FAMILY IT! — Wednesday Family Devotional — “The Manual”

Supplies: Bible; at least one owner’s manual for a frequently used item in your household

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What do you think is the least read book in the average home?  I haven’t looked up any study, but I’d be willing to bet that near the top of the list would be owner’s manuals.  These pamphlets of information come with everything, yet we rarely crack the stapled spine.  When Chris and I moved to Normal last January, we came across our “manuals” folder in the file cabinet.  We had a good laugh as we thumbed through the various instruction books, spme of which were for appliances and gadgets we hadn’t owned in years.  It was evidence as to how little that folder was ever accessed.  

I bet you have a similar folder.  Go raid it and bring back a manual for each person in the family.  If you are more efficient and simply throw out your manuals, first: congratulations!  You at least have the courage to acknowledge you’re never going to read them.  Second: hop on line and access a manual for one of your gadgets.  (Your phone, tablet or computer is probably easiest to find.)  Take a minute and search through the manuals, finding one tidbit you didn’t know.  Share with the rest of the family what you learned.  Now don’t you feel better?

READ

I’m guessing another book at the top of my made up study would be the Bible.  While it’s more interesting than what you just read, it’s could also be considered an owner’s manual.  God’s Word gives us guidance on how to live a life pleasing to Him.  The Jews of King Josiah’s age had fallen into the trap—they tossed the Word when they didn’t think it was going to be helpful anymore. Read 2 Kings 23:21-25 together and see what Josiah did after they found the Book of Law.  Paraphrase for younger children. 

THINK

As awesome as it was to discover God’s Word, King Josiah knew that having the scroll wasn’t enough.  There was no way he was going to stick the parchment in some woven file box and call it good.  He knew that the purpose of an owner’s manual was to give directions that would make things better.  The Book of the Law was full of information that could make the lives of the Jewish nation better, but only if they read and applied what was in there.  Josiah didn’t settle for just exposing his people to the Word of God; he put it into practice by observing the Passover for the first time in decades/centuries and removing false idols “that he might establish the words of the law that were written in the book that [was] found in the house of the Lord.” (2 Kings 23:24)

APPLY

What about you?  Too often we treat the Bible like an owner’s manual, in that we keep it, but we never really look at it or use it.  Are you “establishing the words of the law” in your own life?  Or is your copy of the book tucked away collecting dust?  I challenge you to take/find your own Bible and put it somewhere nearby (at your bedside or on the kitchen table).  Commit this week that you will begin each day with a helping of God’s Word.  Maybe it’s a few verses in Psalms before you get out of bed, or a Gospel chapter shared together over breakfast, agree together that you will read and apply God’s Word this week.

PRAY

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Word.  What a blessing it is to be able to hear from Your heart and be guided in our day-to-day living.  Help us and encourage us this week as we seek to not just have Your Words, but to read and use them.  In Your Name we pray, Amen.

REPLY

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