Bible passage: James 1:25 “But if a person looks closely into the perfect Torah, which gives freedom, and continues, becoming not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work it requires, then he will be blessed in what he does.”
I used to wonder how it was possible to read the Word of God in the morning and by the end of the day forget what I had read. Then, I came across today’s verse, and it all made sense. Isn’t it funny how we have no problem remembering the instructions we receive from our bosses at work by the end of the day but can’t recall scripture? This happens because the moment we receive instructions from our boss, we immediately start planning how to execute them and then actually carry out those plans, making it impossible to forget. In contrast, when we read scripture in the morning, we often allow our minds to be consumed by our day-to-day activities once our Bible time is over. Because we don’t intentionally make plans on how to live out God’s Word throughout our day, it becomes easy to forget what we have read.
This struggle of being a forgetful hearer often arises from not fully understanding scripture and how it applies to our daily lives. This probably explains why Paul prayed for God to give us wisdom and understanding so that we may live a life that pleases Him (Colossians 1:9-10). When we receive spiritual understanding of His Word, we must make it our duty to obey all that He has instructed us. It helps to think about how we can incorporate these changes into our daily lives. For instance, if God is convicting you about gossiping, you can think about ways to avoid gossip at work. With the help of the Holy Spirit and your willingness to carry out His instructions, you will not only be successful at obeying His Word but it will also become impossible for you to forget it.
By transforming our approach from passive reading to active application, we bridge the gap between hearing the Word and doing it. Just as we execute our work tasks with purpose and intention, we must also execute God’s instructions with the same dedication. By doing so, we honor God and ensure that His Word takes root in our hearts and minds, guiding our actions and blessing our lives. Let’s strive to be both a hearer and doer of the Word by living out our faith in every aspect of our daily lives.
