Like everyone else in this fallen world, believers suffer from physical sickness and discouragement. What should we do during those times? James offers us some encouragement.
Today’s Readings:
Ezekiel 39 & 40
Psalm 132.10-18
Proverbs 29.5
James 5.1-20
Sickness, Sin & Righteous Prayer
James 5.1-20
Rich & Unrighteous
5.1 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 (ESV).
These are rich people who were associated with the church but whose real god was their money.
Keep an Eternal Perspective
7 Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. 8You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.
James encouraged others, some of whom may have been suffering from persecution and others possibly mistreatment by the rich he just addressed.
Either way, we should keep an eternal perspective because “… the coming of the Lord is at hand.”
9 Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. 10 As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.
We should regularly recommit ourselves to be steadfast even in hardship.
12 But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.
When You’re Sick
13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick?
He goes on:
Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.
The first thing we should do when we’re sick is to pray and, when necessary, ask for prayer from others.
James is not speaking against modern medicine. In fact, the anointing with oil may have referred to the medical help of James’ day, but our first response should be God-ward.
And just as we pray and ask God’s blessing on our food, we can do the same when seeking medical help.
I often ask God to:
- guide the doctor’s hands,
- use the medicine for good,
- and to give the doctors and technicians wisdom beyond their own abilities.
Weak & Discouraged
The sickness talked about here might also be heart sickness, those times when we feel weak and discouraged. This could be because of trials, persecution, or some other discouragement. In those times, we should turn to our spiritual leaders and other mature believers so they can pray for and encourage us.
16Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
Not all sickness is caused by sin, but sin can cause sickness. We should be constantly examining ourselves and confessing our sins to God and one another. And when it comes to sickness and discouragement, there can be a great temptation to sin in response. If that’s the case, we should repent and recommit to responding God’s way (1 Cor. 10.13; Rom. 12.17-21).
17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. 18 Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.
19 My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, 20let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
Today’s Other Readings:
Ezekiel 39 & 40:
Our Exact God
As I read chapter 40 with all the measurements, the numbers of steps, the beveled windows, etc., I couldn’t help but remember that our God is a God of precision and order. He will fulfill every word He has spoken and keep every promise exactly as He intends!
Psalm 132.10-18:
The Real Meaning of Thanksgiving
13 For the Lord has chosen Zion;
he has desired it for his dwelling place:
14 “This is my resting place forever;
here I will dwell, for I have desired it.
15 I will abundantly bless her provisions;
I will satisfy her poor with bread.
16 Her priests I will clothe with salvation,
and her saints will shout for joy.
17 There I will make a horn to sprout for David;
I have prepared a lamp for my anointed.
18 His enemies I will clothe with shame,
but on him his crown will shine.”
He will clothe His priests with salvation … and His saints will shout for joy! That’s us!
As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, let’s remember to thank the One who is the giver of all of our blessings!
James 1.17 says:
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
So, as the psalmist said, let’s shout for joy!
Proverbs 29.5:
The Trap of Flattery
5 A man who flatters his neighbor
spreads a net for his feet.
Flattery can be a trap for both people. It can tempt the receiver to get puffed up and tempt the giver to do it with wrong motives.
Coming Up:
In the next few days, we’ll talk about how to respond to an unreasonable spouse and those times when we’re struggling to trust God. We’ll also discuss the questions, “Is the Bible enough in a complex world?” and ask ourselves, “Are we ‘profiting’ from our reading and study of the Bible?”
I hope you’ll join us.
Getting ready for 2025:
The holidays are just around the corner and the new year will be on us before we know it. What will you do to make Bible reading an ongoing habit in the coming year? I’d like to encourage you to set a goal to read through the Bible again or for the first time. If you join me, I’ll take you through a plan that covers both the Old and New Testaments in about 15 minutes a day. You can read each day’s post or watch as I read through the passages on YouTube. Sign up here for my daily email. It has links to the written post and the YouTube video. And it can serve as a gentle reminder to stay on track and I believe you’ll benefit from the additional information I share and grow as you learn to apply God’s Word to your own life.
You can check out our YouTube channel here.
If this post spoke to you, I would love it if you would share it on your favorite social media platform.
Blessings as you grow in Christ,
Donna ♥
Note about this post:
I began blogging through the Bible in 2012 and have done so every year since then. These posts are the product of many edits and additions throughout those years. Some days I make major changes, other days fewer.
A while ago, I read Jen Wilkin’s book None Like Him about the attributes of God. One is His incomprehensibility. In it, she says, “God is incomprehensible. This does not mean that he is unknowable, but that he is unable to be fully known.”
I have found that to be true each year as I’ve gone back through the Bible. Sometimes I find myself feeling as if a passage just appeared there for the first time. I’m reminded that no matter how many times we read through the Bible, we have only scratched the surface. I hope you feel the same.
Indeed these are the mere edges of His ways,
And how small a whisper we hear of Him!
But the thunder of His power who can understand?” (Job 26.14)
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