Even when there was a lack of people following God, Elijah stood his ground. The great scene on Mount Carmel shows just how many people were against God. And through his unswerving faith, Elijah was able to show the whole nation that there is only one God, the Lord Almighty.

The great prophet appears on the scene in fantastic fashion: by ushering in a drought that would last for 3.5 years. But a lack of rain meant that a lot of people would end up dying from starvation. During his travels, Elijah came across a widow and her son who were planning on having their final meal together, and it is here that Elijah has compassion on those who are afflicted.

It is not always easy to be left waiting. And for Christians, it is sometimes doubly hard. As the world becomes more and more antagonistic towards Christianity, Christians often find themselves desire for the return of Jesus. James’ encouragement towards those Christians: be patient.

The church is full of imperfect people who all think differently on different subjects. And because of this, there are times that quarrels come up. James takes these arguments to be a result from a lack of humility before God. The way we conduct ourselves before other people is a sign of how we conduct ourselves before God.

Sticks and Stones may break my bones, but Words will never hurt me. How many times have we heard this common child’s saying? The truth is, words do hurt us. How we talk to people affect them. And as Christians, James encourages us to have speech that is godly. We need to work on what we say.

This is a chapter of the Bible that has tripped up many Christians throughout history. And it has to deal with works. The faith that we have is a faith that is meant to be lived out. And the encouragement that James seeks to give his readers is the encouragement to live out their faith in the world. Are you living out your faith?

A look at Acts 1:8.

We are either a missionary or a mission field. The command that Jesus gives his disciples is not just for them alone. It is meant for all of us. Are we willing to step out into this world and share the good news of salvation with all people?

In Ephesians, Paul talks about us being God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works. We have all been given gifts and talents to be used for God. And if we are not using those gifts to serve others, we are not being good stewards of the gifts God has given us. Are you serving for God?

This is the shortest of all the books of the Bible. But its message is timeless. John emphasises the importance of being hospitable. We live in a world where knowing our neighbors is a rarity. Trusting people we don’t know is even harder. Sometimes, we even lack hospitality with those that are in the church. But John encourages his readers that this should not be so. We need to show hospitality. In this, we do good in the eyes of God.