Reading, receiving, researching, remembering, and reflecting on God’s Word are important, but we must respond to it and be ‘doers of the word’ (James 1:22 KJV). This is the hardest step because Satan will fight you on it. You can be so busy going to the next church meeting, that you forget to put into practice what you learned at the last one. Jesus said, ‘Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock’ (Matthew 7:24 NIVUK 2011 Edition).
God doesn’t bless you because you know the truth but because you obey it. ‘Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.’ We’re inclined to avoid personal application because not only is it hard – in some cases it’s downright painful! Jesus said, ‘The truth will set you free’ (John 8:32 NIV 2011 Edition), but first it may make you uncomfortable.
God’s Word reveals our motives, exposes our flaws, rebukes our sin, and demands change. That’s why it’s good to discuss your personal insights with others. We learn truths from other people that we’d never learn on our own. They help us to see and apply what we miss. They hold us accountable. One of the best ways to become ‘a doer of the Word’ is to write down an action plan. It should be personal (involving you); practical (something you can do); provable (with a benchmark or deadline). In the words of D.L. Moody: ‘The Bible wasn’t given to increase our knowledge but to change our lives.’
2 Chronicles 7-9, Acts 21:1-17
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