Handiwork

"Why do you take care of human beings?" Psalm 8:4.

O Lord God! Yours is the most wonderful name in all the earth! But what are we to you? We look at the skies, moon, stars, and wonder, why? You made us just lower than gods. You gave us honor and glory. You placed us over all your handiwork. But why? We look around ... and ... honestly, we don't see humans quite so fine. Not quite meeting up to your expectations. Hardly worthy at all. But, then, we see the man, Jesus. You crowned him with glory and honor. Because he suffered death. And by your grace you received his sacrifice worthy to account for all of us. O Lord! Our Lord! How majestic your name in all the earth!

We meet up with a brother or sister today, and swept away together in God's grace we praise our God! Thank you, Lord! Awe of you overwhelms us! Hosanna!

Done

"God has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son," Colossians 1:13.

Us? Us who? Us. Us whom God qualified. Us who have come to faith in Christ Jesus. That's us who. So. What's God done for us lately? God prompted somebody tell us the gospel. God gave us to understand his grace. God has strengthened us by his might. God has qualified us to share his wealth. God has freed us from the slavery of darkness. God has made us citizens in his Son's kingdom. God has redeemed us by his Son. God has forgiven us through his Son. That's all stuff God has already done. For us. Don't worry. Be happy.

We visit with a brother or sister today in the joy of God's marvel - our salvation in Christ. And, together, we give grateful thanksgivings to God through Jesus.

Fit

"The Father has qualified you to share in the inheritance," Colossians 1:12.

We know how it is. To get into the program, any program (college, food stamps, bank loan, Olympics, public assistance, job, whatever) ya gotta qualify for it. Ya gotta show yourself good at the thing in order to qualify. Yeah. Same with getting into heaven's program. Ya gotta qualify. Ya gotta be good. Really good. Not be really good At it. Nope. Ya gotta Be. good. Be so good that nobody's that good. So God himself qualifies us. In light of Christ. And we get fitted for his riches. His inheritance. Qualified for heaven.

God's qualifying light shines on us as we visit with a brother or sister today. And, together in Jesus' light, we give thanks to our Father for making us fit.

Rumors

"We heard of your faith in Christ Jesus," Colossians 1:4.

Hmm. So how does a person get faith in Jesus? I mean, a faith real enough that others spread rumors about it? Well, in good measure it shows up in demonstrated love for fellow believers. Yeah, that's cool, but how do you get it? Through knowing you've got billions. Riches presently tucked away safely for later access. Tucked away? Where? Safe in the vault, in the skies. Oh. But more specifically, faith comes because we really, really expect to get that wealth. OK. So when did we hear about those riches? When we heard the preacher tell the gospel. And having listened to it, believed in Jesus, obediently. And got grace. Gospel truth.

As we visit with a brother or sister today, we love each other in the faith of Jesus. And, together, we give thanks to God for keeping our hope's inheritance secure in heaven.

Boldness

"Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God," Colossians 1:1.

Now that's quite a claim! If it's not true, it's arrogant beyond arrogant! Claims to be a personal messenger. A personal messenger of Jesus. Of Jesus, the Jesus God selected. So. Paul's a messenger sent out on mission by Jesus. Most arrogant of all: God willed this. But the claim's true. So, not arrogance, but boldness. Jesus sent him out to make the announcements. And, so, we read those written announcements today, 21 centuries after he announced them. We call them Colossians. As we listen to the old apostle, we hear God's will clearly expressed to warn us and to teach us and to mature us in Christ.

We travel with a brother or sister today listening to God's words. And, together in thankfulness, we grow into our Lord Jesus, the Christ of God.

Olden

"Grace to you, and peace, from God our father," Colossians 1:2.

In olden times, when they saw each other, that's how they said: Hi, there! That was their greeting. That is, believers in Christ said things like that. That reminded them that Christ made them his brothers and sisters with one common father, God. That Christ made them holy. That way, they acknowledged that God gave each of them grace. A gift. Unimaginable generosity. And that God gave them peace. Yeah. Peace within the heart. Peace among each other. Peace with him. God gave them peace with God. That God did.

So, today, when we see a brother or sister, we say: Grace to you! And, together, we give joyful thanks to God for giving it to us.

Deep

"Lord, you are my shield, my wonderful God who gives me courage," Psalm 3:3.

Dear God, when we call out, you answer us even from the highest places. The evil one says you won't help at all. (Slowly, we let out a deep breath.) But you shield us. You lift our heads. You're our glory! We sleep in your peace. We awaken with your sustenance. Fearing only you, we have no fear of lies. You have struck the evil one in the face: he's down. But you! You have arisen! You arise and save us! Your blessing comes to your people. (And we breathe in your deep breath, at peace.)

