The Shoes beside the Door
Written for Bible Journey Plan. Our editorial standards.
But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
James 1:22 KJV
This is an original fictional illustration, not a historical report or an added Bible event.
Dad asked Henry to put his muddy shoes on the mat. Henry nodded and explained that mud could stain the carpet. Then he walked across the room wearing the shoes.
When he saw the little marks behind him, he stopped. He knew the instruction well enough to repeat it, but he had not followed it. Dad helped him clean the marks, and Henry put the shoes where they belonged.
James tells us to do God's word instead of only hearing it. Knowing a verse is a good beginning, but the truth should guide our choices. Henry could learn from the muddy floor. Next time, he needed to stop at the door and obey. The useful part of knowing where the shoes belonged was actually putting them there.
A small step for today
A lesson about sharing helps when you share. A lesson about honesty helps when you tell the truth. James teaches us to do what God's word says. After reading, notice one clear instruction you can follow. A small act of obedience at home gives the lesson a place in your day.
For the grown-up reading along
James warns against hearing God's word without doing it. Obedience is the response of living faith, not a payment that purchases salvation.
Read the KJV passage aloud. Explain unfamiliar words in ordinary language without changing the quotation.
Read further: James 1 in the King James Bible.