Hear … Then Don’t Forget to Do!

Ray Noah — Fri, 22 Mar 2024 07:09:36 +0000

What It Takes To Live In God’s Favor

PREVIEW: There is no deep, mysterious secret to the revival of favor that the Biblical writers promise the true believer. There is no complex set of rules and regulations the believer must master in order to live in the blessing of abundance promised in the Bible. It is so simple even a child can get it. In fact, all good parents drill this into their children early and often: Listen and obey!

MY JOURNEY OF WORSHIP // Psalm 85:6-9

Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you? Show us your unfailing love, Lord, and grant us your salvation. I will listen to what God the LORD will say; he promises peace to his people, his saints—but let them not return to folly. Surely his salvation is near those who fear him, that his glory may dwell in our land.

I don’t think reducing God and his Word to formulas is a good idea, but if we can distill his Word down to one, here is a simple prescription for Divine favor:

HEAR — THEN DO!

Listen to God, then do what he says. Hear and do! James echoed that command in the New Testament when he said, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” Then, for the one who hears and does, James added, “He will be blessed in what he does.” (James 1:22,25)

There is no deep, mysterious secret to the revival of favor that the psalmist is seeking in Psalm 85. There is no complex set of rules and regulations the believer must master in order to live in the blessing of abundance promised in the Bible. It is so simple even a child can get it. In fact, all good parents drill this into their children early and often:

LISTEN AND OBEY!

You have no problem with that—right? Neither do I! So here’s the deal: Why aren’t you doing that?

I am not trying to be judgmental or confrontational; I am just asking a serious question. You have areas of your life where you are either not listening to God or not obeying what you hear—or both! So do I. And that may be the very reason you and I are not living in the full abundance of God, spiritually, financially, physically, professionally, or relationally.

So what are you going to do about it? I think I will do a little evaluating today—some listening first, then obeying. I plan on getting this one right. You can hold me accountable on that one. And when I get to the end of my life, I hope that I will have so lived that on my headstone are inscribed these words:

HE LISTENED—AND OBEYED GOD!

MY OFFERING OF WORSHIP: Honestly, are there selective areas where you know what you should be doing, but you aren’t? I get it…I really do! But perhaps you should let the Lord speak to you through this devotional and, with his help, take action today to bring your behavior into line with obedience to his Word.

“	When it comes time to die, make sure that all you have to do is die. — JIM ELLIOT

Ray NoahHear … Then Don’t Forget to Do! – Ray Noah

Hear … Then Don’t Forget to Do!