Read The Directions

Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.

Proverbs 3:5-6

I didn’t develop a taste for coffee until I was an adult visiting my sweet mama. She and my younger sister would drink it together in the mornings, and since I didn’t want to miss anything, I joined in. The more coffee I had from my mother’s favorite china cups with the thin rims she loved, the more I liked it.

When I returned home after that first trip, I knew I had to learn to make coffee myself. After making the rounds at various coffee shops, I decided on my favorite brand and was delighted that I could also purchase it at the grocery store.

But for some reason when I made it at our home, it never came close to how it tasted in the coffee shops or at my mother’s! I changed coffee pots, changed filters, and even changed creamers. I tried adding more boiling water. Nothing worked.

I finally figured out where my brewing skills went wrong (although I am almost too embarrassed to admit it). I never read the directions on the side of the package that gave the proper measurements for the water and the coffee. I completely skipped them and foolishly wasted a lot of coffee and filters.

When I finally came to my senses, I said to the Lord at my kitchen counter, “I do not want to do this kind of thing with You, Lord. Not ever. I want to follow Your directions laid out in Your Word, day by day, moment by moment.”

Let’s all be sure we read God’s directions in His Word—with or without a cup of coffee—keeping His instructions handy for living faithfully. That’s really something to sip on.