Theme: Listen Up!

“Don’t Run In the House”

My 3-year-old granddaughter, Posey, is a feisty little thing.  A bit too independent for her own good.  She isn’t accident-prone she simply races to the beat of a different drummer.  Don’t run in the house, Posey; watch where you’re going.

She already has a scar on her tiny chin, but the most recent consequence of failure to heed instruction happened in my living room last week.  Running and giggling – ignoring previous warnings – she tripped face-first into the corner of my armoire.  Ouch!

Much blood and many tears later…but enough about me.

We comfort our little ones when they hurt.  We teach them how to avoid getting hurt again.  We hope they’re listening and pray they’ll obey.  We discipline them when we must, and we do it because we love them.  So it is with our heavenly father.

We are 3-year-olds at heart.  We’re headstrong and willful.  We don’t run in the house anymore, and painful tumbles have taught us to watch where we’re going.  Still, we often get hurt and hurt others because we ignore our Father’s instruction.

Sin has painful consequences.  God’s word tells us how to avoid those consequences, and helps us not inflict that pain on others.

Instruct a wise man and he will be wiser still;

teach a righteous man and he will add to his learning (Proverbs 9:9).

What does God call a grown-up who ignores his instruction?  A fool.

Listen to Wisdom:  For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them; but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm (Proverbs 1:32).

Abba Father, in the words of King Solomon, ‘I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties.’  I am your servant.  Give me a wise and discerning heart.

Sandra Milholland

Abilene, Texas