Tuesday, November 8, 2011
1 Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. 2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten.3 Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. James 5:1-3
James has a message for what I will call the oppressive rich in the next few verses. Now, just two disclaimer: A rich person during this time was someone who had more than they need, so most of us reading this would qualify. Secondly, James does not have a problem with someone being rich; just someone becoming rich in a wrong way. This is why he says, “weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.” I don’t know about you, but usually I don’t think of rich people as being the ones who should be worried about misery coming. James seems to think that the miseries are on the way. What are these miseries coming for these rich people he’s addressing?
James tells these rich people that their “riches are corrupted.” They have acquired their riches through oppression and dishonesty (look ahed to verse 4). This approach to wealth building is obviously wrong and very risky. It can be lost at any time. He tells them that their “garments are moth eaten.” Clothes at that time were expensive. To have more than one pair meant you were rich, yet theirs were being destroyed. He says that their gold and silver are cankered and have rust on them. He is using language about their riches that speak to the idea that their extra isn’t really helping them.
I believe that James is warning people who have extra to be careful to know why they have extra, and to be careful about how they get extra.
Application: Here is a thought today about those of us who have more than we need. Why have we been so blessed? What responsibilities do we have as a result of being so blessed? Also, have I gotten what I have in a way that would please God? More on this subject tomorrow!
Study the Scriptures with Ben Jennings 
We are so blessed because God gave it to us all of it to us, a family, friends, a church family, school for education, and a whole lot more. Sometimes we take that for granted but we need to remember that some people don’t have it good like we do, they have no food and no warm clothes or any clean water so we are so lucky To have God in our Lives and to bless us so much. We need to take our blessing and take it to our advantage ad do good stuff with like stuff we don’t need. Some people are very spoiled and they get everything they want but then they ask for more and more and more. I used to be spoiled and everytime I ask my mom for something she would say yes automatically and I used to get everything I want then something snapped in me like a didn’t want to ask my mom for stuff anymore (well sometimes I do) so I do chorus for her and she gives me five dollars every 15 days I know that god didn’t like the way I was getting my stuff and taking advantage of my mon like that so then I knew something had to change.
~This veres is saying that~ A rich man is like crying and stuff about what to come and he’s clothes are messed up and they were like moth eaten. He’s gold and sliver have rusted so that means that that was the most important thing to him so it will hurt him to most because he’s not rich anymore and becoming poor. Then the rich man notices his real treasures not gold or silver at the last minute. Is that right??
We r so blessed because jesus christ gave it all to us. He died on the cross for ur sin and mine. He gave us a church, a family, friends, THE BIBLE!!!!!! he gave us so much that we can learn about him and god. Great message today and thts what I got out of it today! 🙂 c u guys tmrw!!!! 🙂 love u guys!!! 🙂 ❤
What I got out of this is that it’s ok to be rich but some people think there the reason for their riches and not God if you think about it where all rich compared to the rest of the world I mean half of us have an IPod touch people around the world would love that so much and we get mad because we can’t get the new new IPod touch so we have so much praise the lord!:)
This is crazy! I’m pretty sure all of us have more than we need, but why? Because God has blessed us with this stuff. I know a lot of times I take advantage of the things I have, or think I “need” more. But believe it or not God has given us everything we need plus more! Sometimes I get greedy though and put my stuff before God! Which is not a good thing! Why love stuff more than the One who created the stuff?! I have no clue! This really reminds me of one of the lessons in practical athiest a couple weeks ago about loving or trusting in our stuff more than God! I have a really hard time with this sometimes, but God has showed me that I have ALL I need. Earlier I saw quote or something that said: “what if you woke up tomorrow and only had the things you thanked God for yesterday?.” truth is, I would have very little! Why? Because I forget to thank God for blessing me so much
this really opened my eyes though that #1 I’m soo blessed! & #2 I need to be more thankful for the stuff God has blessed me with! Actually since that lesson in practical athiest, I’ve been really thinking about this subject and i think it’s cool we get to learn about it in James too! I’ve been looking into maybe sponsoring a kid like we do in youth group, I think it would be cool so I’ve been praying about it to see what God wants me to do! I get kinda worried that I wouldn’t have enough money to do it every month cause I don’t have a job or anything, but if it’s what God wants He’ll provide! Hope you guys are having a good week! & good job on the coments! See you tomorrow 🙂
thats a cool quote 🙂
Right? 🙂 I found it on the internet!
That is a great quote Alexis!
