I have chosen to be faithful; I have determined to live by your regulations. I cling to your laws. Lord, don’t let me be put to shame! I will pursue your commands, for you expand my understanding. [Psalm 119:30-32 (NLT)]

My father, C.W. Smith, was a bit of an autocrat; his word was law and not to be questioned by anyone. One day, while fishing with a friend, the two men were preparing their lines and baiting their hooks. My father noticed that his friend was tying the lure on his line in a way entirely different from the “tried and true” Smith technique. When my dad asked his friend why he used that method, his fishing buddy replied that he’d always done it that way and that it worked fine. The friend assured my father that he always caught plenty of fish and rarely lost a lure. My dad couldn’t accept the possibility of more than one way to tie a lure and finally said, “That may be well and good. But, when you’re in the Smith boat, there is only one way to do it and that is the Smith way.”

We aren’t in the Smith boat today, so we can fish any way we want. We are, however, in God’s and He’s the one who sets the rules. Unlike fishing, there is only one way to behave in God’s boat and that is His way!

Teach me your decrees, O Lord; I will keep them to the end. Give me understanding and I will obey your instructions; I will put them into practice with all my heart. Make me walk along the path of your commands, for that is where my happiness is found. [Psalm 119:33-35 (NLT)]