Do What it Says

Today’s Encouragement is James 1:22 NLT “But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.”

Do what it says-

We’re pretty proud of ourselves for hearing God’s Word, aren’t we?  We go to church or watch on tv, we hear sermons, read our Bible, and maybe we even listen to Christian music. 

Yet sometimes we allow His Word to go in one ear and out the other.  [I confess that I can rarely remember anything that I have heard from a sermon the following day…]

One major warning sign, that we aren’t doing what He says… is when we read the Bible and then we say, “Yes, But…”

In that word, “But” we are rejecting the difficult and sometimes painful truth of God’s Word. 

A better, wiser, more mature response (as opposed to “Yes, But”) is “Yes Lord, please help me to do this.  I cannot do this on my own, I need Your help.”

This choice is ours.  ‘Yes, but’ keeps us in the same place, or a worsening state… and “Yes Lord, please help me” brings us under His molding and reshaping hand, making us more like Jesus. 

And when we do say “Yes Lord” then…James 1:25b ‘If you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.’

God will bless us for doing what His word says. 

Father, we need Your help to do what You’ve taught us. We ask now that You help us to both hear and to do Your Will, In Jesus’ Name.

Do Something

Matthew West