A man walking into church late one day asked one of the ushers, “Is the sermon done yet?” The usher replied, “The sermon has been preached, but it has yet to be done.”

What a great answer this was! The Word of God is not meant only to be preached to us Sunday after Sunday. It is meant to be done by living it out daily. Once we hear the Word of God, we are responsible for doing what God is asking us to do.

I often encounter fellow believers who spend countless hours listening to sermons and audible Bibles because they want to know more. They criticize others who are not spending every minute learning from God’s Word, and find it easy to base a person’s faith, and salvation for that matter, on how much they “know” from the Bible.

While it is extremely important to read and mediate on God’s Word to grow in faith and go deeper in our relationship with Christ, that is only the first part of what we are supposed to do. Today’s scripture says it clearly, “Don’t just listen to God’s Word. You MUST DO what it says.” You can have hundreds of verses memorized, but if you can’t love your neighbor, it is for naught. You can listen to sermons all day long, but if your heart is full of pride, your ministry to others will be limited because you are not able to practice all you have heard.

You don’t have to be a Bible scholar to be used by God. He is looking for people who are willing to surrender themselves and submit to His will. He is looking for hearts full of humility, mercy, and love. He is looking for people who want to be used, not because of what they know, but because of what God can do through them.

If you know one verse, great! Put it to practice and move on to the next verse. If you know every parable in the Bible by heart, that’s awesome! Go and do like Jesus did. Our success in God’s work is not determined by our human knowledge, but rather by our ability to listen and do. Obedience to God will open the doors for unimaginable opportunities.

Suggested prayer: Dear God, I want to be used by you. Help me to put into practice all that I have learned from your Word. Please give me a humble heart and mold it how you see fit. May my ministry to others be based on actions, not just words or head knowledge. Thank you for choosing me to be part of the work you are doing here on earth. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

1. James 1:22-24 (NLT).

Today's Encounter was written by: Crystal B.