The cry of the Israelites has reached Me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. So now, go, I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring My people the Israelites out of Egypt. Exodus 3:9-10.

The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve. Matthew 20:28.

It was our weaknesses He carried; it was our sorrows that weighed Him down. And we thought His troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for His own sins! Isaiah 53:4.

We come to the final chapter of James, James 5. Can we see the admonitions spoken then applying now? Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten. Your gold and your silver have rusted; and their rust will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure! Behold, the pay of the laborers who mowed your fields, and which has been withheld by you, cries out against you; and the outcry of those who did the harvesting has reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. You have lived luxuriously on the earth and led a life of wanton pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. You have condemned and put to death the righteous man; he does not resist you. Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until he gets the early and late rains. You too be patient; strengthening your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near. Do not complain, brethren, against one another, so that you yourselves may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing right at the door. As an example, brethren, of suffering and patience, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord’s dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful. But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath; but your yes is to be yes, and your no, no, so that you may not fall under judgment. Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises. Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him. Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. Then he prayed again, and the sky poured rain and the earth produced its fruit. My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

It isn’t about ritual. It’s about trusting Creator God – Father, Son, Spirit. God created the gold and silver. He is love and He is compassionate and He is merciful. He is showing us how to appreciate one another rather than bringing harm one to another. And the difference that makes in each life is a turning point toward the very blessings we find in Creator God. We all sin. And when we confess our sins, He will forgive them. I think about the rituals in the sacrifices of the animals and how many animals were sacrificed because of our sins? And yet to listen as God shows us a better way, which is to care for one another, is the blessing far outweighing any gold or silver. Idealistic? No. Try with God’s help one thing your own spirit is telling you is needed. Even turning to Him in quiet and asking for His help brings change and hope that is real and good. I love this verse from Hebrews 7: Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. Hebrews 7:25. I read that verse yesterday with new eyes. It was written over two thousand years ago. We are still being enabled by the Holy Spirit to draw near to God through Jesus. I don’t read an expiration date or a begin by date. Scripture brings us correction and it’s still needed as we can see in our world today. But never forget, we need Jesus the Son. He brings the understanding we so desperately need to be able to choose Life now with Him and the Father and the Holy Spirit. And what a difference that Life with Him brings now and into eternity!