During a recent morning commute, I surfed the radio stations. I flipped through an array of choices: country, rap, contemporary pop, and classic rock. Eventually, I clicked onto a new local station. Gospel music flowed from my dashboard radio, a mixture of soulful crooning and spirited vocals. I was entranced with the music.

Immediately, I tried to save this station to my programmed list of radio stations. I wanted to easily access this station again. But, here’s one thing to know about me: technology is not my friend. I fumble aimlessly with my iPhone and easily become frustrated with my computer. It would help if I read directions and invested in training. Instead, I like to push a bunch of buttons and toy with switches until something magically falls into place.

I wouldn’t recommend this method to others.

I have a friend who reads manuals…..for fun. She recently bought a car, and she spent the next day reading the entire manual. The whole dang thing.

I question her sanity.

However, she knows exactly how to connect her bluetooth, locate her spare tire, and operate her parking break.

Maybe she’s on to something.

While trying to program my radio, I thought about my friend. Maybe I should actually read the car manual. In the glove compartment box, I dusted off the thick paperback book and found the right page. The instructions pointed to buttons and a correct sequence of events. Within minutes, I breezed through programming my radio.

By looking at the manual, I had so much more success. I thought about how it applied to my life. Why do I waste so much time trying to fumble through things with no direction or guidance? When was the last time I truly looked to scripture to determine my next step?

A friend uttered some careless, hurtful words.

A son pushed the parental boundaries.

A neighbor asked for wisdom and guidance.

A stranger needed help.

I’m not left to aimlessly find the answers through a series of trial and errors. God already provided the manual. All I need to do is read it.