"Balancing THE BOOKS"
Dale Blanchett

This page will contain a Weekly Devotional thought by Bro. Dale Blanchett.

SCRIPTURES OF INSPIRATION FOR THIS DEVOTIONAL COLUMN:
2 Timothy 3:16; 1 Peter 1:21; Revelation 20:12.

February 12, 2012

"......and the "EYES" have it!"

"Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world" (James 1:27).  James, the son of Joseph and Mary....Jesus' younger half-brother, makes this statement about what we had ought to be doing while in the Savior's Service on this side of Eternity.  If not exactly these actions specifically, then something along the same vein as those described.  We ought not just TALK about it.....we should be SEEN doing it in the name of Jesus to the Glory of God the Father.

James goes on to say in James 2:17, 18)...."Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone";  "Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works"  

What would a person (unknown to be watching you or me for a period of time....say for a  24 hour period but with NO sound), be able to gleen from our deeds....based on SEEING only?  What would they "HEAR" by what they SAW?  The thing is, the Lord sees AND hears all we say and do....Jeremiah 16:17..."For mine eyes are upon all their ways: they are not hid from my face, neither is their iniquity hid from mine eyes."  Our witness and testimony are much more than what we say; much, much; more!  People of the world need to SEE us "walking the talk", you could say.

Just as Jonah thought when God commaned him to go to Ninevah and preach repentance to Jonah's hated enemy, his ACTION (what the people SAW him do as a Child of God) was what told the "real" story of Jonah's motives.  He didn't have to say a word.  He just got on board a boat and went in the total (physically opposite direction) to which he'd had been commaned of by God!  And if we all recall, it didn't take long for those on the boat to figure out who's presence was "vexing" their chances of a safe journey!  They SAW Jonah and "chunked" him "out of the boat"!  Jonah had said nothing (recorded in the Bible) to give the impression of having SPOKEN to anyone about running away from The Presence of God and The Command of Jehovah!  The people could SEE and from that, they derived what the problem was and handled it!

"Abstain from all APPEARANCE of evil", the Bible says in 1 Thess. 5:22.  ACTIONS do speak louder than words, Brother's and Sister's!  Especially to the lost because they are ALWAYS looking for an ACTION, from a proclaimed Christian, in order for them to justify that Christianity is a farse and that "this whole Jesus thing" is followed by a bunch of hypocrites in the first place.  When we are alone (or at least when we think we're alone), our actions have to be Pure and True "even when nobody but Jesus is watching you (Steven Curtis Chapman).

We can also do harm to the Saved of the world by our actions.  We don't want something we do to become a stumbling block for our fellow Children of God!  Our body language, at times, is all someone needs to SEE in order to "get ruffled"; to "believing the wrong thing"; to eventually allowing it to "tear apart a church body"!   God Forbid!  

If you or I are ever SEEN from a distance, it is my prayer that our conduct would be such that it drew the attention of a person or people which, in turn, would give you or I the opportunity...."to sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear." (1 Peter 3:15).  AMEN?  AMEN!

God Bless us all....TYJ....Brother Dale