Daily Devotional | God’s Word Is Trustworthy

Some people say the Bible is filled with errors and should not be taken literally. Why should we trust the Bible? Is this merely a human-authored book or the actual Word of God?

One reason we can trust the Bible is that many of the authors of the New Testament had seen Jesus for themselves. Before writing his Gospel, for example, Luke carefully investigated and interviewed eyewitnesses (Luke 1:1–4). The apostle Peter was another eyewitness (2 Peter 1:12–15). He didn’t teach “cleverly devised stories” (v. 16), but facts he had seen with his own eyes. Before he died, he wanted to share these truths with the church. Verse 15 might be a reference to the fact that Peter was a main source for the Gospel of Mark.

Peter had been an eyewitness to Christ’s Transfiguration (vv. 16–18; Mark 9:1–10). He’d seen the glory of the incarnate Christ. He’d heard the voice of God declare, “This is my Son.” The “Majestic Glory” was the same divine glory that had filled the tabernacle and the temple at key moments in Israel’s history. Though he’d been ordered to keep silent until after the Resurrection, Peter was now able to testify freely.

While God chose to work through human authors, He is the ultimate guarantee of Scripture’s truthfulness and reliability. Because God is the source, biblical prophecy and all of Scripture are “completely reliable” (vv. 19–21). Neither Peter nor the Old Testament prophets shared their own ideas. Their words didn’t originate in their own wills or imaginations. Rather, they “spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (v. 21). The church does not rest on a human foundation. Our faith can stand firm on the Word of God!

>> Because God’s Word is a light in a dark place, we’re to “pay attention to it” (v. 19). Some of us may struggle to stay focused and pay attention when reading the Bible. What ideas do you have for improving in this area?

Pray with Us

Just as the prophecy of Scripture did not come from the prophets’ interpretation of things, neither is the meaning of Scripture up to us. Holy Spirit, guide us to interpret the Word faithfully and accurately.

BY Brad Baurain

Dr. Bradley Baurain is Professor and Program Head of TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) at Moody Bible Institute. Bradley has the unique privilege of holding a degree from four different universities (including Moody). He is the author of On Waiting Well. Bradley taught in China, Vietnam, the United States, and Canada. Bradley and his wife, Julia, have four children and reside in Northwest Indiana.