God's Word For Today

Daily Devotional

Read the Instructions

Read Hosea 4:1 through 5:15; 2 Peter 3:1–18

Almost all electronic items come with instructions or an owner’s manual. Consumers who don’t read and follow the instructions may find that their new purchases do not work properly. When that happens, the purchaser has wasted time and possibly money.

More serious problems occur when God’s people fail to follow His instructions. 

“My people are being destroyed because they don’t know me. Since you priests refuse to know me, I refuse to recognize you as my priests. Since you have forgotten the laws of your God, I will forget to bless your children” (Hosea 4:6).

Israel and its priests paid a high price for the priests’ failure to teach God’s Word. As a result, God rejected the priests and punished priest and people alike for their misdeeds.

In his epistle, James said that not many people should become teachers of God’s Word because teachers face a stricter judgment. Those who teach must teach accurately and align their words and actions with their teaching. To do otherwise invites disaster for teacher and pupil alike.

Thought for Today: God’s Word is our instruction manual for life. We must read it.