March 28, 2023

Proverbs 30: 5, 6 Every word of God is flawless . . . Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar. (NIV)

God likes words. He spoke creation into being with words. Jesus is the Word made flesh; his celestial title is the Word of God. . . God commands us to use words: to read, write, preach, teach, sing, and pray.*

Every word of God is flawless, but every word I write has potential to cause God to rebuke me and prove me a liar. Sometimes I wonder, based on this and similar passages, why anyone would read anything that humans have written about the Bible. Shouldn’t the Bible stand on its own merits? Why do writers (myself included) produce books, articles, and devotions?

The Bible does speak for itself. It relays the word of God as he revealed it to the writers he inspired to pen it. But writers write for the same reason preachers preach: God called us to do it. If God didn’t want humans to help other humans understand his word, he would not have included preaching as a spiritual gift. Preachers and writers alike are motivated by Paul’s words in Romans: “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?” (Chapter 10, verses 14 and 15.)

I don’t stand in a pulpit to deliver my sermons, but I preach to my readers every day. I pray that I do not add to (or take away from) God’s word; that I will bless others; and that I will glorify God. Those are my responsibilities. You, my reader, have responsibilities, too. Your job is test the truth and accuracy of what I have written. I would not purposely mislead you but my word is not infallible. Read the scripture for yourself. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal truth to you. And let me know if I’m wrong! Rebuke me if you must, but please don’t call me a liar!

Knowing the truth . . . is crucial to freedom from deception.*