During the last snowstorm, one of our skid steer machines broke down. We had to wait to the next day to get it back to our shop to look at it. There were like five guys all huddled around the track of the machine, each giving an opinion of what was wrong and how to fix it. I quietly went upstairs to the office file cabinet and grabbed the instruction manual that came with the machine. The manual was complete with a detailed breakdown of every component of the machine, including the track we were all looking at. It’s funny, my boss has the let's take a blowtorch to it mentality when it comes to fixing things. I am always looking for a manual or someone who has experience with the problem.

Why Americans don't read directions is no mystery. Consumers want instant satisfaction. They don't want to wade through pages and pages of directions after they buy a product, especially if the directions are hard to understand or follow. Furthermore, even when the manuals are easy to understand, they may not be entertaining enough for today's consumer, especially younger ones who have grown up with the fast-paced world of MTV, computer games and the Internet. They are used to having information delivered in a rapid, colorful and stimulating way, and they want directions to be equally snappy. But many folks are too lazy or stubborn to read those materials, and too quick to let others do their research for them.

God's experience with humankind is exactly like that. We continually get ourselves into trouble and wreak havoc on our lives because we can't be bothered to read the "owner's manual" God has provided - the Bible. Everything we need to know to live acceptably before God is contained in this inspired book (Acts 20:32; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:3). But how many people really read it? And of those who do make some attempt to study the Bible, how many apply it diligently to every circumstance and situation of life? For some, the Scriptures just aren't "entertaining" enough. True, the Bible doesn't read like a comic book, or a romance novel, or the latest John Grisham thriller. But then, it's not a work of fiction: it's an instruction manual, one that not only is clear and concise, but addresses all the complexities of human existence. And, like the consumer quick to dial the 800 number for help, many folks - including far too many Christians - are content to let someone else do the reading. "The preacher knows all that stuff," they reason.

But every individual is accountable to God for the contents of His word (John 12:48), because everyone will be judged from the same books (Revelation 20:1213). We all have the same responsibility to be diligent in our efforts to rightly handle the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15). The Proverb writer wrote, "For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding; He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly" (Proverbs 2:6-7). Jesus taught that "you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32), and affirmed that God's word is truth (John 17:17). If it's freedom and wisdom that we desire, God's word is the only legitimate source. Life is difficult because none of us have ever lived it before. The knowledge of how to live a righteous life is not innate but must be learned (Psalms 119:73; Proverbs 2:1-6). When life's difficult questions arise, or we don't know how things work, let's not be stubborn or lazy- let's read the manual! (2 Timothy 2:15; Acts 17:11)

Eric.