A Look at the Book #451

A Look at the Book #451

by Jesse Abel

Daily Devotional – A Look at the Book #452

A Thought for today by Papa “J”

What you do not do today you will never have potential for doing tomorrow. Just ask any retired person!

A DAY IN THE PAST

Yesterday I indicated that I had more to say about the USS Searcher and yes I do, but for now this will be the last segment for a while. Only sailors know the term – Jack of the Dust. It is a title given to the person who issues food to the cooks daily, based on the planned menus. This was not only my title, but it was the work I did for many months on this ship. One evening I was looking for a case of frozen meat in the ship’s freezer, the freezer was a ten by ten foot room. We had been at sea just a few days and the freezer was full, I stacked boxes from one pile to the next and soon it became impossible to exit the door because it was blocked. To add to this the ship was in rough seas and the load shifted pinning me under a pile of boxes each weighing sixty pounds or so. My calls for help were not heard and I felt as if I would freeze to death since it was evening and soon people would be turning in or going to the movies. Fortunately for me the officers’ steward was expecting me to bring him the portion of food he had ordered for the officers’ meals. When I did not show up, he began looking for me. When he got to the refrigeration compartment he noticed the red light on indicating that the lights were on in the freezer. Of course when he opened the door he realized my misfortune. The officers’ steward was a big man, his last name was Carpenter and in a matter of moments he had tossed many boxes of meat out of the way and came to my rescue. I had been in the freezer for over an hour; I was unable to move so he picked me up and carried me out. Thirteen years later, unable to move out from under the weight of sin; The Carpenter came to my rescue and lifted me out of harms way and placed me in His Kingdom of grace and mercy. I remember both events as if it were yesterday.

James 4

James 4:1-8 – Do you have these words of scripture memorized? If not, give yourself the opportunity to try, you know real memorization is not rote. Real memorization is being able to make the subject or object a personal and vital part of your life. In other words; if you want God in your life, you must allow the two of you to become personal, likewise if you want His Word to be real for you, you need to become personal with His Word.

Notice what James is communicating to us here in these few passages. Submission is a personal choice. For example; God has submitted to you and me His only begotten Son who humbled Himself in obedience to the Father’s Will. Philippians 2:5-11. Submit to God and resist the devil; this obedience is the only cure for worldliness.

Draw near to God; I love those four words because these speak to my soul with encouragement and have a positive effect of drawing near to Him and of God drawing near to you. Just imagine this; God Himself drawing near to us. What could be more awesome? The passage is not just mere words to read, the words are real and so is the experience of being near to God. There is no greater joy and no greater personal experience then to be near to God.

Many times in a day a person may be found washing their hands, in the same manner one might find it necessary to confess sin continually even like the washing of the hands; so do not throw in the towel. Keep cleansing your soul and keep double mindedness away from you. Be of this singleness of mind! Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.