Bible Verse of the Day Monday April 10th, 2023

James 5:10-11 Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.

James is reminding all that have accepted Christ Jesus, "brothers and sisters, "to look to the prophets that spoke of the love of God and the fulfillment of the promise first made in the Garden of Eden of the coming Messiah (Genesis 3:15). James says of the prophets because of their total surrender to God and bringing forth the Word of God to all that would be receptive. Furthermore, he reminds us that their comprehension of the truth that God was entrusting them with sustained them through all the tribulations they had to endure. The people rejected the Prophets' messages because they told them things they did not want to hear. Jeremiah is a prime example of someone that underwent and sustained ill-treatment and cruelty while retaining patients. His enemies beat him, put him into stocks (Jerimiah 20:1-2), and confined him in the royal palace (Jeremiah 32:2), but he never wavered in his calling from God.

Suffering and hardship intertwine in the lives of all Christians; we will be faced with trials and tribulations until we go home to be with the Lord. No promise of God allows His children to escape worldly afflictions until we are at home with Him. Christ Jesus desires that we follow the prophets' example that showed patients while going through hardships (2 Timothy 4:5; Romans 5:3). James reminds us of the suffering and hardship that Job endured and never once spoke against God. Job knew something we all should always remember as followers and believers in Christ Jesus. Anytime we find ourselves in some dark valley, or our seas become rough, and we become tossed around like a leaf in the wind, we must never forget that this will turn out for our good and God's glory (Romans 8:28).

James ends this verse of Scripture with a highly critical reminder for all who are part of God's royal family. He is letting us know that God has compassion and mercy. At first glance, the story of Job does not seem that God was very compassionate towards Job. However, in a deeper understanding of the story of Job, we will find that God was gracious to Job in that He placed certain restrictions on what Satan could do to Job. After the tribulation Job experienced, there was evidence of an excellent reason for Job's hardships. As good of a person as Job was before the difficulties, he was more humbled and blessed than he had been at the beginning (Job 42:12-17.

God's compassion and mercy may not seem evident when we are in a trial or tribulation. However, all children of God know that God shows us compassion and mercy because He tells us in His Holy Word. Therefore, we can all stake our claims on God's love, grace, mercy, and compassion in our own lives in living by faith that the Word of God is faithful and applicable to all that place their faith and trust in Him.