The Book of JamesSample

Today's Devotional:

Have you ever prayed to become more like Jesus? The gospels are a compass that points us toward what it means to be like Christ. The stories of Jesus’ life provide insight into how Jesus spoke, what He did with His time, and how He responded to others.

In John 8, Jesus treated a humiliated woman with mercy. Her accusers brought her before Jesus and said, “This woman was caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?” (John 8:4-5)

Jesus “stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger . . . stood up again and said, ‘All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!’” (John 8:6-7)

The Bible doesn’t tell us what Jesus wrote in the dirt. Some scholars think He wrote down the sins of the woman’s accusers, making it clear that they weren’t in a position to judge or finger-point. Whatever He wrote, it made an impact. One by one, the critics slipped away until she was only left with Jesus—the man who showed her mercy over judgment.

If we want to become more like Jesus, we need to take James’ words to heart—mercy triumphs over judgment (James 2:13). When someone offends us, do we respond mercifully or judgmentally? How about when someone sins? Or when someone doesn’t think or act like us? Are we lifting souls or throwing stones?

Jesus called the Holy Spirit “The Advocate'' (John 14:26), and in Revelation 12:10, Satan is referred to as “the accuser.” It’s easy to become like a religious referee, caught up in the dos and don’ts or the ins and outs—but we have to be careful that our attitude reflects the Advocate more than the accuser. That doesn’t mean we condone disobedience to God or destructive behavior (Jesus told the adulterous woman to leave her life of sin in John 8:11). But it means that we see hurting people as humans to help, not issues to condemn.

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Today's devotional was written by Melissa Miller.

Questions:

1. What situations do you find yourself slipping into an attitude of criticism or judgment?
2. How does Jesus’ response toward the woman caught in adultery inspire you?
3. When have you been shown mercy in your life, and how did it make you feel?

Prayer:

Jesus, thank you for making me more like you. Help me to become more merciful and less judgmental. Show me the people in my life who need to see a reflection of your mercy and grace. Help me to see people the way you see them. Amen.