When Wealth Becomes Bitter

James 5: 1-6

Some months ago we took a drive with some friends to Lake Bogoria out in the Rift Valley. The lake is famous for its natural hot water geysers that spurt from underground. A favorite pastime for the visitors is to boil eggs in the geysers. But that’s just about all you can do on this lake. Two other things strike you about the lake: there a disturbing calmness on the surface of the water. It is not stillness of Psalm 23. It is a deadness that is not consistent with a water body. There is no activity on the water, no movement, no ripples that suggest to you there is life. There are flamingos that inhabit the shore; they live on some form of bacteria, but that’s about the two forms on life you find on this lake.

But with flamingos inhabiting its shores, Bogoria is not nearly as dead as what they say of the Dead Sea in Israel which is the receptor of the water from the great River Jordan, but has no obvious outlet. There no form of life in that highly saline lake. Scientists say that Lake Bogoria was once a fresh water lake. Its waters used to flow out on Lake Baringo. But now there is no overflow. With time it might just become another dead sea with no form of life in it.

The tragedy of Lake Bogoria and the Dead Sea is the tragedy of rich people as James warns. James is not condemning wealth; he is against the preoccupation of accumulating wealth at the expense of others in need (including your workers) and to the abandonment of all virtue. Resources that are stolen, withheld from others that need them or are just not shared corrupt the owner. The outcome of hoarding is growing greed—the desire to accumulate more and more without ever getting satisfied. Hoarding and greed come from the mistaken belief that there is not enough for all of us, and we have to grab as much as we can and keep it for ourselves. James offers admonishment against this attitude in the strongest terms possible “your wealth will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire”.

James is blunt about why people hoard wealth—so that they can secure their own future, live in wealth in luxury and self-indulgence. But that, he says is fattening themselves up for the day of slaughter (vs 5). When people have so much, they have no use for God and for others. Look at some of the richest people around us who have turned accumulation of wealth into their vocation, even politicians who have inherited a lot of wealth. Their lives and those of their families are marred by all kinds of miseries resulting from indulgence.

This passage reminds of the source of true blessing as God would have it “If you spend yourself on behalf of the hungry, and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will shine in the darkness, and your night will become like noonday. The Lord will guide you always, he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well watered garden, like a spring whose water never fails…you will be called repairer of broken walls…”Isaiah 58: 12

Well, the choice is your—to become a spring whose water never fails or to crystallize into a dull and dreary Dead Sea that can support no life.

Day 13-The danger of living tomorrow 4:13-17

We are leaving in times where first speed lifestyle is the order of the day. Modernization and the current technology have left nothing to chances but that anyone who wants to catch up with the first world must plan ahead and must see ahead. In looking at the subject of the future James can be mistaken to say, it is not right to think or plan things ahead. No. It’s always good to project for the goals and the dreams that we have.

With all these in mind, there is a great temptation to take things for granted and view things just as normal or as usual. Saying things will still happen like they did yesterday. That we shall do this and that like we did yesterday. It sounds good because by doing these we are positive about what is to come.

On the other hand, James is giving us caution in Ja 4:13-14a, “Now listen, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, and carry on business and make money ’,‘ why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow.”

His caution is not a condemnation to those who plan ahead because of course without planning there can be no results. A farmer who doesn’t prepare for planting can’t see the harvest in his/her mind. He must project everything ahead of time and after planting he can now wait with expectation for the good results. The scriptures records people who planned about what they wanted to do. E.g. Paul, “Because I was confident of this, I planned to visit you first so that you might benefit twice. I planned to visit you on my way to Macedonia, and then to have you send me on my way to Judea”. 2 Cor1:15-16.

In verses 14b James says, “What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes”. This means everything we are and do is in the hands of God. He knows all that will happen tomorrow while we do not know a thing about tomorrow. We must not therefore, put our trust in our plans or in the things we are planning for. We must always put our trust in the Lord.

James encourages that, “Instead, you ought to say, ‘If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that’. As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil”.

