“See, I am doing a new thing!” – Isaiah 43:19
I have an awful habit of not reading the directions when I purchase new products.
I am sure there is some deep-seated reason for this habit (mostly impatience.) Despite this character trait coming back to bite me more times than not, I still try to figure out how to operate new products through trial and error, when simply taking a few minutes to read directions would save me a world of headache.
Humans aren’t much different when it comes to how we manage our own minds and bodies.
We are divinely and wonderfully made by a perfect Creator. And instead of having to stumble through life trying to figure things out as we go, our Father has gifted us with wisdom and insight in the form of the Holy Bible. Everything we need to better understand righteous and abundant living is found in the beauty of the Scriptures.
The further I venture away from the directions provided to me with a new product, the worse the situation often becomes. In setting up new gadgets, electronics, and appliances, I have performed certain steps out of order, and even skipped important steps altogether.
In a few instances, my impatience and oversight have been so detrimental that I had to return a product to manufacturer settings and start the process over again.
When a manufacturer invents and constructs a product, they include directions for set-up and usage because no one knows a product better than its creator. Consumers may try to piece together or utilize a product according to their own thoughts and beliefs, but in the end, if the proper steps are ignored, the product will ultimately fail.
Likewise, no one knows humans as well as their Creator does. God made all of us uniquely for a great purpose.
We can try to live our lives as we please or as we see fit; we have been granted with the free will to do so.
But our Creator – He who knit us intricately together while we were still in our mother’s womb – knows us best.
Through the studying of Scripture and through spending time in prayer, we have the opportunity to connect with our Father – our holy and perfect manufacturer – and receive His insight and guidance to best navigate this life.
As we embark on a New Year, may we not be embarrassed or ashamed to return ourselves to manufacturer settings.
2 Corinthians 12:9 reminds us that God’s strength is made perfect in our weakness.
Acts 3:19 promises us that a time of refreshing comes when we turn back to the Lord.
This New Year, let us begin a divine reset within ourselves, allowing God to complete the magnificent work that He began in us.
