James was a servant of God and of Jesus. His letter is written to the "twelve tribes" that have been scattered. This book is filled with warnings and encouragement, which we still need today. James was reminding the twelve tribes what a life lived out for Jesus would look like — the trials, the suffering, the joy, the glory, the pitfalls, the traps, the sanctification. All of these are things we still encounter today. The context may be different, but our hearts still wrestle with the same doubt and uncertainty as anyone who is under persecution.