Who Said That? | Far Far Better

Hear instruction and be wise, and do not neglect it.  Proverbs 8:33

“I don’t know whether I should divorce my spouse. I’m not happy, so surely it’s okay to find someone better.”

“I’m really angry with some people at church, and I’m thinking about dropping out. Should I?”

“My girlfriend wants us to start living together and having sex. My friends say, ‘Go for it,’ but how do I know if I should?”

We often read a difficult command in the Bible and think, “That can’t be right. God wants me to be happy and what I’m doing makes me happy, so surely this verse doesn’t apply to me.” When presented with a challenge, a typical response is: “I’ll pray about it.” Prayer is great. We should pray without ceasing, in everything, for everything. But often what we really mean is: “I’ll talk to the ceiling until I feel better about doing what I already wanted to do. Then I can confidently tell people that ‘God told me’ to.” The truth is that God has already given us written instructions on just about every area of life and He expects us to follow those instructions. God hates divorce (Mal. 2:13-16). Dropping out of church is not an option (Heb. 10:25). Sex outside of marriage is a giant NO (Heb. 13:4). It is insulting to the Lord to pretend to “pray about” something He has already made clear in His word.

Final Thought:  Obeying God’s instruction is the fast track to wisdom. We don’t need to pray about what He’s already said.

Prayer: Father, I have used prayer as an excuse to discount your word. I guess I expected you to make an exception for me and my situation. Please forgive my pride and disobedience. I will no longer neglect your instruction. In Jesus’ name, Amen.