Not everything in life promises you blessings if you will just remember it. In fact, many things you either remember or memorize actually minimally help you. Consider all the different facts that teachers required you to memorize in school, they may or may not help you now. I could give a long list of facts that I had to remember that I consider useless for daily living (like the 50 states and capitals or the presidents of the United States). This is true for each of us.
However, on the other hand, the Bible promises us blessings if we will remember the right thing. With busy lives, in a busy world, and with already crammed minds full of facts and factoids that we remember, we welcome this promise provided in the Bible.
Follow This Exhortation and Be Blessed
James, Jesus’ half-brother and first pastor of the church of Jerusalem, offered this advice to those who were living in some fairly tough circumstances. He writes:
25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. (James 1:25)
In this text, James compares those who are doers of the Word versus those who are just hearers of the Word. He makes a bold statement that I have clung onto many times. Notice how he develops his thought.
Remember and Enjoy the Benefits
Essentially, you can summarize James’ teaching in this statement:
When we get someone to look at, remember, and do God’s Word, he/she will be inevitably changed and blessed.
To look at – study carefully individual paragraphs, chapters, and books of the Bible
Remember – summarize the timeless truth of the passage you read, memorize that principle or summary, and maybe even memorize the key verse in the paragraph
Do – determine the best way to specifically obey the timeless truth or apply the wisdom principle in daily living
Inevitably changed and blessed – continue at this day after day, persevere, and be faithful to the truth you study and learned. When you do this, God promises you will be changed and blessed.
Therefore, today and this week make it a priority to remember God’s Word. Then, enjoy the blessings!
