The Scriptures Are God-breathed

2 Timothy 3:16
Every Scripture is god-breathed...

To Christians, the Scriptures are more than just words on pages; they are “god-breathed.” The Greek word translated “breathed” is directly related to the word for “spirit.” The spirit of a person is his very core. Hence, the Scriptures are God’s very expression of himself—heart and mind—in a form accessible to us. Thus, we can actually truly know God and his truths through the Scriptures!

The Scriptures are the present speaking of God. In Matthew 22:31–32, Jesus rebuked the Sadducees, “have you not read the thing spoken to you by God saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham...’ ” These words of God that Jesus quotes (Exodus 3:6) were written over a thousand years before; yet, according to Jesus, they were spoken directly to people in his day. Thus, in order to hear what God spoke, we must read what he wrote.

The Scriptures are the voice of God. Psalms 95:7 says, “Today, if you hear [God’s] voice...” The psalmist then quotes God’s voice: “Do not harden your heart...” These words were written hundreds of years before; yet, according to the Book of Hebrews, the “today” in Psalms 95:7 is still today—“even after so much time” (Hebrews 4:7)! Hence, when we want to hear the voice of God today, we need look no further than the Scriptures.

Many Christians pray to know God more and hear his voice, but their Bibles are always closed! Beloved, God does not always answer our prayers the way we expect or want. Trusting God means trusting his way of answering our prayers. God’s way of revealing himself and speaking to us is through his written word. So, let us trust his way, and seek to know him and hear his voice in the Scriptures!