Don’t Be Deceived

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I have several colors of rose bushes in my yard, but the yellow ones are my favorite. Sometimes yellow ones seem harder to grow than others, but thankfully I inherited my Granny’s green thumb.  There was a while when this rose bush didn’t look like it was going to make it, but it pulled through and adds a bright splash of color to my flower gardens. 

Truthfully… I took this picture in the Atwoods Garden Center. While yellow roses are my favorite and they are hard to grow, none of the rest of that first paragraph is true. I’m terrible with plants and even killed a Peace Lily that I tried hard to keep going. I have one red climbing rose that has somehow survived and several perennials that were here long before I was. I guess they’re just determined to stay. It definitely has nothing to do with my care and attention. 

Sadly, it's very easy to be deceived. Especially in today's world where everyone has access to post things as if they were factual.  How often do we see something on TV or the internet and assume it to be true without looking into it further? I know I have fallen prey more than once.  

The Bible gives instructions on not being misled or deceived in the book of James. However, it doesn't just say not to be fooled by others. It tells us not to fool ourselves.  It says that being a hearer only, with no obedience, is a form of self-deception. Our faith is only genuine if we act on God's Word.  How many times have we read scripture and knew that God was telling us to do something, yet we never followed through with it? This could be a task of helping others or just making changes in our own life. 

My prayer today is that I always put my faith in action, mostly to glorify my Lord, but also so I am not guilty of deceiving myself. 

So don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters. - James 1:16

But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. - James 1:22

But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it. - James 1:25

Do Something - Matthew West


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