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But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like.

James 1:22‭-‬24 NLT

https://bible.com/bible/116/jas.1.22-24.NLT

God's word is sharper than any two edged sword, piercing bone and marrow (Hebrews 4:12). Yet, if we fail to listen,  we fail to grow. What makes us dull of hearing? Too much world.  If we give ourselves to love of the world, we are consumed by it,  and we become insensitive.

If we find ourselves reading but not hearing,  we need to stop and clean out the pipes. Prayer and worship clean out the debris.

It is no wonder the Old Testament is full of stories about God's people falling away, and needing to be brought back. It is human nature to wander. They did not have TV to entice them, and yet, they still wandered.

Jesus tells us in John 15 to stay connected to the vine. We need to heed these scriptures and stay vitally connected. Amen!