Open Heaven 23 February 2023 TOPIC: Growing Your Faith III
MEMORISE: “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” – James 1:22 (KJV)
READ: James 1:22-25 (KJV)
22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Deuteronomy 5-8
Open Heaven 23 February 2023 MESSAGE:
After studying God’s word, memorising and meditating on it, you must ensure that you act on it so your faith can grow. Our Bible reading for today says clearly that we must not be hearers only, but doers also. In fact, verse 25 says that if you are a doer of the word, you will be blessed indeed. In other words, the more you apply the word, the more blessed you become.
While faithfulness is a noun, faith is a verb. If you truly believe, it will show in your actions (James 2:26). After you have meditated on something you read in the Bible, the next thing you are to do is to apply it. Make a move in line with what has been revealed to you in the word.
When you read Proverbs 21:13 that says you should not close your ears to the cry of the poor, do you apply it? When you read Deuteronomy 28:7 that says that if your enemies gather against you in one way, they will be scattered in seven, do you still fret at the sight of them?
When you apply the lessons you draw from the word of God, your faith will begin to grow. Very soon, little faith will become great faith and great faith will become very great faith. All you have to do is practice what you learn.
I didn’t start out with the level of faith l now have. I remember very well when l had just gotten born again; my Sunday School teacher taught us then that if a little boy is on a roof and his father tells him to jump down, promising to catch him, the boy would jump. He said in the same vein, when God ask us to jump, we should just jump and He would catch us. I meditated over that deeply; since then, l have been jumping and God has been catching me. So many times, l start projects not because l have the funds required to complete them, but because l know that God will ‘catch me’ and he has never failed. For every time He showed up, my faith grew and my dreams became bigger. I keep going for bigger mountains because l am sure that He lives and is supporting me all the way.
REFLECTION:
Have you been practicing the things that you have been learning from the word of God?
HYMN 21: Standing On The Promises Of God
1 Standing on the promises
of Christ, our King,
Thro’ eternal ages let
His praises ring;
Glory in the highest,
I will shout and sing,
Standing on the promises of God.
Chorus:
Standing, standing,
Standing on the promises of God, my Saviour;
Standing, standing,
I’m standing on the promises of God.
2 Standing on the promises
that cannot fail.
When the howling storms of
doubt and fear assail,
By the living word of God
I shall prevail,
Standing on the promises of God.
3 Standing on the promises
I now can see
Perfect, present cleansing
in the blood for me;
Standing in the liberty
where Christ makes free,
Standing on the promises of God.
4 Standing on the promises
of Christ, the Lord,
Bound to Him eternally
by love’s strong cord,
Overcoming daily with
the Spirit’s sword,
Standing on the promises of God.
