James 5:1-6
[1] Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. [2] Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. [3] Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. [4] Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. [5] You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. [6] You have condemned and murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you.
Head: What has God provided for you? Think of both the essentials and luxuries.
Heart: Check your heart for (1) gratitude for God's providence and (2) devotion of all these things to be used for God's Kingdom.
Hands: Today, how can you use the resources and opportunities God has given you for His Kingdom?
Would you consider yourself rich? The more important question is: "how we are using what we have?" The "rich" described in James 5:1-6 are criticized for putting their security in life in their worldly riches and using them for their self-indulgence. They had no regard for God, who is the giver of all these things, and they had no regard for others around them.
The people that James is speaking to have taken it a step farther and have used their privilege and power of wealth as a tool to exploit those of lesser influence and wealth. Verse 4 describes how they acted unjustly and frauded people of their wages.
As Christians, not only should we not act in this way, we must defend the powerless and be a voice for those without a voice. Instead of using the power of our resources and possessions as means to repress others, we must use our God-given resources and opportunities to build others up and empower them.
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Devotional Guide:
1) Pray for understanding in your mind, for trust in your heart, and for powerful obedience in your daily living.
2) Read the passage and mark anything that blesses you, challenges you, or raises a question.
3) Reflect on the passage. What's God saying about Himself? What's God saying about you?
4) Pray in response to what God puts on your heart through the Word.