“In the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 “Take a scroll and write on it all the words that I have spoken to you against Israel and Judah and all the nations, from the day I spoke to you, from the days of Josiah until today.'” – Jeremiah 36:1-2
Zig’s Routine & Al’s Opinion
Years ago my brother attended a conference and had the privilege of hearing Zig Ziglar speak. One of the things that Zig shared with his audience that day was that he began every day reading the newspaper and the Bible. According to him, that way he knew what both sides were up to. What he said tongue in cheek certainly has a lot of truth to it. As I have stated once before, I am not a proponent of the media. I am convinced that journalism is dead. In its place, indoctrination is alive and well.
What little I see of the media is nothing more than a biased editorial. Buried along with journalism are dialogue and debate. From their grave diatribe flourishes. By default, if someone disagrees with you they are not only wrong but unworthy of having an opinion. We are quick to call names and attack the character in an attempt to marginalize those with whom we disagree. Think I’m exaggerating? Wear a Trump t-shirt in Los Angeles or DC and let me know how that works for you. We need to be very careful about what we feed our minds with. Our beliefs will certainly play out in our behaviors. When Al Capone “owned” the papers in Chicago he made this statement, “Everybody reads the newspapers, and most people are stupid enough to believe what’s in the papers.” Al Capone is long gone, but the devil is still busy causing division with deception. But he is no match for God.
God Inspired
We live in an age of information overload. As the printed page has given way to digital, we find the world at our fingertips. While this can be convenient, it in no means guarantees that what we are exposed to is accurate. I was recently in Gettysburg and saw this quote, “Not everything you read on the internet is true.” – Abraham Lincoln. In contrast, I find today’s passage from Jeremiah refreshing. When God wanted to communicate to Israel and Judah, He spoke to the prophet Jeremiah and commanded him to take up a scroll and record the words that He would speak to him. So it is with the entire Bible. When we read it we are reading the Word of God. We are not reading Jeremiah’s opinion on the latest events. We are not being subjected to Isaiah’s attempts to indoctrinate us with his political convictions. Nor is Moses trying to justify his actions. Not at all. When the authors of the Bible picked up “quill” and scroll, they did so at the inspiration of God Himself. Such is what Paul tells us in the New Testament.
God Breathed
16 “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” – II Timothy 3:15
Paul says that all Scripture is breathed out by God (theopneustos). Just as the life of Adam was breathed into him by God, so it is with the Bible. God, Himself is the origin. He alone is the source. Like the other authors God chose to use, Paul knew that he was simply an agent working on God’s behalf. Don’t believe Paul? Listen to what Jesus had to say.
4 “But He answered, ‘It is written, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” – Matthew 4:4
When the devil tried to tempt Him in the wilderness, Jesus quoted words that proceeded from the mouth of God. What a great weapon to wield against the devil’s wiles. Peter, who himself was sifted by the devil penned these words at the inspiration of God.
21 “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.” – II Peter 1:21
Peter would not take credit for his writings. Nor did he attribute any credit to the Prophets. Again, they were only instruments God chose to use to accomplish His task. They were “carried along” by the Holy Spirit.
The Bible, Read it and Believe It!
Every Book. Every Chapter. Every Sentence. Every Letter. Inspired by God. All of it is True!!
Every day, we have the Truth of God at our fingertips. Might we be wise enough to read it. Might we have the faith to believe it. The fool isn’t the one who reads the newspaper. He is the one who ignores God’s word.
“I believe the Bible is the best gift God has ever given to man. All the good from the Savior of the world is communicated to us from this book.” Abraham Lincoln