“Awww! That’s not fair!” What chance did I have? The teacher said clearly to the whole class, “Read the instructions on the exam paper carefully, then begin. You have 10 minutes to complete the paper.” The 10 minutes freaked us all out….there was over 100 questions on the paper.
So we wrote furiously and each question was so hard to answer…skip that one…too long, move on to the next… “Pencils down!”
As I looked up there were 3 students with their left hand raised and a smile beaming on their face. Everyone else was puzzled. The teacher expressed her pleasure in the 3 students having completed the exam AND for getting it 100% correct. What?! How?!! I just barely made it through 38 questions.
The instructions at the top of the page stated, “Read through every question carefully before commencing to answer any question.” The 57th question on the paper was: “Read this far, then write your name here and skip to question 99.” Question 99 stated, “Raise your left hand quietly, don’t say anything. You have successfully completed this exam.”
The purpose of the exam was to learn to be obedient….and to read instructions carefully.
Through my disobedience, I learnt and understood the lesson at hand. My teacher’s act of mercy has saved me countless times since then.
God has done a similar thing for all mankind:
For God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.
Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!
“Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?” “Who has ever given to God, that God should repay them?” For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.
Romans 11:32-36
Have you read God’s Instructions that were written, just for you?