For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: for he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. (James 1: 23,24)
Yesterday in his message, my husband admonished us to be fervent doers of the Word. He impressed upon us the urgency in this day and time that we not only ensure that we are hearing the Word through regular church attendance and our own personal devotion but also that we are purposeful and diligent in our obedience and practical application of the Word to our everyday lives.
Too often we take church and personal devotion for granted. We become engulfed in the cares of our lives and the constant busy-ness that devours our attention, time and energy, and we allow these things to crowd out our study of the Word. I'm sure you've had it happen to you. You get so busy that you start to limit your time in devotion or skip it altogether. You have so much to do that you're too tired to make it to church or bible study. And then you find yourself in a situation that only the Word can help you through, yet you don't have a Word to use as warfare because you've not gotten enough beforehand. Or even worse, you find yourself slipping back into some of your hold habits, ways and attitudes because you no longer have the Word to restrain or sustain you. Sound familiar? That's because the flesh and its sinful tendencies is very strong. Only the Word of God is stronger than your flesh and its imperative that you take in the Word on a regular basis to manage and control your flesh in a moment's notice. As you've probably experienced, trying to find a Word in a moment to manage your burning fleshly desire when there has been no intake beforehand is like trying to put out a sudden wild fire with a cup of water. Difficult, if not impossible.
For this reason, we must all come to the realization that it is only by the application of God's Word to our lives that we are able to make good decisions, respond appropriately at our weakest moments, restrain our natural reactions, manage our difficult situations, break free from strongholds, be delivered from temptation and be freed from sin. Without the Word, you are powerless against your most formidable enemy: yourself. That's why its important to be a part of a ministry that teaches the expository Word of God in a manner that is easily understood and applicable to your own personal life and situations.
Finally, Pastor talked in depth about the importance of obeying the Word you hear. It's not good enough for us to get the Word in personal devotion or church but fail to apply it to our lives in a practical manner. A forgetful hearer is one who takes in the Word but fails to activate it's power through obedience. We must understand that the power of the Word of God in our lives is limited to our personal decision to obey it. Disobedience renders the Word powerless in our lives. The scripture teaches us that in all our getting, we should get understanding (Proverbs 4:7). However, simply knowing the Word is not understanding or powerful because there is absolutely no power in a Word that we do not obey. The power of the Word of God in your life is only demonstrated through your purposeful and continual choice of obedience. This is why it is so important to consistently hear a Word you can understand. A Word that you can understand is the only Word you can obey and therefore is the only Word that can set you free.
Happy is the one that finds wisdom, and the one that gets understanding. For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. Proverbs 3:13, 14
Have a wonderful week!
Nicole
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