Following instructions

Following instructions is very important, especially when you are putting together a piece of electronic equipment. This is why there are instruction manuals. Often times, we look to the instruction manual after we have put something together the wrong way. God gave the children of Israel specific instructions. Joshua 22:5 says, "But take careful heed to do the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, to love the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, to keep His commandments, to hold fast to Him, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul." When we as Christians do exactly what the Bible tells us to do, the Lord will give us divine direction. If we do this, we will save ourselves the heartache of wondering in the wilderness.

Our wonder years

Experts often talk about the ages from three to ten as the "wonder years". This is a time when children are still loving, very helpful and incredibly curious. They spend much of their time learning everything possible about the thing they love the most. When we grow up, we are not much different. Yet, it should be that we are captivated by the Lord God in this way. The hymn writers Boberg & Hughes said it so well:

O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder,
Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made;
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

God should be the one we love the most in this life. He is both amazing and deserving. Psalm 19:1-6 speak of His handiwork and the beauty of the heavens, only one of His creations. Verses 7-14 show us David's response to this realization. Take a look at Psalm 19 today. Maybe it will help you begin to refer to these years of your life as the "wonder years", when God is the One you spend much of your time learning about.

Keep on working

Are you tired? Is it hard for you to get up and go to work? Do you feel like your work is not important. Well, your work is important. And believe me, it is not in vain. Paul, when writing to the church in Corinth, said, "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord" (I Corinthians 15:58). One key thing to remember is that God is the one who sets your days out before you, He should be the motivation behind everything that you do. That includes what you do at work. He placed you in your work environment for a reason, so keep working for Him.

The Lord's battle

Do you ever take matters into your own hands? Have you ever tried to defend yourself? Joshua 10:25-26 says, "Then Joshua said to them, 'Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed; be strong and of good courage, for thus the Lord will do to all your enemies against whom you fight.'" We can get into a lot of trouble when we attempt to take matters into our own hands. We have to remember that though the Christian life feels like a fight sometimes, it is not our fight or our battle. The battle belongs to the Lord!

Mission impossible

Have you ever been in an impossible situation? Are you currently in a circumstance which seems impossible? Matthew 19:26 tell us, "But Jesus looked at them and said to them, 'With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.'" With our own finite minds, it may look like there is no hope. With our own eyes, it may look like there is no way out. But with God, all things are possible. Although things might be impossible for man, they are still possible with God's divine help.