E. May Grimes, “Speak, Lord, in the stillness, While I wait on Thee; Hushed my heart to listen In expectancy.”
Being quick to listen was very important to a Jewish people because, when James was written, there was no printing press. The Old Testament scriptures were not something every family had a copy of in their homes. They were an oral culture when James was written, and they had to listen. If people didn’t listen, they would usually end up being impoverished in their walk with Christ. Listening to God has huge implications for when/if we read the Bible and listen to it.
There is a long and protracted focus on our faith resulting in works in the book of James. The emphasis on works has caused some people to put the apostle Paul’s view of grace at odds with the views James, but nothing could be further from the truth. James is most likely the earliest letter written in the New Testament and as such show a strong pastoral care for how to live out our faith in Jesus in practical ways.
