God's Instruction Book

Recently my VCR went out and I had to get a new one. This is the remote control for my new VCR. With this remote control, I can set the clock on my VCR. I can also program my VCR to tape my favorite programs when I am not at home so that I can watch them later. When I am watching the programs I have taped, I can press this button three times, and my VCR will automatically find the program that I taped three days ago.

Do you think I knew how to do all of these things the first day that I brought my VCR home from the store? No, of course not. That is why the maker of this VCR included this instruction book. I had to read the instruction book to know how to operate my new VCR.

Did you know that there are many people who don’t even know how to set the clock or program their VCR? My wife’s father had a VCR and every time I would go to visit him, I would have to set the clock for him. The first time the electricity would go off, that clock would start flashing "12:00" again. He just hated that flashing clock, but do you think he would get out the instruction book to learn how to set the clock? No! He just unplugged the VCR! He was never able to enjoy that VCR the way it was intended, because he never would read the instruction book.

Every day we face situations in our life that we don’t know how to handle. That is why God, our Maker, gave us an instruction book. No matter what we may face, the Bible has the answer. Many people never bother to look at the instruction book that God has given us. They just try to figure things out on their own, and they never enjoy life the way God intended.

Dear Lord, thank you for giving us an instruction book to help us know how to solve the problems that we face each day. May we remember to use it so that we can live life the way you meant for it to be lived. Amen.