May 11 - Step by Step Instructions

1 Samuel 10:1-11:15

John 6:43-71

Psalm 107: 1-43

Proverbs 15:1-3

I remember shortly after I'd turned 12 and we'd moved into a new home, my parents bought a new stereo system.  At that time, sound systems consisted of an amplifier (we had an integrated one), speakers, a tape player, a turntable and a tuner.  No, there were no CD players, there wasn't surround sound.  The amp took four speakers - channels A and B, so we had speakers in the den and in the living room.  One of my fondest memories was wiring the thing up, red and black jacks and speaker cords all in the right place.  I had instructions, of course, and they took me through the process step by step.  Obedience to the instructions assured a good outcome.

It is so easy to think God distant and disinterested.  Sometimes we rationalize that view by telling ourselves He surely does not have time, need nor inclination to involve himself in the minutiae.  The story of Samuel's instructions to Saul demonstrate otherwise.  They are so step-by-step they remind me of the treasure maps one would read about in one's childhood - walk 20 steps north from the tallest coconut tree, turn right five paces, then left 7.  Dig.  Or, in Saul's case, find the great tree...find 3 men going to worship, receive their greeting, take the bread...and so on.  If the treasure map had been real, one could've followed it and found the treasure.  I followed the stereo's instruction manual and enjoyed the wonderful sound.  Saul followed Samuel's instructions and received the Spirit of God...and then led the Israelites to victory in battle.

What are God's instructions for us today?  They should be pretty straightforward, but sometimes they are difficult to understand.  We get a few of them in the New Testament reading today, though.  Stop grumbling - that's easy enough.  And then it gets a little confusing - wait, did He really say He was the bread of life?  What could that possibly mean?

When faced with instructions difficult to understand, I find the trick is perseverance.  Do not get discouraged or frustrated - read them over and over again, and follow them step by step.  If I'd gotten frustrated with those stereo instructions and instead gone off to read The Lord of the Rings, I never would've put the thing together.  The disciples persevered as well - when asked if they too would leave, they answered "to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life."

And when we've put the stereo together, and then we see people struggling to wire up a cinema surround sound system properly, we can help.  We should help - just as the psalmist tells us "let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story - those He redeemed from the hand of the foe."  Then we can help those who sit in the irons of sin, prisoners suffering "because they rebelled against God's commands".  We can encourage them to cry to the Lord in their trouble, so He can save them from their distress.  And, as we see from the psalm, there is no distress from which He is unable to deliver us.