Follow Directions to Find Direction

     We recently received a do-it-yourself doghouse kit for "Baby" the new dog in our family.  As we opened the box it said all you need is a screwdriver.  We looked for directions but found that it only had a set of pictures on the side of the box with one-sentence instructions for each step.  Fortunately, the process was so simple that those were the only instructions needed.  The house went together quickly and easily.  Many men are teased for their approach to such projects thinking they don't need to read the directions and that they can figure it out for themselves.  I remember putting together the baby crib for our first daughter and realized that the company must have put in some spare parts.  Later, once I read the directions, I had to disassemble the bed and put the parts where they were supposed to go.
     I think a lot of adults treat their Christian life that way.  We may have attended church and been taught from the Bible as children and, upon reaching adulthood, we believe we know what we are supposed to do in every situation.  We have heard about Jonah and Moses and David.  We have heard the parable of the sower and the lost sheep.  We know most of the 10 commandments, but not the order.  Many of us feel like we can get through just fine and can go to a pastor if things get confusing.  But I have learned that we miss a lot of things in life and and up with a lot of spare pieces left over when we don't seek God's directions in His word every day.
     The Bible is not only the words of God, but is the living Word of God.  It is the Voice of God in our lives.  It is another avenue of communication used by God for our daily direction.  When you read your Bible every day, God brings to you the words AND the understanding to interpret it into your current situation.  He "speaks" to us about our present needs and decisions on a spiritual level.  The Bible also gives us wisdom that comes not from current culture, but from the everlasting, infinite, creator of the universe.  It is wisdom that can be trusted to always be correct.  Proverbs 9:10 -"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom."
     Time and time again I see adults who believe they "know" God.   Many of them know about God, but haven't communicated with Him in a long time.  When someone asks if I know someone, they usually mean, "Do I spend time regularly with them", or "Is this person a regular part of my life."   They usually don't mean, "Have I learned things about this person in my past."   In order to know God and have Him as the guiding influence in my life, I have to keep in regular communication with Him.  Otherwise, he is just a philosophy or a life-goal.  God is the divine person after whom we were spiritually created.  He is active and speaks through His living word.  We should seek that word daily and pray to Him in the same spiritual way He speaks to us.
     The Bible includes direction for our life, it is true, but by reading and studying it, God speaks to us about today and uses the time we dedicate to His word as a time to connect with us and allow us to know Him more.  We learn how powerful He is and how loving He is and how dependable He is.  He is our direction, He is our knowledge of everything, and He is our daily existence..... or as He said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life."  The direction to go leads through Him.