But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. (James 1:25)

The Blessing Of The Word

Before the advent of electronic devices like radio, television, and the digital world of computers, smartphones, and social media, reading was the fundamental avenue of knowledge. Libraries were the central hubs of communities thriving with seekers of the next adventure in books, magazines, or newspapers. School books were the norm of a student’s life with dazzling book covers that were works of art. A chivalrous boy would carry the books of his sweetheart. The printed word was in every part of life. Books would be passed down from generation to generation as more than family heirlooms but libraries of knowledge. Reading was knowledge, and through this knowledge, a sense of purpose filled the mind.

For many years, one of the essential books in the home was the Bible. Genealogies would be traced through records kept in the family Bible. Children would learn to read as their parents would take out a copy of the old book, worn and torn from years of use, and read the stories of old to the wonderment of young minds. The Bible taught the ethics of hard work, honesty, truth, and righteousness that helped build a great nation. There was a sense of moral direction permeating the homes in the Norman Rockwell landscape of a time long forgotten. A time when men read the Bible and became better for it.

James emphasizes the need of not just hearing the word but doing what the word says. His example of looking into a mirror is a vivid lesson of applying the word when correction is needed, and who can look in the mirror of God’s word and not need correction? The greater reward of spending time in the Bible is to know how blessed life will be when the word is ingrained in the heart daily. The man who will apply the word of God to his life will find incredible blessings beyond anything human wisdom could imagine. The Bible is not just a book of correction and hard discipline. It contains the mind of God to point man in the direction of peace, happiness, contentment, and hope.

The Lord created man and placed him in the Garden of Eden. There was no sin, no evil, and as long as man ate of the tree of life, there was no death. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God, they were cast out of the garden. Now there was sin, evil, and death. Man needed a way to find happiness and purpose with hope. The word of God gave him that direction. Through every generation, the word of the Lord brought the promise of God to the hearts of those who would embrace the divine knowledge. Today, the Bible is the library of God’s truth that will produce peace in a troubled mind, hope in a fearful heart, and moral direction in a world of darkness. The man who follows the word of God will be blessed in all he does.

There is a lot of despair in the world. The fear of a global virus, racial tensions, political uncertainties, financial insecurities, and a host of dreadful doom and gloom pontifications that beat the spirit down to despair. God is not unaware of the condition of the world. This is not the first time the world has been in a state of hopelessness. It’s been going on since Adam and Eve lost the garden. The same answer the Lord gave Adam and Eve is the same answer that is needed today. If a man wants to find happiness and hope, he will only find it in the word of God. The Bible, the word of God, is the mirror of truth, and when a man lives by the words of this book, he will be blessed with a clear conscience, a pure heart, a trusting spirit, and the joy of peace. Families will be blessed, marriages full of joy and life with a purpose. Read the Bible. It will do you good.