Most mornings I lie on the porch and listen.
I hear the wind shuffle the leaves.
I hear the screen door creak.
And I hear my human’s voice when he reads the Bible out loud…
And when calls me by name.
Now, I’m an old dog.
I’ve heard that voice for a long time.
But I’ve learned something important over the years:
Hearing alone doesn’t get me fed, walked, or loved on behind the ears.
James says it plain enough that even a porch-snoozing dog can understand it:
“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”
- James 1:22
I’ve watched plenty of folks sit and listen.
They listen in church.
They listen in Bible studies.
They listen to sermons on-line while driving past the places where obedience might actually cost them something.
They nod their heads like they’ve understood—but then they stay put on the porch.
James calls that self-deception.
That’s a strong word.
It means thinking you’re following when you’re really just listening to footsteps from a distance.
James says hearing without doing is like looking at your face in a mirror, walking away, and forgetting what you saw.
I’ve seen my reflection in the glass door more than once.
If my ears are muddy or my fur’s a mess, I don’t just admire the view and move on.
I shake.
I clean.
I change.
The Word of God is like that mirror.
It doesn’t just show us who we are; it shows us who we’re becoming—and where we still need a little work.
When the Word reveals something, it’s not an invitation to admire truth.
It’s a call to respond.
James says the one who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom—and continues in it—is blessed in what they do.
Not in what they hear.
Not in what they know.
In what they do.
That sounds like walking in faith to me.
I don’t always know where my human is headed, but I know when he starts moving, it’s time for me to get up.
Faith doesn’t stay curled up on the porch.
Faith follows.
Faith obeys.
Faith puts legs on what the ears have heard.
So today, listen closely—but don’t stop there.
When the Word convicts, move.
When it commands, obey.
When it comforts, trust.
The blessing isn’t found in sitting still with good intentions.
It’s found on the path, walking behind the Master, doing what He’s said.
Look into the Word.
Let it show you the truth.
Then get up and follow.
The Master is already on the move—and He’s calling you to come along.
An old lazy dog knows:
The blessing isn’t in hearing the command.
It’s in doing it.
Keep the Faith… Carpe Diem
