Today's Devotional Thought
September 07, 2011 by Wendy Foreman
Abundant Life
Yesterday was the first day of school for my children. We had so much fun picking out outfits for the first day of school. We spent time praying together for the school year and then talking about expectations. I shared with my son, who is in 4th grade this year that he needed to listen very closely to his teachers and follow directions. I told him that they would be preparing him for middle school. He just shrugged me off and acted like he couldn't believe I would think he would not listen.
The end of the day came and he got off the bus and the first thing he said to me was he forgot to bring home his homework because he didn't understand the directions the teacher gave. The mom inside of me wanted to look at him and remind him of the conversation we had where I told him how important it is to LISTEN. I didn't though. He was pretty upset and was afraid that he would get in trouble when he got back to school today.
As I thought about his day and how he hadn't followed directions I began to think about how God gives us directions for life in the Bible. Yet, how many of us like my son get upset because even though we know what to do, we don't listen and follow the directions that are given to us by the Lord.
My son will walk into school today and may have to face a consequence for not following directions. I look at my life and the times I didn't follow the directions the Lord had given and I see some consequences that I faced. But, you know what? Those consequences made me think twice before I fell back into not following the directions that have been laid out before me. We learn from our mistakes, from our disobedience.
God gave us a book filled with instructions to live life to the fullest. You see God knows that when we follow his directions, we live life the way it is suppose to be lived. It will bring us joy and contentment. It will bring us true happiness that this world will never be able to give us.
Are you living life abundantly? Because today's verse tells us that living life abundantly is why Jesus came. Or are you trying to live it your way? God gave us instructions for life for a reason. Just like my son's teacher has a way of running his classroom smoothly, God wants us to follow his directions so that our lives run smooth.
How are you living your life?
Please understand that following God's directions doesn't insure us a life of constant happiness. We will still have storms in life. But God does promise that He will be with us and will help us through it. When we do things our way we will face consequences that could quite possibly follow us through life.
God's way is best. It is that simple. Get in His word today and learn the instructions He has given us for an abundant life.
December