“God gives and God takes” he’s given us so much hasn’t he?!?! i could just go on and on about the stuff God has given us.we shouldn’t take it for granted and be like “oh i want more!” if he wanted u 2 hv something he would’ve given it 2 u.i can’t STAND spoiled people.they want more & more & more.i mean,ur not gonna hv that stuff forever.that saying that alexis mentioned is something to really think about.if u didn’t thank Go for all the things yesterday,u wouldn’t hv very much would u? this is a subject we all really need 2 think about.real great message as always!!! 🙂 dn’t know yet if im coming tmrw.hope i can! loveu guys!! 🙂 <333
can u guys please pray for my mom.im not gonna give details though.
i definitely will! Hope you can come tomorrow :0
I’ll be praying for her Allie! Hope to see you tomorrow night! 🙂
I saw your mom 2day. I’m praying for her and for you and your family
thanks guys!!! 🙂 shes doing alot better and shes out of the hospital today!!!! 🙂
I know alot of times it’s hard to realize how much we really have because we’re always comparing to others……I don’t have the newest ipod, clothes, blah blah blah..So I “need” it. Instead of thinking “I want, I want, I want..” We should be thankful for how much we HAVE. God didn’t have to give us all of that. There are so many people with less. He could’ve made us one of those people, but He didn’t! Philippians 4:19 My God will supply all your needs. The verse says He will supply all your NEEDS not wants….I know sometimes I feel like God was unfair to me, but He isn’t. I can’t say He never supplied my needs. Sometimes I didn’t get the coolest new thing, but He has never left me hungry, without NECESSARY clothes, ect. We take the important things for granted and just think about what we DIDN’T get sometimes. I definitely don’t thank Him enough for what He’s given me! Because, compared to other less fortunate people, I have SOOO much! Sometimes I need wake up calls like this one to remember that I don’t “need” that new thing because I already have everything I need.
Thanksgiving is coming up and I have so much to thank God for, He truly gives me soo much. I’m not the best off, but He takes care of me. 🙂
Great reference verse Grace! & I agree I need a wake up call sometimes too! It’s crazy how caught up we can get with earthly things and forget about what’s most important! Great comment! 🙂
Wow Grace you made awesome poiints! Needs are so much different than wants, and i think that its important to know the difference. Great comment 🙂
thanks! you made some great points too 🙂
I like how Pastor Ben pointed out that its not that James didnt like rich people, but he was saying that some rich people become greedy and selfish. They dont care about where they got all their possesions or anything for that matter. Most of us fall into the rich person category that James talks about. Most of us have more than we need. Like ipods, big rooms, alot of clothes, tv’s, movies, music.. The list could go on and on. We just have to remember who gave us all these blessings, and thats God!!! Im in world history right now, and as im learning about past civilizations & time periods, i realize how much we have. I feel terrible complaining about how somethings not working, or how pointless some classes are. Its such a HUGE blessing that we have free education & fun things to play with. Back then, they hardly had plumbing.. So imagine the poor!! We need to be mindful of just how blessed we truely are. Were beyond blessed, and i know i need to be more aware of just how much God’s given me instead of focusing on the bad. I really dont know why ive been so blessed.. I mean i dont deserve it. But its because God loves me & everyone else in this world! Hes such a loving God, and we need to acknowledge Him of everything He’s done for us 🙂
Even health wise.. Wow i always forget to thank God for my great health. Some people have life long battles with a condition, and i cant imagine how much different their needs are than mine. & for me to say that i want more than what i have is just selfish 😦 so many people are around me that need so much more. Yeah i get sick sometimes & feel terrible but there are people who always feel like that. Us “rich” people need to open our hearts to not only the “poor”, but to people who cant have the things we can. God’s made us all individually special, and equal. Were not more superior than one another no matter what society says! We have all sinned & fallen short of God. & he’s given everyone the best rich of all if we accept it- a home in heaven when we die. I wish i always had this mindset when it comes to rich/poor.
Sorry for another long comment, i just thought i should add on this thought!
We have the same brain! Legit it’s crazy!
These three verses kinda make you take a reality check don’t they? I mean we, I, fall into the category of people that James is talking about. Two things happened today without even reading this devotion made me feel blessed. The first thing that happened today was actually to me. I was in first period and I was about to sit down, and my pants started slipping a little so I went to pull them up and my button fell off. I just sat down and thought ok this shall be interesting. I went all day pulling up the pants that were already a smidgen too big. It made me think about how much I take for granted. A button, a little button on my pants does so much for me, and I take having it for granted everyday. It made me think about just how much I really just let slip past me each day and not even think about to be thankful for. The second thing that made me think about how greatful I am, occurred at the orthodontist office today. I was sitting waiting for Lindsey to get called back when this mother and her little boy walked in. The boy had braces on his legs, and needed help walking, and had some kind of disorder because he couldn’t really use his hands, pay attention, or talk right. When he walked through those doors my heart just sank. That little boy was so happy and was talking up a storm even though it didn’t make sense. God has made me with no major health problems and healthy besides the minor colds, which I seem to find ways to complain about, but He made me physically healthy and I take it for granted. God has given me so much, and I do not thank Him enough for all of it. I find myself sometimes being like the rich James described being greedy and wanting more. I really wanted a new pair of jeans today and a new shirt cause mine had a hole in it, but I have plenty in my closet. God really showed me how greatful I am today in a lot of ways and I’m not going to continue to let His gifts go unnoticed! God’s so good!
thats so true i didn’t even think about health
Yeah- health is one we really take for granted at times
We really need to be careful with what we have. I’m pretty sure we all have more than we need but I think god is trusting us with it. When you really stop and think about Gos owns it and we are just stewards. Speaking from my own personal experience I can get a one track mind when it comes to the newest and best things because that’s all I some times think about. So the application for me is that 1. I need to be thankful for what I have, and 2. I can’t let things get in the way of God.
Would the newest thing happen to be an apple product because if it is you and I have the same temptation?