Reading THE Manual

It would be very revealing to take a survey asking how many people always read their instruction manuals. Most likely the percentage of people who regularly read each instruction manual that comes across their hands would be very low. This case would be true for MOST manuals at our house. Take for example the experience we had one time coming home from a trip to our neighbor state. We began our trek early in the morning to avoid heavy later traffic. Just after loading up we started off down the road. Soon we noticed that the back inside lights were on and started looking for a switch on the dashboard that could be flicked to put them out. We both perused intently, trying this knob and that, to no avail. Well, guess it was just time to read the owner's manual. Many miles down the road later it was discovered that in order to put out the lights, the lights themselves had to be pushed. Apparently we had inadvertently pushed on the lights when putting our hangup clothing on the hooks positioned directly in front of those lights. ALWAYS READ YOUR INSTRUCTION MANUAL!

Then we had another experience, (again with a vehicle-what's that about?) Last fall we purchased a Chrysler PT Cruiser. You know...those funny, retro-looking cars. We really like our little "Plum" but it had a few flaws that could use fixing, like the little sun visors. They work fine when used in front, but when positioned on the sides they are too short to block out all of the sun's rays. We thought we had fixed the problem by attaching a CD holder, sliding it out as needed. Then one day we tugged on the holder harder than normal. Instead of sliding out from the visor, the visor came along with the holder. Eureka! The little visor slides out from where it attaches to cover that area that was a problem. So, maybe it's time to read the owner's manual. We haven't found the instructions for that operation yet, but we are pretty sure it's there somewhere. The manual is setting handy in the pocket behind the driver's seat. Unfortunately, it is still not completely read. ALWAYS READ YOUR INSTRUCTION MANUAL!

Though we seem to have problems taking time to read these manuals, especially for our vehicles, these are not the only instruction manuals. Most appliances, put together furniture pieces, electronic devices, and even cell phones all have instruction manuals. Many of these manuals sit in our home and your homes, all unread. But there is one supreme instruction manual that when left unread, could cost you your life. Here we are speaking of the Bible, God's holy word of instruction to all people. Let's face it, sometimes it can be a bit boring. And at times it can be very confusing. But it is vital to read this manual very carefully and absorb all that you can from its pages. You can learn how to have a relationship with Jesus. Your eternal life is at stake. ALWAYS READ YOUR INSTRUCTION MANUAL!