{This is a devotional I wrote for our church. Just wanted to share it here too.}
“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
Breath of God.
Have you ever thought of the Bible you hold in your hands, or set on your table, as being the very breath of God?
We are told in 2 Timothy 3:16 that all of Scripture was breathed out by God. This means that when we hold our Bibles we are, in a way, holding the very breath of God. And when we open God’s Word, we are inviting Him to breathe onto us and into us.
Breath of God.
The same breath that spoke the earth and all its inhabitants into existence, then breathed life into Adam and Eve; the same breath that took on human form and dwelt among us and then breathed out “It is finished” from the cross; the same breath that called out Mary’s name that first Easter morning and then breathed out the Holy Spirit upon His people—that same breath, thousands of years ago, exhaled onto parchment paper, taking on the shape of letters and words so that we might have life and hope.
My very wise Grandmother once told me (just a few years before going home to be with her Savior), “Sugar, there are a right many books in this world, but God’s book is the only one you can’t live without.”
While small in stature, my Grandmother was mighty in faith and wisdom!
And while, of course she was right, I will confess that there have been times in my life when I have questioned her assessment. After all, as a first time mother, no matter how hard I searched God’s Word I could not find a chapter on sleep-training, or a verse about how to pick the right preschool. And I still haven’t found a section of Scripture that talks about when to get your child a cell phone, when to go back to work, or how to help your teen through Algebra!
Yet, while God may not answer every specific question we may ever have, He does something far better in His Word: He points us to Himself.
For it is in God, and through His Word, that we find strength to face difficult situations, comfort in trials and rest in seasons of anxiety. In His Word we find wisdom to know how to make decisions, and discernment to seek His will. In God’s Word we find joy, peace, life, hope and love; we find everything we need to live for Him, to teach others about Him, to identify sin, to turn from sin, and to grow in faith and righteousness. And in God’s Word we meet the life-changing—eternity changing—person of Jesus Christ.
And yet, if we do not read our Bibles, or apply the truths we find there, we will not reap the benefits of His Word. For we need to be in His Word daily, allowing it to transform us, so that we can breathe in His truth, His love, and His instruction.
Studying God’s Word on our own is an important part of the Christian walk, but so is studying His Word with others. Rich growth happens when we open the word together and allow God’s breath to exhale over us. Maybe even now God is drawing you to His Word. Maybe even now He is calling you to disciple someone or be discipled by someone. Don’t delay. Run to His Word.
For the fact is, my sweet Grandmother was right; the Bible is the one book that you truly can’t live without.
