GOD'S WORD MAKES LIFE SO MUCH EASIER

Back in the summer of 1981, Karen and I began attending a local church in Albuquerque, New Mexico. For my part, I can take absolutely no credit for this decision. I didn’t even want to go; it was Karen who felt that it was important, as we prepared for marriage, that we start going to church together. Prior to this time, we had both developed the habit of starting each day by simply reading the Bible, getting quiet before God, giving our day to Him, and trying to hear any direction that He might give. Nothing fancy, just a simple devotional time done probably 5 or 6 times a week on average. Over a period of time through our local church, we were exposed to the ministries of a number of different men and women of God. We began to listen to recorded teachings, read good books, and develop better Bible study habits. None of this seemed like any big deal at the time, we were just seeking to know God better a little bit at a time.

Now, 28 years later, I can see that each one of these small decisions was absolutely life-changing. Slowly but surely, in one small dose after another, God has shared His wisdom about life with us. He has shown us simple but practical truths that have made our lives and marriage immeasurably richer, more satisfying, and so much easier. Don’t get me wrong; we have made plenty of mistakes and bad decisions. We have wrestled with the issues of life just like everyone else. But when I look back at all of the small but powerful truths that the Lord has provided for us, I can’t imagine how hard life would be without them.

I have been to hundreds, no thousands, of church services and meetings over the years. A few were in some way amazing and unforgettable. But most were not that remarkable, except for some little nugget that God would drop into our spirits. We would just grab hold of that little truth, and begin to think about it, chew on it, and allow it to produce a change in our thinking and ultimately our behavior. The result has been that we have avoided becoming angry and bitter, feeling victimized by life or people, we have a strong marriage, some wonderful friends, and our life is full of purpose. Again, those of you who know us know that we are FAR from perfect – I’m just saying that God’s word makes life so much easier. With His input, we can all navigate through the difficult times that we are facing without getting off track.

Proverbs 1:32, 33 NIV - “For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them; but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm.”

These verses warn us against two mistakes that are easy to make, and easy to overlook in our daily lives. Waywardness is going your own way, setting your own course, without taking time to intentionally seek, find, and apply God’s wisdom. And complacency is simply not paying attention, not really caring one way or the other about the direction of your life. The complacent person doesn’t necessarily reject God or His Word, he just doesn’t seek it either – it is a “take it or leave it” attitude toward the things of God.

God says that the end result of waywardness and complacency, is the same as that of rejecting God altogether. My encouragement to you today is to develop the simple, but consistent, habits of reading your Bible, devotional prayer, quiet time before God, and plugging in to a good local church. Your life will never be the same.