Turn It On  (Read James 1:19-27)

"What time did you put dinner in the oven, Dad?" asked
Mark, coming into the living room. "I'm ready to eat. It seems
like we've been waiting a long time for that frozen lasagna to
be ready."

Dad looked up from his newspaper. "The package said
it needs to cook for fifty-five to sixty minutes," he said
"An hour is almost up."

"But I don't even smell it cooking yet," observed Mark.

"Oh no!" Dad exclaimed, jumping up and hurrying to
the kitchen. "I read the directions and put it in the oven, but I
never turned it on! Looks like dinner will take another hour."

"But I'm starving!" Mark complained.

"And I'm sorry," Dad apologized. "Let's have an apple to take
care of some of those hunger pangs." He and Mark each chose a
shiny red apple. "This mistake reminds me of what Pastor Tom was
teaching us last Sunday," added Dad. "Do you remember his
message? He talked about how we so often take God's Word but
don't turn it on in our life."

"Just like you put the lasagna in the over but didn't turn it on,
huh?" said Mark

Dad nodded. "Many times in Sunday School or church - or in
our own devotions - we take in the truths about how to live as
Christians. We even memorize key verses, but then we forget to
'turn on' the lessons and live them out in our life. The material just
sits there cold."

"Like our lasagna," said Mark

"And when it sits there cold, we get into situations where we
need to draw on certain principles, only to find them we've forgotten
them," continued Dad. "Then we're left..."

"Hungry," finished Mark.

"And unforgiving," added Dad. "And unkind. And accusing."

Mark grinned at his father. "OK, Dad" he said, "you're forgiven
and I'll try to remember to 'turn on' the lessons I've learned."  N.E.K.

How about you? - Do you know lots of lessons from God's Word? Be sure to "turn them on" in your life so you're ready to do his will when you need to each day.

Key:  Apply Lessons from God

Memorize: "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.." 
                                                                                                James 1:22  NIV

This is out of the book "The One Year Book of Devotions for Kids"  BUY IT  Copyright @ 1993 Children's Bible Hour

Updated 3/26/02