Hear me, my people, and I will warn you—if you would only listen to me, Israel! – Psalm 81:8

Today's Scripture Reading (September 27, 2025): Psalm 81 & 82

Someone once told me that the only way we can learn is by experience. My response was that I hoped it wasn't true, because if it is, we are in deep trouble. If everything we learn is from experience, then our lives will be filled with unnecessary scars and injuries, and those same lives will also be cut very short. I have learned enough through experience to know that sometimes I would prefer to heed the warning. I don't have to experience the detrimental effects of being hit by a car to recognize that it is not something that I want to experience. I don't need to experience the adverse effects of an extramarital affair to know that I don't want to have one. I have learned much from the stories of others that I don't want to experience myself. I am glad to listen and learn. Not that I have never gone against what I have learned and experienced what was wrong. Some things I have learned by experience, I am sure that is true of most of us. But there are also many things that I have learned and never experienced.

Some people see God as nothing more than the "Rule Maker in Chief." And maybe he is that; after all, he is the author of the Laws that were given to Moses. However, God isn't just about the rules. Those who believe only in the righteousness aspects of God often miss the purpose of that righteousness. It isn't just because He is a righteous God that He expects righteousness from His children. Righteousness is an outgrowth of love, and as a result, the righteous path is also a safe one.

God's message through the Psalmist is that if you will just listen to me, you can avoid a lot of the pain that this world might bring. God wants only what is best for you. He wants you to experience life to its fullest. But He also wants you to have a positive effect on the people around you. He loves you and has given you these restrictions so that you can have the most effective life possible. However, He also wants you to love with His kind of love, and to have a positive effect on those around you, regardless of whether or not they follow Him.

God's words to us are still, "If you would only listen to me, things could be different. A lot of what you are experiencing is unnecessary." It was true of Israel 3000 years ago, and nothing has changed. If we were willing to listen, our journeys could be different. But as long as we think that we know more than God, the extra struggles will remain.

And what we decide to do about it is truly up to us.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Psalm 83