Hear and Do What God Says

Keys for Kids Daily Devotional for January 24, 2008
TITLE: Two Mirrors
SCRIPTURE: James 1:22-25
AUDIO: listen here
THE STORY FOR TODAY:
"Don't forget to wash your face and comb your hair," said Mom when Joe got up from the breakfast table. "There's jam on your cheek, and your hair looks like you just got out of bed. Go look in the mirror."
"Okay," agreed Joe, and he grinned when he saw himself in the mirror that hung above the dining room buffet table. But by the time he got his books together, he had forgotten how he looked. Out the door he went-his face dirty and his hair uncombed.
When Joe arrived home after school that day, his sister was in the kitchen talking to their mother. "You should have seen Joe at school today," said Claire. "His face was dirty, and I don't think he even combed his hair."
"Hey! Quit talking about me!" objected Joe.
"Well, you were a mess. My friends called you 'Sloppy Joe' and laughed at you," declared Claire with a giggle. "It's kinda embarrassing!"
"I forgot to wash my face before school," admitted Joe, "but I washed it at recess time. Combed my hair, too. So there!"
Mom frowned. "You should have cleaned up right away when you saw you needed it," she said. "Don't leave the house tomorrow until I've checked you over!"
At family devotions that night, Dad read from the book of James (see today's Scripture). "How appropriate," said Mom. "The man James wrote about sounds like Joe this morning."
"Yeah," agreed Joe. "I saw myself in the mirror and knew I should wash my face and comb my hair right away. But I didn't, and then I forgot about it and went to school looking a mess."
"That's a good example of all of us at times," said Dad. "When we look in another mirror-the Bible-it shows us our sins and shortcomings and gives us instructions for Christian living. But as we read, we must not only see what's needed in our lives, we must do something to make the necessary changes."
"And we should do it right away, so we don't forget," added Claire, grinning at her brother.
MEMORY VERSE: Be doers of the word, and not hearers only. James 1:22
HOW ABOUT YOU? Do you regularly look into God's "mirror"-the Bible? You should. That's the way to learn how to live the Christian life. As you look, do you see things in your life that need changing? Do you need to obey more promptly, be more friendly, or treat someone with more kindness? Do you need to stop complaining, quit lying, or stop unkind teasing? When God makes you aware of a problem, be sure to take care of it at once so that you don't forget.
THE KEY: Hear and do what God says