Manna for Your Morning

“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 Luke 11:28 (AMP), Yeshua said, “…blessed (happy, favored by God) are those who hear the word of God and continually observe it.” …he who looks carefully into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and faithfully abides by it, not having become a [careless] listener who forgets but an active doer [who obeys], he will be blessed and favored by God in what he does [in his life of obedience]. (James 1:25 AMP) 

“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only...” — James‬ ‭1:22‬ ‭(NKJV) ‬‬ After we hear the Word, may we apply it to what we do and who we are. In Matthew 7:24 (MSG), Jesus says, “These words I speak to you are not incidental additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundational words, words to build a life on.“ When the Word of God is the foundation of our lives, what is built will withstand the storms of life. “”Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”” (Matthew‬ ‭...

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. — Ephesians 4:1 (NIV) As any parent can attest, we only want the best for our children. We want to see them do well and excel in life. Our heavenly Father desires the same for us. Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity (Hebrews 6:1a, NIV). May we live the dynamic life, full of freedom, power, and joy, that Jesus paid the price for us to have! Prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves (James 1:22, NAS). Stand firm and mature [in spiritual growth], convinced and fully assured in everything willed by God (Colossians 4:12b, AMP).