Faith as our Foundation

Text: James 1: 1-18

Reflection and Question: Martin Luther disliked the letter of James because it seemed to emphasize works rather than faith as the foundation for Christian life. This first chapter challenges that reputation. It is a clarion call for faith in the face of hardship and temptation, a faith rooted in the declaration that I have leaned upon since my youth: “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and cometh down from the Father of lights, in whom is no variableness neither shadow of turning (King James Version).” What sustains your faith in the face of hardship and temptation?

Prayer: Almighty and everlasting God, use these words of James to sustain our faith all the day long. Give us wisdom so that we can meet the challenges before us with endurance, which brings us joy. Through Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.

This meditation is based on the Daily Lectionary Year 1 from the Book of Common Worship for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) (1993).