THE SUITS

“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.” (James 1:22-25 New King James Version)

This is a different type of Sunday Share meditation. As usual, I will suggest that you listen to Pastor Marcus R. King’s sermon, “Don’t Miss the Details,” on the Salt Of The Earth Facebook page or at our website, sote.church.com. You will definitely be blessed by the powerful, specific sent message that was delivered by Pastor this past Sunday.

However, what I want to share with you this week from Sunday is a testimony that Pastor asked one of our Deacons to share with the congregation before our Alter Prayer.  Here’s the background behind the beautiful testament given by Deacon B. Our church does missionary work all the time, realizing that this helps the church grow and this is what the Lord wants us to do. But every month, we have at least one primary mission that we focus on. This month was an exception. We had three. The women of the church were donating two complete outfits each. Why? To help clothe women in the Dress for Success Program. The men of the church were asked to bring to suits, along with shoes and ties, to help clothe young men at a local college who would be involved in job and internship searches. The third missionary focus this month was to give and offering over and beyond our normal tithes to support a men’s outreach project, scheduled for the fall.

Deacon B. shared how he had gone to look for some good suits at a thrift store to comply with the request made of the men of the church to support the aforementioned project. He described how he came across two designer suits that looked brand new. What a blessing. He purchased them. When he got home, he looked at the suits a little closer. That’s when he noted the designer labels on the suits, the almost new condition of the suits, and that the pockets of the suits were still sewn together, just like brand new men’s apparel. The testimony is coming! Hold on! Deacon B. holds the suits up to his body and he discovers that they are a perfect fit for him. Now, the temptation begins. One voice is telling him, “Keep the suits because they will definitely look good on you when you go to church. It’s your blessing.” The other voice quietly said, “Remember, these suits were purchased to help those in need. It’s their blessing.” The debate between the voices went on for a short time. The latter voice won. Praise God! Deacon B. did not yield to temptation and brought the suits to the church to support the effort to clothe young men looking for career opportunities. How did Deacon B. do it? Why did he do it? Well, let me tell you. He waited for the Lord to direct his path. He listened to the Lord speak to Him through the Holy Spirit. Then he moved in the right direction. If you recall, Pastor M.R. King had just preached on that subject a couple of weeks ago.

There are three lessons from today’s “The Suits” meditation that I want you to notice. First, as hard as it my be sometimes, wait on the Lord. Second, don’t just be hearers of the word, be doers of the word. Third, when you are tempted, the Lord will give you the way out. Take it! Have a great day! Be blessed!  

“No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” (I Corinthians 10:13 English Standard Version)

Committed to the climb,

Mark L. King