Good morning,
You have heard the saying, "don't try harder, do harder", right? Well, when I was in the fifth grade, my teacher, had a lot of 'stick with you sayings'. This was her favorite reply when I would tell her that I was trying to do something. Well, I heard this saying in my heart today, but it was concerning doing the Word of God. I was nagging about loving the unloving consistently and always bending over to treat others the way I want to be treated. Sometimes we become overwhelmed when it comes to the Word. I hear complaints from Christians when they are trying to find an excuse for not walking out the Word of God. They usually say that it is so hard. Most of the time we as believer's are excellent when it comes to hearing the Word, but amateurs when it comes to 'doing the Word'. Remember, "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed." (James 1:22-25) Doers are the one who obeys and fulfills and performs the Word of God. Hearers means to listen, to be informed by giving or paying attention to. So in order to move from being just a hearer to a doer we have to execute or put forth energy to actually accomplish any part of the Word of God. This is done little by little, we do the part of the Word that God is consistently bringing up before you to hear over and over again. For instance, loving the unloving. Then you would pursue several scripture verses that speaks of loving those who mistreat you, or, are unkind to you. There you would begin for example in 1 Corinthians 13. Next, you would of course meditate, and confess these verses over in your heart (listen or hear), then you would just 'do it', not try, just do it! We have to work the Word in order to do it! Sorry, we are laborers together with Christ. (1 Corin. 3:9) We are the righteous, who are bold as a lion, we are soldiers in God's army, we are kings and priests, we are made in the image of God our Father.
Continuing in doing the Word usually causes us a problem, for we expect that what we do to change others, or, even the situations. But it says that the person who does the Word and continues in it will be blessed in his deed. First of all, continueth or continues means to remain besides or,to be always near, to go on or keep on in the same course of action. Which means that there is no timetable on 'continuing'. So, we couldn't or rather we shouldn't say, "I've done that enough". I am not saying that circumstances, situations, or even people won't change [eventually], but, what God is changing is the person who continues to do the Word. If that is you, then you will be blessed in your deeds. "For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. For it is not merely hearing the Law [read] that makes one righteous before God, but it is the doers of the Law who will be held guiltless and acquitted and justified. For merely listening to the law doesn’t make us right with God. It is obeying the law that makes us right in his sight. Merely hearing God's law is a waste of your time if you don't do what He commands. Doing, not hearing is what makes the difference with God. This verse is Romans 2:13, from the King James; the Amplified; the New Living Translation; the Message Bible. So, I close with my fifth grade teacher's words ringing loud, louder still as it comes from Our Father's Word, 'do harder'. We all have to do the Word, start somewhere today, and you will be blessed as you do it!
Love,
Pastor D.
Daughters of Z 