One of the messages of James is that we tend to seek comfort instead of character, & success instead of honor&integrity. We tend to prioritize ourselves and our personal feelings over the needs and feelings of many around us! Our selfish feelings & choices tend to make us hard hearted and many times oblivious to the deepest needs of the people around us...even those closest to us! This is one of the messages James speaks of in James5:1-12,”Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you. Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.” Today, these verses are telling me that I allow my personal comfort to create an arrogance in me that “lifts me above” the sincere concerns in the lives of those around me, which very well may be the places that God’s Heart desires me to know HIS Heart in my day to day...and I instead end up becoming much like the 3 friends of Job that instead of encouraging him they discouraged him with their own self serving piety! Another thing this arrogance does is to build a sense of security that is in my own “control” and not that of a humble dependence on God’s Sovereign Grace&Mercy...Like the farmer in verse 7-8, that his/her patience leads to trusted/faithful waiting on The Lord for HIS provision. This farmer is UNlike the one in Luke12:15-21 that covets his abundance leading to a false sense of security based on abundance instead of looking to God’s purpose for his abundance through a the lens of Gods Grace&Mercy. The farmer in James obviously does something else with his/her abundance...that demonstrates his/her perseverant trust in God’s Ways and not his/her own. This perseverant trust in The Lord is what “Establishes our heart” for the purposes of The Lord & not our own...what keeps our hearts from becoming hardened from knowing God’s Heart and HIS Heart for those around us...and leads us to a heart & a life full of the character,integrity,& eternal honor that can only come through Trusting Christ for everything! Dear Lord...this lesson opens a dark place in my heart...where I place my own ways and plans above Yours in many things...I am so very sorry...May Your Spirit help me to be different according to Your Heart and Your Word....mold me to become a man of Your Heart,Your Character,& Your integrity...& may my words and my life bring Honor to only You!