your wealth have been corruptly piled up on earth, or have you set up a Heavenly “bank account?” Have a nice wedding. If you work hard and can afford a comfortable home and a good car, go for it! But leave the gluttony to fools, and remember to “pay it forward” in works, deeds, and ministry, so that your “Platinum Treasure” will await you in Heaven, where it counts!
©2008 Debbie Robus
