Scripture to Read: Matthew 1:24
Obedience to our Lord and His Word is the evidence of a changed life. God’s Word tells us in Matthew 1:24, “And Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took Mary as his wife.” When Joseph woke up, he never doubted what God had spoken to Him through His angel, and Joseph obeyed what God told him to do. God speaks to us every day through His Holy Spirit in us and His Word. Our obedience to Him shows those around us that we are followers of Christ. God tells us in James 1:22–25, “But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.” We should never just read God’s Word or simply listen to someone preach His Word, but we must obey what we read and hear. When we walk in obedience to our Lord and His Word, we are blessed. Therefore, we don’t need to ask for God’s blessing, but we must obey Him and know that the outcome of obedience is His blessing.
Challenge & Application
• What did God teach you about obeying Him and His Word?
• How are you obeying God and His Word, and what areas of
your life need improvement?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!