I once taught at a small private school in the Low Country of my state—a school that had a limited budget.
Many of our books weren’t new but arrived from schools that had funds for an updated curriculum. This scenario made teaching history challenging. While most events in history are set in stone, some of the facts I taught students had changed. Most notably, the breakup of the former Soviet Union. According to their books, the empire was still intact when it wasn’t. I couldn’t trust the book. It needed updating. Things had changed.
Thankfully, I don’t have to worry about this with God’s Word. Paul wrote, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives” (2 Timothy 3:16 NLT).
Some doubt the Bible’s accuracy—at least portions of it. The book is ancient, it was written by many different authors, the miracle stories seem too good to be true, and a great deal of discussion erupted over which books to include in the Old and New Testament canon. Some believe it’s trustworthy in matters of faith only—not in science and history. Others hold to its complete reliability.
We can trust the Bible because it’s inspired by God. Inspiration is God’s supernatural influence on the writers so that what they produced was exactly what he wanted to be written. God’s commands are recorded therein. Frequent stories illustrate the principles he expects us to live by. As we meditate on God’s Word, his Spirit convicts our spirit and shows us where we’re missing his mark. Not only does it show us what’s wrong, but it also points us in the right direction, so we can repair what’s broken.
The Bible has survived numerous attempts to destroy it. While written by many authors, the scarlet theme of redemption is woven throughout. Its impact on people’s lives—and their willingness to suffer and even die for the God it proposes—is evidence of its reliability.
Trust God’s Word. More importantly, trust the One it points to.
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
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