But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 
(James 1:22, ESV)

James makes clear that truly receiving the Word is not just hearing it but doing it – living it out in our daily lives.  If we think that by just hearing the Word, that we have received the Word, we have deceived ourselves.  We must be doers of the Word.

James uses the illustration in verses 23-24 of looking at ourselves in the mirror.  Most of us probably look at our face in a mirror each morning.  Maybe we arrange our hair into some semblance of order, and then we walk away, and forget about it.  That is the key issue – we forget about it.  And that is well and good when it comes to our hair, but not with Word.  We can’t just walk away and forget about it.  And so he goes on in v25:

But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

We are to look into the Word.  We open our Bibles to read and meditate and study and learn it.

And then we don’t forget it.  We take it with us into the day.  We seek to apply it to our daily lives.  We remember it and do it.

And notice we are to persevere in it.  That part of the verse is between the looking and the doing, perhaps suggesting that we are to persevere in looking and persevere in doing. 

And we will be blessed.  Here is a wonderful promise.  God blesses those who hear and do what He says.  Now God is good and blesses everyone in various ways.  God is also merciful and often blesses us in spite of us – praise the Lord!

But there is blessing that comes from obedience as we escape many pitfalls that others fall into because of sin.  There is a blessing attached to living as God created us and recreated us to live in communion with Him.

So let us be doers of the Word!