“…don’t JUST LISTEN to God’s word. You must DO WHAT IT SAYS. Otherwise, you are only FOOLING (paralogizomai: distorted reasoning for) yourselves.” (James 1:22) Many don’t like rules. They don’t like being told what to do or when to do it or even how to do it. They like to be independent and make their own decisions. Why? Because they tend to believe that they know WHAT’S BEST.
The devil wants to fool us into believe that just HEARING THE WORD is all we need to do. That is just another one of his lies because The Lord God Almighty says “…he who DOES the will of God lives forever.” (1 John 2:17) That is why God instructed us to, “Trust in the LORD with ALL your heart; DO NOT depend on YOUR OWN understanding. Seek GOD’S WILL in all you do, and He will SHOW YOU which path to take.” (Pro. 3:5-6)
Here is the problem for us, God is OMNISCIENT, which means He has COMPLETE AND INFINITE knowledge. Since He created everything and everyone, He knows EVERYTHING THERE IS TO KNOW ABOUT EVERYTHING!!! So, when we say we are going to figure things out FOR OURSELVES it strongly implies that we DO NOT trust in the Lord. “Do not be wise in YOUR OWN eyes. Instead, fear the LORD and TURN AWAY FROM EVIL.” (Pro. 3: 7) It is evil for us to NOT PUT OUR TRUST in God!
The bible clearly instructs us to TRUST IN THE LORD with ALL OUR HEART! We are disobeying God when we do not trust Him, “Blessed is the man who TRUSTS IN THE LORD, And whose hope is the LORD. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters…” (Jer. 17:7-8)
Job said this about God, “Though He slay me, yet WILL I TRUST HIM.” (Job 13:15)
-Bill Stockham