Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Be Doers of the Word (James 1:22)

It is always amazing to me how God uses seemingly unrelated things going on in my life to lead me to the one thing He is teaching me.

As with many of our Victory Call readers I have been studying the book of James. The simple yet profound statement "Be Doers of the Word" has been very much on my heart. I also just finished the book of Joshua. In the meantime our son and his wife are expecting their first child. Our son is in a place of feeling the pressure to seek new employment that will pay for medical benefits and offer an increase in salary. He graduated from college with a degree to teach Physical Education and Health. He is amazingly talented in working with youth but could not find employment in his chosen field. He took a job in sales while he continued his search. Well, I found myself in a place of sleepless nights in my concern for him. I cried out, "Lord lead him to the destiny you have prepared for him." For I know the plans God has for him, his wife and their baby..........they are good plans with a future and a hope. (Jer. 29:11) So why couldn't I sleep? I became annoyed at myself. I know I am lacking trust in the Lord who can and will make a way. So why am I not a "Doer of the Word", trusting in the Lord with all my heart and leaning not on my own understanding? (Prov. 3:5-6)

Then the root of the issue confronted me.

Over and over when the Israelites were in a rough place they worshipped idols. In the wilderness when Moses left the people they began to think Moses would not come back. They built a golden calf and worshipped it. (Exodus 32) I think worry and fear led them to building that calf.

Before Joshua died he warned the people, "If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, then He will turn and do you harm and consume you after He has done good to you" (Joshua 24:20). But despite the promise from the people to serve the Lord, by the very next book, Judges, chapter 2 verse 11 it says, "Then the sons of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals." Idol worship!!

OK, I was worried but I wasn't building a golden calf or worshiping Baal. What was the Lord teaching me?

Jesus said there are two great commandments: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and foremost commandment. And a second is like it, you shall love your neighbor as yourself" (Matt. 22:37-39). If I am a "doer of the Word"...If I love the Lord my God with my whole heart, soul and mind...I will trust in the Lord and not give in to worry. In essence when I give in to worry, the result of which is a sleepless night and more worry, it is no different than building a golden calf. I am forsaking my trust in my God.

I used to have a brown bag on my refrigerator I labeled "God Bag". I used to write down my concerns and place them in the "God bag". I think I have to get that bag back on my refrigerator. It's time to turn the worries over to my Lord and worship Him and Him alone.

Thank you Lord for yet another lesson. Forgive me for not keeping you on the throne of my heart, soul and mind. You are my Lord, You are my Savior, You are the Alpha and the Omega. I trust in You with all of my loved ones. You are God.

Submitted by:

Patricia L. Wenzel
WOC Graduate

Translation used: New American Standard

DIGGING DEEPER
James 2:8-9
8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing well. 9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.

UPCOMING EVENT
May is fast approaching and we will be hosting our 3rd annual Family Freedom Walk on Saturday, May 7th. You can help in two ways. 1. walk - call guest services to obtain a walk package, solicit sponsors and come to the walk. 2. (this is a fun one) Sponsor Victory Call for the walk. We are having a friendly competition between the 2 groups of devotional readers (Freedom Fighters and Victory Call). Our goal is to raise more funds by the Victory Call team than the men raise for the Freedom Fighter's team. Last year Victory Call subscribers raised $760.00 and Freedom Fighter’s subscribers raised $725.00. Victory Call WON! In reality, the Addiction Recovery ministries won because together we raised $48,968.65.

If you would like to join the fun, simply go to this link on our website https://01.secure.elexio.com/donations.aspx?id=366346&websiteurl=http://www.americaskeswick.org&siteid=2184 fill out the information and indicate in the "DESIGNATION" area : Family Freedom Walk: Victory Call or if you prefer make your check out to America's KESWICK and put in the memo line: FFW/Victory Call and mail to : America's KESWICK 601 Route 530 Whiting, NJ 08759. ALL DONATIONS MUST ARRIVE NO LATER THAN SATURDAY, MAY 7th at 2 PM in order to be counted for our TEAM. We’re in the lead, ladies! Let’s keep up the good work!!

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