Scripture Is God Breathed

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

(2 Timothy 3:16-17)

Meditation

The world is full of people who will tell you the Bible is a book written by men, and the words, although they may be meaningful, are just words. They claim the scriptures are a fanciful story, a myth, and a history written after the fact. If God isn’t real, how else can they explain a prophecy about the birth of Jesus in the Book of Isaiah, written about seven hundred years before his birth, unless it was really written after his birth? However, the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1946 put that lie to rest. The scrolls that predated the birth of Christ had the Isaiah prophesies intact. That should have proved to all the naysayers that the Bible is trustworthy, but sadly, it hasn’t. Now it’s claimed a Christ child was invented to match the Isaiah prophecy.

The Bible is not a fictional tale written to rule over a bunch of uneducated peasant shepherds and keep them in line with stories of a vengeful god. In fact, it’s not a human book at all. God used the men who penned the scriptures to reveal his person to all mankind. He didn’t dictate word for word what was written down, but he did motivate their thoughts. In other words, the doctrines, the prophesies, the genealogies, and the histories are not there because some human writer thought of it on his own. They are there because God wanted them there and he inspired them about what to write. That’s why there are different writing styles from book to book. Each writer penned the words from his own personal experience and historical context.

From the words contained in the Bible we find a kind of instruction manual on how to live as believers in the true and only God. For instance, they were not the Ten Suggestions, the were the Ten Commandments. The Bible is our standard for determining right from wrong. When the world says that something, such as abortion, is right, but the Bible says it’s wrong, we fall back on the words of scripture. The Bible is also our safeguard against false teachings. If a preacher says something from the pulpit that contradicts scripture, flee from such a person. The Bible is our source for everything truthful. God’s love is contained in those pages. If we read it regularly, we will experience his love for us.

Daily Prayer

Heavenly Father, we can rely on the righteousness of your dealings with us. We thank you for your justice and even-handed treatment, even when we act so wickedly. The words of scripture were given to us to be our guide through life. You inspired each of the writers, over many centuries, to give us an intricately woven patchwork of sound doctrine. The Bible is just as applicable to our lives today as the day it was written. It’s our instruction manual and your love letter to us. Without the guidance of scripture, we are easily led astray by the false teachers who prey upon the unwise. When we need your advice, we can find it in the words, you breathed out in scripture. When we stray, and fail to repent, our brothers and sisters can help us alter our behavior and return to a righteous path. It’s only with your words that we can prepare ourselves for the work of your kingdom. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen!