My guess is that a lot of folks look at Scripture and see a bunch of "don't"s. Don't do this .... don't do that. I guess I used to think like that.
Reading Scripture has opened my eyes to how instructive God's word is. Yes, there are things we are told not to do. But much like taking that sharp knife away for a toddler, they are all for our own good.
What strikes me is how often we overlook the "do's" in Scripture. As I continue to read through Psalms I ran across several verses that helped cement the concept of how positive God wants us to be.
I'm not going to quote all the verses. You can look them up in Psalm 37: 3 - 7. Here is a summary of things we are told to do.
"Trust in the Lord, and do good."
"Dwell in the land."
"Feed on His faithfulness"
"Delight in the Lord"
"Commit they way to the Lord"
"Rest in the Lord.
"Wait patiently"
Then a few sensible "don't"s.
"Fret not"
"Cease from anger."
"Forsake wrath"
And again .... "Fret not"
Can you imagine a life where all of these things were happening on a daily basis. How calm! How serene! Anymore, I am viewing God's word as an instruction manual on how to live a contented life.
Even with all of our challenges, illnesses, and pain - if we can begin to put these into practice in our lives, we will see a world of difference in how we live in this world.
I pray we can each find the strength, endurance, and faith to be obedient to these words.
Father God, Thank You for the wisdom we can find tucked into the Word You have given us. Help us to follow as best we can the instructions You have for us. Thank You that You have already carved out our road to peace - no matter what circumstance faces us today.
Amen and amen. So be it, Lord!