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For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.Eph 2:9 |
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| Archived Manna: | |
Dear
Friend,
If you do not already have a habit of gathering daily manna the first thing in the morning (we can look at the example given to us in Exodus 16 and find the pattern for make it a habit. Establish your life and your schedule to allow you the necessary time to do your daily collection first thing every morning to give you the strength to make it through the day. And remember that today’s manna will not be sufficient for tomorrow; tomorrow’s manna must be collected tomorrow morning. Monday, March 28, 2022
Today's Passage : Today's Passage :Draw Near to God Bible Verse:James 4:7-10 (NASB) "Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you." Message:
“Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning, and your joy to gloom.” (Jas. 4:9). These are stern words! Nowhere does James sound more like an Old Testament prophet than in this verse. What does he mean, and how does this relate to the joyful and abundant life promised to believers elsewhere in the New Testament?
Eve-Serpent-German
In the context, the apostle has been exposing the profound influence of the world system on the belief and behavior of his readers. Many of them had succumbed to the mentality of grabbing and self-gratification, and James warned them that this was the path to foolishness and futility.
The solution to adultery with the world is allegiance to God. We were created to serve, but we have been given a choice: serve the world as slaves of sin and selfishness or serve the Lord as “slaves of righteousness.” (Rom. 6:18). It is only as we submit our desires, plans, careers, and hopes to Christ that we will find the freedom and fulfillment that we seek. By taking His yoke upon ourselves we become free to realize His high calling for our lives.
“Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My load is light” (Matt. 11:29-30). Any other yoke is a burden we were not designed to bear.
James takes a serious view of sin because of its devastating consequences. After appealing to his readers to submit to God and draw near to Him (4:7-8), he exhorts them to turn away from their compromises with the world and bear the fruits of repentance. But his words are so strong that we are tempted to dilute them.
Certainly James is not opposed to Christian joy; he speaks of it in positive terms in 1:2 and 5:13. Nor is he saying that believers should walk about with sour faces, rebuking the sound of laughter (cf. Job 8:21). Yet we must not gloss over what he is saying, because it is a message too seldom heard.
Dr. Boa is devoted to a ministry of relational evangelism and discipleship, teaching, writing, and speaking. He holds a B.S. in astronomy from Case Institute of Technology, a Th.M. from Dallas Theological Seminary, a Ph.D. from New York University, and a D.Phil. from the University of Oxford in England. I highly recommend a visit to his website, KenBoa.org, which is filled with free videos, written commentary, newsletters, etc.
Meditation : Prayer : Now, oh heavenly Father, I ask to be called as a witness to your love by the love I extend to others; a precursor of your justice by my unfailing commitment to what is right and good; a lamp set on a hill, reflecting the light of Christ in my forgiveness, mercy and compassion; and a harvester of souls through my humble and dedicated servanthood. In Jesus’ name, I pray,...........Amen |
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