TO THE BIBLE: James 1:22 CEV
“Obey God’s message! Don’t fool yourselves by just listening to it.”
LET’S TALK
Brian ignored the instructions before writing the mid-term math test, only to discover after the test that he wasn’t meant to answer all the questions. His disregard of that simple instruction resulted in Brian scoring lower marks than he should have.
One of the secrets of success is following instructions, no matter how simple or trivial they may seem. Jesus called the man who hears His Word and acts on it a wise man, meaning anyone else who hears the Word without doing it is foolish, and merely deceiving himself.
If you hear God’s Word and refuse to do what it says, it’s akin to looking at your face in the mirror and immediately forgetting what you look like the moment you turn away. Don’t fool yourself that way. Some have found themselves stuck in a rut because they deceive themselves this way–hearing the Word and not doing it, thus turning around in circles. Don’t just be a hearer of the Word; be a doer as well. That’s where the blessing is: “…God will bless you in everything you do, if you listen and obey, and don’t just hear and forget” (James 1:25 CEV). God’s Word is what you need to be all that He has destined you to be.
Go Deeper
Pray
Dear Father, I thank you, for the entrance of your Word into my spirit gives me light and understanding! I’m not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the Word. Therefore, my profiting—peace, progress, and prosperity as a result of doing the Word—is evident to everyone around me, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Daily Bible Reading
ONE YEAR
1 Thessalonians 5:1-28, Isaiah 42-43
TWO YEAR
John 6:1-14, 1 Kings 22
Act
Read and study Matthew 7:24-27