Obey God by Using Your Brain

Tom Holladay

“When Joseph heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth.” (Matthew 2:22-23a NIV)

A lot of people think living an obedient life of faith means putting your mind in neutral and letting God direct you wherever he wants, as if you are a robot. That’s not it at all.

The Bible says, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind” (Luke 10:27a NIV). You’ve got to engage your brain with God and live out the kind of life he has for you to live.

This is what Joseph did when he obeyed God’s command to move back to Israel. Joseph heard that Herod’s son was reigning in Judea, so he was afraid to go there. “Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth” (Matthew 2:23 NIV).

Initial Point

by David H. Roper

Our Daily Bread is hosted by Les Lamborn

Read: Psalm 119:97-104

It is written, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” —Matthew 4:4

Bible in a Year:
Amos 7-9

If you drive south of our home in Boise, Idaho, you’ll see a volcanic butte that rises out of the sagebrush on the east side of the road. This is the initial point from which the state of Idaho was surveyed.

In 1867, four years after Idaho was organized as a territory, Lafayette Cartee, the Surveyor General of the United States, commissioned Peter Bell to survey the new territory. Bell took a sledge and drove a brass post into a little knob on the summit of that butte, declaring it to be the initial point from which he began his survey.

The survey established the language of land description in Idaho: Townships are designated north and south of the initial point; ranges are designated east and west. With such descriptions, you always know exactly where you are.

Failure is Not Final

For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again. Proverbs 24:16

A few years ago, we bought a Garmin GPS unit for my daughter, Amy. Like her dad, she was not blessed with a good sense of direction. We knew Garmin could help her with that challenge.

One day, Amy, Debbie and I were traveling together with Garmin leading the way. Unfortunately, I missed a turn ... and Garmin let me know. She could have said, "You missed the exit, moron. You are going to have to turn around." But, Garmin is very polite and encouraging. When you miss an exit, she doesn't berate you, she just says this important word, "Recalculating." That means, you messed up, but let me find a new route to get you where you need to go.

GOD IS LIKE GARMIN