10 words of encouragement for those who are suffering

More words of encouragement for those who are suffering:

See James 5:8-11 Below. Much is said to the person(s) who were suffering. 

James 5:8  You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.

James 5:9  Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door!

 James 5:10 My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience.

James 5:11 Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord--that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.

1.They were to patient like the farmers who waited.

2 They were to establish their hearts.

3. They were reminded the Lord is coming again

4. They were to look to the prophets as examples.

5. The prophets suffered and were patient.

6. We do count as blessed those who have endured. 

7. We have seen the perseverance of Job.

8. We have seen the intended by the Lord.

9. We know the Lord is very compassionate.

10. We know the Lord is very merciful. 

So, these are the things that the Lord gave them in James to direct them, to encourage them, and to comfort them in their sufferings. These things were designed to establish them, and to build them up, and to give them strength. 

It's very much worth taking some time to reflect on these truths from God and let them minister to your own heart, in your own time(s) of suffering and difficulties.

So often we are looking around us for solutions to our problems, when a simple pause, and a look up as it were to the Lord would bring us right into that which we need in our lives. 

Again, take a moment to ponder, to reflect on, and to pray about what's listed above in these 10 thoughts from James 5, and may the Lord bless you, and cause His face to shine upon you, and give you peace, grace and mercy in your life. In Jesus name, amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier

Calvary Chapel Visalia

Application/Promise

1. His ways are not our ways.

2. His ways are above our ways.

3. His ways can become our ways.

4. His ways are the best ways.

5. His ways are for each of us today.

6. His ways are the ways of peace and pleasantness.

7. His ways come from His love for you.

8. His ways will also transform and keep you. 

Be patient

Patience until the coming of the Lord.

James 5:7  Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain.

Being patient, is not only the Divine prescription given to those who were suffering under the brutal and corrupt fraudulent acts of their employers, but is also given with a time frame in mind. That is, be patient until the coming of the Lord. 

James then gives an example of this patience with a time frame in mind. He points to the farmer. He says, "See how the farmer waits etc, etc. 

Farmers must be patient as they wait for their crops to grow and then be harvested. We also must be patient. 

The farmers wait for both the early and the latter rain. In James's day, and area of the world, the early rains would come in late October, or early November. Then, around April/May the latter rains would come. 

So, a farmer, would have to wait, be patient, until both of the rains had come. Then, he could harvest his crop. And, thus the suffering are encouraged to follow this example of being patient. 

By the way, the Lord seeks to bring forth fruit in our lives. He has appointed us to bear fruit, and wants that fruit to be plentiful, and wants it to be fruit that remains, or is long-lasting. 

James 5:8 says, "You also be patient. 

Jesus is coming again. He has promised to do that. And, in the meantime, while we are in the midst of our sufferings, we are to wait, be patient. Sometimes we yearn so desperately for the Lord to take us out of a trial, and or to remove the trial from us. We want it to be gone right away. We can become impatient. 

Lord, You are the God of patience. Ro 15:5* Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus. And, we pray that You would help us to be patient until we see Jesus Christ face to face. In His name, amen. 

Pastor Bob Grenier

Calvary Chapel Visalia

Application/Promises.

1. God will help us to be patient.

2. Patience is fruit of the Holy Spirit. 

3. Waiting is important, it's part of God's will.

4. We tend to have our own time lines.

5. God's plan and time line are perfect. 

A word of comfort to those who are sufferring

Words of comfort to the suffering and to the oppressed.

James 5, for the most part speaks to those who were suffering and were being oppressed by others. See James 5:6b-11


Of note right off the bat, is that these suffering christians, who in this case were being oppressed and de-frauded by some corrupt rich people were not resisting, or fighting back. It's not explained to us, but, it is stated that they were not resisting these corrupt people, and they were apparently just trusting God in the midst of their suffering and troubles. A good thing to do, "to trust the Lord" God is faithful to take care of His people, and to defend them, but, it's important then, that His people place their troubles in His hands, and let Him do the defending. 


A specific word of encouragement is given to those who were suffering. 


It's found in James 5:7 Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain.


The Lord through James is saying, in light of what is happening to you ( this oppression through the holding back of your wages ) "be patient, brethren" 


The word patient here, and the idea of being patient, means to bear long, to suffer long, be longsuffering, and to patiently endure.


It also means, to be of a long spirit, not to lose heart. To persevere patiently and bravely in enduring misfortunes and troubles. Be patient in bearing the offenses of others. 


And to be mild and slow in avenging, to be slow to anger, slow to punish.


There is more to be said to these suffering christians, but for today's devotional, this is the word and idea to take in and consider. Be patient. Very simple. 


Lord, it may be simple, and we thank You that You do not make things complicated for us. But, it's simply not always easy to be patient. So, we are asking for ourselves ( if we are at this time suffering, and for those we know who may be suffering ) that You would help to be patient. We know this is Your will, and thus we can know for sure that You will help. Thank You Lord. 


Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia


Application/Promise


1. It's not always easy to be patient.
2. It's very possible with God's help.
3. You can be patient by His help
4. Jesus was patient on our behalf.
5. Patience is the goal the Lord has for us.
6. May His grace abound to you today. 
7. May God give you peace today. 

See what God hears

The ears of the Lord.......

In James 5:1-6, we have a word of impending judgement that is coming upon those rich persons who had defrauded their workers, and had acquired their wealth by ill gotten means. In other words they were crooked and corrupt.

