James 5: Are You Righteous?
Verse of the Day: (V16) “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”

1. Riches (V1-6)
V1 “Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.”

There is nothing wrong to be rich and wealthy, but when we cheat or deceive others to get riches, then it is absolutely wrong in God’s eyes. Indeed, only by grace and through faith in God, and not riches and wealth, can we have true happiness and salvation in God.

V4 “Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.”

2. Righteous (V7-16)
V7 “Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.”

What God truly desires from His people is not so much of our riches and wealth, but the fruit of His Spirit such as patience, faith and righteousness. We may be very rich, wealthy and famous, but without God and the fruit of His Spirit, we are never truly joyful, contented and satisfied with our lives. In fact, God only answers our prayers, and show us great and mighty things that we don’t even expect, when we have the fruit of His Spirit.

V15 “And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.”

3. Rain (V17-20)
V17 “Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.”

One of the great examples of a man of the fruit of the Spirit of patience, faith and righteousness was none other than Elias. When Elias prayed, God answered him, and there was no rain on earth for three and the half years! Elias was just like you and me, sinners saved by grace, yet when he had righteousness in God, God answered him!

V18 “And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.”

Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, please help me to be righteous in You so that my prayers are answered.

James 4: What Is Life?
Verse of the Day: (V14) “Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.”

1. Lusts (V1-10)
V3 “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.”

Why God does not answer our prayers? It is because we pray and ask God according to our lusts or selfish desires. We do not humble ourselves before God, and repent of our sins and turn to Him, but instead, we treat God as though He is obliged to answer all our prayers and desires. We fail to fully understand that our God is not only loving, but He is also holy, and therefore we must draw near to Him in humility and holiness, and then He shall draw near to us, and answer all our prayers and desires according to His perfect will.

V8 “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.”

2. Law (V11-12)
V11 “Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.”

Why do we judge others? We judge others because we think we are more superior and righteous than others. However, God rebukes and disciplines us when we judge others, because only He is the Lawgiver, and only He has the right to judge. Indeed only God is able to save our souls from condemnation in fiery hell, and promote us to glorious heaven.

V12 “There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?”

3. Life (V13-17)
V15 “For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.”

Let us not boast of our achievements and successes, because our lives are from God, and He miraculously pumps our hearts for us to breathe and live. Our lives are like vapours that can vanish any time, and let us acknowledge God as our Creator and Saviour. Indeed, God sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins, and whoever believes in Him shall never perish, but have everlasting lives with Him in heaven. Let us therefore do good by sharing to all that Jesus truly saves so that all may come to His saving grace.

V17 “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”

Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, thank You that You are my life, and I live for You and You alone.