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The Bible - Man's Instruction Manual
Everything that is made comes with a set of instructions. Whether it is home appliances, toys, automobiles, pet
accessories, clothing, food, etc. Man is no different. Man was created by God and given an instruction manual, that
if read and followed carefully, he would be able to make the best of his life given him on earth. Man's instruction
manual is called the Bible.
How Important Is the Bible to God?
Matthew 24:35, Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.
Isaiah 40:8, The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.
Psalm 119:89, Forever, O Lord, your word is settled in heaven.
What Does the Bible Claim About Itself?
2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for
correction, and for training in righteousness,
How the Bible Can Help Us
Reading and studying the Bible can be profitable to us. It will help us in many areas of our life. Here are four ways
that you can benefit from regular reading of Gods word.
1. It will help you become a better Christian
God wrote us an instruction book. It only makes sense that we should spend some time reading it. God created us to
live a spiritual life. But in order to do that, we have to learn from his word how he wants us to live our life. The
instructions in the Bible will help us to become a better Christian.
We will learn about sin and what things to avoid which will pull our spirit down. We will learn what kind of
mental outlook to have. We will be taught patience instead of anger. We will learn about thinking of good things
instead of dwelling on the negative. We will learn love and compassion instead of harsh intolerance. We will learn
humility instead of arrogance.
We will discover instructions on how to treat our spouse, how to raise our children, how to treat our family, how to
act on the job, how to help others, and how to comfort those who are hurting.We may be surprised to find that God
sets high standards for us. And then we find that he provided us a way to be holy and righteous through the price
that Jesus paid for us even though we are weak and sinful. We learn how he is there to give us strength in our
weakness, give us faith when we doubt, and give us peace when we are in turmoil.
As we read and study the Bible, we discover that God is making us a new creation as he helps us reach our
full human potential. The Bible is our Instruction Book.
2. It will teach you about God
A lot of people have different opinions about God. But if you want to learn what God is really like, you will find out
in the pages of the Bible. We learn about the Lords mercy and love to us from the Psalms, and we learn about
Gods judgment and righteousness from the Prophets. We find out about Gods long-suffering and patience with us
from the Gospels, and we learn about his anger against sin from the Books of Moses. As we read the Bible, we
discover someone who will not fit into a convenient human category -- but rather, a complex Deity who does things
beyond our human understanding. The more we learn about God, the more we realize how weak and inferior we
truly are compared to his eternal majesty.
As we learn from scripture, we see one who keeps all the worlds spinning and yet still has time for our smallest
problems. As we study the word, we learn of the one who is moving nations and yet still has time for our family. As
we read the Bible, we find out about the one who has the vast physical realm of the entire universe under his control,
and yet he still has time for our physical problems. As we study scripture, we meet the one whose intellect is so far
superior to us that we can barely understand how all his creation functions, and yet he still has time for us when we
are suffering mental anguish.
Reading the Bible will teach us who God is, and it will teach us also who we are in relation to him.
3. It will give you direction
As we study Gods word, we find direction for our life. Many times the Lord will use his holy word to reveal to us
something about our life. It has often happened to me that when I was going through some trial of my faith, I would
come upon some portion of the Bible that seemed like it was especially written for me in the very situation that I
was in. Those words would lift up my spirit and give me instructions as to how to get through the difficult time.
One of the reasons I think that reading the Bible helps to give direction to our life is the change in our thinking
that occurs. As we read Gods word, our priorities change -- our focus on what is truly important shifts. As
our priorities are replaced by Gods priorities, we discover new directions that the Lord wants to take us.
Gods word is not a hard-to-understand theological treatise. It is a practical, down-to-earth narrative addressing
everyday problems of everyday people. There are mighty men of God in the Bible, but we also read about all their
weaknesses and failures. How much more does the cry of remorse of Psalm 51 mean to us when we realize what
great sins caused David to write this song of repentance!
The more we learn about God and what he wants for us, the easier it becomes to discern Gods direction in
our life. This understanding only comes from time spent in his word. It doesnt happen overnight. I have found over
the years that the more I learn from scripture, the easier it is to discover Gods direction for me in all areas of my
life. I know that you will discover the same thing too.
4. It will comfort you in times of trouble
How many of us have gone through a dark time in our life, and then we found Psalm 23:4, Though I walk through
the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me. As we looked at those words, we sensed
Gods presence in the midst of our despair. The Bible can be a great comfort to us.
As we faced sickness in our body, turmoil in our life, or confusion over the future, We will always found
comfort from the Bible. Gods word has a soothing effect on our spirit. He has promised us peace, he has promised
us joy, he has promised us an abundant life. We receive those things by spending time in prayer and meditation with
God. But we learn about those things by spending time in his word.
There have been many times when I was facing a difficulty when God led me to words of comfort in the Bible. I
could sense his Spirit ministering to me. He was telling me, See David, I understand what you are going through and
I am here to see you through., You will discover that comfort that we can only get as we read from his word.
In conclusion, the Word of God contained in the Bible is the only truth that can get man salvation. This is our
instruction manual. Please read it so that you can become a vessel of Honor in the house of the Lord. "The preacher
sought to find out acceptable words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truth. Let us hear the
conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God
shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it is good, or whether it is evil. (Ecclesiastes
12:10, & 13-14)