James was not saying that God condemned these people, but rather they had brought this coming judgement upon themselves. In fact, James was calling them to face their sins, and hopefully repent while they still had the time to.

But, he states .......

Miseries are coming upon you.

Your riches are corrupted and moth-eaten.

They had ill gotten wealth.

Their wealth would be a witness against them.

They had heaped their treasures together in the "last days"

Un-paid wages were crying out to God.

Un-paid workers were crying.

Their cries had come to God's ears.

They had lived in luxury and pleasure.

They had condemned others.

They had murdered others.

The oppressed were not resisting those who oppressed them.

All of this, the Lord was hearing. But, here's something else about the ears of the Lord.

He hears the cry of anyone who will cry out to Him for forgiveness.

So, these corrupt people were not beyond being rescued by the Lord.

He could and would save them, if they would cry out to Him.

He would hear them.

God's ears are open to the cry's of people.

Some people cry because they are being hurt. And some people cry because they have hurt others. But, regardless of which one you are, God will hear you. His ears are open today to your voice and your cries.

Let's pray. Father, thank You for the truth of Your Holy Bible. How comforting it is to read it, and to consider what You say, and to be directed by it. We love You, and lift up our voices to You today in praise. And we stand with any who are this very day crying because of their situation and circumstance. Lord have mercy we pray. In Jesus name. Amen

Pastor Bob Grenier

Calvary Chapel Visalia

Application/Promise

1. God's ears can hear any and everyone.

2. God does not respect one above another.

3. He hears with perfect hearing.

4. He understands each tear, and why it's shed.

5. He is merciful and gracious.

6. May His face shine upon you.

The will of God

Five truths about "the will of God"

James is talking about the will of God here. And doing so in the context of businessmen who are making their plans for business. ( But, there are principles that have application to any Christian )

James 4:13 Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit";

James 4:14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.

James 4:15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.”

James 4:16 But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.

James 4:17 Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.

Here are the five thoughts.......

First of all, James invites them to come or to pay attention to what he is going to say to them about making their plans. They were doing the needful things of making plans about their future business dealings. He is not telling them not to make plans as we will see.

Secondly, he reminds them that they do not even know what will happen tomorrow. And, that their lives, ( as our, our lives ) are a vapor that appears and vanishes away. In other words, they did not even know if they would be alive tomorrow, nor do we.

Thirdly, he explains that this is what they ought to do and say. “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” The will of God in Scripture, means among other things that which is pleasing to God. It's His intentions for us, based on His wisdom, love, grace, mercy etc, those things that would be pleasing to be in our lives.

Fourthly, James says that to forget God in our plans and planning, is boastful and arrogant and evil, or destructive and hurtful. Pride, or when we live as if there is no God comes very naturally to our lives through our human nature. God does not call us to live through our human nature, but rather under the leadership of His Holy Spirit.

Fifthly, and in application, James calls his readers to put this truth about God's will into application in their lives. You know what is good he is saying, "live with God's will in mind" and if you don't do that, and you live as if there is no God, then, that is sin. So, keep God's will in mind, and follow His will and His leading.

James 4:17 Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.

We can forget that God has a will, and that will is defined as what is pleasing to Him.

It's very easy to forget that there are some things that He may want us to do, and some things He may not want us to do. They may or may not be pleasing to Him.

Thank You Lord for this reminder, and remind us to live with Your will in mind, day by day.

Application/Promise

1. God's will and making plans are not at odds.

2. God wants to lead us in making our plans.

3. God does have a plan, and it's easy to forget that.

4. God's will is the best thing for us.

5. God's will for us, is pleasing to Him.

6. God's will is for each day, one day at a time.

7. God's will, will one day mean we see Him face to face.

Love one another, do not speak evil of one another.

Do not speak evil of one another, brethren.

That's in James 4:11.

James goes on to say, about speaking evil to say........

James 4:11 Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge.

James 4:12 There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge another?

What does all this mean?

Speaking evil, includes the idea of being critical of a brother or sister in Christ, and of accusing, and or maligning one another. We are just told not to do it period. We are also given an explanation, that if we do speak evil of one another, then we judging our brother, and we are speaking evil of God's law, ( which calls us not do such things ) and, we are judging the law.

Then, we have become judges of the Law, and not doers. We are not called to judge God's law, but rather to do it. Finally, we are reminded by James of 3 things.

1. There is one lawgiver, and that is of course the Lord.

2. God is the one who can save, or can destroy.

3. Who are we to judge another? We are not to presume is the idea.

I'm afraid this can be something that as Christians we all can do to easily, and fail to realize that we ought not to be doing this. But, here it is in black and white.

Another perspective, is that we don't need to worry about what someone else is doing. The Lord has not called us to that kind of responsibility. He will take care of His own children. He has not saddled us with that calling.

Let's pray together. Lord, we would first of all, ask that You might forgive us for any and all sins in this area. Wash us and cleanse us Lord. And, we pray that You might help us to be deeply convicted about this kind of thing, and to learn by Your grace, to resolve never to say an unkind word about another person ever again. In Jesus name we pray, amen.

Pastor Bob Grenier

Calvary Chapel Visalia

Application/Promise

1. God is the judge, not us.

2. God has called us to love.

3. God knows just what He is doing.

4. God calls us to be encouragers, not judges of others.

5. God does not accuse us, so, we ought not accuse anyone.

6. God has better things for us to do, and give ourselves to.