Hear and do

Jeremiah 11:6
Then the LORD said to me, “Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying: ‘Hear the words of this covenant and do them.

There are two correct responses to the Word of God; hearing and doing. To hear and not do is arrogance. To do and not hear is ignorance. We must hear and hear again the Word of God, meditating on it so that we are careful to do what it says and so that we might understand why and how we do what it says. We must do and practice daily what we hear so that we are not deceived into false security; believing we are honoring God and in right standing with Him all-the-while breaking His commands. As it says in James 1:22 "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves."
So what prevents us from both hearing and doing as Jeremiah commanded? Those who fail to hear God's Word do so for lack of desire. Those who fail to do God's Word do so for lack of discipline. Desire and discipline go hand-in-hand to producing a life that honors God and His Word. Desire and discipline are both issues of the heart, rather than the head. It's not that we do not understand the importance of God's Word and the demand to obey it; it's that we fail to embrace the importance. When we lack desire and discipline it is because we have lost sight of our first love; the One who first loved us and called us into relationship with Him.
So what is to be done if we discover a heart issue and lack of desire or discipline? Such a path back into the presence of God must begin with Worship; being reminded of the character of God and His worthiness. True worship and meditation on the character of God will produce a heart of repentance. Repentance leads to resolution (desire) and response (discipline).

So where are you today in relation to the Word of God? Are you a hearer and a doer?

Father - Keep me close to you. Let the song of my life be worship and may I always be captured by Your character and worthiness. Let my life be marked by desire and discipline to both hear and do according to Your Word. Amen.