My first car was a 1956 green and white four-door Model 98 Oldsmobile. As a teenager I hated this big ugly beast—wish I had it today. Despite my dislike because of my prideful desire to be cool, it did have one valid flaw. In the winter the heater didn’t put out enough warm air to heat a match box. I shivered every morning on my way to school during that first winter and had made it through a couple of weeks during the second winter. One freezing morning, a friend wanted a ride, so I picked him up, but then he complained the whole way to school about how cold my car was. Tired of his grumbling, I decided to play a joke and side the air vent to outside air to make it even colder. To my utter surprise it was like I turned on a furnace. Within five minutes it was so hot my bellyaching friend was pleading for me to turn it off. Later, out of curiosity I took the Manual out of the glove compartment for the first time and read the instructions. Surprise! Surprise! There it was—in black and white letters—”for maximum heat turn on outside air vent.” Here I had drove around freezing for an entire winter not knowing this would solve the problem. After learning that, I believe I could have actually baked bread with the heat on maximum.
As a non-committed Christian at the time, I certainly had no idea that I would one day be involved in ministry and how much this life experience would teach me. The lesson then and now is simple—READ THE INSTRUCTION MANUAL. Many times I have journeyed through my own spiritual life, cold and miserable, simply because I had not read God’s instruction manual. We call it Scripture, the Word, and Bible. Americans average three Bibles per household. Today we can read it in print, on our computer, on media devices, or even listen to it on our cell phones. But I am always amazed at how ignorant believers are of the Word. My life verse for thirty years has been: My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6). This verse is my purpose for getting up in the morning, because I know too many people who are being destroyed by Satan and this world. They remind me of my riding around freezing simply because I had never read the instruction manual.
The Bible is the only source for ‘absolute truth.’ “Truth is what is factual, absolutely reliable, totally secure, and unchanging” (Watson). Through the ages man has sought for truth through philosophy, religion, and science. Some writers say that modern science is becoming the major source of truth today. Now don’t get defensive—I’m not against science. But we must be cautious. Philosophy, religion, and science should confirm God’s Word, NOT bring doubts. Many principles that were proclaimed as absolute unchangeable laws ten years ago have been replaced with new absolute unchangeable laws.
The only source for absolute and unchangeable truth is the Word of God—the Bible. If we begin doubting even one part or picking and choosing what we want to accept, then we are opening ourselves up for destruction. The prophet Amos tells us the day was coming when there would be a famine for hearing the words of the LORD (8:11). I fear we may be living in that day. In these troubled times with shaky economies and volatile political situations around the world, we need an anchor of truth.
A young Bible college student visited a church I was pastoring. He was so confused and even ready to give up on life. I instructed him to get a good translation of the Bible, read it, and simply take it for what it said and not what others were telling him it said. Several years later he told me that had revolutionized his life. The Bible is a simple instruction manual meant for all to read and to understand.
Sustaining Word for the Week:
Don’t ride through life cold and miserable letting the world and Satan destroy you. READ THE INSTRUCTION MANUAL.