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Key Bible Verse: Give me understanding and I will obey your law; I will put it into practice with all my heart (Psalm 119:34). Bonus Reading: James 1:21-25

My friend and mentor Howard Hendricks often comments, "God didn't give us the Bible to make us smarter sinners!" The only reason God speaks to us is so that we might obey His voice. We can expect to hear the Master's voice only when we approach the Bible with a submissive mind.

John Ortberg illustrates the relationship between obedience and understanding with a story from his past. "Guidance only makes sense for people who are resolved to respond. Responding begins, of course, with obedience to God's clear guidance from Scripture. One of my college friends had been sexually involved with his girlfriend for two years. As we neared graduation, he wondered about marriage. 'Is it God's will for me to marry this girl?' he asked. My friend didn't really want guidance. He already had clear scriptural guidance about sexual behavior that he wasn't the least bit interested in. He just wanted to know if this girl was the Big Deal of the Day or if he should wait to see what's behind Door No. 2."

God only speaks to those who have a submissive mind. As the saying goes, "Light obeyed brings light; light rejected brings night."

—ROBERT JEFFRESS in Hearing the Master's Voice

My Response: What part of God's known will do I need to respond to now?

Thought to Apply: The plain fact is that not everyone who professes to seek guidance honestly desires to be guided into God's will. —J. OSWALD SANDERS

Adapted from Hearing the Master's Voice (WaterBrook, 2001) by permission.

Prayer for the Week

I want my life to count for you, Lord. Help me to discover and follow your best purpose for my life.

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