God places greater value on our obedience to His commandments than on merely hearing them without action. What truly counts is how we apply His Word in our lives—that's what brings transformation. While many people listen to God’s Word, far fewer actually take steps to live by it.
James 1:22
But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
If we only listen to God's Word but don't act on it, it serves no real purpose. In fact, it's almost as if hearing it in the first place was in vain. Those who grow deeper in their walk with God are the ones who not only listen but also obey. Following God’s instructions benefits us personally. It’s only when we start living out His Word that we begin to experience its impact in both our spiritual and physical lives.
When someone gives instructions and we choose to ignore them, it certainly doesn't bring them joy. But those who take instructions seriously and act on them bring satisfaction to the one who gave them.
James 1:25
But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
One key benefit of obeying God’s Word is that it stays with us. Those who only hear but fail to act quickly forget what they’ve heard. But the Lord takes pleasure in those who not only listen, but live according to His Word.