A Timely Reminder

As we complete our first week of Bible Reading, our passages for today offer us an important and timely reminder.
In Matthew 7:21 Jesus says, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." Jesus went on to talk about those who will come to Him declaring all the things they did "in His name", but He will tell them that He never knew them. I conclude from this it is possible to be doing all sorts of "Christian activities" but never really doing the will of the Father.
Jesus then tells the parable of the wise man who built his house on the rock. This man is the one who hears the words of Jesus AND DOES THEM. The man who hears, but fails to do them, that is, fails to do the will of the Father, is like the foolish man who built his house on the sand,but when the storms came found himself homeless.
I love the positive example of this from Ezra 7:10. It said that he studied the law (great start), and practiced it (here's where Jesus wants us to go), and then taught it to others. And if you look at Ezra's life you see great evidence of God's hand. Is there a correlation between "doing the will of the Father" and having His hand of blessing upon us?
Noah, too, was a positive example. Though it may have been strange to build a boat on dry land, nowhere near water, Noah did exactly as the Lord commanded. His hearing the Word and then doing resulted in a great salvation for him and his family.
Sadly, the religious rulers of Stephen's day (Acts 7) didn't get it. Stephen's indictment of them in verse 53 is telling. "You who have received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it!" Wow - to have such a treasure, such a resource but to neglect it - and these were the religious people of the day.
So, as we all read our Bible may we all be encouraged to remember that we read not to become more intellectual with our faith (though that will be a benefit), but to become more obedient to our Lord. Even Jesus said to His disciples before His ascension that we should make disciples by "teaching them to DO according to all that I (Jesus) commanded."
So may God help us all to live out the truth that we are taking in!
Has the Word been forming you lately? Why don't you share how it has?