Better Read the Instructions

Make me understand the way of Your precepts.
– Psalm 119:27

Have you ever found yourself in a mess and wondered why things had gone so wrong? Most of us have. We can remember times when we tried to put an item together quickly instead of reading the instructions. Suddenly we discovered that the pieces didn’t quite fit correctly or that something seemed to be missing.

One man was determined to do the minor maintenance on his small car. Every few thousand miles, he drained the oil and then refilled it. When the car needed a tune up, he did it. But he noticed that every time he put the car back together, a couple of bolts or nuts were left over. The automobile always seemed to run fine, so he didn’t worry about it. In fact, his leftover bolts became the source of much fun and laughter among his friends.

This continued until the day he was driving down the road and heard a loud knocking noise. Frantically he pulled into the next auto repair shop he saw, only to have the mechanic tell him, “Your engine is about to fall out of your car!”

Everything you need for a successful life, marriage, and family can be found in God’s Word, but you must take time to read His instructions. Leftover bolts and overlooked items—such as an unfaithful heart, bouts of anger, impatience, or a careless attitude—can lead to serious results. Everything could fall apart.