God’s Word Will Equip You For Life

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“All Scripture is God-breathed [given by divine inspiration] and is profitable for instruction, for conviction [of sin], for correction [of error and restoration to obedience], for training in righteousness [learning to live in conformity to God’s will, both publicly and privately—behaving honorably with personal integrity and moral courage].” (2 Timothy 3:16 AMP)

The apostle Paul wrote his young protégé Timothy to encourage and mentor him toward a fruitful ministry. Paul wanted Timothy to know just how important it is to turn to the Word of God when life becomes too challenging and overwhelming. Let’s work from the top to the bottom of these wise instructions.

First, Paul wrote that God breathed His words into human beings. Life has many complexities, and the Lord provided the Word of God to equip us for life challenges. The inspired writers of the Bible’s many books wrote as God spoke to them. Their writings collectively serve as a guide of divine inspiration to profit and benefit us most marvelously.

The Word of God will instruct us. The Word of God will convict us of sin, so we will know when we get off track and how to get back on track with God. The Word of God shows us where we are in error and what we need to do to return to conformity and obedience.

Paul stated that the Word of God equips us to understand what righteousness requires. The Word of God shows us how to live a life defined by moral courage in the face of a wicked world. It shows us how to live in conformity to God’s will when others see us and even when they don’t.

Everything good in you and me is owed to the Word of God. God’s Word teaches you how to manage your resources and wealth. Scriptures teach us how to relate to God and each other. The Word of God even reveals how to deal with the enemy of our soul, Satan.

When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness at the start of His ministry, He leaned on the authority and wisdom of God’s Word to carry Him forward. For every temptation of Satan, Jesus had an answer from the Word of God by stating, “It is written ….” He did not fall for Satan’s lies and suggested shortcuts. He allowed the Word of God to be the authority in His life.

Nobody ever walked the earth who was even close to being as wise as Jesus. If Jesus allowed the Word of God to equip Him for His life and the many battles He had to fight to please His Father, don’t you agree we can learn from His example?

If we take Paul’s admonition of young Timothy to heart, i.e., to value and obey God’s Word in everything we do, I believe we will be most wise. We will live Word-directed lives to overcome all the tricky temptations that may try to move us away from God’s best.

We pray that you will become a wise believer who heeds the principles of God’s Word daily. May you hunger and thirst to feed on the Word as you walk with God!

Excerpted from The Daily Christian: Wisdom by Iann Schonken.

Action Steps

Paul told Timothy that God inspired the Word of God to make sure that we have an instruction manual for living wise lives that please the Lord. In your recent experience, have you paid sufficient attention to the reading and meditation on the Word of God, or can you do better?
Will you set aside time each day to read and ponder the Word of God this next week? Are you willing to make it a daily routine or discipline since it will truly benefit your life? Yes? Great!
Pick up a copy of the Bible in a modern translation and start reading a chapter from the Book of Proverbs daily for a month. You will be surprised how much smarter you will become in dealing with people and difficult situations. Try it. You will not regret it.