Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper. (Psalm 1:1–3 NKJV)

There’s a saying in our society that pretty much sums up how we feel about rules:

Rules are meant to be broken.

And a newer one seems to give blanket approval for whatever seems good to you:

You do you.

But God’s rules aren’t meant to be broken. He doesn’t want us to do whatever feels right to us. Following your heart can be dangerous because it’s “deceitful above all things and desperately wicked” (Jeremiah 17:9 NKJV).

Remember the Israelites in the Book of Judges? They did what they thought was right in their own eyes. And it didn’t go well for them.

Instead, God wants us to follow His rules. We can know what they are and what He wants us to do by reading His Word, the Bible. As it tells us in 2 Timothy 3:16 (NLT),

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.

It’s important to remember that God didn’t give us rules to be a killjoy. As a born-again believer, your heavenly Father cares about you. He wants what’s best for you. He gave us rules for our benefit.

It makes me think of a rule my parents had for me when I was three years old: Don’t cross the street by yourself. One day, my brothers (who were older than me) went across the street to play with their friends. I remember sitting on my swing, thinking how unfair it was. Of course, now, I know the rule was for my benefit. My parents didn’t want me to get hit by a car.

It’s the same with God’s rules for us. Sometimes, we think they’re unfair. Or we can’t see the reason He gave them. But God knows what’s best for us. As your heavenly Father, you can trust Him.

So, accept His rules and follow them. As you do, you’ll be like a tree along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season and prospering in all you do as you walk by faith with God.

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash