Take A Good Look - Looking Into the Word

James 1:23 - 25

For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.

Do you recognize yourself? Now that may sound like a strange question but give it some thought. Do you recognize yourself? Some years ago, I served with a pastor that would say it this way, “If you really want to know what you are like, then take a good look into the Bible, the Word of God.”

I suspect you looked in a mirror this morning.  Did you see a young, energetic face, ready to tackle the day? Did you see a tired, worn face from being up all night with a baby?  You might have seen wrinkles or gray hair (or no hair). The mirror doesn’t lie; it reveals the truth. It reveals loss, heartache, pain, hardship, and trouble. It also reveals fear, anxiety, joy, or excitement.

The Word of God, like a mirror, reveals the truth; it doesn’t lie. It reveals sinful pride, prayerlessness, and apathy. It can reveal a lack of faith and even areas in which we wrestle with God. When we read the Bible, the Bible reads us, revealing who we truly are. 

And although it is convicting at times, reading God’s Word each day is imperative for knowing God. When we take the time to read the Word for meaning and understanding, not just mechanically reading words from a page, we discover who we truly are -  our struggles, victories, and challenges. 

Have you ever read a passage and several hours later couldn’t remember what you read?  It is easy to allow distractions to keep us from absorbing the Word. That is the focus of James 1:23 - 25. We are to be doers of the Word, not hearers only.

What is a hearer? A hearer is someone that took a look into the Word of God, but then quickly forgot what they read or heard. They heard the words but didn’t assimilate or apply them, and therefore, quickly forgot them.

But the doer of the Word is different. The doer of the Word not only stopped to read God’s Word but also meditated on it, memorized it, and applied it, allowing it to take deep root. James 1:25 calls this person an “effectual doer.”  J.B. Phillips describes this as someone that “puts the law into practice.”

So what happens when we do this? According to James 1:25, when we take a long, deep look into God’s Word and then apply it and obey it, we will be blessed. Now that doesn’t mean our life will be free from difficulty, but it does mean we will enjoy the fruitful blessings of following and obeying God. 

Would you consider these three challenges?

Commit a Focused Time

Set aside a daily, focused time, free from distractions, to read God’s Word.

Read with a Pen

Write out what your take-a-way is from the Word. Circle or underline truths that stand out to you. This will force you to focus and to look and listen intently. 

Obey

There will be plenty of information in God’s Word that you don’t initially understand. Don’t get caught up in that, simply obey what you do understand. Apply it, practice it, and live it out.

I heard a wise pastor describe reading God’s Word this way:

Read it through.

Think it clear.

Write it down.

Pray it in.

Live it out.

Pass it on.

…and it will be yours.

Bible study gives knowledge ABOUT GOD.  Obedience gives knowledge OF GOD.

So this week, would you commit to look into the mirror of God’s Word?  You will be changed and blessed!!!