I recently bought a wooden swing to put in the yard. It was very big and heavy and came with lots of screws, nuts, and bolts. I am one of those guys that hate reading and following instructions. I thought I could figure it out on my own.  I had the tools, I had the time, and honestly, I felt very much like I could have built the swing from scratch if I wanted.  So I decided to throw away the instructions. “I got this!” I said.

Well, of course, I did not have it. After about 3 hours of trying and getting nowhere. I went back to the trash can, found the instructions, and about 2 hours later I completed the project. I thought about this passage of scripture after it was completed. We always think we know best, that we can do things better than anyone, but often find out that we really need to follow the instructions.  

God’s Word is not simply instruction to make us do right to please God. The decrees of God are grace to us. They teach us how we can live this life well and how we can love God and one another.