Deu 28:1 “And if you faithfully obey the voice of the LORD your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth.
Psalms 106:3 Blessed are they who observe justice, who do righteousness at all times!
Isaiah 1:19 If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land;
Isaiah 3:10 Tell the righteous that it shall be well with them, for they shall eat the fruit of their deeds.
Isaiah 55:2-3 Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David.
Luke 11:28 But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”
Exodus 15:26 saying, “If you will diligently listen to the voice of the LORD your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, your healer.”
Psalms 119:6 Then I shall not be put to shame, having my eyes fixed on all your commandments.
Psalms 119:128 Therefore I consider all your precepts to be right; I hate every false way.
“If you faithfully obey the voice of God and being careful to do”. To faithfully obey and being careful to do one must know what to obey, in part and in detail, so that they can be careful and attentive to do it. Knowing and wanting to know what God expects and is honored and glorified in and by us requires us to seek it out with a heart that desires it. This desire comes out of the heart and mind. If there is no desire or weak desire there will be no need to be careful. How many people want just enough of the Gospel to convince them of salvation but have no desire to know and grow deeper in understanding the knowledge of God’s grace, mercy, and love?
God’s Word says of these people “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” “Every man did that which was right in his own eyes.” “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the Lord pondereth the hearts.”
Desiring to honor and glorify God stems from the heart of man seeking to know and understand the Word of God and things of God. Being ignorant due to neglect is clearly a witness to the desire of the heart. We can come up with all kinds of excuses and reasons for the neglect. “I just don’t have time”, “I’m so busy”, “I just don’t understand when I read it”, “I don’t have time so I listen to Christian music all day”, “I go to church on Sunday”, “I’m to slow to understand”, “I’m so tired I just can’t find the time either in the morning or evening”, “I listen to my conscious and trust the Holy Spirit will lead me”, etc…..
When have you ever made the excuse to not do something so that you could spend time in God’s Word?
When has the desire in your heart to honor and glorify God been so overwhelming that you hungered and thirsted for the Word of God?
The promises of God contain both blessings and curses, mercy and wrath, and love and anger. They are in relationship to the person’s heart, mind, and soul desiring Him or not.
There is no excuse for ignorance due to neglect and allowing the busyness of life to rule over you.
Determine to set your heart and mind to know God through His Word.
