Monday 1 Feb 2021

February 1: James 1:19-27
 
Key Verse: James 1:22
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
 
Devotion:
How often do or have you zoned out whilst in a class or lecture? One of my failings is allowing my mind to wander when I should be concentrating on listening or reading; my mind wanders off on a tangent and I lose an hour when I begin to come back to what I should be doing!
 
God does not want us to listen “blindly” to what is being said or what is in our bibles. God wants us to apply what we hear and read into our lives so we can become better people. God wants us to read or listen with intent – to discern what we are hearing or reading and then to make a conscious effort to apply what we learn into our lives!
 
If we take a recipe and follow the words exactly, there is a good chance we will get a good meal in the end; but if the recipe does not list everything exactly as required, then it may be hit-and-miss as to whether we do get something god in the end. This is where experience and advice from others comes in – if we try to make our own rules, things may not work as expected, but when we follow advice from others who have been there, and discern this is good advice, then we will have better luck.
 
So, when you read your bible verses today. Don't just skip over them and then expect me to give you all of the information required – there is no way I can expand enough in these short devotionals for you to get the very best wisdom. God wants us to go through His word, take on board what others are saying and then go to Him for an insight delivered to you by the Holy Spirit!
 
Points to Ponder:
How well do you read God’s Word?
 
How well do you meditate on God’s Word?