THURSDAY June 25, 2026
Rich in Grace
Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation, but the rich in his humiliation, because as a flower of the field he will pass away. For no sooner has the sun risen with a burning heat than it withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beautiful appearance perishes. So the rich man also will fade away in his pursuits.
James 1:9-11
James addressed both the poor and the rich in the Church. Those who were poor should not feel sorry for themselves; they needed to realize how rich they were in Christ. In fact, the Apostle Paul explained their position of exaltation through Christ this way:
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich (2 Corinthians 8:9).
To gain an even greater understanding of how rich you are in Christ, I would take time to read through the first three chapters of the book of Ephesians. You will be incredibly blessed by all the Lord has bestowed upon you. Just to give you a taste of how rich you are in Christ, read Ephesians 1:7 with me: In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.
For those in the church who were rich, James taught them the reality of how riches are fleeting––material gain fades away like the flowers in the field. Instead of building pride in their wealth, he gave them the humble reality of the vanity of riches. A rich man cannot hold on to his wealth. When he dies, his money cannot be taken with him; someone else will inherit it.
I have known rich people who have grown older faster, because they spent their lives accumulating wealth, only to worry about their money all the time. Rich people who hoard money and are not giving, often remain unhappy––miserable.
Whether poor or rich, God has given you the riches of His grace. In this life, be content with the blessings He has given you, both spiritually and materially, and give Him all the glory.
It is better being rich in grace than rich in purse.
~James Janeway~
For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!
