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1 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. 2 Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. 4 Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. 5 You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned and murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you.
(James 5:1-6 ESV)

James is not minching words here. He is telling the rich that there are miseries coming to them. He states the riches have rotted, their garments are moth-eaten, their gold and silver have corroded, the corrosion is evidence against them. He points out they have laid up treasure, by keeping back the wages of the laborers who mowed their fields by fraud. The prayers of the harvesters have reached the Lord. You have lived in luxury and fattened yourselves in a day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you.

Heavely Father, May those who are wealthy in our day treat those who are need in a compassionate manner, not withholding justly earned wages, nor lording it over them, but doing all they can to supply their needs out of their abundance. I ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

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13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— 14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. 17 So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.
(James 4:13-17 ESV)

James is admonishing those who say they will go to a town and trade for a year there to make a profit. He states you do not know what tomorrow will bring. You are here for a little time and then like the mist vanish. You ought to state that if the Lord wills you will do it. You boast in arrogance and all such boasting is evil. If you know the right thing to do and fail to do it you have sinned.

Heavenly Father, As we say that we will do this or that let us do so by your will and not our own. For, we do not know what will come from one day to the next and it is sin to leave you out of our plans. Give us hearts to seek to do only what you would have us to do. I ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

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11 Do not speak evil against one another, brothers.4 The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. 12 There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?
(James 4:11-12 ESV)

In these two verses James is making a very important point. He is telling us to refrain from speaking evil against each other, as , when we do so we are judging him. When we speak evil against another we speak evil against the law and judge the law. If you judge the law you are not a doer of the law, but one who judges. There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who has the power to either save or destroy. Who are you to judge your neighbor?

Heavenly Father, When in the course of our relationships we have a disagreement may we treat each other with kindness and respect not trying to destroy the thoughts of the other and allowing respectful discourse between us. I ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

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6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
(James 4:6-10 ESV)

Here James is saying that God gives more grace. He points our that grace is given to the humble, but the proud are opposed. We are to submit ourselves to God. When we resist the devil he will flee from us. As we drawn near to God he will draw near to us. Cleanse and purify your hearts sinners, mourn and weep. May your laughter be stilled and your joy become sorrow. When you have humbled yourselves before the Lord he will exalt you.

Heavenly Father, As we repent of our wickedness and purify our hearts, Lord, come and be with us that we may praise and exalt your name. I ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

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1 What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? 2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. 4 You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”?
(James 4:1-5 ESV)

A stong admonishion is in these verses. James is saying that our passions are at war within us causing us to quarrel and fight with each other. He points out that we desire and do not have causing us to murder. You covet and cannot obtain causing fights and quarreling. You do not receive what you ask because you ask wrongly, to use it on your passions. He tells us that friendship with the world is enmity with God. So, if you wish to be a friend of the world you become an enemy of God. In the scripture God says: “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”.

Heavenly Father, As we continue to seek to know you may we put aside any desire to become a friend of the world with its passions and only seek to know, love, and serve you. I ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

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13 Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. 15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. 18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
(James 3 13-18 ESV)

James is stating that that the one who is wise and understanding by his conduct will show through wisdom his works. He points out that when there is bitter jealousy and selfish ambition there will be boasting and no truth. He continues that this is not the wisdom that is from above but is earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. For, disorder and all kinds of vile practices occur when this kind of wisdom is used. But the wisdom from above is pure, peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. Those who make peace sow a harvest of righteousness.

Heavenly Father, As we seek to acquire the wisdom from above may our actions be filled with peace, kindness, mercy, and may we be open to reason that all of our relationships will be peaceful and honor your name. I ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

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How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. 7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. 10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.
(James 3:6-12 ESV)

James is stating that the tongue, being full of unrighteousness, sets ablaze a great forest. He says the tongue is a member of our bodies that sets us ablaze as do the fires of hell. Men have tamed every kind of beast and bird but none can tame the tongue. With it we bless the Lord, and with it we curse our fellows who are made in the image of God. From our tongues come both blessing and cursing, but this ought not to be so. Do springs have both fresh and salt water? Can a fig tree produce olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond contain fresh water.

Heavenly Father, Of ourselves we have little control over what we say with our tongues. Send us the spirit to teach us to use our tongues to both bless you and bless those with whom we come into contact, that by our lives we may bring honor and glory to your name. I ask this in Jesus name. Amen.

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1 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 2 For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. 3 If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. 4 Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5 So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.
(James 3:1-5 ESV)

James is admonishing us to refrane from becoming teachers, for teachers are judged more harshly. He reminds us that all of us stumble in many ways. If there is a person who does not stumble in what he says, he is able to bridle all of his body. Bits are put in the mouths of horses to cause them to obey us and we are able to guide their bodies, and ships are guided by a very small rudder to go where the pilot directs. Thus, the tongue is a small member, but it boasts of great things.

Heavenly Father, Help us to be careful in what we say that we will be able to guide our bodies and our minds to follow your will and not the will of the world. I ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

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18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. 19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! 20 Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? 21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; 23 and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. 24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 25 And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 26 For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.
(James 2 18-26 ESV)

James is continuing to expand on the idea that faith is dead without works. He states that he will show his faith by his works. You say you believe God is one and that is well as even the demons believe. When Abraham offered up his son Isaac on the alter he was justified in his faith. The scripture states that “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God.” Rahab the prostitute was justified by works when she received the spies, hid them and sent them back by another way. When the body has no spirit it is dead. In the same way, when faith has no works it is dead.

Heavenly Father, As we move through each day of our lives make our works show and be proof of the faith we have in you. I aks this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

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14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
(James 2:14-17 ESV)

James is clearly pointing out that we are to be doing works to display that we have faith. He says that if we see someone who is lacking food or proper clothing, but do not provide the things that they need it is not good. He says if faith has no works it is dead.

Heavenly Father, as we come across those who are lacking the basics of life may we do what we can to provide for their needs demostrating by doing so our faith in You and your word. I ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

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