James 1:25 NIV
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.
Yesterday's devotion was the other side of the verse above. Yesterday looked at the danger of just reading and listening, without the corresponding desire to do. Today's verse lays out the benefits of being a reader and a doer. I note that both reading and doing go together. It is very difficult to obey what you do not know about, and it is also very difficult not to obey a God who you have had a definite encounter with. That is the key secret to a life of obedience. Just like earthly parents would love a child who is quick to obey, so would our heavenly Father also love a child who is quick to obey Him. The start point will be a personal encounter with the author and inspiration of the Word. When you have had it once, you will always want to have it always.
That encounter requires an intent look into the law that gives freedom. Looks like a contradiction that a law that demands definite action will also give freedom, but that is what God offers when I come to know Him. There is a need to look intently, which takes time and attention. Nothing of value stays at the surface; if you seek gold, you have to dig deep for it. The verse above also supports this, and as I look intently, see what is required and demanded of me, and continuing in it, that is when I have access to the riches of God's grace in all its fullness. The place of my heart is also critical. That is the place where the processing of all that I hear and read are sorted out and where the relevant response or reaction is sorted out.
How is my heart at the moment? Is it a place where the Word of God can even find space right now, or is it full of clutter and junk? I must note that the Word of God cannot compete for attention with other things through violence; it has to be a conscious effort on my own part to give it time and attention. If I will not forget what I have read or heard, it means that I must give it a good and fertile ground in which the Word can grow and germinate in. The parable of the sower and the different grounds in which the seed is sown is a good reflection of how the Word can be a blessing to me. Do I need to clear out my heart so that the Word of God can have unhindered control? Remember, who controls the heart determines its earthly and eternal reality. God's time of favour is here.
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