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“Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go; keep her; for she is thy life.” (Proverbs 4:13)

Pretend you have invented something very special. It took a very long time for you to design, and it is very useful. Let’s say you call it a “Jillipy-Bop.” The Jillipy-Bop is so special and useful that all your friends tell you they want a Jillipy-Bop of their own! Your parents are so impressed with the Jillipy-Bop that they help you get your Jillipy-Bop patented, mass-produced, and marketed. A store in your hometown has agreed to sell your Jillipy-Bops, and you are now in business!

However, your Jillipy-Bops each come with some small parts that the buyer must put together before it works. You must put a set of instructions in every Jillipy-Bop box. You write up the instructions and ship out the boxed Jillipy-Bops. The instructions you wrote up are very simple, so you are sure that no one will have trouble putting your invention together if they follow the instructions.

But soon you receive a letter from a customer that has a problem with his Jillipy-Bop. “This thing doesn’t work!” the customer writes. “I want my money back!” This customer includes his name, address and telephone number, so your parents tell you that, as a businessman, it would be wise if you call and try to find out what happened.

Your first question is” “Was the Jillipy-Bop broken during shipment?” The answer: “Well, no.”

Your next question: “Were all the parts there?” The answer: “Yes, I guess so.”

Finally: “Were the instructions in your box?” The answer: “Yes, I guess so.”

“Did you read the instructions carefully before you tried to put your Jillipy-Bop together?”

There is a long silence…so you decide to ask him again: “Did you read the instructions carefully before you put your Jillipy-Bop together?”

The answer, when it finally comes out, is spoken very quietly: “No. But I thought it looked easy enough that I could put it together myself. The instructions are still in the box.”

Your reply: “In order for it to work properly, you have to read and follow the instructions. When I hang up, read the instructions , take your Jillipy-Bop apart, and put it back together again. Then call me back and let me know if it works.”

Later the phone rings, and a much more cheerful voice tells you that after following the instructions, he put the Jillipy-Bop together. It is working perfectly now, and he thanks you.

You might think this is a silly story, but it illustrates something that happens every day in many believers’ lives. We get frustrated because it is hard for us to trust God or to respond rightly when we are in trouble. We get confused about what we ought to do or how we should handle a certain situation. And sometimes we call out to God and say, “Why isn’t this working? Why does this have to be so hard? I don’t know what I’m doing wrong! I want to give up!”

The last place we seem to want to look is God’s Word–and yet it is our very best source for the wisdom we need! Our “instructions” from God are all in the Bible. If our Bibles go un-touched and un-read, we cannot expect to know what God says about “life” and “how to handle it.” We will go through life trying to figure it out on our own, without any clue what God is trying to teach us! God’s instructions are not all that difficult, if we will just be willing to follow them. He desires for us to be able to “put all the pieces together” for His glory and for our good.

Proverbs 23:12 says, “Apply thine heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.” To “apply your heart” means to heed, or pay serious attention to. Are you paying attention to God’s Word?

God wants us to read and obey the instructions that He gives in His Word.

My Response:
» Am I serious about reading God’s Word and “hearing” His instructions for life?
» Do I decide daily to obey God’s instructions for life?

God Wants Us To Be Content in Him Alone

“Jealousy is the rage of a man.” (Proverbs 6:34a)
“I the Lord thy God am a jealous God.” (Deuteronomy 5:9b)

When the Bible talks about jealousy, it means envy, discontentment, being mad about someone else’s “good luck,” and, even a hatred against that other person. Have you ever discovered that you were jealous of someone? Maybe there was something you wanted and did not get get, but your friend did get that thing. How did you feel? Maybe you know people who are very popular, or very good looking, or very talented in sports, or very rich. And maybe sometimes you wish you could be like them. We live in a world where it is easy for us to be jealous. Commercials on television make us want to have whatever they are advertising. When people show off what they have, it makes us feel left out.

Remember, there is no such thing as “good luck,” and God does not play favorites with people. The Bible says that “no good thing will [God] withhold from” the person who walks uprightly (trusting and obeying Him). We start to think we deserve to have whatever we want, instead of being content with what God has been good to give us. When we start to feel like that, we need to remember that, if God has withheld something from us that we want, and we are trusting and obeying Him, then that thing that looks so good to us must not be the best thing for us to have.

Why is it wrong for us to be jealous? We were all created by God, and we could never earn any of the good things He has done for us or given to us. When we complain, or when we long for something God has not decided to give to us, it is basically saying that we are not grateful for His wisdom and His timing and His gifts. When we are discontent, we are not glorifying God. When we desire more things, or when we seek to get other people’s approval of us, or when we want anything other than God and His good gifts, then we are showing that we do not trust God. We are showing we do not trust that He knows what He is doing in the way He takes care of us. We are showing that we want more than God, and that God is not enough for us.

It is wrong for us to be jealous. But did you know that it is right for God to be jealous? He is the only One Who has any right to expect to own anything He wants. He is the only One Who has earned honor and approval and adoration. He is the only One Who deserves our worship and attention. When God spoke about being a “jealous God,” He was revealing that He wants our complete loyalty. He does not want us to trust in things or people. He does not want to share attention. He wants for us to desire Him more than we desire money or talents or anything else.

One of the very first stories told in the Bible is a story about how jealous Cain was of his brother Abel. Cain was not happy when God rejected Cain’s offering, but accepted an offering that Abel gave Him. Really, though, Cain had given the wrong kind of offering, against God’s instructions. But Cain was mad. The jealousy that developed in Cain turned into a rage, and Cain ended up killing his brother Abel. This was the first murder ever, and it was caused because of jealousy! (Genesis 4:3-8)

Do not let yourself become jealous. God wants you to be content and thankful for what He has given you. He is jealous for His glory, and He wants you to know that He loves you and will take care of you according to what He knows is the best way, not just the way you think is best. Are you content with the circumstances and friends and abilities that God has decided to give you? Are you content with God? He wants you to be content in Him and Him alone. Galatians 5:26 says, “Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.” Philippians 4:11b says “I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.”

Jealous for His own glory, God wants us to be content in Him alone.

My Response:
» Do I view God as the Giver of good things?
» Do I view God as wise in His timing and choice of gifts?
» Am I trusting and obeying and finding my happiness in God alone?

“And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth.” (John 9:1)

Have you ever wanted to talk to people, and found they were just too busy? Megan experienced that this past Christmas. The whole family was planning to meet at Grandma’s house for the holiday. This was the one time of the year where every uncle, aunt, and cousin got together. Megan was especially excited about it, because her older cousin Audrey was going to be there.

Megan had always looked up to Audrey. Audrey was the oldest cousin, the coolest cousin, and also the first cousin to go to college. Even though Megan was only in 6th grade, she still could hardly wait to hear all about college life.

The day finally came when Megan’s family loaded up the car and headed to Grandma’s house. Megan’s family was the first to arrive. One by one, the other families came, until finally Audrey’s family came. Megan ran out the door and into the snow without even bothering to put on her coat. As she ran up, she saw someone in the car that she did not recognize. Audrey climbed out of the car and gave Megan a big hug. “Hey, Megan! How are you doing?” Audrey said. “I want you to meet a friend of mine; his name is Derrick.”

It turned out that Derrick was Audrey’s boyfriend. Since he was new to the family reunion, the whole family wanted to talk with him and Audrey. Every time Megan tried to talk to Audrey, someone else would want to be introduced to Derrick. Even when Megan tried to get Audrey to go snow-tubing, she was too busy! Megan finally gave up and went tubing all by herself.

When the time came for everyone to cram back into their cars and head to their own homes, Audrey found Megan. “Megan, I know we didn’t get to spend much time together this year. I am very sorry.” Megan said that it was all right, but deep down she was really disappointed.

On the way home, Megan’s mom asked her what was the matter. “I can’t believe she was too busy for me!” she said quietly.

Megan’s mom thought about it for a moment, and then told her something very important. “Megan, people will let you down from time to time. They don’t want to, but they do. But there is Someone who will never let you down and be too busy for you.”

Megan’s mom pulled a Bible out of her bag and read the story from John 9 about the healing of a blind man. The story starts out like this: “And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth.” Megan’s mom asked her, “Where do you think Jesus was, when He ‘passed by’?”

“I don’t know,” Megan replied. Megan’s mom said, “Look at verse 59 of chapter 8 (“Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by”). Jesus was in the middle of people trying to hurt Him! But as He was passing by them, He noticed this blind man and took the time to stop and heal him.”

Megan’s mom was trying to help Megan understand that Jesus did not even let people who were trying to hurt Him keep Him from doing His Father’s will. The Bible promises us that Jesus will never leave us nor forsake us. He is never too busy for us. We can go to Him in prayer at any time of day or night–He is always there for us.

People may sometimes have to let us down, but Jesus is never too busy when we need Him.

My Response:
» How do we know that Jesus will always be there for us?
» What are some things that you might need to talk to Jesus about?
» In your life, how can you be like Jesus and take the time to notice other people who might need some attention?

“I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing…. Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.” (John 15:5,16)

“These are the best apples in the world!” exclaimed Savannah.

“You like those, eh?” asked Grandpa Gooberman.

“Yes, I do!” replied Savannah, with bits of apple flying out of her mouth.

With a twinkle in his eye, Grandpa Gooberman said, “Yup. Sure was a good harvest. I picked them right off of the pear tree this year.”

Savannah stopped chewing, mid-bite. “You did what?”

Grandpa Gooberman took out his red handkerchief and appeared to be blowing his nose. “I picked them off the pear tree!”

“How could you get apples from a pear tree?” asked Savannah.

“Why do you ask? You don’t think it’s possible?”

“No, way! That’s impossible!”

Of course, Grandpa Gooberman did not pick the apples off a pear tree. But why would he tell his granddaughter that? It was because he wanted to teach her a lesson about her relationship with God. Grandpa Gooberman asked Savannah to run and go get his Bible. As she opened the old, worn Bible, she saw that it was full of verses that were underlined and had lots of notes in the margins.

Grandpa Gooberman turned the pages to the book of John. He wanted to show her two verses. The first verse was John 15:5. In John 15, we are described as branches and Jesus is the Vine. Jesus was using this description as a way of teaching that if you really do have a relationship with Him, you will produce a certain kind of fruit. Just like an apple tree produces apples, and just like a pear tree produce pears, a Christian must and will produce fruit that is consistent with Christ.

The second verse that Grandpa Gooberman wanted Savannah to see was verse 16. He showed her in the verse that God has chosen people, and that He has special purposes in mind for them: to save them and to help them produce good works. He reminded her that the book of Ephesians teaches us that good works do not save us, but that, as the book of James teaches us, good works are always a fruit of salvation.

So, the whole point of Grandpa Gooberman’s lesson was to remind Savannah that if she was trusting in Christ as the only way of salvation, then she should be bearing the “fruit” of good works. Just as it is impossible for a pear tree to produce apples, it is impossible for a non-Christian to do good works that please God.

God wants every believer to produce the good works that are appropriate (fitting) for a child of God.

My Response:
» Am I really trusting in God for salvation?
» What “good works” does the Bible command us to do?
» Is my life marked by the fruit of Christian?