*Text: 2Tim. 3:16-17*
“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. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.” (NLT)
The scriptures undoubtedly was written by men, but that does not make it the words of men, rather it is the word of God. This simple truth is what is revealed to us in our text for today’s devotional. “All scriptures” means “All scriptures”, no part of the scriptures is left out, and every part of it is God breathed. Now this does not imply that all the words spoken in the scriptures were spoken by God, neither does it imply that every opinion expressed in scriptures is agreeable to God, but it does mean that God allowed it to be part of scripture and it is for a reason. In putting the scriptures together, the Lord permitted some individual opinion expressed by people to be documented, he allowed the actions of some people to be documented even though it was wrong. For instance the friends of Job expressed some personal opinion about God that was wrong, God Himself said so (Job 42: 7), yet God allowed room for such opinion to be accommodated in the scriptures, because even in those false opinions and actions the Lord through His Spirit is passing a message to us His children.
The same text reveals to us the purpose of scripture, it says that it teaches us what is right to do and what is wrong that we must avoid. Life is about rights and wrongs. There are things that are right for us to do in order for us to be in the will of God and to prosper and there are things that are wrong that will take us outside God’s will and make God to turn against us. The scriptures reveals these thing to us and so when we obey the scriptures and live our lives in full compliance to what it says then we are set to succeed in all our endeavors, this was exactly God’s counsel to Joshua (Jos. 1: 8).
The scriptures is also a book of correction, it corrects us when we are wrong and tend to stir us along the right path. When we subject ourselves to its teaching therefore the scriptures will not only keep us away from the path of error but will also help those who are walking the wrong path to navigate their way away from the wrong path to the right path.
And finally from that text, the scriptures is God’s tool which He uses to prepare and equip us His children to do the good work that He has purposed for us to do.
How then do we benefit from and take proper advantage of all these treasures contained in the scriptures? There are four things we need to do with the scriptures in order for us to take full advantage of what it offers – first we need to read it, secondly we need to study it, thirdly we need to memorize it and fourthly we must memorize it. It is important that we take time to engage the scriptures in these four ways if we are to fully take advantage of its content and what it offers.
The scriptures is your road map to a life of fulfillment here on earth and also your road map to eternal life with God in heaven. Stay connected to it. Shalom
Prayer Points
1. Father thank you for making your word available to us in print to help us navigate our journey in this life and to lead us to heaven
2. Father please grant me grace to stay obedient to your word and to take heed to its warning in Jesus name
3. Father everything that the scriptures is pointing to in my life as bad and unacceptable to you, help me to make proper correction in Jesus name
4. Father please help me to take advantage of the provisions you have made in the scriptures to properly equip myself to do the good work you have ordained for me to do in Jesus name
5. Father I receive grace to engage the scriptures in the four ways listed above so that I can take full advantage of its benefit for my life in Jesus name.
