Written by: John Sernaque
Call to Worship
James 2: 17
2:17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
God requires us to bear much fruit. He will not give commands without giving with them power for their performance. He will not do our part of the work, neither does He require that we do His. It is God that worketh in us, but we must work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. “Faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.” Faith must be sustained by works; the doers of the work are justified before God. You displease God in talking of your poverty, while you have abundance. All that you possess belongs to Him, yet He has seen fit to make you a steward of it for a short time, He is testing and proving you. How will you bear the test? He will require His own with usury. {2T 166.1}
We must live our life and do all things by faith. It is God who makes anything and everything possible in our life. We have finite minds and abilities, yet can do great things through Christ Jesus. We are never alone, so when we call out to God, by faith, He will answer our cries for help. When things seem impossible, God will intervene with His divine hand of mercy. God expects us to do our part first and does not ask or expect us to do His. Like the parable of the talents, God expects you to work, as the doers of the work are justified before God, and God requires His own with interest. Sister White asks, how will you bear the test? Will God call you a good and faithful servant or a wicked and lazy servant? I pray it is not the latter.
Our kind and gracious Father,
We thank You for giving us another day whereby we can do what is right in Your sight. Another day whereby we can bring honor and glory to Your name. It is our prayer that You grant us the faith of Jesus. Let this mind be in us, which is also in Christ Jesus. We pray that as we do the work You requires of us, that You will grant us strength and courage, wisdom and understanding, and that we are justified before You. We pray that we may bear much good fruit. We pray that everything we say and do, eat and drink, brings glory to Your name. We pray that one day we will hear You call us Your good and faithful servant. We pray these things, in the name of Christ Jesus. Amen.
