Obeying God’s Word …
A missionary working on Bible translation in Africa had difficulty finding a word in the local dialect for “obedience.” One day, as the missionary was walking through a village, his dog wandered off. When the missionary noticed the dog’s absence, he whistled for it to come to him, and, hearing the whistle, the dog rushed to his side. An elderly local who was sitting by the roadside was impressed by the dog’s obedience and exclaimed, “Mui adem delegau ge!” which literally translated means, “Dog yours, ear is only.” In other words, “Your dog is all ear.” This gave the translator the word he needed for obedience, i.e. “To be all ear.”
More than listening.
Some folk believe that hearing a good sermon or attending Bible study is all they need to grow in maturity and please God. Wrong! It’s not enough to receive the Word – we must act on it! Any response to the Word other than unqualified obedience is inadequate. Hearing is not the same as doing. The bottom line: “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says” James 1:22 (NIV).
Strictly speaking, Bible reading is not Bible engagement. While Bible reading is a necessary first step in Bible engagement, true Bible engagement hasn’t occurred until there’s evidence of the Word being practically applied. In other words, we should follow Him without questioning, obey Him, and do what is right in His sight. The psalmist says, “Blessed are they . . . who walk according to the law of the Lord” Psalm 119:1 (NIV) and Jesus states that we are only his disciples if we keep on obeying His teachings (cf. John 8:31, Luke 8:21).
Keeping God’s commandments.
Here’s an enigma: Some people say they’ve made a profession of faith in Christ Jesus, yet they don’t hunger and thirst for His Word. Are they Christians? The distinctive trait of the real Christian is someone who is daily living his/her life according to the Word. The apostle says, “We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says, ‘I know him,’ but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did” 1 John 2:3-6 (NIV).
To be all ear. We may hear the Word, read the Word or say we’ve placed our faith in the One who is the Word, but if we’re not authentically and consistently living the Word, we haven’t engaged the Word. Engagement and obedience go together. As Jesus says, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” Matthew 7:21 (NIV).
[Based on “To Be All Ear,” Seize the Day: Meditations for the Year, 2002 by Lawson Murray]
To learn more about Bible engagement, read the related articles.
Related Articles
Strengthening Bible Engagement: Five Powerful Ways to Deepen Your Connection with God’s Word
Learning Obedience Through Bible Engagement: A Missionary’s Story
Summary
Some people believe that hearing a sermon or attending Bible study is enough to grow in their faith, but true spiritual maturity requires more—obeying God’s Word. Bible reading alone is not Bible engagement; it only becomes engagement when we actively apply it. The Bible emphasizes that genuine faith shows itself through consistent living according to God’s commands, as seen in verses like James 1:22 and 1 John 2:3-6. Ultimately, obedience to God’s Word is the mark of a true disciple, as Jesus teaches that those who do the will of the Father will enter the kingdom of heaven.
© Scripture Union Canada
