I believe one of the great hazards for those who love to study the Scriptures, and who take seriously the privilege of plowing through God’s Word is this: We can begin to think that hearing the Word automatically implies obeying the Word. It’s a very subtle, but a very real danger.

How do you know if you’re obeying the Word?

If you’re grumpy, you’re not because Jesus said, ‘Happy are you if you do these things,’ (John 13:17). The word ‘happy’ in Greek means ‘happy’. It means ‘elated’. It speaks of emotion. You will be happy if you’re obeying the Word, but if you’re just hearing about it, or being analytical of it, you will not be happy. So Paul would say to the self righteous, to the Hebrew, to the biblical scholar, ‘It’s not what you hear or know, It’s what you do that will affect you.’

In your morning devotions, during Wednesday night study, in a Sunday morning service, or whenever you’re in the Word, ask the Lord to give you one thing to do. Not just to journal, or to ponder, but one thing through His Word to do by His Spirit. And happy will you be if you do it.