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Verse of the Day

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. —James 1:27

Thoughts on Today’s Verse…

Yesterday James reminded us how important our “talk” is. Today he reminds us about the importance of our “walk”: we are called to talk and walk honorably before God! True religion is not all talk. We must live and love as Jesus Christ did. God has always called his people to care for the widow and the fatherless, and he challenges us to offer genuine help to others who are forgotten, overlooked, and find themselves as outsiders (Deuteronomy 15:1-18). As Jesus’ followers, we must care for others while keeping ourselves holy to God. James, the half-brother of Jesus, wants us to know that this is what “Christyle-living” is all about!

 

My Prayer…

Loving God, give me eyes to see the people that need your blessing. Please lead me to the folks in our church and the people in my neighborhood, work, and school who feel forgotten and overlooked. Help me not only to see them but also include them so they can know your love for them! In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Bible References

27 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.

15 At the end of every seven years thou shalt make a release.

And this is the manner of the release: Every creditor that lendeth ought unto his neighbour shall release it; he shall not exact it of his neighbour, or of his brother; because it is called the Lord‘s release.

Of a foreigner thou mayest exact it again: but that which is thine with thy brother thine hand shall release;

Save when there shall be no poor among you; for the Lord shall greatly bless thee in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it:

Only if thou carefully hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all these commandments which I command thee this day.

For the Lord thy God blesseth thee, as he promised thee: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, but thou shalt not borrow; and thou shalt reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over thee.

If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother:

But thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he wanteth.

Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and thine eye be evil against thy poor brother, and thou givest him nought; and he cry unto the Lord against thee, and it be sin unto thee.

10 Thou shalt surely give him, and thine heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him: because that for this thing the Lord thy God shall bless thee in all thy works, and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto.

11 For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land.

12 And if thy brother, an Hebrew man, or an Hebrew woman, be sold unto thee, and serve thee six years; then in the seventh year thou shalt let him go free from thee.

13 And when thou sendest him out free from thee, thou shalt not let him go away empty:

14 Thou shalt furnish him liberally out of thy flock, and out of thy floor, and out of thy winepress: of that wherewith the Lord thy God hath blessed thee thou shalt give unto him.

15 And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt, and the Lord thy God redeemed thee: therefore I command thee this thing to day.

16 And it shall be, if he say unto thee, I will not go away from thee; because he loveth thee and thine house, because he is well with thee;

17 Then thou shalt take an aul, and thrust it through his ear unto the door, and he shall be thy servant for ever. And also unto thy maidservant thou shalt do likewise.

18 It shall not seem hard unto thee, when thou sendest him away free from thee; for he hath been worth a double hired servant to thee, in serving thee six years: and the Lord thy God shall bless thee in all that thou doest.

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One Comment

  1. James 1:27
    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.

    God is expecting His children to take a compassionate interest in others and at the same time keeping our own lives clean. James mentions caring for the orphans and widows. They were a group of people in his day that were extremely exploited by others, if there was no relative that would care for them they were subject to all sorts of bad situations. Many would die of starvation or be killed by criminals, there was no protection by the law for them.
    God desires for His people to care for those who are needy and not to turn our backs on them.

    Then we are told in our verse for today to keep ourselves from being polluted by the world.
    When we accepted Christ as Savior, there was a change that took place in our hearts,
    2 Corinthians 5:17 (TLT)
    This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

    When salvation truly occurs there will be a change in the behavior of that person. The Holy Spirit of God now dwells in us and that brings about a radical change in our thinking and our actions!
    However, we are still capable of sinning and vulnerable to sin when we surround ourselves with ungodly people and practices. God calls His children to live a life of separation from the world’s ways and actions.
    2 Corinthians 6:17 (TLT)
    Therefore, come out from among unbelievers, and separate yourselves from them, says the LORD. Don’t touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you.

    We have all known people who claim to know Christ as Savior yet their lives are little if any different than before they claim to have accepted Christ. At some point in this individuals life there will be a change in their behavior if salvation has truly happened. The Bible says that many will say that Jesus is their Lord yet He knows them not (Matthew 7:22-23). We should examine our faith with a truthful heart! Has our salvation changed us, or do we still live our lives as the unsaved?

    Father God, thank You for sending Jesus to bleed and die for my sins on the cross at Calvary! Help me to be a worthy example to this world of Your love, mercy, and grace. I love You so Abba and give You all praise this day, Amen!

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Amen.