Unless you believe that you are descended from apes, you recognize that you were created, as in produced or manufactured. Every product comes with a manual, and so do we. But unless you understand your manufacturer’s manual, you may not derive maximum enjoyment from your product. In this instance, the product is your life. Therefore, in order to enjoy your life, you have to understand your manufacturer’s manual.
God Is Your Manufacturer
Personally, I have no grouse with evolutionists. They like to think that they progressed from a lower animal and that is fine. It is only when they insist that I believe the way they do that a problem arises. If I do not force them to believe as I do, why should that not work both ways? You see, I believe that God created me.
When he needed to populate the earth with apes, God simply called them forth. However, when it came to me, God started with a plan. That was when God held the first Heavenly summit. He planned to make you and I exactly like Himself. He informed His fellow Heaven-dwellers, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
Just knowing that I am like God makes the thought of descending from apes quite abhorrent. Particularly when you call to mind that God gave us dominion over all animals as in the verse above.
At the conclusion of the summit, wonder of wonders, God donned His apron and got His hands dirty with mud to manufacture me. As if that was not great enough, He next breathed into my nostrils the breath of life. Make no mistake, God is your manufacturer.
The Need For Your Manufacturer’s Manual
Referring later to this labor of love, King David says that he is fearfully and wonderfully made. To the King’s declaration, I add, “me too, me too.” God’s next act was to make provisions so that His special creation will enjoy an easy life. There was the garden, already planted. There were the rivers on all four corners. It was to be an extremely enjoyable life, with minimum exertion. Then, there is the bread from Heaven, available to all believers.
To ensure the perfect operation of this Divine product, there was a need for a few instructions. God, therefore, went ahead to give us a handful of instructions. But we messed up in the very first instruction. Oh, how we fouled up God’s creation. You may know that incident as the Fall. The world has remained in a fallen state from that initial Fall. And at the individual level, you and I are still battling to overcome the effects of the fall.
God Left Us A Manufacturer’s Manual
By the by, God saw that we were having a real problem obeying His instructions. He resorted to setting these and other instructions down in a manual. The plan was that an understanding of this manufacturer’s manual should help us avoid falling into the same trap which led to the Fall.
God then handed this manufacturer’s manual to us to guide us in the use of our lives. We know it as the bible. The Holy Bible contains detailed instructions, by which, if we keep them, we will live and not die. Every believer everywhere has a copy of the Holy Bible. Even behind the iron curtain, the Bible can no longer be prohibited. It is available on the phone.
When God gave us this manual, He meant for us to read it and meditate on it. He said, “this Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth. But you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”
Results Of Ignoring Your Manual
Unfortunately, many of us do not meditate on this manufacturer’s manual as we ought to. Some even use it as a mantelpiece decoration. Others support their pillows with it. A lot more cannot even be bothered to read it. They totally ignore the Holy Bible.
Little wonder that we do not have good success. That term implies that not all instances of success are good. Some so-called successes are bad. The way to recognize bad success is that brings sorrow with it. It is sad to say, but many believers are familiar with bad success.
You Need To Understand Your Manufacturer’s Manual
Even those who read it have no understanding of it. I have read – sort of – my car’s manufacturer’s manual but I am not sure I understand all of it. The other day, I had traveled out of town for a few weeks. I knew enough to remove the cable from my car’s battery terminal. Upon return, I affixed the cable and started the car. All the lights came on, bright but the car would not crank.
We removed the battery and took it to AutoZone. No, it was not a battery problem. My neighbor, who understands cars, helped and thought it might be a starter problem. Well, it was; just not the mechanical starter but the human starter. I had not realized the need to mash my clutch pedal to start the car. I did not understand my manufacturer’s manual. Similarly, unless you understand your manufacturer’s manual, you will waste time and effort, sometimes, a lot.
Your Manual Is A Book Of Conditions
The first point to note about the bible is that it is a book of conditions. Consider even the salvation verse. It says that God loves the world – the entire world – so much that He gave us His only begotten Son. God’s love is not conditional, not in the least.
However, the verse does not stop there. It continues with “that whoever believes on Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” Right there is the condition of having everlasting life: if you a “whoever” who believes on Him. For you not to perish and to have everlasting life, you must believe in Jesus. At creation, we see a condition, even in the midst of that which the Bible describes as “very good.” It says, “in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”
Study The Conditions In Your Manufacturer’s Manual
Consider another verse, this one more obviously a condition, since it starts with the conditional word “if.” “If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land.” On the other hand, “if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword.” This is so stark that you might be tempted to think that we are making it up. Please read it for yourself in Isaiah 1:19-20.
As a good start, simply look up – in your browser – all the instances of the word “if” in the bible. You will then understand your manufacturer’s manual to be a book of conditions.
We hope that this understanding sets you firmly on the path of obeying God’s commands – the conditions of enjoying God forever. It is only then that you can have good success.
Maranatha!
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