Good morning! The focus of these verses today are on listening and doing. As we read earlier this week, that being receptive to God’s word is critical when believers go through trials or need to resist temptation. Responding to and recognizing the word is essential to spiritual growth. Join me as we continue to read James chapter one.

Bible Verse – James 1:19-25 NLT

“¹⁹ Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. ²⁰ Human anger^[g] does not produce the righteousness^[h] God desires. ²¹ So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls.

²² But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. ²³ For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. ²⁴ You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. ²⁵ But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.”

Reflection

Sisters and brothers, reading the Word alone is not enough. We are called to accept the Word of God, act on it, and live by it. So many believers get one or two of those things, but they miss to live by it.

Being receptive to the word, allows us to put in action the statement, “be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry”. Anger rarely gives us the result we want or the life God desires.

James is also calling for us to remove filth and evil from our lives, and humbly accept the Word of God and let is live within us. It’s the only Word that has the power to save.

Receiving the word requires a response as well. James is reminding us we cannot simply hear it, but we must respond to it. He wrote, “don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.” We should read and hear the Word of God and apply it because it produces spiritual strength and maturity. The teachings of God’s Word brings truth and the truth sets us free.

“³¹Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. ³² And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” – John 8:31-32 NLT

It’s easy to go along with a crowd. It’s easy to shut down the “woke” movement. However, you have to ask yourself is their truth? We can go on social and side with different groups or groups that look like or think like us, or even say they are Christians, but is it true? Is it free from evil, lies, half-truths, and filth?

Sisters and brothers, ask God for wisdom and discernment to know the truth, follow it, and act on it. It’s not too late to grow or continue to grow in spiritual maturity.

Prayer

Father God, we thank you for your love, grace, and mercy. We thank you for your word, which is truth. We thank you for the peace that we receive when we follow you. Lord, forgive us for the times when we acted and/or spoken out in anger. Forgive us for the times when we plotted evil, acted evil, and/or instigated evil against others. Lord, we don’t want to claim to be “Christians” yet do evil, cheat, or deceive ourselves and/or others. We want to be Christians who are aligned with Your word, committed to Your teachings, and live it out as You desire in our lives. Lord, continue to mature us in our walk, our understanding of Your word, and in application. Lord, wherever there is a flaw within us, correct it.

Lord, continue to work in the hearts and minds of everyone who claims to be a Christian. Lord, don’t let them abuse that title. Lord, let Your truth be displayed in their lives and in their actions. Lord, work in the hearts of the broken, misinformed, misguided, lost, and lonely. Lord, help them to draw nearer to you. Heal every area of their life and use their testimonies to bring more people to know and receive you as their Lord and Savior.

Lord, we pray for those who don’t know you or who have turned away from you. We pray for them to get to know you. Lord, remove evil from their lives, and give them the strength to walk away from it. Turn them to the Truth and the Light. Open their eyes, ears, and heart to surrender their lives to you or return back to you.

Lord, continue to heal those who are recovering from surgery, illnesses, and chronic conditions. Lord, help those in financial distress and provide for their families. Lord, give peace to those struggling with anxiety and stress. Comfort those who are grieving and be their strength. Open doors for employment for each person seeking a job or new job opportunity, and bless them with gainful employment.

In Jesus name, amen.

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