This letter is from James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. I am writing to the “twelve tribes” — Jewish believers scattered abroad. Greetings!
James 1:1 NLT
James, a brother of Jesus, identifies himself as a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. The word slave can also be translated as bondservant. A bondservant is a person who is bound to service without wages.
We have all been given free will. We choose who we will serve. We choose what authority we submit to. James served his brother and recognized His authority as Lord of all.
Worshipping the Lord means living our lives for Him. Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay his life down for his friends. We are friends of God if we obey Him. Jesus was the brother, friend and Lord of James. Who is Jesus to you?
Are you ready to be tested to see if that’s true?
Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.
For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.
So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.
James 1:2-4 NLT
This life will test you. You will endure many trials. These are not reasons to despair and lose hope. Quite the contrary, they are meant to help you focus on what’s truly important — your relationship with God.
The ultimate test of faith is that we do not lose it when things don’t go the way we hoped or planned. So much is outside of our control.
Truly, the only thing we can hope to control is ourselves. Self-control means mastering ourselves by the Spirit’s power. When we rein ourselves in, we can truly submit to the Lord and do the Father’s will.
When trials come, rejoice. Know that you’re being tested. Know that the fire purifies us. Know that you’re not alone in the fire. Draw closer to God. He will draw nearer to you.
Prayer Points
- Ask God if you are doubting His goodness in the midst of your trials.
- Ask God to give you more faith.
- Ask God to increase your patience and endurance.
Father in Heaven, thank You for the gift of faith. Thank You for revealing Christ as Lord to our hearts. We willingly choose to be bondservants of Christ. We want to serve You regardless of what we get because we have the promise of eternal life and the hope of Heaven. Give us more faith. Give us more patience. Increase our endurance. Walk with us as we endure many trials by fire. We live to give You glory. Amen.
So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while.
These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold — though your faith is far more precious than mere gold.
So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.
1 Peter 1:6-7 NLT
Recommended reading: James 1 and 1 Peter 1.
Igniter Ministries 