"Call to me and I will answer you, and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know. " Jeremiah 33:3

Monday, October 24, 2011

"Don't just listen to God's Word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don't obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like." James 1:22-24 NLT

What keeps a child of God from doing or applying the Word of God? Sometimes it is just plain rebellion, I'm going to live life my way, no one is going to tell me what to do, not even God. If they only knew that they are settling for a life that is so far below what the Lord has for them, they would run not walk into God's presence and cry out for mercy and forgiveness. And the Lord would respond immediately with open arms filled with love and grace.

But it isn't always rebellion, sometimes they are in error because they don't know or understand scripture. And to not know or understand the Word of God is to not know or understand the living Word, Jesus Christ. Matthew 22:29 says; "Jesus replied, "Your mistake is that you don't know the Scriptures, and you don't know the power of God."

Yet we know from today's title verse from James 1:22-24 that just knowing the Word of God is not enough, we need to do it, we need to apply it to our lives. To apply means; to put into use! Jesus had much to say about hearing His words and doing them.

"Everyone then who hears these words of Mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it." Matthew 7:24-27.

"Those who accept My commandments and obey them are the ones who love Me. And because they love Me, My Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal Myself to each of them." John 14:21. Know this; Jesus views our obedience to Him as love! Obedience brings revelation; revelation of Jesus Christ the living Word and revelation or understanding of the written Word!

So how do we connect reading, hearing the Word and doing the Word? How do we read the Word that was written thousands of years ago and apply it to our lives in the 21st century?

"All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip His people to do every good work." 2 Timothy 3:16-17. "Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come." 1 Corinthians 10:11.

For example; Daniel lived and wrote the book of Daniel in the sixth century B.C. yet it is full of applications for us today. (All of Gods Word is full of life applications.) Daniel loved the Lord and remained true to Him while living in exile in Babylon a very evil, idolatrous nation, how did he do it?

Daniel 1:8 "Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king's choice food or with the wine which he drank..."

The life application for me in 2011 is; I must settle it in my mind not to defile myself before God. (Settle it not when staring down temptation, settle it, draw the line in the sand, today.) It is an act of the will, a choice, to be obedient to God and to His Word.

Daniel 6:10 "When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously."

The life application for me in 2011 is; I will humble myself by coming into the presence of the Lord in prayer and thanksgiving through out everyday then when the trials come I will be ready because I will do what I know to do, I will call out to my Lord and He will hear my prayer and answer me.

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