RELYING ON SCRIPTURE
Erin Kranz
Today's Scripture: “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, ESV
Theme: The Bible is our ultimate authority as we make decisions in life, and that even applies to how we vote.
DECISIONS
Have you ever faced a situation in your life where you were unsure of which path to take? Life is full of many choices – both big and small – and it can be daunting to face them day after day. There are important choices that we make: where should I go to college; should I marry this person; which job should I take; where should we live? Or, like we have been discussing in this series – who should I vote for? While the task may feel overwhelming, thankfully we as Christians have an unchanging source of truth that we can look to in the Bible!
Verse 16 says that “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness…” That means we can turn to God’s Word for guidance in every area of our lives. No, the Bible may not specifically talk about what you should do with a tricky situation with a colleague or boss at work, but it talks a lot about how to love your neighbor. Read and pray through those passages, and God will reveal the truth to you if you ask Him.
BECOMING EQUIPPED
It’s important to not skip the second part of the sentence in verse 17: “that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” When I was working in real estate, we watched a motivational speaker who shared that the way she has become bolder in her professional career is by constantly putting herself in “fear-fighting” situations. These ranged from small situations, like signing up for an art class, to larger ones, like taking charge of a presentation at work. By doing so, she became more comfortable being uncomfortable, which developed her confidence to tackle harder and harder things.
The same can be true in our spiritual lives. If we choose to rely on God and seek after His Word, each decision becomes an opportunity to grow. We become more connected to Him and also more “equipped” for the work He will call us to.
Make it Personal: What is your first reaction when you face a tough decision? Do you spend an hour on Google, text all your friends to get their opinions, or do you go straight to God, His Word, and prayer? Next time you pull out your phone seeking an answer, I challenge you to put it down and pray to God for guidance instead.
Pray: God, thank You for the gift of Your Word. Thank You that it is living and breathing and for all the ways that You are working to speak to us today. Please forgive me for the times I’ve sought out other sources for truth instead of turning to You. Keep Your words at the front of my mind and heart. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Read: Matthew 7:7-12, I Chronicles 28:9-10
Weekly Memory Verse: “A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” Luke 6:45, ESV