“And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight”. 1 John 3:22
When we read the Bible, when we hear from God, we need to put it into practice. It is the concept behind the words that are important. Words can come to us in a variety of different media. We can hear them being spoken. We can listen to them on our iPod as we go jogging. We could read them printed on paper, we can read them on a Kindle or even our mobile phone. The words can come in all different shapes, sizes, colors but these words have meaning behind them and if the meaning of the words comes from God then they can have an impact on our life but they’ll only have an impact if we do what they say, otherwise, it is like God casting his pearls before swine. We are simply not throwing back the riches that we’re being offered.
“Do not give dogs what is highly valued and do not throw pearls before swine, lest they trample them on the foot and turn to attack you.” Matthew 7:6.
Hear from the Bible and do what it says. Decide to take action on what you have learned. Proverbs 29:18 says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keeps the law, happy is he.”
The vision here is not some esoteric vision that you have dreamt up, although it’s important to have an aim in life, and sometimes they can come in dreams. We often talk about knowing which way you’re going, having a vision, and for a group of people, that is important. But what this is specifically talking about is that the vision is God’s vision for the future. He that keepeth the law, in Proverbs, the first part of the proverb and the second part of the Proverb are talking about the same thing each time. Sometimes, there’s a deliberate contrast. Here, it’s clear that there’s a retelling of the same thought. When there’s no vision, the people perish but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. Therefore, the vision was the keeping of the law. The vision was the law and so we need to do what God says to keep his laws. Then, we won’t perish but be happy and if we know these things and do them.
"If you know these things, happy are you if you do them."
John 13:17.
When we read the Bible, when we hear from God, we need to put it into practice. It is the concept behind the words that are important. Words can come to us in a variety of different media. We can hear them being spoken. We can listen to them on our iPod as we go jogging. We could read them printed on paper, we can read them on a Kindle or even our mobile phone. The words can come in all different shapes, sizes, colors but these words have meaning behind them and if the meaning of the words comes from God then they can have an impact on our life but they’ll only have an impact if we do what they say, otherwise, it is like God casting his pearls before swine. We are simply not throwing back the riches that we’re being offered.“Do not give dogs what is highly valued and do not throw pearls before swine, lest they trample them on the foot and turn to attack you.” Matthew 7:6.
Hear from the Bible and do what it says. Decide to take action on what you have learned. Proverbs 29:18 says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keeps the law, happy is he.”
The vision here is not some esoteric vision that you have dreamt up, although it’s important to have an aim in life, and sometimes they can come in dreams. We often talk about knowing which way you’re going, having a vision, and for a group of people, that is important. But what this is specifically talking about is that the vision is God’s vision for the future. He that keepeth the law, in Proverbs, the first part of the proverb and the second part of the Proverb are talking about the same thing each time. Sometimes, there’s a deliberate contrast. Here, it’s clear that there’s a retelling of the same thought. When there’s no vision, the people perish but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. Therefore, the vision was the keeping of the law. The vision was the law and so we need to do what God says to keep his laws. Then, we won’t perish but be happy and if we know these things and do them.
"If you know these things, happy are you if you do them."
John 13:17.