Don’t touch the hot stove!
By Erik Farstad
November 24, 1997
"Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life." Proverbs 4:13
"Instructions, I don’t need instructions! Furthermore, I don’t need directions either!" Oh, yes, you’ve heard these sayings before (if you haven’t said them yourself). We all like to do things on our own without help or guidance. Let’s face it though, we all need help. I know I do. When you need help, where do you go?
We need instructions and directions to function in life. Think about it for a moment. Without those things establishing our boundaries in life, we would roam around lost or worse get killed. If a child is not instructed to "don’t touch the hot stove," he or she will burn themselves. Our Father instructs us of our boundaries for our safety. His word tells us of those things that can cause us harm, that will hinder our spiritual and physical life.
Look at what scripture reveals: "Hold on to instruction...it is your life." Life giving instruction! Without instruction in our lives, death occurs. Death can come in two forms, either physical or spiritual, God doesn’t want us to die to either of them. At some point you listened to His instruction when He said, "Come to me, I can give you life." Since then, what have you done with the instruction book?
You can’t succeed without the instructions. The instructions come from God’s word, the Holy Bible. Anything and everything in life is accounted for in that book! Think of it as a road atlas, a how-to-book, whatever you like. The answers, the life and the love are all found in the Bible. I promise you, it contains the ONLY way for which we are to follow and holds the ONLY truth you will ever need. For without the way and the truth, you would have no life!
Let this be your prayer today:
Dear Lord, I choose to seek your instruction today. May I not become self-righteous, thinking I do not need you to guide my life. Reveal to me those areas in my life where I need to turn back to you. You are the life giver and hold all the instructions that I will ever need. Burn into my heart the desire to seek after your guidance. Thank you Father, for telling me about all those ‘hot stove’s’ that are out there. Your love is amazing. In Christ’s name, Amen.
The Bible. Maybe it’s time to pick it up again?
In Him, "E"