REFLECTIONS
B
Go by the
OOK
T he procedure was simple. Disconnect all hoses and
wires, take out the radiator, remove the mount-
ing bolts, then lift out the engine with a chain hoist. I
thought I had done everything right, but the little four-
cylinder motor in my 1968 Opel wouldn’t come out.
Finally after several frustrating tries, I went to “Mr.
Goodwrench,” a local mechanic, for help. He gave me
The Opel Service Manual. Turning to the section on re-
moving the engine, I discovered that the motor must
be dropped and taken out from below. Carefully fol-
lowing each step brought good results. Going by the
book made the difference between success and failure.
The Bible is life’s service manual. It was written by
our Creator through men He inspired to show us how
to succeed, not by this world’s standards, but by His
standards. Are you consulting God’s manual often?
—Dennis J. DeHaan
◆
An oriental scholar was employed by some mission-
aries to translate the New Testament into a certain dia-
lect. At first the work of translating had no effect upon
the learned man. But after some time he became quite
excited and said, “What a wonderful book this is!”
“Why so?” said the missionary.
“Because,” said the man, “it talks so precisely and
exactly about myself. It knows all that is in me. The
one who made this book must have made me.”
◆ and so you can learn the right way to oper-
People called him a self-made man, but John
Wanamaker knew differently. True, the originator of
free delivery and the slogan “the customer is always
right” started by making those deliveries himself,
using a wheelbarrow, and went on to become U.S.
Postmaster General and one of the country’s great-
est merchants. But he didn’t make himself success-
ful. John Wanamaker explained it this way: “In my
lifetime, I have made many purchases. I have bought
things which have cost me thousands of dollars, but
the greatest purchase I ever made was when I was a
R25
Reflections © 1995 The Family
David Brandt Berg (1919–1994) was founder of The Family.
Visit our Web site at www.thefamily.org.
If you’d like more inspirational reading, subscribe to Activated!
Contact the address on this sheet or visit www.activated.org.
R300 GP—March 2004
boy twelve years old. I bought a Bible for two dollars
and fifty cents, and that was my greatest purchase, for
that Bible made me what I am today.”
John Wanamaker became a great man because he,
as a poor boy, loved God and His Word. He loved the
Bible, read it, and followed its teachings.
◆
Walter F. Burke, former general manager of the
U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s
(NASA) Mercury and Gemini projects, and vice presi-
dent of the McDonnell Aircraft Corporation, teaches
Sunday school in his church. In an interview he de-
clared: “I have found nothing in science or space ex-
ploration to compel me to throw away my Bible or to
reject my Savior, Jesus Christ, in whom I trust. The
space age has been a factor in the deepening of my
own spiritual life. I read the Bible more now. I get
from the Bible what I cannot get from science—the
really important things of life.”
I f you were going on a long journey and
didn’t already know the way, you would
bring along a map, wouldn’t you? Well, you
are on a long journey—life. The one who does
know the way has instructed some of His men
to draw a detailed map so you won’t get lost
ate down here and ultimately make it safely
to your final destination!
To say you don’t have time to read God’s
map, the Bible, is like a driver going on a long
journey and saying, Well, I’m in such a hurry to
get there I don’t have time to look at the map!
But if you’ll just take the Bible and simply read
it, believe it and follow it, you will be on the
right path and wind up at the right place!
—David Brandt Berg
Topics: death, Heaven, loved ones waiting on the other side, faith