Do what He says

"8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye. 9 Do not be like the horse or like the mule, which have no understanding, which must be harnessed with bit and bridle, else they will not come near you." 
                                                                                                      Psalm 32:8-9.  NKJV

This Psalm was so instrumental when I was at Uni. As any graduate will remember, University presents you with lots of work and one really wonders how on earth they'll ever cope. My experience was no different. I was inundated with essays - a year's load of them annually. I failed the first one and considered packing it all in. However, God told me different. It was my own fault. He gave me the above text and told me to pray over each and every essay and exam that came my way. I would then have no problem at all. He was true to His Word. I not only passed all of them over the years, but I came top in many of them too. I learnt a big lesson - don't be stubborn like the mule, thinking you know it all. Ask God to help because He's interested. Therefore:

BE TEACHABLE
As we expound these two verses, we see that God wishes for us to be teachable. We cannot possibly know all there is to know. It's arrogant to believe this. Teaching is essential to life and the best teacher is the Holy Spirit. He's never failed in anything and never will! He knows how to do things and He knows the way forward. Each day we need to allow Him to teach us what to do or say in any given situation. If we don't, we end up rushing into things and completely messing things up. 
RECEIVE INSTRUCTION
One would be irresponsible to set out across an area of no man's land without a compass. Especially in dark or foggy conditions. When you can't see the way, a compass can be a life-saver, directing you to safety and your destination. Likewise, God instructs us through His Word - the bible. Failure to read it each day is not wise. We need His instruction - we need to know the way and what to do. If Esau had heeded God's instructions instead selling his birthright for a bowl of stew, things would have been very different for him. (Genesis 25:29-34.) Instead, he was seduced by the wonderful smell of this food and agreed to sell his blessing to Jacob. It's interesting that Adam did the same, he gave up his blessing to eat of the forbidden fruit (Genesis 3).
RECEIVE DIRECTION
There are many people who open a newly acquired gadget and attempt to make it work without reading the instructions. I AM told, it is mostly men, but I don't want to get into a sexist argument. 'Reading the rules', is essential for the satisfactory fitting together of whatever we are attempting to do. It may be a flatpack or a complicated TV system. Many is the time that I have put things together and realised afterwards that I didn't attend to an important detail. I know I'm not the only one. Let God read you the rules of what His plan is for you each day. Otherwise, it will go pear-shaped. Many people have set off on some pilgrimage somewhere and then shipwrecked themselves because God wasn't in it.
BE GUIDED
Proverbs 3:5-6 is probably the most famous of verses for guidance and they're well worth taking on board:

'5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; 
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths.'

 There's nothing more that I can add to this because it says it all.

Verse 9 tells us to avoid being like a mule, which can be stubborn the majority of the time. Listen clearly to instruction, teaching and direction. It may save your life one day. It will most certainly help you to make the best of choices for your lives. It is not a sign of weakness to ask how you do something, or request guidance and direction for something. It is a wise thing to do and can save you much stress and heartache. If you knew it all, you wouldn't need God. You would be able to find your own way in life, you would be able to provide yourself with forgiveness and eternal life. You would be able to heal yourself and perform miracles when needed. But you're not and neither am I. 

Common sense tells us to surrender to the only one in life who can help us - Jesus. He took our sin, endured the cross and now puts up with us and our funny ways. But He loves us more than I could ever tell you here. Therefore, let Him be your guide every day of your life.

Copyright 2020 Grahame Howard

dailylifewithjesus@hotmail.com