When we meet today with a brother or sister in the troubles of this world, we rest assured by our Lord's resurrection. And, together grateful, we praise him into eternity.

Honest

"One of you may wander away from the truth," James 5:19.

Truth? What truth? Isn't all truth relative? Well, maybe there's so-called truth that just depends on how we look at the thing. Us being sophisticates and all. But, no, not all truth is fake truth. There's truth, true truth. Yeah. Truth that saves a soul. Saves? Saves a soul? Like, saves from what? From damned to death. So what is real truth? God made Jesus Christ the Lord of glory. Trusting in that is God's power to save. So. If someone wanders off into the lie, and if somebody turns that sinner back around to truthful faith - well, then, their soul gets saved from death. That truth's honest to God: it covers plenty sins. It gives forever life.

We meet with a brother or sister today in mutual encouragement to stand firm with Jesus. And, together in thanksgiving, we praise God for so great a salvation!

Always

"Any of you suffering? They've got to pray," James 5:13.

James' solution for everything. Always. Turn to God. (in humility.) He's nearby. Anybody happy? Sing about it! Anybody sick? Ask for prayer! (The old ones will come and pray and anoint in Jesus' name.) And the Lord will pick 'em up. Yeah. Oh! And when we own up to our sin, and pray together, the Lord forgives. And heals. It's not just prayer to something, anything. Pray to a rock, not much happens. It's prayer to God, maker of all of the sky's lights. Like Elijah prayed. To God, the unchangeable bountiful giver of every good. Yeah. That's what James's saying.

When we meet with a brother or sister today, we share troubles and pray together. And, together, we give thanks to God for strength and joy and healing and forgiveness through our Lord.

Yesses

"Your Yes must be Yes, and your No, No," James 5:12.

Here's a Big Deal. Don't swear. Don't make oaths. You know, like ... but, wait! First: James doesn't talk about cussing (there's plenty about that elsewhere). He talks about keeping true to our word even if: we don't sign the legal papers. Or don't promise on our mother's grave. Or don't say as God is our witness. Or don't assert to poke a red-hot needle in our eye. Or don't affirm on a stack of Bibles. Or if it's not a legal proceeding. If we say Yes, then that's all it takes. (Or No, of course.) No crossed fingers, no looking for loopholes. And why should our word be our bond? Because otherwise, God's judgment brings lying hearts down.

We meet up with a brother or sister today speaking truth in the love of God. And, together, we give thanks that we may trust all God's Yesses find their satisfaction in Jesus.

Yielding

"Brothers, be patient until the Lord comes again," James 5:7.

See how farmers work their springtime fields? They defer satisfaction to the land's precious timing. They wait patiently for gentle rains to bring earth's autumn fruit. (James is still talking about God even when he's not talking about God.) The Lord's coming. Very soon. In fact, he's already at the door. So what do we do? We wait patiently. For him. Like those farmers. We resolve heart-committed endurance. (We don't whine at or blame each other.) We persevere through suffering. Like Job. We know assuredly: the Lord's full of mercy. The Lord's kindness abounds. We wait for him.

We get together with a brother or sister today to hang in there until we see Jesus. And, together, we praise God for yielding in us patient, enduring, persevering, persistent, determined hope. He's coming!

Seriously

"Their unpaid wages cry out to the Lord of armies," James 5:4.

Goodness! What are you on about now, James? Well, it's about God. As always, about God, giver of every good gift. God, whose will birthed us as the very best. God, who implanted the word of life into willing hearts. God, who made Jesus the Lord Christ in glory. This same Lord, commander of heavenly armies, has heard the cries of oppressed peoples. Of the murdered dead. Oppressed by whom? By the rich who got fat by oppression. The rich whose clothes decay. Whose stock market fails. Whose luxury disintegrates. Whose rotting gold eats their skin away as Ebola. Whose self-indulgence prepared for their coming slaughter: Armies from the sky are on the march. Wow, James! Kind of negative here for morning devotions. Seriously?

We meet with a brother or sister today in reverence and deep respect for God's sovereignty. And, together with bowed hearts and knees, we give thanks to the Lord who rights all wrongs.

Fame

"The Lord is great and worthy of praise," Psalm 145:3.

O, Lord God! We lift you up and bless your name forever and ever! Every day we praise you. We praise your Name! Your greatness has no measure we can span. Parents tell children your mighty acts. They tell the glories of things you've done! We think about your powerful works. We ruminate on your royalty. We declare your greatness. And alongside your immense might, you manifest your grace, your generosity. Your kindness floods over us. We sing your fame out loud! Your goodness is our bounty!

When we meet with a brother or sister today, we remember our King's mercies. And, together, in praise, in worship, in service, we say: Lord, you are good! All the time!

Wills

"You're a mist that shows up for a little while, and then fades away," James 4:14.

