Written by Debbie Norred
My husband and I have spent decades helping “do-it-yourselfers” fix their own appliances. People come to him describing a noise, a leak, or a strange behavior, and—amazingly—he can diagnose the problem almost every time without even seeing the machine. When they listen and follow his instructions, the repair is usually a success. But when they don’t listen—when they ask the same question over and over, or ignore the steps he gave—it becomes frustrating for everyone. Eventually he has to ask, “Do you want my help?”
I often wonder if God feels the same with us. How many times do we come to Him asking for wisdom… yet resist doing the very thing He tells us to do? We pray for answers, but when His instructions feel hard, inconvenient, or uncomfortable, we hesitate. Then we return asking again—hoping, maybe, for an easier answer.
But Scripture reminds us that obedience is where blessing flows:
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” —Philippians 4:13
When Jesus told the man at Bethesda to “Get up, pick up your mat, and walk,” the man obeyed—and received healing (John 5:1–15).
But the rich young man walked away sad because Jesus’ instruction felt too costly (Mark 10:17–22).
Both asked for help. Only one obeyed.
God is wonderfully patient with us, but He still invites us to decide:
Will we be hearers only—or doers of His Word?
“Do not merely listen… Do what it says.” —James 1:22
The blessing is not just in the asking—
but in the obeying.
⸻
Prayer
Dear Jesus,
Thank You for listening when I bring You my concerns. Help me not only to hear Your voice, but to obey it. Give me strength to do the hard things, courage to follow Your instructions, and a heart that chooses blessing over sadness. Make me a joyful doer of Your Word.
Amen.