October 7th - Reflection

James 4:4-10 (NRSV)
Humble yourselves before God
Adulterers! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you suppose that it is for nothing that the scripture says, "God yearns jealously for the spirit that he has made to dwell in us"? But he gives all the more grace; therefore it says,
"God opposes the proud,
but gives grace to the humble."


Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy into dejection. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

Reflection
We are unfaithful creatures. At some point or another we have been unfaithful to God. And in this we are encouraged to look to the spirit that God has set within us. God desires that the spirit God has given us will come forth in love for God and for all others. God has given us a spirit of love and life.

So in our unfaithfulness, may we sense the spirit of love and life and resist the devil and let God's spirit flow through pure hands and pure hearts in a laughter and joy only present with the grace that God has given us through Jesus.

Prayer
Lord, forgive my unfaithfulness and turn me back to you. May your spirit shine through me this day. Lead me not into temptation but deliver me from evil. I know that you tempt no one to sin. But I ask in this prayer that you would watch over me and keep me so that the devil, the world, and my sinful self may not deceive me and draw me into false belief, despair, and other great and shameful sins. --- Amen