The Manufacturer's Guide…

July 26, 2009

Danielle Joyner Kelley

"All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:25-27.

Whenever a person orders an item that will require assembly, they have an expectation that the item will come with instructions. When the instructions look too confusing, we often put them down and try to figure out how to put the product together on our own. We do not just want instructions; we want the writer to write them for us specifically.

Common sense tells us that just because we do not understand we cannot expect the manufacturer of billions of a certain product to rewrite the instructions just for us and forget about others. What if the product came with instructions and someone who knows the manufacturer and watched as he made the product? That would be better wouldn’t it? Instead of just having instructions written where you could understand them, you would have someone there to explain to you what to do just in case you misunderstand.

God is your manufacturer and you are the product. Sometimes you cannot understand your own instructions, so He also sent the Holy Spirit to you to help you understand them. “His God instructs him and teaches him the right way.” Isaiah 28:26. As a Christian, the Sprit lives in you because of Jesus sacrifice.

The Holy Spirit was there when you were manufactured. He knows you inside and out, and also knows your past, present, and future. Always remember that He can see ahead of where you are in life, and will instruct you on all that He sees. He may not tell you “what” He sees your product ultimately doing in life, but step by step He will guide you into reaching the “what” that God intended for you. Although answers may not come suddenly, remember your product was designed to walk in faith. “We live by faith, not by sight.” 2 Corinthians 5:7.

The instructions are God’s Word, and they are what the Spirit will use to guide you. Although the enemy will try to convince you God’s Word is confusing and does not apply to you, remember it is the Spirit that came to guide you through the instructions.

The Spirit knows that through life, you will have sudden twists and turns that will cause you to slip and try to handle things for yourself and rely on man’s understanding for a solution, and where that will get you in the end. He knows this moment can be frightening. God shows us all through His Word that the disciples had to deal with the same fear when Jesus died. Jesus told them not to “be afraid”, and that the Spirit would “teach” them “all things” and “remind” them of everything He had said to them. As a believer, when you rely on Him, that same Spirit will do the same for you.

Relying on the Spirit when those sudden answers do not come allows Him to help you put your product together in a way that will ensure it works effectively and reaches its highest potential. To accomplish this, remember that walking in faith during these times grows two pieces of your fruit you will need in life, “peace” and “patience”. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” Galatians 5:22-23.

Patience requires you to wait for the answer, while feeling true peace through the moments of waiting. Jesus told us all that He does “not give to us as the world does”. In this world we seek automatic answers, and we may not receive them right away when asking God. While you are waiting patiently, keep seeking the Spirit, and never stop praying. You may not have the answer, but continue to do all that you can to show your readiness to hear it. “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” Romans 12:12. The more you keep talking to the Spirit even when you do not feel you have the answer, the more you will learn to hear all the ones that will be ahead.

God does things in a way that let you know it is Him and not you. "Be still, and know that I am God…” Psalm 46:10. For that reason you have to be patient and let the Spirit lead you. “He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside quiet waters…” Psalm 23:3. His timing is perfect. He does not correspond to our timing; instead we must learn to wait for His. “But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:8-9.

Knowing this, the enemy tries to fill you with the opposite of “patience” and “peace”, and comes at you with impatience, fear, and doubt. Through the Spirit you will understand Jesus’ instruction on what to do in return: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27. Rely on the Spirit with total faith in God for that peace.

Do not pick up instructions you claim you cannot understand or just throw them down and work on the product yourself, instead ask the One who came with the instructions in order to guide you through assembly. Also praise the manufacturer who did better than rewrite instructions just for you, but sent you someone to help you read them properly.

No matter how impatient you feel or how much better you think you will do on your own remember one thing:

The manufacturer knows the product better than the product itself.