Saturday October 16, 2010

"Journey Through James - Part 2"

Listening and Doing

 19My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, ²⁰for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. ²¹Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. ²²Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.²³Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror ²⁴and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. ²⁵But 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.
 ²⁶If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. ²⁷Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

The part I really want to focus on in this passage is verse 22. It's really good to read your bible as much as you can and to learn more about it. But if all we do is read it, and don't do what it says, it's pretty much useless. Plus it doesn't make God too happy either. Look at what it says in verse 25. If we read the Word, and also do what it says, we will be blessed in what we do. Before you sit down to read God's word, pray to Him and ask Him to reveal the truth to you. Ask Him to write His Word on your heart so that you will remember what you read, and then you can put it into action. Sometimes, you have to read things multiple times to really understand what it's saying - and that's fine! As long as you then go and do what it says. We'll get into this concept more in the coming verses, but I want you guys to focus on this passage and really get what it is saying. And as always, keep reading your bible!!


Dear Heavenly Father, we ask that you would help us as we read your word. Reveal the truth to us, and help us to understand what you are trying to say. Write your word on our hearts so that we will not only be prepared to give an answer for the hope that we have, but that we can put your word into action. Help us to always want to learn more about you. Thank you for everything you do and say. We praise you and we thank you, amen.


Lots of love,
Aubrey <><