In acts 18:21, Paul promised, “I will come back if its God’s will”. And also in 1Cor4:19, “but I will come to you very soon, if the Lord is willing”.

When we trust the Lord for our future, we’ll not need to fear even about the present because the Lord will take care of everything. Our boasting therefore should be in the Lord. We should not boast about our success or else we will be taking the praise that belongs to the Lord. If we praise our success and work we sin. In verse 17 James says that when we fail to do the good we ought to do and do not do, we commit sin.

Day 12- Petitioning to the true Judge 4:11-12

For the last couple of days we have been studying about self control when conversing with others, quarrels that arise among us and yesterday we looked at how God deals with pride and his promise to the broken hearted.

Today we are going to look at slander; what is slander? Slander is speaking about someone from his back. It is exposing the weaknesses and the faults of your brother/sister or a friend to another person. Someone may say, because everyone has weaknesses, then slander can be positive but the truth is, whether what you say behind your brother is true or false, that is slander and it is sin before the Lord.

A good example in the Old Testament is Exodus 12:1-16 when Miriam and Aaron spoke against their brother Moses. His weakness of marrying a Cushite woman and they discussed among each other, “Has the Lord spoken only through Moses?” Hasn’t he also spoken through us? And the Lord heard them and was angry with the two and struck Miriam with leprosy. Aaron pleaded with Moses to intercede for her and when he did, the Lord commanded that Miriam be confined outside the camp for seven days and she will be well.

He who speaks against or judges another speaks against the law and judges it. “When you judge the law you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it”. v 11b. We judge the law (God’s word) by disobeying what it says we should do. Judging the law can also mean making ourselves greater than the law. When we judge others we are not only taking the law in our hands but also assuming the position of the judge. It is very easy to interpret scripture in away that fits the circumstance that we are in, in order to blame others or to hold them accountable for our own responsibilities.

Who then should we petition when wronged? James tells us that, “there is only one lawgiver and judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you, who are you to judge”. God is our judge and we must petition or our concerns before Him because He is just and merciful. We must approach His throne of grace with confidence so that we may find mercy to help us in our time of need and not to take his place to judge others. It’s a greater sin when someone attempts to be in the place of God who is the Judge. He also says, “Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath for it is written: ‘it is mine to avenge, I will repay”. Rom 12:19.

He is sovereign and he says in His word that He shares His glory with no other. We are His creation and we must revere Him and acknowledge that He is all in all and that we cannot do without Him. We should not therefore, dare to judge our brothers because God knows them better than we do and He does whatever He pleases. He saved Paul when he was on his way to Damascus to persecute the Church. He would have preferred to do away with Paul by destroying him but instead he held him captive to be a prisoner of the Lord Jesus Christ and of the good news. Paul’s passion was to judge but God revealed Himself to him as the true judge and that marked a turning point in Paul’s life.

Day 11- The Secrets of God’s uplifting 4:5-10

Welcome to these weeks study with Apostle James. Our prayer is that these reflections from God’s word will minister to you and help you in your day to day walk with the Lord.

We begin today by asking ourselves, what is the secret of being uplifted by the Lord. In verses 5 James says, “Or do you think scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely? But he gives us more grace. That is why scripture says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble”. In an earlier study with James we said that it is a dangerous thing when God gets to place where He can oppose your plan or your idea.

Ezekiel the prophet was commanded by the Lord to speak against the City of Jerusalem that became proud and started practicing detestable things before Him. Ezekiel spoke to them and said, “O city that brings on herself doom by shedding blood in her midst and defiles herself by making idols you have made. You have brought days to a close, and the end of your years has come. Therefore, I will make you an object of scorn to the nations and a laughing stock to all the countries. Those near you and those far away will mock you, O infamous city, and full of turmoil”. “Will your courage endure or your hands be strong in the day I deal with you? Ezek 22:3-5, 14.

