Mark 12.24 records, Jesus said to them, aren’t you deceived for this reason, because you don’t know the scriptures or the

power of God?

When God lived among us as one of us He said the reason we live confused, deceived lives that ultimately result in our own pain and suffering is because we don’t know the Scriptures or the power of God. God has given us His instruction manual for living our lives so that we will live a better, healthier more wholesome existence.

Like the manual in our glove box, few of us make time to read the owner’s manual unless we have a problem and even then we may ignore it. God does not desire for us to be ignorant of Him nor how to live in a way that will result in our eternal happiness with Him in heaven with all those who also have made knowing and pleasing God their life pursuit.

Examples of the destructiveness of our own behavior we thought was acceptable but causes us much pain in the end is abortion, homosexuality and divorce. Those who have engaged in such activity repeatedly report of pain and regret wishing they had made better choices in their past.

The list of poor decisions is long for all of us. This list is no doubt warned against in God’s Word if we would only listen, trust and obey it. When we do make reading, studying and memorizing God’s instructions a habitual part of our lives we soon discover we need His help to obey and live according to His Word. This is true because in ourselves we will find ourselves incapable of living and loving to the depth God commands.

God however has not left us as orphans but rather promises His Spirit to empower us to live according to His ways. This is the good news of God’s grace toward us. Those reconciled to Jesus are promised His presence so that the lives we live in obedience to Him are dependent upon Him for that obedience. In this way all people will see Jesus in us and through us and therefore give praise to God and not us.

We must choose the news and secular education as our primary source of truth or God and His Word. Each require faith and trust in the source. Only One can provide power for living both in this life and in the life to come.