Thursday Devotions 5/3

Morning prayers
Peter Jackson

Thursday Devotions

Today's Text:  James 1:19-27

Listening and Doing

¹⁹ My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, ²⁰ because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. 

So, as I mentioned, we had a relative visit Ohio for two weeks. We hosted her about every other day for several hours. If you have babies and toddlers or more than a couple children, you know the damage children do to a house. I'm not normally a neat nick, but my visitor needed a place to sit down, see. We normally picked her up about 10:00 AM, so things had to be put away and hopefully swept and vacuumed much earlier than usual. If relatives see crumbs or dirt on your floor, they offer to sweep or vacuum for you. Or maybe that's just my relatives? Or my floors? I wanted her to concentrate on spending time with the children--whom she sees only once every two years--so I tried to maintain a non-distracting environment.

Only--and here's how the verse comes in--maintaining that environment transformed me. Not into an efficient neat nick, but into a wretched soul who shouted angry at her children. They sometimes stuffed things into holes and drawers to clean their playroom, or they did poor jobs making their beds, or they got distracted and took too long for simple tasks. 

Or, the most irritating, they made messes as fast as I cleaned them. 

But they helped too. Ten-year-old Peter vacuums like a champ. Eight-year-old Paul folds clothes well and even remembers to put them away. 

I'm grieved to say, my nagging prevailed over my praises.

The van ride over to the next township to pick her up? It calmed all of us and the visits went exceedingly well. God, loving my visitor mightily and wanting her saved, transformed the spiritual environment here from messy to glorious, no thanks to me.

My heart aches remembering my shouting...my careless words. Yes, the Holy Spirit chastised me. He did his job. I held their sweet faces in my hands each time, looked them in they eyes, and spilled tearful apologies:: "I am so sorry! I shouldn't have shouted at you. Mommy is stressed about cleaning on a deadline. Can you forgive me?"

And my children? They smiled knowingly. "That's okay, Mommy.  I forgive you."

I don't know that letting the house go was the answer. She would have felt sorry for me, trying to help me catch up each time. And the children wouldn't have the memories of her they do now...of reading stories, playing Tiddly Winks and Backgammon, of exploring the backyard, and cuddling on the couch watching Gordy The Pig (which she hated, I came to find out. No, it's not a masterpiece; the acting is atrocious. But we love icky sweet movies). 

Peter cries at the end as the pig family reunites. And I feel like crying. We're pitiful that way about pigs...we'd rather live on a farm than in a neighborhood (though not my Paul, who thinks farm animals stink). The visitor hates hillbilly anything, including pigs and cows and country love songs...a fact I'd forgotten from my childhood.

My long-winded point here? The Holy Spirit holds us accountable for Scripture. We don't have to be perfect. He knew this verse was already planted in my heart. He brought it to my mind the instant my shouting hit tender ears. And my apologies? They took all of eight minutes to spill out.

Your spiritual growth and obedience? It's in Holy hands. Read the Word. Plant it in your heart and pray it. Let the Holy Spirit do the rest. 

Prayer time:  Dear Lord, thank you for the work you've done in my heart and life. I love you. I want to shine your light and truth and grace, as pleasing fragrances in my home. Help me, Father. Make me long-suffering, slow to speak and slow to become angry. May I live to bring you glory. In Jesus' name, Amen.

²¹ Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

Prayer time:  Dear Lord, search my heart and cleanse it. Help me to humbly accept your teaching and plant it in my heart. You alone can transform me. I'm too weak to change myself. Your Word, your blood, your Holy Spirit, they have all the power. Help me to submit, Father. In Jesus' name, Amen.

²² Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. ²³ Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror ²⁴ and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. ²⁵ But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.

Prayer time:  Dear Lord, I want to do what your Word says. Hold me accountable. Make my heart sensitive to the Holy Spirit's moment-to-moment leading. When I look in the mirror, help me to really see. I'm a sinner in need of grace and transformation. Keep me humble in heart. Transform me, day by day. Help me to experience the freedom your Word brings. Help me, my family, to be blessed in what we do, as your Word promises. I love you. Thank you for your love and faithfulness. In Jesus' name, Amen.

²⁶ Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. ²⁷ Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Prayer time:  Dear Lord, my walk is worthless if I don't let you transform me. If I don't humble myself daily and read your Word with a desperate thirst...if I don't pray every day to receive your heart. If I'm not desperate for you, then I'm not humble enough. For without you, I'm nothing. Don't let me deceive myself, Father. Change me and make me worthy. Cleanse me from all unrighteousness...from the world's stain. Help me to serve others with your heart. Help me to love the least with my time and my resources.

In Jesus' name, Amen.

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