Our Scripture reading today is Luke 8:19-21.
Verse 21, "And he answered and said unto them, My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it.
The Lord Jesus makes it quite clear in this passage of Scripture who is closest to Him. Those who are hearers and doers of the Word of God are compared to close family members like His mother and brothers. It seems to me that many Christians have half of the equation figured out but not the other half. We can hear the Word all day long, but until we obey what the Word says, we are not going to have close fellowship with our Heavenly Father. Application of the truth is vital! It is impossible to be close to Him when there is sin in our lives. James 4:17, "Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin." We know what to do, but we are weak in the application of what we know.
Did you know that loving your enemies is something you should be doing? Matthew 5:44
Did you know that faithful church attendance is something you should be doing? Hebrews 10:25
Did you know that telling others about Jesus is something you should be doing? Acts 1:8
Did you know that giving 10% of your income to the Lord is something you should be doing? Malachi 3:8-10
I think you get the point of the text and the application for our lives today. Knowing and doing are both important and we need the help of the Lord in fulfilling them both.