He Inspires

“All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

2 Tim. 3:16-17

THE BIBLE IS THE WORD OF GOD.

To use the theological word for it, it is an “inspired” book. That doesn’t mean that the writers of the Bible fell into a trance and then woke up several hours later with pages in front of them. It means instead that God chose to use, as His instrument, these men, complete with their own personalities. 

Think about it in terms of a text. If you want to be really particular and specific in what you communicate, you might use an emoticon. Or a different color. Or all capital letters. 

In the same way, God not only chose the words, He also chose the instruments He would use to communicate those words. Have you ever wondered why there are four gospels? Wouldn’t it be simpler if there was just one? But think about the differences in those gospels. 

Matthew was a former tax collector. He had a Jewish background. So His gospel includes these elements.

Mark appears to write from a Jewish perspective but to a gentile audience.

Luke was a physician by trade. He had an organized and logical mind. His gospel displays that organization and logic.

John started following Jesus when he was a teenager. His gospel has that mindset of imagination and creativity to it, complete with the flowery language.

Four different men. Four different perspectives on the same story. All inspired by one God. 

There is great hope for us in this fact. It means, among other things, that God has wired you, too, very specifically. He has given you talents and abilities, ingraining them into your very DNA. If God used these four men, along with the other writers of Scripture, according to their own personalities, then He’s sure likely to use you, too. He’s likely to use your creativity. Your love of sports, art, computers, or even animals. Your physical makeup and being.

God can use you. He is, after all, the One who made you.

PAUSE AND REFLECT

Have you ever wondered why you have the gifts and abilities you have?

What ability do you secretly wish you had? 

How does knowing that God allowed men to write the Bible and used their uniqueness to accomplish His mission impact the way you look at how He has gifted you?