Bible in 90, Day 51: It will not fail

Isaiah 29-41

*image courtesy of gakiku at stock.xchng

All throughout today’s reading there was an emphasis on the Word of God.  Unlike Psalm 119 that we looked at a few days ago, this is not speaking specifically of the Bible as we know it.  It speaks more to revelation, including some that was not written down in the words of Scripture.  We see the leading of the Spirit of God (30:21), the words Isaiah prophesied to the people (much of which was not written at the time, but spoken), the words spoken against Sennacherib (chps. 36-37), the prophesy to Hezekiah about his healing and the captivity of Babylon (chps. 38-39), and others.

In Isaiah 40:6-8, we see that God’s Word will endure forever, regardless of what happens to man and his glory.  What God decrees will be.  What God proclaims is true.

Where is my hope?  Where am I putting my confidence?  I say that the Bible is all we need.  I use words like inerrant, inspired, and sufficient.  Do I really mean this?

I surely didn’t use to.

I mean, not really.  A lot of us “people of the Book” are like this.  Wesay the Bible is all we need, but then we run to statistics, or “experts” (a topic for another blog entry!), or pop-psychology, or secular philosophy.  Or maybe we do the respectable, scholarly thing and think we have to prove the Bible or back it up with secular thought and wisdom.

I hear people say things like, “You can’t start with the Bible, people just don’t believe it anymore.”  While I understand where that sentiment comes from, I humbly disagree.  I like what Greg Stier said/wrote once (how’s that for documenting sources!), “The Bible is a sword!  If you go hackin at someone with a sword and they say, ‘I don’t believe in your sword!’ what’s gonna happen to them?”  I too that to heart, along with Isaiah 55:10-11 and just started believing that if I spoke the truth of the Word of God, it would accomplish its set goal for that circumstance.

This is incredibly freeing.

Don’t get me wrong.  I’m not saying that we check our brains at the door of the sanctuary (whether coming or going!).  I’m saying that sometimes we get too caught up in worrying about whether or not someone will accept our words as soon as we start quoting Scripture.  The thing is, some people just won’t!  I’ve actually experimented around sometimes with quoting Scripture, but not sounding like I’m quoting anything.  (This is aided by Scripture memory, study, and meditation).  Sometimes we need to blatantly say, “The Bible says…” but other times I just quote a passage and rely on its truthfulness to accomplish what God sent it out for.

Let’s  assume that when we quote Scripture, we are speaking pure truth.  Let’s not shy back from it, or apologize for it, or try to prove it or back it up with other sources.  Know that we are speaking the very Words which God Himself spoke, and they carry the same authority and power as when the Spirit led the author to write them.  Let’s trust the Word, trust the Spirit, and see what God may bring about as His Word pours from our lips like rain from a heavy cloud.

*originally at Words of Reason