Tag Archives: listen

Adventures Await: Be Active

James 1: 22-25
Do no merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and after looking at himself, goes away and forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom and continues in it – not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it – they will be blessed in what they do.

The passage starts with listening just like our adventures with the Lord should start with us listening to Him. Adventures are amazing. But if we do not listen, we will not know what He is saying. We will not know where He is guiding us! Listening is the key to success in a relationship, especially with the Lord our God!

The second piece of the puzzle is knowing the Scriptures. This passage points the Scripture three times. Twice with “the word” and once with the “perfect law.” The perfect law and the Word are one in the same and point to the moral and ethical teachings of the New Testament and Old Testament. The Old Testament law is brought to completion through Jesus Christ. When we know the law we know Christ and his expectations. One cannot just read the word to know it. To truly know them, one must act on them and experience them. To understand, is for the Word to be the guide of your life.

My dog and I do a lot of hiking and sometimes we need a map and GPS tracker to know where we are. Now a days, there is an amazing app that does both of those. I fully rely on this app when I am on a trail. It ensures that we are going the correct way. Trails can be very confusing especially when there are animal trails that look like trails. This can make it more difficult to discern which way to go. As you can see in the adventure Freckles and I were on in the photo the trail was very difficult to see. It was a extremely difficult trail to navigate through but we made it thanks to the app and Freckles nose! Like the trail in the photo, trails are not always marked well. However, this app always directs me to the right place. When I am on the trail, this app is my personal guide.

This is comparable to the Word of God in our lives. In this passage, it talks about listening and doing the Word of God in our lives go hand-in-hand. You can’t listen to the Word and not be convicted to act on it. Christ is in our hearts and minds. He should be guiding us to do what the Word of God says. We cannot simply read the word and check the box. Spending time with the Lord requires more than that. We must read the word and apply it to our lives in some manner! Christ will guide our hearts and minds if we allow him to do so! We should desire to listen and act on the Word of God. We do not want to be known as someone who forgets their own reflection in the mirror.

I challenge each of us to take a look at our hearts and souls. Ask yourself how do I need to listen with intent or act in purpose?

Prayer:
Lord, take away the distractions. Help me focus on your Word. Show me the call to action. Help me hear what you are meaning to say and not the interpretation I place on your words. Help me to seek you first in order to implement what you say in my life! To do this, help me to listen with my heart, mind, and ears. Help me to draw closer to you through your Word. In turn, others will see you in my words, actions, and love. AMEN!

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Adventures Await: Listen

James 1: 19-21
My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry, because the human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent.

There is nothing better than being on the trail! Being in the midst of God’s creation and taking in all the attributes of nature is by far where I meet the Lord the most. I have always loved exploring since I was a young girl. I remember being at the Badlands in South Dakota and saw every rock formation as an exploration. I wanted to climb every rock I could! Not much has changed from the young girl excited to climb and explore at the Badlands! When I am on the trail, I think: “adventure awaits!” What is around the corner or on the next switchback there may be a view! Let’s go!

I always start hiking at a quick pace, but now that I have a hiking buddy or more, they remind me to pause! One of those hiking buddies is my friend’s dog Cooper. Coopers is always up for an adventure! While on the trail, he loves to find a rock to climb up on to see the view. I think it is because he is small and wants to see better. Cooper and I took a fall morning hike one morning. We of course were cruising along and then Cooper found a rock to climb onto. At this moment he reminded me to pause! We sat on that rock together and looked out over the valley together. Of course, it was time in silence with some Cooper kisses. However, this moment reminded me to slow down and listen! In this moment, the Lord was telling me He is present and my provider. He was there in my loss, is present in my transition, and will be there in the next season!

Adventures are amazing, but if we go too quick, we may miss the best moments! Slowness can refocus our minds and take in the memories we experience on the trail! This is similar to our relationship with the Lord, His Word, and friendships. James talks about being quick only in one aspect of a relationship, to listen and slow to speak, in other words listen first! Listening is a key factor in being with the Lord and hearing Him through His word. Listening, Shema, is before the greatest commandment. Deuteronomy 6:4-6. “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all you heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” The Lord was telling Israel to pause and listen to the one true God, Yahweh! Listening is crucial in any relationship!

Our adventure with the Lord starts with us Listening to Him. Adventures are amazing, but if we do not listen, we will not know what He is saying or where He is guiding us! Listening is the key to success in a relationship, especially with the Lord our God!

Lord,
Our adventure awaits together for the next season in life, however let us see you in the past, present, and how you will be there in the future. Remind us to listen to you and be slow to speak. In other words, you call us to listen with both our ears and speak with one mouth! May we continue to hear you and your voice in our lives through your Word and our relationship with you. AMEN!

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