In The Details

Read James 5:1-11

I’m a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. Sometimes God is gracious enough to allow us to see the reason and sometimes it remains hidden. The timing of a revelation, in those moments when we are lucky enough to peek behind the curtain, is different for each circumstance. Maybe in one situation we learn the meaning fairly quickly, and in another situation we may not gain understanding for many years or possibly never. God, however, is never limited in His understanding, and the Bible consistently shows His ability to use all circumstances for His purposes. James brings our attention to this in today’s scripture reading.

James starts off by telling a group of people about how God’s eyes are never closed and judgement comes to all. He then begins to encourage another group of people to be patient as they wait for the victory that God will provide. However, it’s the final sentence of today’s passage that really sticks out. James says that God cares about every detail in our life.

The knowledge that God cares about the details of our life is very encouraging news, especially when the world feels upside down. Difficult situations have a tendency to cause us to doubt the sincerity of God’s love. We may say things like, ”if God loved me then why am I going through this?”. James, being well aware of this, reminds us of Job and the struggles he encountered as well as the effect it had on his life. In the book of Job we are able to see the ups and downs of Job’s life and how it created the person he eventually became.

So, if this season of life is going great for you then enjoy it and praise God. If it isn’t, then I would encourage you, as difficult as it might be, to think about how previous struggles helped shape you in a positive way. The truth is, we would not be who we are if not for the things we have experienced. The difference between a follower of Christ and someone who doesn’t follow Christ is hope. Paul encouraged the Christians in Rome with this idea when he said, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans‬ ‭8:28‬ ‭ESV) So no matter what you may be going through, whether good or bad, I pray that your hope is anchored in the knowledge that God is in the details.