Good morning! Before you start your time with God today, start by praying that God would open your eyes to the wonderful things in His Word through your study (Ps. 119:18). Then read the passage slowly, taking notes on what God is teaching you through His Word, and answer the questions.
As you read this week's passage, look for these words or phrases: submit, resist, draw near, purify, miserable, humble, and exalt.
Passage for the week: James 4:7-10 (NASB)
7 Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
9 Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom.
10 Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.
DIGGING DEEPER:
MONDAY
List all of the characteristics of God that you find in this passage (what God is like, His attributes).
What are the 9 commands that James gives us in these verses?
List all of the promises of God that you can find in this passage
TUESDAY
What does it mean to submit yourself to God?
How do you actually resist the devil? See 1 John 2:14 and 4:4 for some insight on this.
WEDNESDAY
What does God do when, in humility, you draw near to Him?
After we have drawn near to God and are close to Him, what will be our response?
How do we purify our hearts and cleanse our hands?
THURSDAY
Where else in the book of James is the word double-minded used? What does it mean?
What is the point of James telling us to be miserable, to mourn, and to weep? Why would we have a reason to do this? Read 2 Corinthians 7:8-11 for help on this.
FRIDAY
When we sin, it offends a holy God. Does your sin before God ever cause you to weep or do you just see it as no big deal?
As we repent and become humble before the Lord, what does the Lord promise to do for us?
Pick a verse or two from this passage and memorize it.
CHEW ON THIS:
James next shows us what humility looks like. Submit yourselves, then, to God. This means to “line up under.” James is using this word to describe a willing surrender to God’s authority as the One who is in control of everything. When we are truly humble, then we will then be able to be loyal to God, obey His commands, and follow His leadership in our lives.
James then tells us to “resist the devil.” This literally means “to take your stand against.” We are able to do this ONLY when we have submitted to God and are operating under His power. We need to remember that the devil is a defeated foe, and that Christ has already won the battle against him! When we take our stand against the devil in the power of God, he flees; he may threaten disaster, but it is all a lie. It only has power if believed.
In the next verse we are encouraged to come near to God. The picture is that of a person coming to offer sacrifice in the temple and coming near to God in the ceremony. We are told to wash our hands and purify our hearts. This is another OT picture (Ex. 30:19–21), illustrating the removal of sinful practices. The double-minded is the person who tries to serve both God and the world needs to have a heart that is completely devoted to God alone. These actions should be also be accompanied by a mourning and a sorrow for our sin against God. Repentance consists of sorrow for sin plus a turning from sin and, where possible, making restitution for the damage caused by one’s sin.
However, James does not leave us there in our sadness over our sin. James includes promises within his call to repentance. As we come near to God, God will come near to us. He will lift us up and will not leave a humble heart mourning! He will accept our repentant heart and respond with His love, raising us up from our mourning into the warmth of His love.
For His Name,
Pastor Stephen
