Thursday, July 6, 2023

Listen to the Word

But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does. (James 1:25)

James says we are to look intently into God’s freedom-giving Word, and we are to do so on a continuing basis. But that is not enough - we must also remember what we have learned from it. If you dive into the Bible but promptly forget what you have read, you have missed the point. You don’t read the Bible so that you can check it off your spiritual to-do list. You read it so that you can internalize its truth. When you close your Bible, you may be finished reading Scripture, but the Scripture is not finished with you. Before your time in the Bible is over, grab hold of something to carry with you through the day - a verse you can memorize, a word you can ponder, a command you can obey. Don’t forget what you have heard.

Live the Word

Choose a word, phrase, or concept from James 1:25 and intentionally take it with you through the rest of the day, turning it over in your mind as often as possible.