The bible is and has been very categorical that God is never pleased when his people becomes proud and turns away from Him to things that are detestable before Him. His judgment is hash on them. God has always been faithful to us his children but on the other hand, His people remains unfaithful and ungrateful of the things He has done. We always long to follow our own ways such us self ambition, money, power and these have become idols in our midst.

The most amazing thing is that, no matter how far we stray, the Lord always continues to call us back in His grace and mercy. And no matter how great our sin looks, God’s grace is greater than our sins and all he wants from us is to humble ourselves and ask for forgiveness. To the humble He gives grace because He looks at the heart and not the outside. This means God does not give his grace to all.

He will oppose the proud but give grace to the humble and broken; those who recognize their hopelessness and that without God they are completely nothing. To them God will never turn away His face but will stretch His hand to help and lift them. This is the secret of God’s uplifting. Note, to have a broken spirit and a contrite heart according to psalm 50:17 is not automatic, but is as a result of what James suggest in 4:7, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil and he will free from you”.

Broken people will always see the need in their heart and cry to God for mercy but proud people will focus on other people’s failure and what they can gain out of them. The proud will claim to be served by others but the broken person longs and enjoys serving others. The broken will sense the limitation within them and recognize that they can’t make it in life without the savior but the proud have a personal drive that longs for power positions and pleasure which eventually leads them to destruction. Prov 16:18, “Pride goes before destruction a haughty spirit before a fall”.

God’s desire according to James 4:8, is that His people will come near to Him and He will draw near to them. "humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up".v10

Day 10- Unquenchable quest 4:1-17

When you listen to the news and read newspaper, what are five big things that in your opinion are always highlighted? I may be wrong but the truth is over 70% of the news, has been quarrels and conflicts among friends and family members, it has been the political wrangling that always seek personal gains and not positive impact in the society.

That’s why James is asking us the question, “what causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?” Ja 4:1

Quarrels and conflicts come from desires that may not be necessarily wrong but desires that have evil and selfish intents and therefore with wrong reasons. Someone may desire promotion, a new car or to start a business. These are all good ideas and goals but the reason behind it may not be right.

James says that “you want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God” Ja 4:3. I have never met someone who has had enough of everything he/she wants. As a result, the world is full of greed to get more and more without considering the means. The rule has been ‘I must get this thing the easiest way and in the shortest time possible’. This is unquenchable quest that is destroying our society slowly by slowly.

James tells us we do not have because we do not ask God reason being, there is a plan B somewhere and therefore the trust to depend on God for our needs is not there. “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures”. Ja 4:3. Some prayer take very long time to be answered and one may complain that ‘God no longer answers his/her prayers. Its not that God can’t answer your prayer but you must look at your motives always when you approach God for something.

The Lord is pleased with those whose priorities second those of others and those that add value to His kingdom. It’s not everything that we desire or do that counts, but all the things that are godly and have eternal significance in doing them. That is why James tells us in v 4 that friendship with the world is hatred towards God. “Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God” for this reason, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” v6

Our action plan must be that we turn from the world and its sinful pleasures and willingly submit to God who knows us very well and has a plan for each of us. This will be a reality when “You resist the devil and he will free from you”v8. In the recent past, I have realized that the greatest enemy of our progress is not even the devil but ourselves, the devil always looks for a chance to strike and must be given an opportunity to do so. Yes, God may allow him to, but mostly you have the power to give him re way or not.

Jesus in Mt 4:1-7 encountered the devil in person not his agents and He had the right to give Satan a chance or rebuke him. The best is what he did; first He told the devil “It’s written” the second time, “It’s written” The third time, Jesus denied Satan all the chances of winning him by taking authority over Satan and said, “Away from me, Satan! For its written, “Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only”. Then the devil left him.

The instructions James gives on how we can build a discipline of drawing near to God are very clear, One, we must cleanse ourselves from any sinful behavior, “wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double minded, grieve , mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up.” V8-10.

We purify our hearts by confessing our sins and turning away from them, repenting and coming to Jesus who is able to save us and to keep us till his return.

In conclusion, James in 4:17 says that “Anyone who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins”.