Daily Bible Study

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Day 165 James 1:19 So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; 20 for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore, lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which can save your souls. 22 Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; 24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 He who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. 26 If anyone among you thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless. 27 Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. Everyone wants to live life their way. They don’t want to think about what their conscience says is right or wrong. It is only those who, without conscience, make headlines for evil. Those who do good show they have a conscience guiding them. James told the people what kind of person they should be: swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger. Only those kinds of people will produce the righteousness of God. They were to be doers of the Word and not hearers only. Those who heard the Word and observed it were blessed in everything they did. They would be the kind of people David described in the Psalms. Psalm 1:1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; 2 but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law, he meditates day and night. 3 He will be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, which brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also will not wither; and whatever he does will prosper. James told them not to be like people who only listened to the Word, then went away, and did what they wanted, forgetting what they heard. As Christians, you know people who spend as little time as needful in the Word. They don’t pay attention to what it says and don’t study it so they know the will of God for their lives. You also know people who drink up every word spoken by their ministers, and every word they read in God’s Word. They study their Bibles and do everything they can to be a doer of the Word and not a hearer only. They want God’s blessing in their life. Christians who don’t read or study the Bible give statements like the Bible is too hard to understand. Nobody can do everything the Bible says. They like to wear the name Christian without doing anything that will bring about the righteousness of God. They don’t realize the Bible is the perfect law of liberty. It frees them to walk humbly before God, doing what Scripture says, and being mindful of God’s will for their lives. When you stop giving excuses about why it’s so hard to be a doer of God’s Word and open your Bibles to read and study it, attend church or Bible study groups with the intention of learning what God wants from you, you will be a doer and not a hearer only. Then you will know God’s blessing in your life. You’ll also be happier. People will see your joy on the outside because you have it on the inside. What kind of Christian are you? A hearer or a doer. Become a doer today and find God’s blessing in your life. Let’s pray: Father, help me be a doer of Your Word and not a hearer only. I don’t want to be a person who reads without understanding. Let Your Word sink deep into my heart so I will know Your will and receive Your blessings. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. Copyright © 28 December 2023 by Valerie Routhieaux The image belongs to me.