The Bible

     This bassoon player from Rolling Prairie, Indiana took some tests and later boarded a train for Chicago, Illinois and a trip a little North to the Great Lakes Naval Training Center.  I was given a new set of clothes and everything that I would need to begin life as an enlisted person in the United States Navy.  One thing that was included in my training was a book entitled, "The Bluejackets Manual."  It would be the source of any information to help me in my journey as a newly recruited man in the U. S. Navy.  One of the first things I learned was how to tie a square knot as every piece of my new wardrobe had to be washed and dried on a clothes line tied there with square knots.  Everything we needed to know was in the manual and you kept doing it over and over until it was perfect.  Obviously, it is good to read the manual.  Second Timothy 3:16-17 says, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works."
         Every believer has the same manual only we call it the Bible, or the Holy Bible.  It contains the Old and New Testaments and is our Guide for everything that we need for this life.  It contains many things that are considered to be the "milk" of the Word of God.  These are basic things that remind us of our salvation and the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.  The Bible goes on to give us the guidance that we need for our life.  Today's passage has a list of four things that reflect our journey in this life.  It names "doctrine, reproof, correction and instruction."    You probably have a basic book for your occupation, which some may have dubbed as your bible.  If you are a chef, your have your guide book.  If you are a mechanic, you have your guide book.  If you are a boy scout or a girl scout, you have your guide book.  Just as all occupations have their guide book, the believer also has a guide book which is the Bible itself.  Knowing that we have a guidebook doesn't make it applicable in our lives.  If I wanted to know my knots, I would look in my Bluejackets Manual.  If I want to know about God, I look in the Book that He has written for us and to us.  If I want to know how to live this life the way God wants me to live it, then I look into His book.  There sometimes arises just a small difficulty in that people look everywhere else for answers instead of the place that they should be looking.  Doctors don't have the answers.  Martha Stewart doesn't have the answer.  Hollywood doesn't have the answer.  Wikipedia doesn't have the answer.  God's Word has the answer.  If you want to learn how to tie a square knot, you may find it in the Bluejackets Manual.  If you want to find how to get to heaven and live the Christian life, you will find the answer in the Holy Bible.  Praise God for His sending us His "Manual for Life."