Two men had been out deep-sea fishing when night began to fall. As they headed back toward land, the more experienced seaman got sleepy and turned the helm over to his friend. The veteran sailor pointed out the North Star and said, "Just keep the boat going in that direction."

The man had not been at his task very long before he too fell asleep. When he awoke he was thoroughly confused. He shook his friend frantically and shouted, "Wake up and show me another star! I've run clean past that first one!"

Many people today are looking for something new to guide their lives because they've lost sight of God's standard. They regard the Bible as a relic from the past. But God's laws are just as relevant and practical now as when He first gave them.

His standards are more constant than the North Star and as unfailing as the law of gravity. They are not arbitrary rules like the traffic laws that tell us whether to drive on the right side of the road or the left.

To violate God's commands brings destruction to individuals and chaos to society. But to observe His words brings this comforting result: "Great peace have those who love Your law" (Ps. 119:165).  — Haddon W. Robinson