2 Peter 1:20-21
New Living Translation
“Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture
ever came from the prophet’s own understanding or from human initiative. No,
those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit and they spoke from God.”
It is by faith that we believe this statement made by the Apostle Peter. We
weren’t there. We cannot know the truth of it. We all believe something. Some
believe in God, others believe there is no God. It is a choice we all must
make, but we better be sure in our choice. We have a free will. What does that
mean? In a nutshell it means we are able and allowed to choose as we please; in
other words, believe whatever we want to believe. I made a choice in 1979 to
believe in God. It was a deliberate choice. No one made me make that choice. At
the time it seemed like the right thing to do and even now I do not question my
decision. It has been the most important and most positive thing I have ever
done in my life.
Peter is declaring that whatever prophecy was
spoken was not spoken strictly by humans of their own volition, but rather by
the unction or direction of the Holy Spirit of God. They were compelled within
their own spirits to speak forth or write down that which was revealed to them.
As we read scripture I believe we find truth and in that truth we find peace
and hope. Frankly, if you aren’t in
relationship with God then this would make no logical sense to you at all. It
takes work to understand the things of God. It takes discipline and
determination. It takes patience and perseverance. Knowing God is a life-long pursuit. There’s
no way you can do this on your own, which is why we‘re given the Holy Spirit.
The prophets spoke the words of God to His people and they listened … most of
the time. Is everything in the Bible absolutely accurate and true? I believe it
is. Perhaps I am naïve, but I would rather believe it, learn it, love it and
live it than spend my life trying to prove it is false. If we open our hearts
to the word of God we will realize that God is real and His word is vital to
our existence as Christians. If it weren’t why would people be trying to
silence its proclamation? If it were just another book then why would people
want it removed? For that matter, why is Jesus Christ the lone religious figure
that stirs up so much violence and hate? Would that happen if it were not
true? No other ‘religious’ leader thru
the ages has been so reviled, which was predicted in scripture. Yet we weren’t saved from our sin to prove
others wrong but rather to be a living example of God’s love, grace and mercy
to this sin ravaged world. Until next
time, walk with the King and be a blessing!
Resource:
The Life Application Study Bible, published by Tyndale House.
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