James 5

We imagine that lots of rich people are happy. Perhaps they are. It still remains that for some reason it is harder for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven than it is for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. The love of money is a serious idolatry that brings all kinds of trouble upon a person. Best to repent, and to give yourself away in service and devotion.

Money fools people. We imagine that we can do anything with it, which is not at all the case. So much of what contributes to our true happiness cannot be purchased. The rich need humility, and you cannot buy that. Riches do create opportunities, but how have those opportunities been used? To him who has been given much, much is required. Like everyone else, the rich need repentance, faith, and salvation, but these are gifts that no amount of money can purchase. With man, it is all impossible, but with God, all things are possible. God can save, and He will give the gifts and graces that accompany His salvation according to His will. If God does not save, how will the rich man answer the Lord in the day of judgment? During his life the needs around him were so great. Where was he when the poor man needed help? This is a frightening thought for anyone who has had ample food and shelter to consider. Have I turned my back on Jesus? Have I lived my life on earth in luxury and self-indulgence? How will I answer God?

What about the eternal condition of the poor man? He cannot save himself any more than the rich man can. We all need grace so badly. But the poor and powerless also need patience. When will the Lord hear their cry for help? When will he deliver the poor man from this land where scarcity takes such a big bite out of his comfort? When will the kingdom come in power?

Take some hope from the farmer. He plants and irrigates, and eventually the earth will yield the fruit that is desired. God will send the early rain and the late rain. The Lord knows. Call upon His Name and wait with confidence. The coming of Jesus is at hand. Our lives are not really that long. If you are in Christ, your day of deliverance will soon come. Either He will take you where He is, or He will come with all of heaven and meet you where you are, but now on a renewed earth where you will no longer be poor.

Set your hearts upon God, believe His promises, and be at peace with everyone as you wait in hope. Give up on all grumbling, both the kind that people can hear and the kind that they cannot. This external and internal complaining will not put food on the table, it will not stop oppressors from assaulting, and it will not bring you closer to heaven.

Think of the Old Testament prophets. They faced suffering with patience. Yes, they cried out to God, and they felt their needs, but they did not give up on the Word of the Lord. This is what is necessary for us. God will surely come soon to rescue us from all distress.

Think of what the righteous Job faced. He lost his property, and all his children. Then he lost his health. Finally he lost all the dignity that he had enjoyed among his people. He became the suffering servant of the Lord. Though he was a man who was more righteous than all those around him, they accused him of secret sin on the basis of these horrific providences. But God visited him and redirected him when he needed Him most. And he was vindicated, and even became an agent of blessing to those who had falsely accused him.

The Lord is compassionate. He hears the cries of the righteous man in distress. He will be merciful. The end will be better than you can imagine. Don't give up in the middle of the struggle. You have not reached the end yet. The cross is not the end. The resurrection life of glory is the end. Wait for that. There is no gain that comes from panic and despair.

As you wait patiently for the Lord, there are five very important positive spiritual habits that you can cultivate that all have to do with togetherness:
1. Be true to your word. You are a part of a community of faith. What you say matters. Remember the steadfastness of Christ to the plan of grace. His “yes” was yes, despite the cost of love.
2. Cry out and sing to God together. You may do more of the former when you are suffering, and more of the latter when you are cheerful, but either way, lift up your voice to the God who heard His Son and who hears His worshiping assembly.
3. Don't face joys and sorrows alone. Call for help from the church, and particularly from the elders. They want to pray for you when you are in trouble. Christ had to suffer alone. You should not have to. Ask for support, and expect that God will do great things through His church.
4. Pray with and for one another. You can even confess your sins and speak God's words of forgiveness to each other. Commit yourself to the right way, and expect God to use you and others in this spiritual service of mutual care.
5. Give up on wandering. Come back home to God and His church. Jesus has received you. Don't ever run away from His church again.

This pattern of living is for those who have rejected Lone Ranger spirituality. We are the body of which the Lord is Head. We have been bought by His blood. Whether we are rich or poor, we are together, and we can support one another as we look for the coming day of glory when we be together with the Lord forever.