DAILY READING
REFLECTION
The Path of a Rule Follower
by Judy Webb
“35 Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight. 36 Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain.” (Psalm 119:35-36)
For many years I was miserable. These were the years before I was drawn to Jesus. These were the years of my darkness and what seemed like a meaningless existence. Have you ever been there? Are you there now? You don’t have to stay in that spot. There is a better way to live.
I must admit that I am a rule follower. I always have been, even before I knew Jesus as my Savior, I knew I had to follow the rules set out before me. Before Jesus, I followed rules out of fear, not love. I was afraid of what would happen to me, what repercussions there might be if I didn’t do things a certain way. But one day, I had enough. That is the day I made my escape.
What a difference a life with Jesus makes. It took a while, but I learned truth from 1 John 4:18, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.” Even now, years after embracing Scripture as a perfect guide for living, it only makes sense to follow the rules. Seeking God’s will and perfect plan for our lives is the way to go. Walking on the path of His will is the only path on which we find true happiness.
Having lived with a perpetual stomachache caused by the fear, and then to be freed, reveals just how good God and His plan is. “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees.” (Ezekiel 36:26-27)
PRAYER
Dear Jesus,
Thank you for rescuing me from my former life and for placing me here, right now. I am praying for anyone reading this, who needs to escape their life of fear and fall into the loving arms of Jesus. It is the path to true happiness, joy, and amazing hope. Amen.
