Something Missing

Bible Reading: Hebrews 13:15-16; James 2:14-18

“And please help the people at the soup kitchen find enough workers to help serve the Thanksgiving dinner,” prayed Ryleigh a few days before Thanksgiving. She finished and said amen, and she and her mom began their meal.

“I’ve been thinking,” said Mom as they cleared the dishes. “Maybe we could volunteer to help at the soup kitchen on Thanksgiving.”

“What!” exclaimed Ryleigh. “I don’t want to spend Thanksgiving there! What about our own turkey dinner?”

“I think we could work that in too,” said Mom. “Let’s think about it.”

“I am thinking about it,” muttered Ryleigh with a big frown. She closed the dishwasher. “Mom, can I bake the cake for Ashlyn’s birthday party now? I’m not going to have much time tomorrow since I have choir practice in the evening.”

“Well, I haven’t gotten any cake mix yet. Can you make one from scratch?”

Ryleigh nodded and eagerly set to work. She mixed flour, sugar, and salt. She stirred in eggs, oil, and milk. Finally, she poured the batter into a cake pan and put

it in the oven.

When the buzzer sounded to indicate the cake was done, Ryleigh took it out. “Mom, my cake is so…so flat!” she exclaimed. “It didn’t rise!”

Mom came to look. “I think you must have forgotten the baking powder.”

“This won’t be any good,” Ryleigh groaned.

“It’s definitely missing something,” Mom agreed. She looked thoughtful. “Do you think there was something missing in your prayer tonight too?”

Ryleigh looked at her mom in surprise. “My prayer?”

Mom nodded. “You stirred the cake ingredients but didn’t mix in the thing that puts action into the batter. And you prayed for helpers at the soup kitchen, but you’re not willing to mix actions with the words you spoke.”

Ryleigh was startled. “I didn’t think about that,” she said.

“Give it some more thought,” said Mom. “The Bible says faith without action to back it up is as useless as this flat, inedible cake.”

Ryleigh did think about it as she got ready for bed. Jesus showed He loved me through His actions—He died for my sins on the cross. And I’m so thankful He did that. I want to show others how good He is through my actions too.

-Violet E. Nesdoly

How About You?

Are you thankful for all Jesus has done in your life? Thankful enough to let Him use your hands and feet to show others His love? He showed His great love for you through His actions—He took your sins on Himself and died on the cross. Celebrate this Thanksgiving Day by looking for opportunities to show others your faith in Jesus through your actions.

Today’s Key Verse: Hebrews 13:15-16 Let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God…And don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need. (NLT)

Today’s Key Thought:

Show your faith by your actions