My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words. Don’t lose sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into your heart, for they bring life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body. Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. [Proverbs 4.20-23]
Wow. After my thoughts yesterday about words, today I see not only more 'words' but some actions as well. Jacob's placement of his hands on Joseph's twin sons had significance. Now this gets confusing... We see the significance of these things - blessings, laying on of hands, etc.. but at the same time we see deception and breaking of protocol. Hmm. Now I AM confused! Do I bless my children and lay hands on them? Do I deceive them? Do I break protocol with them?
BUT! Then I read the Proverbs reading today and much of it became clearer. It is imperative that we get into the Word - let it saturate our lives. In so doing, we guard our hearts where all our decisions come from. I don't think we will find in the Word a 'roadmap' per se for our individual lives as much as we find a travel guide for life in general. I don't see turn-by-turn directions in the Word - I see instructions for understanding road conditions, weather, traffic, etc... and making valid decisions accordingly.
I will clarify here however to say that God may speak directly to my heart regarding a 'left' or 'right' turn - and, He may do so from the written Word, but this seems to be the exception (albeit welcome!) rather than the norm. I may be totally wrong here, but if I mimic every action I see in the Word, I will both follow protocol and break protocol - I will both follow the Law and break the Law.
Father, I need Your guidance every day. As I read Your Word, I find it difficult to develop a set of rules by which to live (because the Patriarchs and even Jesus Himself did not follow the rules precisely). But what I find is the encouragement to have a relationship in which I live and move in You... daily.
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