Follow God's Rules

Keys for Kids Daily Devotional for November 18, 2007
TITLE: The Rules of the Game
SCRIPTURE: James 1:22-27
THE STORY FOR TODAY:
"You can't do that!" exclaimed Logan as his friend Blake moved his marker on the game board. "Don't you know the rules?"
Blake looked up. "We always play it this way at home," he said as Andy, another friend, took a turn. "Hey," added Blake, "what are you doing, Andy? You landed on 'Skip' last time, so you have to skip three turns. You've skipped only once so far."
Andy continued to play. "That's the way we play at our house," he said. "We only skip once. Else you have to sit and wait so long."
Then Dan took a turn. He landed on a space that said, "Lose ten points." Dan was scorekeeper, but he didn't subtract any points from his score. He just nudged Logan and said, "Your turn."
Andy frowned. "You have to subtract ten points," he said.
Dan shrugged. "My brother and I just skip those penalty points."
"This is no fun," declared Logan. "Everybody plays by his own rules. We might as well quit."
"Or play by the rules of the person who made up the game in the first place," suggested his mother, who had just come in. "There's a little rule book right there in the box."
"Good idea," the boys agreed. Soon the game was again in progress, with frequent references being made to the rule book.
When Logan's dad came home, he greeted Logan with a grin. "Well, what did you learn today, Son?" he asked.
Logan explained what had happened that afternoon. "I learned," he said, "that it's important to play by the rules."
"Well, good," approved Dad. "I wish everybody would learn that."
"Not everybody plays games," Logan pointed out.
Dad raised his brows. "Well . . . we could say that everybody plays the 'Game of Life.'" he suggested. "If we'd all follow the rules of the one who 'invented' it, this would be a happier world. Do you know who I'm talking about?"
Logan nodded. "God," he said. "He gave His rules in the Bible. Everybody ought to follow them."
MEMORY VERSE: Be doers of the word, and not hearers only. James 1:22
HOW ABOUT YOU? Do you know God's rules? You probably learned some of them through Sunday school, Bible lessons at home or church, or reading the Bible for yourself. You know He wants you to be kind, loving, helpful, obedient, thoughtful, etc. But knowing isn't enough. You need to follow His rules and not change them to suit yourself. When you're not sure what you should do, you can refer to the Bible and look for a direct order or for a principle that will help you know what behavior pleases God.
THE KEY: Follow God's rules