Bring Home the Wounded

Bring Home the Wounded

Words of Faith 6-1-2020

Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2020

Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com

Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL

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James 5:19-20

        My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

       This is the last of our reading in the book of James.  The letter ends rather uneventfully.  No farewell.  No personal greetings.  No benediction.  But someone once advised that we should pay careful attention to the "things said last" because they are often the things that come from the heart.

        Remember, James was speaking in a time of persecution.  Some had fallen away from their newfound faith.  Some had wandered.  Suddenly in these closing comments, James is not talking about the taming of the tongue or the philosophy of faith versus works.  The heart of James is to address things eternal. 

        What James suggests probably would not sit well in our modern culture of tolerance.  We are often taught today that faith is important, and "any faith will do.”  James suggests that much more is at stake.  Today, people talk of having discovered things they count to be "spiritual." Still, they mean a whole variety of pagan religious thoughts that have nothing to do with the faith of the Bible.

         The truth is that there are more places than ever to "wander.”  James, what are we to do?  He says: Someone should bring them back.  Is it really too intrusive to gently question a friend or family member who wanders when there is so much at stake? 

         Paul advised in Galatians 6:1 that when a brother or sister is caught, stuck in sin, we are to restore them gently.  The word Paul uses means medically to put a dislocated joint back into the socket. That process is painful, but when gently applied, the outcome is nothing but good.  

        Jesus taught the same thing in His parables of the lost coin and the lost sheep (Luke 15).  When a soul has wandered or just slipped away like a coin, the heart of God seeks and searches until that wandering soul is restored.  

        Can you think of any wanderers today, maybe a family member or friend?  Is there someone that you have missed lately at church or in class?  Sometimes just a gentle invitation back is all that is needed. 

       Lord, forgive me for failing to notice those who have wandered.  Give me Your seeking searching heart.  Give me also the grace to gently restore those who have gotten stuck somewhere.  In Jesus' name, Amen.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2009, 2020

Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)       

2820 Business Center Blvd.

Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200

Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com

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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2010 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.