Can You Trust the Bible? | 2 Peter 1:19–21

Our text today is 2 Peter 1:19-21:

And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation. 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. — 2 Peter 1:19-21

In our last devotional, Peter has just described what he saw and heard on the mountain when Jesus revealed his majesty. Now he points believers to something they can hold onto every day: the prophetic Word of God.

Peter compares Scripture to a lamp shining in a dark place.

An oil lamp, like Peter is thinking about here, does not remove all the darkness in a room. But it does give enough light to see where you are and take the next step. In the same way, God's Word does not answer every question we may have about the future, but it gives us the truth we need to live faithfully today.

And we need this lamp in the deceptive world in which we live.

We are surrounded by sound bites, messages, media, and posts telling us what to believe, what to value, and how to live. Some are antagonistic. Others are persuasive. Many may even sound spiritual. But Peter does not tell us to follow the latest voice, popular ideology, or trust even our own instincts. He tells us to pay attention to God's Word, and it alone.

I know how easy it is for me to reach for my device, listen to opinions, or replay my own fears before I open Scripture each morning. But when I scroll before Scripture, I allow the darkness to interpret the light instead of allowing God's light to interpret the darkness.

Peter says we should keep paying attention to Scripture "until the day dawns and the morning star rises." In other words, from sun up to sun down. And know the present darkness we are experiencing now will not last forever. Jesus will return, and everything hidden will be brought into the light. Until then, God has not left us to stumble without supervision.

He has given us his Word. The eternal and trustworthy Word of God.

Scripture can be trusted. It's the only thing we can trust. It does not lie to us, like so many other messages today. Biblical prophecy did not originate in human imagination or personal desire. Men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. God may have worked through human writers, but the message came from him. And that Word was inspired by Him.

That means we do not have the freedom to alter Scripture so it says whatever we want it to say. We come to the Bible, the very message of God, ready to listen, learn, and submit. We do not stand over God's Word. We place ourselves under its direction and the authority of God's voice.

The world is going to grow darker. Confusion may increase. Convincing voices may compete for our attention. But the lamp is still shining.

So keep that lamp close. Pay attention to it. Let it guide your next step. Keep the lamp of Scripture burning in your life today.

DO THIS:

Before checking social media, news, or messages today, read 2 Peter 1:19–21 slowly. Choose one sentence from the passage and write it somewhere visible as a reminder to let God's Word speak before other voices do.

ASK THIS:

1. Which voices most often shape your thinking before you turn to Scripture?
2. What does it look like practically to "pay attention" to God's Word?
3. Where do you need the lamp of Scripture to guide your next step?

PRAY THIS:

God, help me pay close attention to your Word and trust its light until Jesus returns and every darkness gives way to dawn. Amen

PLAY THIS:

Speak, O Lord