February 23rd 2016
But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only… – James 1:22
James 1:22 tells us to be doers of the Word and not hearers only. This reminds me of a story I’ve heard from some of my co-workers who were in the Middle East for the first Gulf War. They were tasked with guarding captured Iraqi troops in encampments. These encampments consisted of sand mounds constructed in the desert with constantine wire placed around the perimeter. Signs were put around the compound warning if inmates got too close to the fence they would be shot. The American troops always shooed captured troops back to the center of the area away from the perimeter without actually carrying out the directive on the signs. The problem started when the Americans tried to pass control of the prison to the Saudi Arabian troops. The first captured Iraqi’s got too close to the perimeter and the Saudi’s shot them. When the American troops heard of this execution the Saudi’s told them “we are just enforcing your rules”. It says, “Inmates will be shot if they get too close to the fence”. After this, the American troops took back control of the prison for the remainder of the war.
Prayer: Thank you Lord for giving us second chances, and please help us live your words. Amen.
– Greg Gordner
