Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread.

Today's reading titled Active Faith was written by Tim Gustafson.

Sam's father had to flee for his life during a military coup.

With the sudden loss of income, the family

could no longer afford the crucial medicine that kept Sam's brother alive. Seathing at God,

Sam thought, what have we done to deserve this? A follower of Jesus heard about the family's

troubles, finding he had enough money to cover the medicine, he bought a

supply and took it to them. The life-saving gift from a stranger had a profound impact. This Sunday,

we will go to this man's church, his mother declared. Sam's anger began to subside, and eventually,

one by one, each member of the family put their faith in Jesus.

When James wrote about the necessity of a lifestyle of integrity accompanying a profession of faith in

Christ, he singled out the need to care for others. Suppose a brother or a sister is without

clothes and daily food, James wrote in chapter 2.

If one of you says to them, go in peace, keep warm and well fed, but does nothing about their

physical needs, what good is it? Our actions demonstrate the genuineness of our faith.

Significantly, those actions can influence the faith choices of others.

In Sam's case, he became a pastor and church planter.

Eventually, he would call the man who helped his family, Papa Mapes.

He now knew him as his spiritual father, the one who showed them the love of Jesus.

Today's our daily bread devotional scripture reading is from James chapter 2 verses 14 through 26.

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds.

Can such faith save them?

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