James 4: 3, 7-8a

“You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, in order to spend what you get on your pleasures.” vs. 3

It’s obvious that James was familiar with his readers, knew their complaints, and had plenty of advice about how they should change their ways. His letter gives us a glimpse of what life must have been like in the first century and we can surmise that their struggles were similar to our own. There was division among them, and a lot of complaints. James thought that they were overly concerned about pleasure, and that their prayers for more goods were entirely out of order. Now it’s unlikely that the desire for more stuff is central to our prayers, but we certainly do have a strong yearning for pleasure in our futures, and most are very attentive to the health of their retirement plans. James implies that there are many things more important than spending our energy on pleasurable living. Among those things he would likely include gentleness, humility, and peace, and of course, learning to share what we get in life with those who have gotten short-changed. The trick is learning the balance between caring for our own pleasures and caring for the needs of others. Far too often we’re much more likely to look to our own pleasures first, and then to the needs of others. And that certainly wouldn’t have gotten James’ stamp of approval.

Thought for the Day: What difference do James’ opinions make to me?

James 3:13-18

“But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy.” vs. 17

There are plenty of smart people in our world and tons of folks claim to have high IQ’s, but real wisdom seems to be in short supply. And even though some claim that AI is the way of the future, skeptics abound. It’s a great way to access information quickly, but discernment, one of the qualities of true wisdom, has so far been lacking. James offers an alternative. Wisdom, he says, doesn’t come from books or a Google search engine, it comes with a divine purity, and is notable for being peaceful and gentle, willing to yield, and full of mercy and good fruits. He believed that where wisdom was present in a community, there would be no partiality or hypocrisy; it would be like living in the peaceable kingdom, the one promised by Jesus. Some have actually been blessed to have lived in such a community, a congregation that has somehow managed to avoid the kind of strife and divisiveness that lies in wait for unsuspecting believers. Sadly, as the overall political climate, with its rancor and discord, has spiraled almost out of control in recent years, such faith communities have had a much more difficult time maintaining the bond of unity, and real wisdom has become a rare commodity. 

Thought for the Day: Where do I experience wisdom from above?

Psalm 54:4-7

“With a freewill offering I will sacrifice to you; I will give thanks to your name, O Lord, for it is good.” vs. 6

Once the psalmist had made his request for vindication, he assumed that his prayer would be heard, and he moved immediately to promise thanksgiving in the form of a freewill sacrificial offering. He didn’t consider it enough to simply tack a “thank you, Lord” to the end of his prayer–he intended to make his response tangible and concrete. His example is a good one. While prayer is often a part of our daily lives, we normally don’t connect our petitions with a thanksgiving offering. That could be because we’re waiting to see if we get what we ask for, but more often it’s because we just don’t think of it, and besides, it’s a lot easier to ask than it is to give. What a blessing it is to get to the point in our faith walk when we begin to think of giving, not only as a duty but as a delight. Some never reach that point and will always consider giving as a burden, a kind of tax imposed by the church on believers. But when sacrificial giving becomes joyful, and we see it as a thanksgiving offering for the sheer privilege of being alive in this spectacular universe, happiness will abound. Even when our prayers aren’t answered, we’ll keep on giving, knowing in our hearts that God is always good.

Thought for the Day: When is my giving a pure delight?

Psalm 54:1-3

“Hear my prayer, O God; give ear to the words of my mouth.” vs. 2

When this prayer was included in the collection of psalms that were used by the people of Judah some 2500 years ago, it was attributed to King David. Whatever its origins it has become a favorite of believers who are crying out to God in moments of profound need. It is not at all unusual for us to find ourselves in situations where we feel pressures coming from every direction. Sometimes we can even identify enemies who have it in for us, those who would love to see us stumble and fall. Occasionally the attacks, often delivered via social media, can be horribly mean-spirited and destructive. In those instances, whatever the situation, we will frequently find ourselves driven to our knees in prayer. And as we pour out our fears and complaints we echo the psalmist, “Hear my prayer, O God.” The words, sometimes felt as much as said, come from the depths of our souls, a crying out for connection with our Creator. We crave vindication, some sort of affirmation or sign that our enemies will not have the last word. Sometimes we even pray that they will suffer calamity, that suffering could be visited on them. But then we think of Jesus and his reminder to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. And we’re left wondering. What shall we pray for? When we’re really hurting, it’s much easier to pray like the psalmist!

Thought for the Day: How do I choose to pray?

Jeremiah 11:18-20

“But you, O Lord of hosts, who judge righteously, who try the heart and the mind, let me see your retribution upon them, for to you I have committed cause.” vs. 20

Jeremiah had become aware of his adversaries’ plans to destroy and kill him, so that his name would be forgotten forever. His earnest prayer is, not only that their plans would be thwarted, but that he might be able to see the Lord’s retribution upon them. We can understand Jeremiah’s desire. Not only do many of us crave retribution against our enemies, but we’d love to also see all the gory details of their comeuppance. It’s a primal urge that is frequently reflected in the scriptures, and many have concluded that this is also the way God operates. That’s also the reason our justice system, even today, is set up to ensure that offenders receive retribution in full for what they have done. But even Jeremiah believed that there was another way to deal with brokenness and that ultimately forgiveness and restoration would provide the healing our spirits yearn for. Certainly that’s what we find in Jesus, who, as he hung dying on the cross, looked down on his killers and asked that they be forgiven. That may not satisfy our thirst for revenge against enemies, but it certainly opens the way to restoration and healing, even for the most broken among us. 

