Day 322

Ezekiel 37:1–38:23; James 1:19–2:17; Psalm 117:1-2; Proverbs 28:1

WE SPENT A good deal of time covering the theological understandings of our faith as we navigated the writings of the apostle Paul and, more recently, Hebrews. Now that we’re reading through James, we’ve suddenly come upon something unflinchingly practical:

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. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like.

James didn’t want his readers to fool themselves in terms of their faith. Ingesting generous amounts of the Word of God for informational purposes was not the same as being a true person of faith. What would be the point of hearing God’s Word and then forgetting about it, not allowing it to compel us to make necessary changes to actually live the life offered in Scripture?

James wanted those who read his letter to understand the fundamental shift that should take place within the heart of a believer. For James, the change was so profound that the evidence was borne out in action. In other words, faith isn’t really faith if it is not accompanied by complementary and corresponding deeds. James said it like this:

What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? . . . So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.

This evening when we lay our heads down to rest, may we consider if we have lived what we truly believe. We can say anything we like, but our actions are speaking louder than our words. Let’s invite the Holy Spirit into our actions today and consider the changes that we may need to make because of our encounter with Jesus.

MEDITATION:

Dry bones, listen to the word of the LORD! This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Look! I am going to put breath into you and make you live again! I will put flesh and muscles on you and cover you with skin. I will put breath into you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD.