THE BIBLE IN MY LIFE January 24, 2005 Issue

The places God prepares

By Pam Kissock

As a young child in Sunday School, I memorized the Ten Commandments and the Lord's Prayer, and studied the Sermon on the Mount. We heard about David defeating Goliath, Daniel in the lions' den, and many other Bible stories, and I never failed to be impressed by the way those characters' love for God shaped their lives and experiences, saving them from danger. They soon felt like friends to me, and I decided that was the kind of love I wanted to show God, too.

My Sunday School teachers helped my classmates and me relate the lessons in those stories to our own lives. I began to really love the Bible, and became convinced that if I could model my actions after those characters, I would have great answers to every challenge.

I started with the Ten Commandments, and found that they steered me clear of disaster, rather than denying me fun. By making them part of my life, I became happy and confident. Since we lived near the water and sailing was a large part of our community, I compared the use of radar on ships to the Commandments. The radar spotted the rocks and helped the ships steer clear of them. Similarly, the Commandments helped me steer clear of situations that might shipwreck me. They guaranteed smooth sailing and protection.