“But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.” — James 1:22 (NLT)
Following the Word of God involves more than reading our Bibles, highlighting our favorite scriptures, or agreeing with what we read. It means allowing what God says to influence the way we live. We can know what the Bible teaches and still struggle to obey it when what God asks of us goes against what we want to do. We may know we need to forgive someone, but we are still holding tightly to the hurt that was caused by what they did. We may know we need to wait on God, but waiting is not what we had in mind. This is where following His Word becomes real. It is one thing to know what God says, but it is another thing to trust Him enough to do it.
Sometimes, following God’s Word means making a decision that does not make sense to the people around us. It may mean walking away from something we want, telling the truth when a lie would be easier, or refusing to return the same treatment someone gave us when they were acting crazy. We may not always understand why God tells us to do something, but we must remember that His wisdom is greater than ours. Proverbs 3:5-6 teaches us to trust in the Lord with all our hearts and not depend on our own understanding. When we acknowledge Him in all our ways, He promises to direct our paths. We do not have to understand everything before we obey Him. We just need to trust the One who is leading us.
Jesus made it clear that obedience is more important than many of us realize. In John 14:15 (NLT), He said, “If you love me, obey my commandments.” He was not saying that we earn His love by obeying Him. Rather, our willingness to follow His instructions is an expression of our love for Him. We cannot claim to want God’s way while continually choosing our own way whenever His instructions become uncomfortable. Yes, we will have struggles, and there will be times when we fall short. But when we love the Lord, we should want our lives to reflect what He has taught us. Our goal is not simply to know more Scripture. It is to become women who are willing to live by what we know.
One of the things we must remember is that following God’s Word does not always produce immediate results. You can obey God and still have to wait. You can do what is right and still be misunderstood. You can follow His instructions and still face a difficult situation. Obedience does not mean life will always go the way we want it to go. It means we have chosen to trust God even when we cannot see the outcome. Galatians 6:9 (NLT) encourages us, “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.” Do not let a delayed answer, another person’s opinion, or a difficult season convince you that obeying God is a waste of time. Keep following His Word. Your responsibility is to obey Him, even when you have to leave the results in His hands.
As you go through this day, take an honest look at what God has already shown you in His Word. Is there something He has instructed you to do that you’ve been putting off? Is there an area where you know what’s right but have been making excuses for doing something else? You don’t have to figure out every part of your life today, but you can take the next step of obedience. Ask the Lord to help you trust Him enough to follow His instructions, even when doing so isn’t easy. The Word of God wasn’t given simply to inform us; it was given to teach us how to live in a way that honors Him and protects us from the consequences of disobedience. Let’s be followers of Jesus Christ who don’t merely hear what God says but are willing to put His Word into practice. ■
Holy Bible, New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
“Following His Word”, written by Reverend Fran Mack, edited by Kim Times and KLizzie, for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2026. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to encouraging and inspiring Christian Women to live boldly through God’s Word.
