Good afternoon brothers and sisters,

Autumns is showing it's colors and I love it! It's voice comes with the rustling of drying leaves as they shake in the breeze. Sparrows fluttering around me and the drone of hummingbirds make my hearing heart glad. They say we could have snow in Montana as early as next week. Wait a minute! I'm not ready, I want to shout! But, change is inevitable. In the meantime, I am trying to take in every wonderful moment and praise the Lord for creating such beauty.

Every season has its work. From seed to harvest. From new life to a quiet death. Waiting for the next thing to happen. In order. It is all in order isn't it? I think the same goes for our faith walk. If we skip a step, we loose the proper timing and growth on our journey. As we look again at James 2:14-26, (New American Standard version). there are alot of words to explain. I won't waste your time with my own reasonings but, get the Word out to you verse by verse. So let's see what James is saying and we not skip the steps.

Faith proves itself by works. Verse 14..."What use is it, my brethren, if a man says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save him?"

15)..."If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and be filled", and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?"

17) "Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. But someone may well say, "You have faith, and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works."

19) "You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?"

21) "Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, "And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to Him as righteousness," and he was called the friend of God."

24) "You see that a man is justified by works, and not by faith alone. And in the same way was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works, when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?"

26) "For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead."

I hope you are following along. I had to read this passage over and over again. A simple example of faithful works happened for me today. Because I had to make a trip to town, I knew I would be stopping at a particular place. A friend owns a business and has been very discouraged with certain events in her life. They are draining her of her joy and she is overwhelmed even to the point of bitterness. And it has nothing to do with her business. Before I left the house I heard clearly to take her a card and write scripture from Lamentations 3:21-16. So I obeyed. I left it there for her without being able to see her. My heart was certainly filled with the knowledge that Holy Spirit has led me there today. I will continue to pray for her.

A simple gesture is all that is required sometimes. God just wants us to obey His voice. Like the voices we hear in nature, causing us to pay attention, we look toward that voice. In particular, our faith needs to have a voice in this dying world. So many are carrying burdens that God had never intended and sometimes it takes someone to get our attention, to pay attention, once more to the True and Living God. As believers we are not exempt from pain and trials of countless sorrows. We do have the promise of the Lord that as we keep our ears and eyes tuned to Him and follow in His footsteps, our faith will grow and make a difference here. It may be that the Lord asks you to give someone your coat or a meal. We have an abundance and the Lord provides for others through our gifts. I know this has happened for me too. Faith shows amazing love.

Father God, forgive our short-sightedness, our stinginess and help us to have open hearts to share our faith in a tangible way. Help us Jesus to give as You speak to our hearts. First to You and then to others. And, it would be awesome as we obey, to hear You say to us, "You are my friend." We give You glory and honor, in the precious name of Jesus Christ, amen. Blessings to you, Patricia.

Abundance is...listening to His voice