It works if you work it


Devotional Title:

God’s Promises Work — If You Work Them

Scripture:

"But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves."
— James 1:22 (ESV)

Devotion:

Too often, we read the Bible or hear a sermon, nod our heads, smile, and whisper, “That’s good.” We may even feel the Holy Spirit stir our hearts and bring us to tears. But what happens next?

We close the Bible. We leave the church. We walk out of the service — and we leave those words behind.

We go back to our week — filled with meetings, bills, chores, family stress, and constant distractions. God’s promises, the ones we were so moved by, fade into the background of our lives. They become distant echoes instead of daily weapons.

Then life throws a curveball.
Trouble strikes.
Disappointment hits.
Fear creeps in.

And because we haven’t activated the Word — because we haven’t applied the promises — we start to question everything:
"Does God love me?"
"Why is this happening?"
"Maybe the world is right."
"Maybe I'm not enough."

Here’s the hard truth: it’s not that God’s promises don’t work.
It’s that we don’t work them.

We are quick to walk by sight — believing what we see — rather than walking by faith, standing on what God said. The enemy’s job is easy when we forget the truth and live by feelings, emotions, or culture. But God’s Word is alive. His promises are powerful — when we actually use them.

You have to return to what He said. Meditate on it. Speak it. Live it.
Don’t just hear the Word — do it. That’s when transformation happens.
God’s promises don’t just sit on a page — they live in you, if you let them.

Reflection Points:

  • Have I treated God’s Word like inspiration instead of instruction?

  • Do I meditate on what God says, or only revisit it during church or devotion time?

  • Am I living by what I see or by what God has spoken?

  • What would change if I actually did what I read in Scripture?

Questions for Prayerful Meditation:

  1. What promise from God have I heard recently that I haven’t acted on?

  2. What distractions pull me away from the Word after I hear or read it?

  3. What would it look like for me to work God's promises into my everyday life?

Prayer:

Father, forgive me for treating Your Word like an accessory instead of the anchor of my life. I don’t want to just be a hearer — I want to be a doer. Stir my heart, not just with emotion, but with action. Help me to remember and meditate on Your promises, especially when life is hard. Teach me to live by faith, not by sight, and to trust what You’ve said over what I feel. Your Word is alive — let it come alive in me. In Jesus’ name, amen.


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