May 7, 2016
Today’s reading from Encounter with God

God’s Got a Book out!

Please see the links to our EXTRA Bible Study notes at the bottom of the page.

Opening Prayer

God of Wonders, Your name be praised. I thank You that You receive and welcome me. Home is where You are.

Read 2 Peter 1:12-21

[12] So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have. [13] I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, [14] because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. [15] And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things. [16] For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. [17] He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” [18] We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain. [19] We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. [20] Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. [21] For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

Scripture taken from the THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, NIV Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Reflect

What is the authority in your life? Is it popular culture, tradition, feelings, or God’s Word? Be honest!

Peter knows that he does not have long to pass on everything he has been given. Jesus told him that he would die and how it would happen. Peter wants to make sure that the church he is building for Jesus stands on the authority of the Word of God. He tells us in verse 15 that although men die, the Word of God lives. This strikes me as a significant warning in an age of celebrity ministries. Peter wants his reader to ensure that the Word of God (not some popular teacher) is the authority of their life. Men die, but the Word lives.

Peter speaks of the revelation of Jesus. It was heard by the apostles and the prophets (18,19). This Word is light in the darkness of our world. This Word is God speaking; it is inspired by the Holy Spirit.

The very fact that you are reading this today suggests that you are actively pursuing the Word of God and that you are benefiting from Peter’s legacy. However, the question remains: is the Word of God the authority of your life? I know you recognize it to be authoritative, but is it the authority? It can be easy to pay lip-service to God’s Word and actually make something else the authority of your life–like culture (what everyone else is doing), tradition (what we have always done), feelings or experience, or reason or logic. Peter suggests that you will not grow if you do.

Apply

What needs to change today so that the Word of God may live in you and through you?

Closing prayer

Father, I believe that the Bible is living and active; and that You, who continue to speak through it by Your Spirit, are about to change me by it.

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