AUGUST 25

James 1:22

                            DON’T JUST READ, FOLLOW GOD’S WORD!

Tony struggled to unscrew the lid of a small bottle of paint. He needed to use it on a model airplane he’d received for his birthday. His face turned red as he tried with all his might to turn the lid. When he failed, he became angry and impatient. He went to the storeroom, picked up one of Dad’s screwdrivers, and tried to pry the lid off . The screwdriver slipped and jabbed his finger. “Ouch!” Tony cried as he watched a trickle of blood run from the cut. He put the bottle down and applied a bandage on his finger.

“What did you do to your finger?” Dad asked, looking at the bandage on Tony’s hand. Tony explained about the lid. “Did you read the directions on the bottle?” asked Dad.

“Directions?” Tony frowned. “To open a bottle?” Dad picked up the paint and pointed to the writing on the top of the lid. “It says to push down and then turn.”

Troy followed the directions and the lid came off easily.“Guess I should have paid attention,” he said. “I didn’t even see those directions before.”

Dad watched as Tony got ready to paint. “Hey, Dad, this is like what you told me last week,” said Tony.

Dad grinned. “I told you a lot of things last week,” he said. “Which one are you thinking of?”

“You said the Bible gives us directions for life,” replied Tony, “and that without those directions, we might do things that are wrong and then we’re sure to get hurt. Like I hurt my finger when I ignored the directions on the bottle of paint, right?”

“Good thinking,” said Dad, “only you can get hurt a lot worse when you don’t follow God’s directions on how to live a Christian life.”

Thought: Do you read the directions God gives? Do you follow them? They are all found in the Bible!
Prayer: Heavenly Father, I know I ought to follow the Bible but at times, I still try to do things my own way. Please help me to read the Bible more to learn what You say, and then may I be sure to follow! In the wonderful name of Jesus Christ – amen.