Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi
The Epistle of James: A Blogged Bible Study
July 10 James 5: 7 – 20 Apply the Principles of Patience
I. Be Patient as You Wait on God – James 5: 7 - 8
Verse 7 instructs us to Be patient...until the Lord's coming. While the Second Coming is an obvious interpretation/ application for these verses it could also mean 'Be patient until the Lord comes to you...until He shows up in your circumstances.'
A farmer can be patient waiting on the crop; if he put the seed in the ground, he knows the crop will come. Furthermore, he knows that there is nothing he can do to the crop itself to make it mature any faster. If the farmer gave up on the crop because it didn't mature as quickly as he wanted, he'd walk away from the field and miss the harvest.
Don't give up before God shows up!
II. Be Patient with Each Other – James 5:9 - 12
James then lists some specific ways we are to be patient with each other, beginning with 'Don't grumble against each other.' Grumbling is blaming someone else for circumstances. Think about the Israelites in the desert; over and over again they blamed Moses for unpleasant situations. And over and over again, they suffered judgment for what they did. But, when they grumbled against Moses after Aaron died, and the snakes came into the camp, the Israelites went to Moses and said, 'We sinned when we spoke against the LORD and against you.' (Numbers 21:7). Moses interceded for the people, God healed them through the bronze snake, and they were able to enter the promised land. That was the last time they were recorded as grumbling! They finally confessed that it was a sin, gave it up, and were able to go into what God had for them.
James refers his readers to the example of the prophets, who were patient even in suffering. Specifically, he mentions Job, noting that, despite his losses and dire situations, God did deliver him and restore him in the end.
One other thing James instructs us to do in exercising patience with each other is to maintain one's integrity. Don't swear oaths ('by heaven or by earth or anything else'); plain 'yes' and 'no' should be sufficient.
Oath – A formal declaration or promise to fulfill a pledge, often calling upon God or some other sacred object as witness; The words or formula of such a declaration or promise; That which is promised or declared; An irreverent or blasphemous use of the name of God or anything held sacred (New American Heritage Dictionary).
An oath is an attempt to add authority to your words; unwilling to allow your words to prove themselves over time. Our character should be such that yes and no is sufficient to those who know us.
III. Put Prayer to Work (13 – 20)
Finally, James says that the true work of patience is prayer. We are to pray
When in trouble
When someone who is sick has asked for prayer
When you have sinned
After confessing sin to one another
(I posted the portion of teaching dealing with 'How to pray' already...it's Here)
Prayer brings help (implied v. 13),healing and forgiveness. James provides the example of Elijah, who was someone just as human and fallible as any of us, yet his prayers were powerful enough to control the weather.
Prayer produces changed lives; leading someone who has strayed back to the truth.
Prayer is the weapon of patience.
Things to think about:
In what situations of my life am I considering giving up on God’s way and doing something else?
Who in my life am I blaming for unpleasant circumstances? In what situations am I adding oaths to bolster my authority? Why isn’t my character sufficient to uphold my word?
How many circumstances/issues of my everyday life do I honestly pray through on a regular basis? What keeps me from praying ‘fervently’?
The study to date:
May 1: Study intro
May 8: James 1:1 Intro to the Epistle of James
May 15: James 1:2 – 18 Make Quality Decisions
May 22: James 1:19-27 Make Real Changes
May 29: James 2:1-13 Live the Law of Freedom
June 5: James 2:14 – 26 Demonstrate Real Faith
June 12: James 3: 1 - 12 Discipline the Tongue
June 26: James 3:13 - 18 Recognize True Wisdom
June 29 James 4:1 – 10 Check Your Sources
July 3 James 4:11 – 5:6 Lose Selfish Desires
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