Liz’s Morning Devotional: Scripture selected from Upper Room
March 27, 2024
James 2:14-26
14 My brothers and sisters, what good is it if people say they have faith but do nothing to show it? Claiming to have faith can’t save anyone, can it? 15 Imagine a brother or sister who is naked and never has enough food to eat. 16 What if one of you said, “Go in peace! Stay warm! Have a nice meal!”? What good is it if you don’t actually give them what their body needs? 17 In the same way, faith is dead when it doesn’t result in faithful activity. 18 Someone might claim, “You have faith and I have action.” But how can I see your faith apart from your actions? Instead, I’ll show you my faith by putting it into practice in faithful action. 19 It’s good that you believe that God is one. Ha! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble with fear. 20 Are you so slow? Do you need to be shown that faith without actions has no value at all? 21 What about Abraham, our father? Wasn’t he shown to be righteous through his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 See, his faith was at work along with his actions. In fact, his faith was made complete by his faithful actions. 23 So the scripture was fulfilled that says, Abraham believed God, and God regarded him as righteous. What is more, Abraham was called God’s friend. 24 So you see that a person is shown to be righteous through faithful actions and not through faith alone. 25 In the same way, wasn’t Rahab the prostitute shown to be righteous when she received the messengers as her guests and then sent them on by another road? 26 As the lifeless body is dead, so faith without actions is dead.
Good Morning! Live your faith through your actions.
James is saying that because of our faith, we should serve God by taking care of others. It is easy to talk a good game, but we must act upon our intentions. When we see a need, we serve with everything that we have available. We don’t just share out of our excess, and we don’t just give a single portion to one who has nothing.
Remember the Good Samaritan who not only took care of the immediate needs of the one he found beaten on the street but also got him a room and nursed him for a time. When we left, he left funds so that he might be cared for and promised to pay any additional costs when he returned.
This teaching teaches us that giving a single item to someone in need and then going about our business is not enough. To serve, we must make a habit of following up on the needy and helping them develop a means to sustain themselves. For example, if they are in need of food, help them plant a garden and teach them to tend it so that fruit will come. In the meantime, we must continue to give them food until their garden begins to produce.
Serving God is not a one-and-done job. It is a lifetime commitment to our faith and God.
Gracious God, Thank you for this beautiful gift of life. Help us see the needs that surround us. You bless us and we should bless others. We thank you! In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen
Thought for the day: When we serve Jesus, no act of kindness is too small.
Give from your heart! Pastor Liz