Focus

Let yourself become open to God and the knowledge that comes from the Word. Ask God for a peace at this time.

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Read

James 5:1-6 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Come now, you rich people, weep and wail for the miseries that are coming to you. Your riches have rotted, and your clothes are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have rusted, and their rust will be evidence against you, and it will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure for the last days. Listen! The wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. You have lived on the earth in luxury and in pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the righteous one, who does not resist you.

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Reflect

When our son and daughter were young, they were typical children. They would ask for toys or “things” when we would go to a store. My husband and I would always answer them with the question, “Is this a want or a need?” We were not only trying to teach them that they would not receive something every time we would go to the store, but that we should learn to be responsible with money. And, in doing so, they learned how special toys or other things were when they were received on special occasions. They had a deeper appreciation when something was received. There are lots of things that we want, but do we really need them?

In our scripture lesson today, James is warning about being materialistic. Riches do not and will not last forever. The rich were laying up their treasures and being fraudulent. Not only this, but the rich were mistreating the harvesters. They were not paying their laborers their wages, which they needed to survive. Greed had consumed them. James was warning the rich that they would be judged for their actions.

My husband’s grandmother had a saying I will never forget, “We may not be rich in money, but we are rich in family.” She would then go on to share how the family had been blessed by God in so many other ways. Do we have a tendency to be materialistic? Do we think if we have this or that, we will be happy? Are we searching for happiness in the wrong places? Do we store up our treasurers and not bless others? Or, do we bless others by sharing our blessings with them?

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Pray

Gracious, Heavenly Father. We come to you thanking you for your many blessings. And we ask you to guide us to be responsible with our money and appreciative of our blessings. Help us to realize what is most important. Amen.

Go with God!