October 25, 2026 | A Lack of Instruction

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Devotional Reading: Deuteronomy 6:10–16

Background Scripture: Judges 17–18

Introduction

A. Muddling Along

I took a job one summer that lacked training and access to information. It meant that one afternoon, I found myself hopelessly driving around, trying to locate a storage unit. The only tip I had was a street name. After an extended search, I learned it was the wrong street. Ultimately, I broke down and called my predecessor, who told me where to find it—but I’d wasted a lot of time on a futile hunt!

There are numerous reasons people “muddle through” tasks. Although lacking in expertise, organization, or preparation, a person may take on an unfamiliar project out of a sense of pride, a commitment to self-teaching, or feeling bothersome asking questions. It’s a human tendency to put our heads down and move forward with brute force.

Today’s text narrates an egregious case of muddling through religious rites and practices.