Do not merely listen to the word. Do what it says.

James chapter 1, verse 22.

Welcome to today's encouragement from our daily bread.

Doers of the Scriptures was written by Karen Huang and read by Tony Collier.

James Chapter 1 verses 22 through 25.

Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what says, is like someone who looks at his face in a

mirror, and after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.

But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom and continues in it,

not forgetting what they have heard but doing it, they will be blessed in what they do.

Doers of the Scriptures, written by Karen Huang.

On my desk is a memo board of reminders. Pinned on it is a list,

10 habits for great health that I cut out of a nutrition magazine years ago.

Recently I was stunned that even though I see this list every day, I could only remember four items.

The list was such a familiar part of my daily surroundings that I'd glance at it without really seeing it or following what it said.

The book of James describes something similar in the attitude

of many believers towards the scriptures. In chapter 1 we read, anyone who listens to the word

but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and goes away

and immediately forgets what he looks like. Many followers of Christ are aware of what the Bible says. However, we may merely listen to the word, and the extent to which we submit to it ends there. In this way, we deceive ourselves about the power and authority of Scripture, failing to see it as providing the perfect law that gives us freedom.

James tells us to be doers of the Word. A doer looks intently into Scripture and continues

in it, consistently doing what it says. Obeying God should be not just something we do, but something

that flows from who we are.

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