Proverbs 21;16
The man that wandereth out of the way of understanding shall remain in the congregation of the dead.

• DAILY READING 1 Corinthians 7:25-40; 1 Kings 21; Amos 5
The Titanic was the largest passenger liner in service in the early 20th century. It was a ship widely deemed unsinkable. Yet just four days into her maiden voyage, the “unsinkable” ship collided with an iceberg and sank to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.

The sinking of the RMS Titanic occurred on the night of 14 April through to the morning of 15 April 1912. Her sinking resulted in the deaths of more than 1,500 people, which made it one of the deadliest peacetime maritime disasters in history. 

Despite the fact that the Titanic received seven warnings of sea ice on 14 April , it continued  travelling  at maximum speed.  When her crew finally sighted the iceberg, it was too late, unable to turn quickly enough, the ship  suffered a great blow that buckled her. When the crew realised that the ship would sink, they used distress flares and radio messages to attract help as the passengers were put into lifeboats. With the ship sinking rapidly and help still hours away, there was no safe refuge for many of the passengers and crew. Due to panic, and  poor management of the evacuation, many lives were lost. 

It is sad to note that the Titanic sank mainly because  its telegraph operators ignored the numerous warnings they received about icebergs. They had been overly confident that the ship was unsinkable. To them other ships could sink when they hit icebergs, but not the Titanic. Thus, the ship’s captain reportedly did not give orders to slow the ship despite reports of icebergs in the water. The captain  ignored or discounted a total of seven iceberg warnings from other ships. But by the time he realized, that indeed the titanic could sink, it was too late. 
1 Corinthians 10:12, says “Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall” 

To avoid destruction we must heed instructions. Often before  calamity strikes, God gives several warnings, but the question is, are we listening? 

Obedience to God’s instructions is the highway out of every destruction. obedience may be costly, but the reward is priceless.

Proverbs 1:25-27 says ‘But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.’

When God speaks, He speaks to correct, reprove and rebuke so we can be on course in the flight of destiny. It is by obedience to His commandments that we can experience change of levels.  

 God leads by instructions. His Instructions are the high way to distinction. The Word of God is a lamp unto our feet and light unto our path. It is in His light that we can see light. The moment anyone walks away from the  path of The Word, they begin to walk in  the path of outer darkness, where there is confusion and destruction, where anything can happen. 

Proverbs 21:16 says ‘The man that wandereth out of the way of understanding shall remain in the congregation of the dead.’

Our guarantee for safety in the journey of life is dwelling in the path of light, which is walking in line with  God’s Word. The ways of the world are slippery, their boundaries are continually shifting, you cannot afford to walk on such shifting sands lest you sink.  Not all that glitters is gold, Not all open doors are from God, some are traps in disguise. But it is only by the help of The Spirit that we can discern. We therefore need to strictly adhere to divine instructions. We need to follow the leadings of The Spirit, as he guides us to our promised land. 

We cannot depend on our own abilities or capabilities. We cannot think we are strong enough to withstand temptations.  We are in a fight with unseen forces, and without the divine guidance of The Spirit we can easily sink.

We need to take heed to the instructions and warnings from God. On the journey of life, the road is full of icebergs. We need to take heed to the instructions of The Spirit so as to avoid a crash of destiny.  It is only those who obey God’s divine instructions that would be exempted from destruction. 

Maybe you have been hitting some ‘icebergs’ lately. Deep in your heart you know  God has been warning you. Well, don’t wait until you crash. Begin now to seek the face of God in prayer, so as to get clear instructions of what He wants you to do. Don’t just assume. Hear clearly for yourself what The Spirit is saying. A daily quiet time spent in studying The Word  and praying, is one way of receiving daily  instructions from The Spirit of God. We are to trust in The Lord with all our heart and not to lean on our own understanding. And as we acknowledge Him in all our ways, surely, He will direct our paths.  

PRAYER: Lord, please help me to take heed to the instructions of scriptures. Enable me to be totally dependent upon You, as I travel in this journey of life. Please keep my feet from falling and my eyes from tears. Lord, Please guide me always in the path of life, so that I can escape the paths of death and destruction in Jesus Name. 
QUOTE 

When God places His hand upon a man in life nothing can come against him, this is because the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. 
 [ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK FAITH CLASSICS]