Today, I am reading and commenting on  James 1-5.

James tells us that God does not tempt us.  In fact, he says that the Devil does not tempt us either.  Rather, temptation is a result of our evil desires.  Our own evil desires entice us to do wrong.  All too often, instead of thrusting these desires away from us, we entertain these desires until we take action on them, which is sin.  James makes the point that we should not attempt to lay blame for being tempted and the subsequent sin outside of ourselves.  We need to take responsibility for our own actions and recognize that our sins result from the choices we make.

James then gives some practical advice on how to live holy lives.  He tells us that we should put extra effort into listening and understanding, while keeping a tight rein on what we say.  Additionally, and just as importantly, we should resist getting angry, because human anger does not produce righteousness.  James tells us to get rid of the moral filth within us, which generates the temptations we face, and the evil that goes along with it.  Instead, we should accept and act upon the word which God has given us.  He repeats the need to control our tongues and take action to care for those in need.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.