Friday, November 12, 2021
Truth in Action
“But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves” (James 1:22 NLT).
Let’s imagine for a moment that you’re very hungry, so you go into a restaurant and ask for a menu. You look it over and carefully read the descriptions of the various things they’re serving. But is that going to satisfy your hunger? Will you be able to put the menu down and say, “Thank you. I feel much better now”?
Or what if you memorized the contents of every single item on the menu? You know it so well that you could stand in front of the restaurant and say, “Ask me whatever you want. I’ve memorized the menu.” That’s fine, but it won’t fill your stomach. You need to order the food and then eat it.
It’s the same thing when it comes to the Word of God. We not only need to hear it, but we also need to do it. We need to apply what we’ve heard.
James wrote, “But 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).
In the original language, the act of looking in a mirror speaks of an attentive scrutiny. This is a picture of someone who sees their reflection in a mirror, realizes that something needs to be done, but doesn’t act on it.
When we hear the Word of God, we should allow God’s Holy Spirit to take that truth and bring it home to our hearts. Truth acted on brings more truth. But failure to respond to the truth ultimately will result in the loss of truth. God’s Word becomes a millstone if we don’t make it a milestone.
Copyright © 2021 by Harvest Ministries. All rights reserved.
For more relevant and biblical teaching from Pastor Greg Laurie, go to www.harvest.org
and
Listen to Greg Laurie's daily broadcast on OnePlace.com and weekly podcast on LifeAudio.com.
Watch Greg Laurie's weekly television broadcast on LightSource.com.
In thanks for your gift, you can receive a copy of As It Is In Heaven by Greg Laurie
What is Heaven like? Who will be there? What will we do in Heaven? Can people in Heaven see us here on Earth? Will we know each other in Heaven? These questions and many more are answered by Pastor Greg Laurie in an insightful and inspiring new book. As It Is in Heaven will be sent to you in thanks for your gift to Harvest Ministries this month. Get your copy of As It Is in Heaven when you make a gift to Harvest Ministries today!
Was this resource helpful? Add Christianity.com as a trusted source for Biblical content.
_639117697502034535.webp)