“Do not err, my beloved brethren.” James‬ ‭1‬:‭16‬‭

To err is to roam or wander away from safety, truth or virtue. It means to go astray, be deceived, or seduced. With brotherly tenderness, James exhorts us to remain steadfast as we walk in alignment with God’s Word.

The word deceiving in ‭‭James‬ ‭1‬:‭22‬ — “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves” — means to delude (to believe something that is not true), beguile or misreckon (to calculate, estimate, or judge incorrectly; it's to make a mistake in your reckoning or numbers, like miscalculating expenses or misjudging someone's abilities). How often we miscalculate the deceptive error of disobedience and underestimate its costly consequences.

2 Timothy‬ ‭3‬:‭13‬ ‭states, “But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.” And, this theme of self-deception is highlighted in ‭‭Galatians‬ ‭6‬:‭7‬, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”

The word deceived in these two verses also means to err, roam or wander away from safety, truth or virtue - to go astray, be deceived, or seduced. We must hold to and stay anchored to the lifeline of truth by faith and obedience - lest we err.

Proverbs‬ ‭27‬:‭8‬ ‭warns us that, “As a bird that wandereth from her nest, So is a man that wandereth from his place.” This means that “a person who strays from home or their proper place is in a vulnerable, unsettled, and potentially dangerous situation, much like a lost bird exposed to predators, symbolizing rootlessness and instability. It's a call to value one's home, community, and commitments, highlighting the wisdom of staying grounded.”

May God help us to stay guarded and grounded in all seasons and situations. Like Esau, that blessing you despise today you will desire tomorrow.

You are loved and prayed for.

Sincerely,