Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. —James 1:22
Some time ago, I listened to several messages by a gifted expositor of the Word. He began each message by opening Scripture and explaining what it says and what it means. Then he came to a certain point where he said, “That’s the ‘what.’ Now the question is: ‘So what?’” This pastor isn’t satisfied for people just to know what the passage says, he wants to be sure they also make practical application of the truth to their lives.
God told Ezekiel the problem with His people was that they “sit in front of you, and hear your words, but they don’t obey them” (Ezek. 33:31).
Hebrews 4:2 tells us that “the message [the children of Israel] heard did not benefit them, since they were not united with those who heard it in faith”—that is they didn’t act on what they heard.
The old-time evangelist Gipsy Smith said, “What makes the difference is not how many times you have been through the Bible, but how many times and how thoroughly the Bible has been through you.”
Make it Personal
As you read your Bible today, ask yourself both the “what” and then the “so what”—and then do what it says.