Read it and Heed it (Proverbs 23:12)

It takes work to do well in this life. It also takes work for us to do well and finish well in our walk of faith.

"Apply your mind to instruction and correction, and your ears to the words of knowledge." Proverbs 23:12, Amplified

Instruction is good for nothing if the hearer does not apply what he has been instructed to do. It is like the instruction manual in a toy that I have bought my child. It will do me no good unless I read what the makers of the toy have written. Usually, I just throw the directions aside and do my best to get through the process. I remember, last Christmas, my wife had bought my son an Optimus Prime transformer toy. Even with the instructions it was difficult for me to navigate the process of transformation.

The Bible is never like that. Every time we read it, the instruction is clear and precise. There is no confusion as to what needs to be in our walks. But that newly found knowledge and instruction needs to be applied in our lives. As powerful a book as the Bible is, it is good for nothing if we do not read it and heed it.