I once left my leather-bound Bible on the back seat of our car after attending a conference.
Living near a lake, we often load beach paraphernalia, such as dripping inflatables, in and out of the car. A week went by, but I used a different Bible in the house and had not missed it. One day, my husband blurted, “Could you please take your Bible out of the back seat? It is getting in the way and causing a lot of problems.”
He was right. It's an expensive Bible and should be treated with care. As I retrieved it, his words reverberated in my ears, but in a different way than he intended.
God’s Word does get in the way sometimes. It gets in the way when I'd rather live differently than how it says I should. It causes lots of problems because it is hard-hitting. The Bible points out my sins of commission and omission. When I can't think of an overt sin, undone good deeds stare at me. It is also uncannily effective at knocking me off my high horse.
It sounds sacrilegious, but perhaps life would be easier without it. The Bible sometimes urges me to make some changes, which I don’t always enjoy. But if I avoided the Bible and its commands, I'd also miss out on its promises and wisdom. How would I get to know God better? How would I be reminded that even those commands that seem bothersome are for my good?
Happier without it? Not on your life. I want to keep God’s Word deeply entwined within me as I journey this side of heaven. It's not in my way. Rather, I treasure it. I want to consistently use it and remember the promises of liberty and blessing, not bondage and misery.
How can you let God’s Word get in the way of your life?
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(For more devotions, visit Christian Devotions.)
A Wisconsin native, Lauri Lemke Thompson enjoys living with her husband in the lovely Ozark mountains in Branson, Missouri. She is active in the Ozarks Chapter of the American Christian Writers and Christian Women’s Connection and volunteers for the local hospital. She authored a book called Hitting Pause, a collection of her articles and devotions. Her articles also appear in the Branson Tri-Lakes News.