| Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers … |
| —from Proverbs 16:20 |
When beginning a task or starting a journey, do you carefully follow verbal or written instructions? Or, do you launch off on your own and do what seems to make sense without even listening carefully to the verbal instructions, or even opening to read and follow the written instructions?
Once I began my career as a fire protection engineer inspecting very large industrial facilities, I learned that God had given me a somewhat unusual gift. I can look at a piece of machinery and instantly know how it works. Now, I could not design that machine, nor build it, nor repair it. But, I can tell you exactly how it does what it’s supposed to do.
However, this gift definitely does not translate into putting things together without reading the instructions. I’ve tried to do that and failed miserably. There is something very important about carefully and clearly written instructions. Someone has taken the time to write down the very best way to do something. It’s a good idea to follow those instructions to the letter.
In life, as followers of Jesus, God has given us His instructions in His written Word, the Bible. We would do very well to heed His instructions and recognize that, as the Creator and the Sustainer of All, He knows the very best way for us to live our lives. King Solomon wrote this testimony in Proverbs 16:20:
Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord.
Let’s begin this new day with a determination to follow God’s instructions. Let’s take time to read His written Word and follow whatever clear pathway that God opens up before us. He has given us His Holy Spirit to lead us and guide us. We do very well when we follow God’s instructions—all of them.
