A Look at the Book #449

A Look at the Book #449

by Jesse Abel

Daily Devotional – A Look at the Book #449

A Thought for today by Papa “J”

The reality of the death and resurrection of the LORD Jesus Christ is found in every book in the Holy Bible. This confidence is also written in the hearts of every believer in HIM. He promises Abundant Life to those of us who look for His soon return. Isaiah 55:1-13

A DAY IN THE PAST

The USS Searcher holds many memories for me since it was the first naval ship that I had duty on. After being on board for a few months I was given the duty of paint locker custodian. The Searcher had two paint lockers: (1) a locker that contained a small amount of paint for daily use and (2) a larger locker, (a room the size of a master bed room full of large five gallon pails of various colors of paint and paint products. I knew nothing of paint, nor did I have any clue about stowing things for heavy seas. The ship was getting ready for sea and the senior Boatswain Mate told me to make both paint lockers ready for sea. The small paint locker was the size of a walk in closet and was easy to make ready, but the larger room was overwhelming to me. I looked things over and decided that the person who was in charge before me knew what they were doing so I left everything pretty much the same as I found it. Bad idea! A couple of days at sea proved a disaster in the large paint locker, almost every five gallon can had found its way to deck and each one opened to expel the contents. After the seas calmed and the hatch could be opened the normally white room was now a very drab purple and the paint was deep enough to cover your knees if you stepped inside. That same Boatswains Mate who was going to throw me under the jail for painted shoes was now so mad at me that he would not even let me help clean up the mess. I think he thought I had demon possession, I certainly was thinking that about him.

James 3

James 3:13 – Being wise and understanding about anything takes some longevity and experience. I like what James says here, don’t you? Good conduct that results in good and godly works is not done by the seat of one’s pants. Longevity must produce meekness and what is meekness? Meekness is the ability to control the emotions and when we do, we gain time proven experience and what is experience? The answer is Spiritual integrity!

James 3:14-16 – If you apply bitterness and selfish emotion to the skill of living, the result of endurance and learning does not prosper, but what does gain ground in the heart is the overriding lie of disobedience to the truth. This is not wisdom that comes from above, it is self generated, it is an emotional revolt and it is demonic influenced. It is as the apostle Paul puts it in Galatians 5:16-17, it is a war within your heart.

James 3:17-18 – So what is the wisdom from above? Glad you asked! The wisdom from above does not wear two faces. This wisdom is the face of Jesus Christ to everyone you meet. It is the face of mercy and purity; the face of gentleness and peace; the face of good fruit, producing oneness of purpose, to produce seeds of peace with God and peace with people who are made in the likeness of God. James 3:9. After all; James; like Paul, write only to believers in Jesus.