Live by His word

By Evangeline Unity Esaaba Folson

 

Deuteronomy 28 : 1

And it shall come to pass. If thou shall hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and do all His commandments which I command thee this day, that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all the nations of the earth.

 

James 1 : 22

But be ye doers of the word, not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

In the two verses stated above, Christians or children of God are being asked to obey the word and be doers of the word. If we obey the commands of God, the verse in Deuteronomy says God will set us on high above all the nations of the earth. This implies that God would let us prosper.

The verse in James says we should be doers of the word or obey the word, that is live by the word. Then we would be true to ourselves and we would not be hypocrites deceiving ourselves.

How can we be doers of the word, obey the word or live by the word? I will try to list and explain a few verses from the Bible on how to do this. We should:

• Let our words and thoughts be acceptable to God. (Psalm 19:14)
• Flee youthful lust (2 Timothy 2 : 22)
• Let God order our steps (Psalm 119: 133)
• Obey the Great Commission (Matthew 28 : 19-20)
• Let our lights shine (Matthew 5 : 14-16)
• Obey the Ten Commandments (Deuteronomy 5 : 6-21)

We should let our words and thoughts be acceptable to God

Psalm 19:14

Let the words of my mouth and the  meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer.

This verse indicates that what we say and what we think about might not always please God. Therefore, we should be careful with what we say and think. Philippians 4 : 8 says:

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

We should use Philippians 4 : 8 as a guide on what to say and think. If we think and say the things listed in the verse then our words and the meditation of our hearts would be acceptable to God.

 

We should flee youthful lust

2 Timothy 2:22

Flee also youthful lusts; but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

This verse brings out the fact that young people are more likely to lust and fall into temptations linked with their sexuality. The key word in the verse is “flee”, meaning run or hurry away from.

If a young man or woman is alone with someone of the opposite sex and their emotions start getting out of hand, the prudent thing to do is to leave the place as soon as possible. Do not stay and try to control yourself, emotions cannot be controlled after it reaches its peak.

When you start getting funny feelings, just get out or leave before anything  happens.

We should let God order our steps

Psalm 119:133

Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.

If you want God to order your steps or guide you then you should commit everything you do into His hands. No project or assignment you undertake in life is too big or too small to be committed to God. Commit everything into God’s hands and He can guide you to achieve success.

Like Proverbs 3:5-6 says:

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own    understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.

Let it be our hearts desire to trust in the Lord at all times and never rely only on our own strength and wisdom.

We should obey the Great Commission

Matthew 28:19-20

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.

These two verses form part of Jesus’ last words after His resurrection before He ascended into heaven. These words were said not only to the disciples but to all Christians and children of God. We are ambassadors of God on earth. We should tell the world about God and His plan of salvation and lead lives that will attract others to God.

Matthew 28;18 tells us that ……all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

Jesus has been given all power and He is instructing us to reach out to the world. This means we do not have to fear or feel unable to perform this task. Jesus will give us the power and the strength to fulfill his command.

What we have to do is to equip ourselves by studying the word and taking     a step of faith to reach out to all those around us. Start with those you come into contact with every day and then later you can move out to the rest of the world.

We should let our light shine

Matthew 5:14-16

Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel, but on a candle stick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your father which is in heaven.

The emphasis in these three verses is to do good works so that others would give glory to our Father in heaven. Matthew 5:37-45 talks about some of the good things we must do. They include:

• Speaking the truth at all times. Let your yea be yea and your nay be nay. (Matthew 5:37)
• Do not repay evil with evil (Matthew 5:38-40)
• Give to your brother or sister in need. If you can, give more than requested. (Matthew 5:41-42)
• Love even your enemies, bless them, do good to them and pray for them (Matthew 5:43-45)

By doing all these things you would be shining your light for the world to see and give glory to your father in heaven.

We should obey the Ten Commandments

Deuteronomy 5:6-21

The passage quoted above lists the ten commandments that God gave Moses for His children (Israelites) to follow.

Today because of the work Jesus did on the cross all Christians and children of God are part of the spiritual Israel and therefore, this verse applies to us all. Below is a list of the 10 commandments we must follow and obey:

1. Thou shall have no other gods before me.
2. Thou shall make no idols.
3. Thou shall not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.
4. Keep the Sabbath day to sanctify it, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee.
5. Honor thy father and thy mother, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee: that thy days may be prolonged.
6. Thou shall not kill.
7. Thou shall not commit adultery.
8. Thou shall not steal.
9. Thou shall not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
10. Thou shall not covet thy neighbor’s spouse or property.

We are to obey all the ten not only those we find convenient.

Conclusion

John 15:7

If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. (KJV)

Another version says:

If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish    and it will be done for you (ESV)

Abide or remain could mean live or dwell. Therefore the verse could be translated to read:

If you live in me and my words live in you………..

Or:

If you dwell in me and my words dwell in you……..

Simply put, if you live by His word, then you can ask whatever you will and it shall be done for you.

Living by His word has a blessing attached-receiving whatever we ask of the Lord. Let us strive to live as the Bible directs then our world would be a better place to live in.

 

References

1. Internet Bible
2. King James Bible
3. Oxford Mini-English Dictionary.