January 8 Daily Devotional

Scripture for Day 8—James 1:9–12

⁹ Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, ¹⁰ and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. ¹¹ For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits. ¹² Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

Devotional:

Christians love the book of James for its practical exhortations about living the Christian life. But don't make the mistake of thinking that James is just a list of do's and don'ts, let alone a disconnected list. The Holy Spirit speaking through James is telling believers how to respond to trials. Notice that verses 2–3 state this theme—"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness"—and verse 12 is still carrying on this theme—"Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him." Note the connections between trials, testing, and steadfastness.

Therefore the Holy Spirit is not changing the subject when he says, "Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, and the rich in his humiliation." He is still talking about the "trials of various kinds" (v. 2). It's easy for us to regard poverty as a trial. Who doesn't? But this Scripture says something really stunning—that prosperity is just as much a trial as is poverty! Being "rich" is just as much a "test of faith" as is being "lowly." In fact, everything in this life is a trial; everything in this life is a "testing of your faith." Now we begin to see why we so need wisdom from God in order that we can walk by faith and not by sight. Wisdom is not the same as knowledge; one can be very knowledgeable and at the same time very foolish. But wisdom is the ability to respond to the ups and downs of life in a godly way. As a case in point, it's the ability to respond to either the test of poverty or the test of prosperity in a godly way. What does a godly response look like?

"Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation." Compare that to James 2:5, "Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him?" The lowly believer ought to be conscious that, even though he is a pilgrim and stranger in this life, he looks for the city with foundations so that he boasts in his exalted privileges in Christ. In contrast, the rich believer is to boast "in his humiliation." That is, he too is to look for the city with foundations, but in the meantime he is to be conscious that, even though he has temporal blessings, he is also a pilgrim and a stranger in this world, this world that is passing away—"…like a flower of the grass he will pass away. For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits." Whether you are a rich Christian or a poor Christian, keep first things first, and make everything else in life revolve around seeking first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness. "But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matt. 6:20–21).

Click here for background on the author of Are You For Real?: Meditations in the Epistle of James for Secret or Family Worship.