STOOPING LOWER

STOOPING LOWER
James 4:7-12
"Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up." (v.10)

THE GREAT DEVOTIONAL WRITER, F.B. Meyer, once wrote, "I used to think that God's gifts were on shelves one above the other and that the taller we grew in Christian character the more easily we could reach them. I now find that God's gifts are on shelves one beneath the other and that it is not a question of growing taller but of stooping lower."

The section, vv.6-10, is framed by the call to humility. From v. 7, we find ten imperative verbs, each expressing an urgent command, calling for immediate action. The way back to God begins with submission (v.7); we return on His terms, not ours. We then need to know and indicate where we stand: with Him or with the devil. Lest we fear the devil, James tells us we need only to resist (not to overcome) him. God will do the rest. The evil one flees when God draws near, like the wolf takes flight when the shepherd comes close to the sheep.

In coming to God, we must leave behind our sins. The washing of hands (v.8) is not an outward act; it must involve the purifying of the heart, prompted by a genuine sorrow for our sins. However, the call "grieve, mourn and wail" (v.9) does not represent all of the Christian's life. As in Nehemiah's days, mourning is the first essential step, and joy is the abiding result: "Do not mourn or weep...Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength." (Neh 8.9,10).

In keeping with the earlier warning about the tongue, James goes on to warn against harsh, unkind fault-finding. To speak against a brother (or sister) is to assume the position of a judge over him (or her). James is not against civil courts and judges, but against the judgemental spirit. Such a spirit presumes an infallible knowledge of a matter, judges a person and metes out condemnation. To do so this is to play Lawgiver, Judge and God.

Let us beware that we do not usurp the place of God. When we must make a judgement of someone's character or integrity, let us consider God's judgement of us first. When we judge the intents of someone's heart, our assessment must necessarily be tentative, never final. And when we express our appraisal, let us do so with love, remembering that "judgement without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not shown mercy" (2.13). Finally, the call is for us to know where we stand before God, and so be humbled.

Am I stooping low to reach higher?