Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are
WEEK 21
WAITING PATIENTLY FOR GOD'S
PERFECT JUSTICE
JAMES 5:1-11
Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten. Your gold and your silver have rusted; and their rust will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure! Behold, the pay of the laborers who mowed your fields, and which has been withheld by you, cries out against you; and the outcry of those who did the harvesting has reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. You have lived luxuriously on the earth and led a life of wanton pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. You have condemned and put to death the righteous man; he does not resist you.
Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near. Do not complain, brethren, against one another, so that you yourselves may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing right at the door. As an example, brethren, of suffering and patience, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the
outcome of the Lord's dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.
GRACIOUS FATHER of mercies and God of all comfort,1
the Lord Jesus said that in this world
we would have tribulation.2
Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus
will be persecuted.3
A slave is not greater than his master,
and because the world persecuted Christ, it is by no means a marvel that worldly hearts today
still hate and revile those who stand faithfully
for the truth He proclaims.4
Yet we know that Christ has already overcome the world. We know that His coming in glory
draws closer with each passing moment. We know that the prophets and redeemed people of old
were blessed through the things they suffered. We remember especially the outcome of Job's trials. We know that the righteous suffer
and sinners prosper only temporarily. We know that no trouble can assault us
without Your express permission.5
Meanwhile, You uphold us with sufficient grace
to endure every tribulation, and You make for us a way of escape from every temptation.6
May we draw patience, courage, and strength from that knowledge. Energize our hearts unto godliness,
even as You humble us through our trials. We know that a day of justice is coming,
when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven
with His mighty angels in flaming fire, to deal out retribution to all
who do not obey the gospel.7
So enemies of the gospel—
including all who are prosperous in this life
but poor toward You— have nothing to look forward to in eternity
but judgment. Everything they have ever gained will be eternally lost. As for us, we will behold Your face in righteousness. We will be satisfied when we awaken,
transformed into living images of Christ.8
And on top of that,
You have elevated us as Your own sons and daughters
and made us joint heirs with the Lord Jesus, to whom all glory belongs—if indeed we suffer with Him
so that we may also be glorified with Him.9
So Father, we come as humble and undeserving sinners to worship You,
the Most High God, righteous Judge, Father of glory, Creator and sovereign of the universe. You are great and greatly to be praised. Your greatness is unsearchable.10
You are abundant in power; Your wisdom is beyond measure. You lift up the humble and cast the wicked down.11
We bless You for the gospel of peace
that delivered our souls from the lowest hell.12
Thank You for the peace that prevails through the gospel:
peace with You, peace with one another, and peace in our hearts.
Still, we stand in desperate need of Your mercy
with every breath we draw.
Our hearts are prone to be faltering and unfaithful. Deliver us from the temptations of this world,
the deceits of false religion, the errors of our own ignorance, the weakness of our fallen flesh, and the wiles of the devil. Wash us from our daily sins so that we may worship You
with pure hands and a clean heart.13
In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.
1. 2 Corinthians 1:3 2. John 16:33 3. 2 Timothy 3:12 4. John 15:18-20 5. Cf. Job 1:9-12; 2:1-7; Luke 22:31 6. 1 Corinthians 10:13 7. 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10 8. Psalm 17:15; 1 John 3:2 9. Romans 8:17 10. Psalm 145:3 11. Psalm 147:5-6 12. Psalm 86:13 13. Psalm 24:3-6