COV LIFE BLOG

Habakkuk 1:12-2:1 – The Gift of Prayerful Lament

Habakkuk’s second complaint in Habakkuk 1:12-2:1 is founded upon God’s sovereignty, perfection, and compassion. Not only is evil occurring in the streets among the people of Judah, but God has promised to bring “traitors” and “the wicked,” the Chaldeans of 1:6, to overtake those who are “more righteous” than the foreign nation. Is God to continue allowing […]

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Posted on: July 24, 2020 - 3:47PM

Habakkuk 1:1-11 – How Long Will You Tarry Lord?

The problem that he surfaces is there for us in verse 2 and following: “How long, O Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen?” What he is really describing here, and surfacing, is essentially the discrepancy between revelation and experience. How can he reconcile what he knows of the character and […]

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Posted on: July 17, 2020 - 12:00PM

James 5:19-20 – The Joy of Turning a Sinner Back

Do not merely hear it this morning, beloved fellow laborer, but let it sink deep into your heart. When an apostle inspired of the Holy Spirit, says, “Let him know,” I evoke you, do not let any indolence of spirit forbid your ascertaining the full weight of the truth. What is it that you are […]

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Posted on: July 10, 2020 - 12:00PM

James 5:13-18 – The Prayer of Faith

If you’re going through trials of any sort, James’ answer (a single word in the Greek text) is like a rifle shot to the bull’s eye: “Pray.” It’s easy to sit here and nod in agreement, but the question is, “When you encounter difficulties, is prayer your first response?” It’s certainly not the automatic response. […]

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Posted on: July 3, 2020 - 12:00PM

James 5:7-12 – Patience in the Midst of Suffering

These words strike one of the leading chords of the Epistle. There is no grace which its readers are more earnestly exhorted to cultivate than that of patience. In the preceding verses James has been denouncing the rich ungodly Jews. The Epistle was not addressed to them, however, but to the Christian Jews who were […]

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Posted on: June 26, 2020 - 12:00PM

James 5:1-6 – Right Use of Wealth

Do not be over-anxious about riches. Get as much of true wisdom and goodness as you can; but be satisfied with a moderate portion of this world’s good. Riches may prove a curse as well as a blessing. I was walking through an orchard, looking about me, when I saw a low tree laden more […]

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Posted on: June 19, 2020 - 12:00PM

James 4:13-17 – What Boasting About the Future Says About Our Thoughts of God

We’re all interested in the future. We want to know what next year is going to bring. Some use tea leaves, palm readings, even astrology. The more sophisticated read books like Megatrends, trying to understand what the future holds.  And planning for the future is wise. Proverbs 6:6-8 praises the little ant who plans ahead for […]

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Posted on: June 11, 2020 - 10:00PM

James 4:11-12 – The Sin of Slander

In this part of the chapter, we are cautioned against the sin of evil-speaking: Speak not evil one of another, brethren, v. 11. The Greek word, katalaleite, signifies speaking any thing that may hurt or injure another; we must not speak evil things of others, though they be true, unless we be called to it, […]

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Posted on: June 4, 2020 - 10:00PM

James 4:1-10 – The Grace of God to Put To Death Sin Within Us

It is a fact that we all have to face – none of us has ever had a relationship in our lives, not even one, that has been free of disappointment. None of us has realized our relational dreams. So we have to ask: Why are our relationships such a struggle? Why do we have […]

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Posted on: May 28, 2020 - 10:00PM

James 3:13-18 – Worldly Wisdom Compared to the Wisdom of God

The greatest philosophers have endeavored for centuries to figure out the best and most honorable ways of living. All of them have agreed that if we are to be successful in life, we must know what it means to be wise. Though the pursuit of wisdom is something to be commended, history testifies that much […]

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Posted on: May 21, 2020 - 10:00PM