James' honesty with us humans is brutal. What's he talking about? Our lives. Specifically, that we don't know what our life will be tomorrow. Nobody does. We're pretty proud about awesome plans to get rich next year, or to go on that great vacation. But have no clue about even being alive in the next twenty-four hours. So, James says, hold tightly to the Lord's will. We have no other assurance. If the Lord wills. Then, this or that or the other. If the Lord wills that we even live. If the Lord wills. Any other plan is worthless arrogance. If the Lord wills.

If the Lord wills, we will visit with a brother or sister today. And, together, we will give thanks for God's assurance of eternal life in our Lord, Jesus Christ.

One

"There is only one lawgiver and judge," James 4:12.

And it's not us. It's God. God is the only one. (James keeps talking about God.) So. What's the point? So. When we talk against one another we talk evil against God's law. When we judge a neighbor, we judge God's law. Whoa! How does that work?! Easy, peasy, says James. Here's how it works: We are supposed to be doers of the law. Doers. Not judges. When we judge, we're not doing it. We're judging. Not our job. That's God's job. One lawgiver. One judge. Only one able to give life. Or take it away. God. Not us.

We visit with a brother or sister today in humility to honor each other in Christ. And, together, we give grateful thanksgiving for God's promise of life in Christ, our Lord.

More

"God gives grace to the humble," James 4:6.

(James is all about God, all the time.) Yes. Grace. And even more grace. God gives. Grace. Well, anyway, that's what James keeps on saying. Yeah. And, James also says God opposes bully swagger. He gives no quarter to pride. But for persons yielding to God (instead of kowtowing to the devil), for persons standing up against the devil, God gives grace. And more grace. The bully devil runs away. So, we draw near to God. We clean up our act. We deprecate our swagger. We lower ourselves to God. And God lifts us up. He elevates us. He will exalt us. God will.

We visit with a brother or sister today single minded in submitting ourselves to God. And, together, we joy thankfully trusting him for exaltation in Christ's humility.

Eyes

"Where do your fights and arguments come from?" James 4:1.

James, you're relentless in telling God's goodness, aren't you? But now, you're making us take a naked look at ourselves? Self centered grabs, internal battlings, fights, arguments, frustrated wants, quarrels, thwarted desires, empty passionate discords. Yeah. Where do these come from? If you know, tell us, James! Well, he does (know). And he does (tell). These come from taking our eyes off God's wisdom. From siding with the world. Cultivating passionate egotistical happiness. Hooking up with the world's call for self-satisfaction. And fighting against God. (Not so did we learn Christ.)

Repenting, we meet with a brother or sister today and so sow God's wisdom in peace. And, together, we give thanks to God who loves to draw us out of self into Jesus' peace.

Above

"Who is wise?" James 3:13.

Good question, James! Yes, who shows true wisdom? James says: Gentle wisdom coming down from up high shows in right behavior. It's pure. Peaceable. Gentle. Open to reason. Full of mercy. Fair. Honest. But wait! Compared to what, James? To below wisdom. Not from above. Arises from bitter jealousy. From ambitious hearts. Boasting. False truth. From earth. From fleshly soul. Demons. But. Instead. People who do peace plant the seeds that yield peaceful and right living. These are the wise. Wisdom of God. Says James.

Meeting with a brother or sister today, we sow the fruit of God's wisdom with each other. And, together, we give thanks for God's wisdom made real in Christ Jesus.

Detailed

"I praise you because you made me in an amazing and wonderful way," Psalm 139:14.

O Jehovah God! What you have done is awesome - we know your works very well! You watched over our tiny structures forming in our mothers' wombs. You oversaw the intricacies of the smallest developing tissues. You detailed the plans for our growth through all the days to come. Yes! Even before there were any days there to live. We cherish your thoughts. They stretch our minds to the infinite. We awaken to life with you. You lead us in the ways of forever life.

We visit a brother or sister today and marvel in God's provision. And, together, we say: Thank you, Lord God! Thank you!

Severe

"We who teach will be judged with greater strictness," James 3:1.

Judged by whom? Well, partly by those being taught. But, here, mainly, by God. God's paying attention to what teachers teach. No stumbling around in what's said. Bridling the mouth. The mind must guide it rather than let it loose. The tongue, after all, is a little thing, but it sure can swagger big. Its obscenities pollute the rest of the body. It blazes hell fire. Uncontrolled burns destroy whole life cycles up in flames. It thinks to bless God all the while cursing humans, God's likeness. What?! God's listening. His judgment severe against earthly, soulish, demonic teaching.

We speak God's blessings carefully with a brother or sister today. And, thankful together, we praise Christ who teaches us God's eternal wisdom.

Effective

"Can't that faith save?" James 2:14.

