“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.” James 1:22-25.Our Father, we are masters of self-deception. We deceive ourselves into thinking that it is enough just to hear the word. This is why we go to church faithfully and serve unfaithfully. This is a serious miscalculation of our Christian duty.

We look today into your perfect word and are reminded that the Holy Spirit applies the truths of scripture to our lives and enables us to obey what we have heard. Praise be to your name for the blessings that come through our obedience to Christ.

Amen.