James 2:14-26New King James Version

Faith Without Works Is Dead^(A)

¹⁴ What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? ¹⁵ If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, ¹⁶ and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? ¹⁷ Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

Testimony: After praying I felt God lead me to spend extra time studying for a test I had upcoming. Not just once or twice but three times and putting in the necessary work needed to feel confident about the material. By God’s grace, I passed! It goes to show that God is faithful and that faith and prayer + putting in the necessary work will often lead to your success. Without works faith is nothing. So yes pray, but put in the necessary work. God will often answer your prayer with the keys, steps and strategies along with the material you need to actually begin the work. Now couple the faith with the work and start!

Forgive us for the spirit of complacency that we have entertained, help us to move forward by putting our faith with our work and being successf in all that we do. Help us to work effectively and efficiently in Jesus name amen.

Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls. But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it. If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless. Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.
James 1:19‭-‬23‭, ‬25‭-‬27 NLT
Let this word penetrate in your hearts and move you to action.

You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord. Leviticus 19:18.

Loving another person as ypurself can be difficult especially if all you want to do is get back at them. With the same tender care you look to treat yourself with, do the same for others, soothe your anger at God’s feet because the bible commands us to be slow to anger, do not sin by holding onto it for longer than necessary. Let it go. Let us really seek to live the word out in our lives.

Practical steps we can take is writing out our frustrations as they arise or praying in the moment rather than reacting straightaway.

Prayer: Dear Father open our eyes to practical ways of living out the word in our lives, give us the ability and opportunity to live as the word commands us to and show us how to obey it. May we soothe all anger at your feet and seek to love our neighbours even the most difficult ones, in Jesus’s name, amen.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

⁸ Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 1 Corinthians 14

God may call you to love deeply, ask God to help you to love in such a way that honours and glorifies him. Even if the person you are loving doesn’t always do what you think is best, make the decision to love them and teach them in love, always with their best interest at heart. Bless those who persecute you despitefully use you. Love them

God may call you to love someone that seems “difficult”. Love them regardless, love is a choice

This example is simple but powerful. I’m currently studying for my regulation driver’s test so I keep the book which I study from in my room with all of my other books. I was on my way out my room when I overheard and saw a Christian program teaching important truths and lessons about healthy Godly marriages, as the topic sparked my attention, I heard God say go sit down and listen to it right now. So as I was leaving my room a thought came to mind to go back to get my book to take with me so I could start studying after watching the program. I still felt no, don’t go back just go to the couch and watch the program like God said, so I went and did not look back. As I got to the couch I saw the book laying on the couch exactly where I was going to sit. I marvelled and to myself I told God thank you, then I proceeded to watch the program which turned out to be very educational as it taught me about tips this particular couple learnt during their marriage on communication and what to expect as two complete different human beings being in one union. It taught me that you may very well find someone who is absolutely opposite to you in how they parent, handle emotions, communicate and manage difficult situations, even in praying differently, which is all ok.

The powerful note I took away is that no two persons are exactly the same and you cannot turn someone into yourself. Let them be them and let not your narratives be about you trying to turn them into yourself because they simply are not, what is important is that you learn from them what God wants you to learn, because their way and your way are different and you both can teach each other new ways in doing things and unite in that way rather than trying to change each other into a version of yourself. Communication of expectations and feelings is also important for healthy relationships and I would have never got this lesson if I had went back looking for a book that was already there at my destination.

Sometimes we go back looking for things to take on our journey with us when God just said to go, go in time not after the fact, not even before but right in the right time. When you go in faith you’ll receive the blessing you were meant to receive that has your name right on it. Your blessing is waiting on you.

Psalm 42.

Dear Father, “¹ As the deer pants for streams of water,
    so my soul pants for you, my God.
² My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
    When can I go and meet with God?
³ My tears have been my food
    day and night,
while people say to me all day long,
    “Where is your God?”
⁴ These things I remember
    as I pour out my soul:
how I used to go to the house of God
    under the protection of the Mighty One^[d]
with shouts of joy and praise
    among the festive throng.

⁵ Why, my soul, are you downcast?
    Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
    for I will yet praise him,
    my Savior and my God.

⁶ My soul is downcast within me;
    therefore I will remember you
from the land of the Jordan,
    the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar.
⁷ Deep calls to deep
    in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
    have swept over me.

⁸ By day the Lord directs his love,
    at night his song is with me—” I pray
    “a prayer to the God of my life.

⁹ I say to God my Rock,
    “Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I go about mourning,
    oppressed by the enemy?”
¹⁰ My bones suffer mortal agony
    as my foes taunt me,
saying to me all day long,
    “Where is your God?”

¹¹ Why, my soul, are you downcast?
    Why so disturbed within me?”
Help me as the Psalmist says to “Put MY hope in God,
    for I will yet praise him,
    my Savior and my God.” In Jesus Holy and matchless name, I give you my downcast soul as I feel it whither you will strengthen me because I am not my own, I belong to you. My soul is yours. My heart is yours, and so is my being. In Jesus name.

Let us remember that our souls are not our own. To God we truly belong, and The cares of this world will always pass away. So why is your soul so downcast within you? Put your hope in God. And may we not struggle with unbelief, we believe that you are the lover of our souls andb that you care for our souls. So we trust you. Trust God give your soul to him to care for, whatever he leads you to whether singing, dancing, praying, writing, meditating on him, rest in him and do it.