Thought for the Day: When is capital punishment appropriate?

Mark 8:34-38

“He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.’” vs. 34

Jesus certainly didn’t try to lure people into becoming his disciples by offering them promises of financial gain or material success. Instead he tells them that the way to new life was through self-denial. In order to save their lives they would have to lose them. What’s truly amazing is that many people took him at his word–they did deny themselves and follow in his way. Some even ended up on crosses. Through the centuries countless others have also followed that same path of self-denial. During the 20th century we became familiar with the life and ministry of Mother Theresa. When she left the comfort and security of her convent to go live with the poor in the slums of Calcutta she deliberately took with her only 5 rupees, less than a dollar, and the clothes on her back. She trusted that Jesus, who had called her into this work, would provide all that she needed. Others, not so famous, have done the same. In our time and culture there has been a growing reluctance to engage in any kind of self-denial, and self-indulgence is trending. And the words of Jesus ring in our ears, “What does it profit a person to gain the whole world and forfeit their life?”

Thought for the Day: Why is self-denial so hard?

Mark 8:27-33

“Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.” vs. 31

Mark reports in his gospel that when the disciples tell Jesus that they believed he was the messiah, he gave them a glimpse of what was to come. There would be a period of great suffering and rejection and finally he would be killed–and then after three days he would rise again. Of course this was nothing but gibberish in their minds, and Peter, their new leader, actually rebuked him. It was absolutely incomprehensible to them that the long awaited messiah would be rejected and killed, and they had no idea what it meant to rise again! It’s fascinating that what was once unthinkable eventually became a precious truth for countless believers. All of us, at one time or another, experience suffering as a part of life’s journey. And when that suffering comes near, as much as we might hate its presence, there is great comfort in knowing that we are not alone. Jesus has been there before us and knows the pain and anguish. And because we are not alone in our suffering, sharing the Jesus experience actually strengthens our faith. And of course we can’t forget that final promise, the good news that beyond the suffering comes new life with Christ!

Thought for the Day: How has suffering strengthened me?

James 3:6-12

“With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse those who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this ought not to be so.” vss. 9-10

As James continues his discussion of the tongue, he indicates that our use of it for both blessing God and cursing our neighbor is a travesty. And he’s right! And we would be hard-pressed to find a better example than the current election campaign. We’re regularly hearing words of defamation and abuse from nearly everyone with a political ax to grind. And then we pass on those half-truths and fabrications as though they were the gospel truth. We need to make up our minds. The gift of speech is an incredible gift. Why would we even think of using it to pass on gossip and rumors? Just imagine how good life would be if we only used our mouths to build up our neighbors and put the most charitable construction on all they do or say? Some say that would take the “fun” out of life–it seems they get more joy from passing on a spicy story than saying something nice. That may be true for some people, but not for those who have an interest in restoring goodness to our world. We’ve been tearing down long enough! Maybe it’s about time for us to start building up!

Thought for the Day: What juicy stories are the “funnest” to share?

James 3:1-6

“For all of us make many mistakes. Anyone who makes no mistakes in speaking is perfect, able to keep the whole body in check with a bridle.” vs. 2

In a moment of candid reflection our old friend James hints that perhaps even he makes mistakes in the course of living a Christ-centered life. His problem, as with so many of us, seems to have been his mouth, but his own struggle with his tongue doesn’t keep him from taking his readers to task for their own failures in that regard. And that’s pretty much the way it is with all believers. The brokenness of our own lives makes us experts as we regard the lives of others. We know all the tricks, all the ways in which we attempt to cover our mistakes, and we can spot those same foibles in others with no difficulty at all. That’s really not a problem in relationships. In fact it can be helpful to know when someone is struggling with the same things as we are. Where it becomes a problem is when we put on pious faces and imply that we are sin-free. At least James admitted that he too was broken, and that allowed him to write with some measure of integrity as he offered counsel to his congregation. Even though we’re sinners, we crave restoration, we want to be that better version of ourselves. And when we mess up in our relationships, it’s really nice to be able to get things right eventually. 

Thought for the Day: Where is my brokenness most obvious?

Psalm 116:1-9

“The snares of death encompassed me; the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me; I suffered distress and anguish. Then I called on the name of the Lord: ‘O Lord, I pray, save my life!’” vss. 3-4

It’s hard to believe that 23 years have passed since the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001. It’s a date that hangs on in our memories as a moment in which our realities were shattered. The unthinkable had occurred! What had happened regularly in other parts of the world had come home to our shores, and in some sense we still haven’t recovered. In the days and weeks following 9/11 places of worship were packed as people gathered for prayer and echoed the psalmist’s words, “O Lord, we pray, save our lives!” But soon the flurry of prayers abated and people returned to their old ways, and so it remained–until the next great disaster or calamity! That seems to be how it works for folks in our world. We pretty much ignore our relationship to God until distress and anguish come to visit, and then we’re spurred into action. Our hearts and minds are turned to prayer and we fill the air with our petitions for healing and restoration. Does it make a difference? It seems that it must, for we keep on doing it. In some mysterious way, in the midst of calamity a divine connection is made, and we are lifted up.

Thought for the Day: How did I react on 9/11?