The Devotional

Papa J's rules for Livin #112

There once was a lady from St. Helen who was a noted felon. She spoke often with cursing and needed no rehearsing. Her tombstone; the evidence of a life path. Her epitaph; the evidence of wrath.

Proverbs 10:25

On one of my earlier trips to Italy I was stationed on a destroyer that spent two weeks in Naples. As a good well project, men volunteered to go to an orphanage for some home improvement. The orphanage, during World War Two had been overtaken by the Germans who used it as a headquarters. Many of the “off limit” rooms were bombed out, lockers and German uniforms were scattered about and large bullet holes were everywhere. I remember that there were many children in this place, dirty, skinny and lonely looking. Today, they would be in their late fifties or early sixties. Many of the sailors who came with me, came for one reason. The promise of free vino (wine), all the wine you could drink while mending the bullet holes, patching cracks in the walls and fixing the roof. Things changed though when we saw the children. The water they were allowed to drink was vino too, because the water was used only to wash clothes and then to bathe. Water came once a day by truck, if one tried to drink it they would be scolded. We could just pass over this event as days of long ago, but the fact is that today's world is no different, there are many parts of the world around us that lack two waters. Fresh water to drink and be physically satisfied and living water so that one does not thirst again. John 4:1-26.

James 2

James 2:14-26 Our motive for being like Christ can vary! Did you know that? Philippians 1:12-18. So there are many who preach a relationship with Jesus who are motivated to do so for reasons that do not line up with a sound biblical faith. There is a lot of religious effort to try and please God with works and faith and much of this is nothing more than what is found at the town dump. Isaiah 55:8-9. In your timing you could read Isaiah 55. It is an invitation from God to us to live a life of spiritual abundance.

Within our communities there are many helping hands, there are programs available today for every kind of problem. Many have no “out of pocket” costs, but if you pay taxes then this where you pay. So the helping hands have their own hand open for payback. So some could say; “whats wrong with that, why muzzle the ox?” Nothing really a person has to do what a person has to do, but at best these programs can only act as a temporary fix since these efforts are not founded on biblical principles of faith.

Good biblical faith and works come from within the Lordship control of Christ in a submitted servant of God. Two examples are provided here in this portion of the epistle. Abraham was justified on this faith/works principle by doing the will of God, instead of doing his own will. Rahab a harlot is moved by faith to react and provide safety to the Israeli spies. One example is of a person who had followed God most all of his life. The other of a person who barely knew the name of God.

Biblical faith/works then is the result of doing just the opposite of what you might be inclined to do from a human point of view. Abraham may have thought to use one of his servants in place of his son. Yet his faith in God caused him to be obedient to His will. Rahab may have thought of the reward for giving up the spies, yet she considered the better reward of following her new found faith.