No. Apparently, not. That faith works to no advantage. That faith is worthless. That faith is like a corpse with no breath. Dead. Whoa, James! What are you saying? What faith are you talking about? Faith with no skin in the game. No commitment. No effort. A faith like pious words with no substance. In fact, like demons have. Yeah. They, too, believe that God is one. (And all's they do is shake in their boots.) Just a sort of religious mumbo jumbo faith with no follow-through. Faith with no life. So. What kind of faith works to save, then? Like Abraham's, that compelled him to extreme obedience to God. Or, like Rahab the Prostitute's, that moved her to risk her very life trusting God. James says that's faith that works.

When we, brother or sister, check in with each other today, we serve each other in effective faith. And, together, we give thanks to God that trusting in Jesus saves. Totally.

Important

"If you treat one person as more important than another, you commit sin," James 2:9.

All right, already! James just doesn't let go of this, does he? Man! What's his deal here? Well, the thing is this: James talks about life in Christ's congregation. James looks at God; then he looks at us. Then he looks at Jesus who's just about ready to bring his people home. Then he looks at us. Then he calls us: Get ready! And how to get ready? To love our neighbors as ourselves, no favorites. So, what if we don't keep Jesus's call to love like that? Then we stand as transgressors of that law. So. James says: Keep that love-law that brings freedom. James wants to see us all home. That's his deal.

We visit with any brother or sister today in the mercy of Christ. And, together in the Lord's mercy, we triumph over any judgment against.

Honorable

"The rich are always trying to control your lives," James 2:6.

Clearly, James, you got it wrong. And here you were trying to teach us something about God choosing the poor as heirs of the kingdom! You're wrong, James. The rich don't oppress anybody. They don't take anybody to court. The rich (who, for example, run Hollywood) never teach us many ways to insult Jesus's name. (By whose holy name are we called.) They don't get lots of money from us to watch their shows. Or to subsidize their political campaigns for more power. Barking up the wrong tree, James.

Today we meet, humbled, with a brother or sister in the hope of God's promises. And, together, rich or poor, thankful, we hold fast in trust of Jesus's honorable name.

Trinket

"You do not hold the faith in favoritism," James 2:1.

That is, we do not have Jesus's faith. Not at all. Maybe some faith about something, but not the faith of Christ. He's the Lord of glory! He doesn't value a human on our trinket prejudices. No. When a powerful dude with the coolest stuff on his person comes into our gatherings, and also some poor slob comes in, to honor the one and dishonor the other fails. It fails the test of faith. Fails the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ of glory. True faith leads away from deceitful discrimination and toward welcoming hospitality. After all, God chose the poor who love him to be rich in faith and heirs of his kingdom. Effective faith.

Meeting with a brother or sister today doesn't depend on our respective socio-economic statuses. Depending together on the faith of our Lord, we give thanks that he welcomed even us.

Essential

"How good and pleasant when brothers dwell in unity," Psalm 133:1.

Look! See how good it is! How pleasant when God's people live together in peace! What's it like? It's like, well, like precious oils poured out extravagantly onto the scalp and hair. Like essential oils rubbed profusely into the head and flowing down onto the robe collar. Filling the room with its healing, healthful, heady aroma. Yeah. It's like heavy morning dews drenching parched mountain meadows. Like gleaming diamonds on grassy blades and tree leaves. Living life together as a symphony! Because, yeah, God commands that blessing. The harmony of forever life.

We meet with a brother or sister today in the peace of Christ. And, together, we plan thanksgivings for our God who commands the cosmos to yield the good he created it for.

Integrity

"This person's religion is worthless," James 1:26.

(Religion? James just doesn't let go of talking about God.) OK. So many religions. Too many religions out there to shake a stick at. So. What's the right religion? First thing to ask is, is it just self-justifying talk and smokescreen? Alternatively, is it quietly true? Second. Do fatherless or motherless kids get taken care of? Third. Do abandoned widows get help? Fourth. Does holy behavior get affirmed? Questions to ask. Yeah. God. God's religion: a curbed mouth. no lies. no kids abandoned. no needy widows. moral integrity. Otherwise: worthless religion. no matter what the rehearsed creed says.

In our visit with a brother or sister today we share time and resources to relieve burdens. And, together, we give thanks that God's religion is real.

Do

"Be doers of the word," James 1:22.

Just do it. Do what God's teachings say to do. At any rate, do it if you want to get blessed. To hear the teaching and do nothing ... well, it's kind of like the guy who examined his face in a mirror down to the pores, and as soon as his gaze changed, forgot it all. What a clueless exercise! But whoever keeps on studying God's perfect law (that is, the one that gives liberty), and acts on it, well then, they don't forget. Doing it frees them. They get blessed.

Coming alongside a brother or sister today we encourage each other to keep on keepin' on. And, blessed together, we give thanks for God setting us free to live in Christ.