One of the more remarkable changes in the New Testament is that of Jesus’ brother James. Barely visible in the Gospels until after his post-resurrection encounter with Jesus, James emerged as one of the leaders of the early church in Jerusalem. With wisdom and diplomacy, he collaborated with others to spread the message of Jesus. With humility and God-confidence, his epistle called believers to live by faith in challenging days. What changed James into a powerful servant of God? He met the living Lord.
Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles.—1 Corinthians 15:7 NLT
Prayer: Lord Jesus, may we, like James, find ourselves so changed by seeing You face-to-face that we yield ourselves to You as Your servant. Keep us open to the movement of Your Spirit, and give us confidence to lead in difficult circumstances and challenging days. We pray in Your name, amen.
