Tuesday, November 13, 2007

The Bible: My Handbook For Living

I can't remember a time in my life when I didn't read the Bible. I read it as a child, as a teenager, as a college student, and I read it now. I always knew that it was the right thing to do. Don't all "good Christians" read the Bible? I also knew that it contained some very important lessons that I could apply to my life, but I had no idea that it was my supernaturally handbook for life. After all these years of reading the Bible and attending church, I heard my pastor say that the Bible is the believer's handbook for life. Wow! That was deep! In all my years, I never looked at it like that. I had never heard anyone else say that. Some of you may be thinking, "Hello! I thought everybody knew that." I guess I was a little late in getting that memo. Well, if I had known that, maybe I would have made it my business to be more diligent about reading and retaining it. Since my pastor made that statement, I started to view the Bible differently. Not only do I read it daily, but now I study it to find out everything I don't know about life. I read to see who did what and who said what and to find the outcome. See, I didn't know that life came with a supernatural instruction manual. When my daughter was younger and I was a young mother I would think, "Man I wish she came with some type of instructions, because they would surely make my life a lot easier." If only I had known sooner that life came with instructions. Which ever you choose to call it instructions or handbook, its purpose remains the same, to instruct Christians how to function supernaturally in this earth. I even read the Bible differently now. I read it and reread it. I analyze it. I ponder it. I pray over it. I meditate on it. I apply it. It is a textbook for us. We can read to see how it unfolds. It removes all of the guess work from life. It has sure made my life a lot easier.

6 comments:

Unknown said...

This reminds me of when I asked a great woman I admire about where she got her parenting skills and if she would write a book. She looked at me and said "You got the same book I have - the Bible". I was blown away, but realized that if used as God intends, the Bible is really the only manual we'll ever need for getting through life. Great insight Erika!

Erika said...

Thank you. You're right. The key is actually using it for its intended purpose. The only way we can benefit from it is to know what it contains. The only way to know what it contains is to read and read it and read it. The only way to see our lives changed by the word of God is to apply it and apply it and apply it. Everything that we could possibly need is contained in its pages.

crossn81 said...

Thanks for the reminder, here is something we were taught:

Basic
Instructions
Before
Leaving
Earth

Erika said...

Thank you. You've given us a simple way to remember something so very important.

Annette said...

good post. Liked it. it's a lesson too many believers don't ever learn.

Erika said...

Unfortunately Annette, you're right. However, let's pray they get it sooner rather than later.