The Hand in the glove that held the pen . . .

 

Reading fiction or nonfiction, I’m often prodded by the words to confess a sinful attitude or do something in my own life. This is the power of the Holy Spirit who can speak to God’s children. However, it is only a small taste of His power to speak. The Book He uses far more often and far more effectively is unique. It always speaks and is always correct!

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)

“Inspired” comes from a Greek word meaning “God-breathed.” For the individual human authors, it must have been a little like those times we blurt out something and later wonder, “where did that come from?” as if it was never on our mind. The idea for the words recorded in Scripture is that they came from the very mouth of God and were written on parchment by the hands of godly people.

Knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. (2 Peter 1:20–21)

“Interpretation” also speaks of origin. Scripture didn’t originate with those who put the words on parchment. Instead, the Holy Spirit “moved” upon the authors to write it. “Carried along” translates a nautical term describing how the wind blows against a sailing ship and moves it through the water. These words are the best way to describe what happened even though it seems a mystery. How can Almighty God’s words be recorded in the language that mere mortals can understand!

We also need the Holy Spirit to understand what we read in His Book. Peter realized this:

And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures. (2 Peter 3:15–16)

One reason for our failure is explained this way: “About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.” (Hebrews 5:11) Another is this:

The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. (1 Corinthians 2:14)

Without the Spirit of the Author, readers of Scripture will stumble and even twist the Word of God and interpret it to suit their desires, even though it has been said, “It isn’t the parts of the Bible I don’t understand that bother me; it is the parts I do understand.”

Aside from all that, inspiration is obvious to me. No book is like this Book. It is God’s counsel to me, His voice to my need and His answer to my perplexities. I am certain that God speaks through it and certain that He will never lead me into sin or away from His goodness.

PRAY: Jesus, You are the living Word of God. I know You because of the written Word and because of Your power through the Holy Spirit. Because You speak to me, I am in awe of You and gladly listen. I need Your words and Your strength and instruction every moment. Thank You for all that You are and all that You do.

PONDER: For further affirmation, compare Old Testament passages with their New Testament counterparts that call the OT words as the words of God. Some examples: Genesis 2:24 & Matthew 19:4–5; Psalm 2:1–2 & Acts 4:25–26; Isaiah 55:3 & Acts 13:34; Psalm 16:10 & Acts 13:35; Psalm 95:7–11 & Hebrews 3:7–11. Some say the Bible is merely the words of men. I’m convinced otherwise!