Good
Monday morning to you! Let’s be
honest. Sometimes, you come across a
passage of Scripture that leaves you scratching your head. And, that’s okay! When you come across a passage that is hard
to understand, don’t get discouraged, give up, and close your Bible in
frustration. Let that fuel your passion
and desire to get into the Word, and ask the Holy Spirit to give you the
understanding you need. Remember, God
inspired the hard-to-understand passages just as much as He inspired the easy-to-understand
passages. And, God does not waste ink or
paper! It is put in the Bible for a
divine purpose. So, let’s dig into
today’s passage and see what God has to teach us!
As you
read today's passage, look for these words or phrases: humble, rich,
and glory.
Passage
for the day: James 1:9-11 (NASB)
9 But the brother of humble circumstances is
to glory in his high position;
10 and the rich man is to glory in his humiliation,
because like
flowering
grass he will pass away.
11 For the sun rises with
a
scorching wind and withers the grass; and its flower falls off and the beauty
of its appearance is destroyed; so too the rich man in the midst of his
pursuits will fade away.
Questions
for thought: Take a few moments to answer these questions before you go
on to the next section.
Why is
the poor man (brother of humble circumstances) able to boast?
Who do
you think placed the poor man in a high position?
What
is it that humbles the rich man?
What
is the end result of the rich man’s wealth and achievements?
Mediate on this:
Why
are we talking about rich and poor in the midst of a passage about trials and
temptations? If you have ever gone
through a difficult financial situation, then you understand why this fits
perfectly in a passage about trials!
What James is attempting to do is show us the big picture from God’s
perspective on the poor and the rich.
The
first person seen here is the poor or lowly man. This man feels seemingly insignificant and is
possibly even perceived as a man incapable of influence. God tells this man that he can rejoice
because Christ will lift him up to a position of honor. James is encouraging these men to boast or to
“take pride” in their coming exaltation. Although these poor men and women
had nothing visible to boast in, their boasting was greater than those who
boasted in themselves. Their poverty, then, had turned into a double benefit,
for it encouraged the humility and faith God requires. In 1 Peter 5:6-7, we read “So humble
yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift
you up in honor. Give all your worries
and cares to God, for he cares about you.”
As the poor man walks in humility by faith, God will exalt him and take
care of him with His mighty hand!
The
other person who is mentioned is the rich man.
It is interesting to point out that the rich man is to boast in his
“humiliation.” What does this
mean? Well, I want to make it clear that
God is not saying that if you are rich, then God is going to make a fool out of
you or take you down. Instead, the rich
man is encouraged to see the big picture, just like the poor man. Knowing that his riches will not last
forever, the rich man should boast in his future position of humility and
lowliness. Instead of basking in the
artificial light of the borrowed time his wealth has brought him, the rich man
should humble himself in order to guard against the temptation of trusting in
wealth as opposed to God. James reminds
us that the riches of this world are like wildflowers that are being scorched
by the hot sun. It is beautiful for a
time, but will soon die and fade away.
In regards
to the church, God places the poor and the rich on the same level when they
stand before Him. Neither one is to
glory over the other, since all we have is from God anyway. It is not wrong or better to be rich or
poor. The poor and the rich are
encouraged to see life from God’s point of view. The poor can be encouraged, knowing that God
will honor them as they walk by faith and trust God for their needs. The rich are encouraged to carry their wealth
and position under an umbrella of humility, remembering to place their
confidence in God, and not in their riches.
Let’s
be sure to live our lives for eternity, putting our trust in God alone!
If you want to go little deeper on this, see these verses for more
study on God’s perspective of the poor, the rich, and where we should place our
confidence: 1 Sam. 2:7; 1 Chron. 29:12;
Prov. 8:17-18; Prov. 28:6; Jer. 9:23-24; Matt. 6:19-34; Luke 1:52-53; 2 Cor.
6:10; 2 Cor. 8:9; 1 Tim. 6:9,17
Praying for that you would Love Christ
PASSIONATELY, Know Christ DEEPLY, and Enjoy Christ FULLY!!!
Pastor Stephen
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