Week Thirty-Nine, 2025
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you (Psalm 32:8).
My wife and I have had a great marriage, not to say there have not been a few bumps along the way. But some of the greatest strains have been on Christmas eve, after the little Grants had gone to bed when we opened some boxes and found the notation, “some assembly required.” The process would last until the early morning hours and got worse as time progressed. Usually, the strains came from not fully reading and following the instructions.
Life is like that. There are always bumps in the road, and more life assembly is required. Usually those bumps could be lessened or eliminated if we fully read the instructions. I well remember having to replace a broken belt on my lawnmower. I disassembled it and twisted and installed the new belt. After reassembling the mower, I was so proud of myself for figuring it out without having to consult the instructions.
I started it up, pressed the pedal only to see it go in reverse. I had twisted the belt in the wrong direction, so then I read the directions, disassembled the mower and did it the right way. Then, when I pushed forward, it went forward.
Recently, we assembled a big project that took three evenings to do. We carefully followed the directions and all went well. We actually enjoyed the fun evenings and were speaking when the project was finished. All because we followed the directions.
The Bible is full of directions and life goes better when we follow them. The Bible emphasizes that God has a plan for each person’s life and encourages believers to seek His direction in decision-making. Trusting in God’s guidance and obeying His commands are crucial aspects of following His direction. The Bible also warns against straying from God’s path and the consequences of living without His guidance.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6) In summary, the Bible presents direction as both a literal concept (referring to physical directions) and a symbolic one (representing God’s guidance). Following God’s direction is a central theme, emphasizing trust, obedience, and seeking His will in all aspects of life.
Deuteronomy 12:28 | God wants us to obey Him; so things will go well for us.
Matthew 28:19-20 | We should help others obey God, too.
Luke 11:28 | Obeying God’s Word brings blessings.
Colossians 3:20 | God loves it when children obey their parents.
Are you following God’s directions as you live your life?
Sometimes True Stories
Part of being righteous in Christ is allowing your weakness to lead you into more and more dependence upon God. To realize that running into the arms of the Lord through prayer and faith is the best journey any human can take. It is a journey that can take you from the depths of despair; to wisdom and understanding. The wealthy, on the other hand, will quickly realize their wealth will not protect them from deadly diseases or offer security from life’s problems. It can become easy to think wealth can give you everything you need, that safety can be purchased. One of the greatest things you will ever achieve in life is “peace of mind”. Knowing your heart, spirit and soul are in the hands of God is truly priceless.
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Lukewarm faith illustrated: “I would like to buy about three dollars’ worth of gospel, please. Not too much—just enough to make me happy, but not so much that I get addicted. I don’t want so much gospel that I learn to really hate covetousness and lust. I certainly don’t want so much that I start to love my enemies, cherish self-denial, and contemplate missionary service in some alien culture. I want ecstasy, not repentance; I want transcendence, not transformation.” D.A. Carson
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God calls us to model and share the Gospel to the next generation—proclaim it and tell them what God has done for you. We cannot commend what we don’t cherish. Treasure Christ deeply so you can commend Him faithfully. Care enough about the next generation—and ultimately God’s glory—that you will fight for them even when it means to sacrifice your preferences. Edgar Aponte
Quotes You Can Use
God’s hand is in every disruption and every detour.
Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom. Thomas Jefferson
When we understand the character of God, when we grasp something of His holiness, then we begin to understand the radical character of our sin and hopelessness. R C Sproul
Faith obeys, regardless of personal understanding.
Your destination will determine your life’s direction. Jesus was a man on a mission. He was a person with a purpose: Are you? Let me ask you: Where are you headed? Do you have a goal? Do you have a purpose? So many people live their lives with no sense of direction or purpose. Pastor Tony Walliser
If you serve Jesus, you must first worship Him.
Wealth and easy living are not the highest values of this life; rather, truth and righteousness are more important to the Lord. Tony Ferguson
Be more concerned with what you can do for others than what others can do for you. You’ll be surprised at the results! John Wooden
We are saved by faith, not by growing fruit; but we are not saved by fruitless faith. A person saved by faith will be a person in whom the fruit of the Spirit grows. Timothy Keller
There is a difference between joy and happiness. Happiness is based on circumstances. Joy is found in knowing that God is faithful and will work things for His good despite your circumstances. Joy comes in knowing the hope, peace, grace, forgiveness and love found in a relationship with Jesus Christ. Marty Stubblefield
One way to check on your own value system is to measure the amount of time you spend looking at your 401K vs your Bible!! Dwight Short
Don’t live a sloppy life, our souls will suffer for it. Tony Ferguson
Peace stems from prayer, from conversations with God. Now prayer doesn’t always stop the drama or the traffic, or the junk in life, but it does give us peace in the storm and hope in the midst of the flames. It’s through that relationship and through those prayers that we find ourselves at peace when the rest of the world is in a funk. That doesn’t mean that we won’t have a sense of urgency at times and that we won’t show our displeasure over a certain situation. But we will have peace. Peace beyond understanding. Peace in the fires and storms of life… and peace in the normal day to day. Where’s the Peace? It begins and ends in and with Jesus. Marty Stubblefield
When you are a child, you make funny faces at the mirror. When you become an adult, the mirror gets even.
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