Standing on the Promises of God
Bible Reading: Matthew 4:1-11
People need more than bread for their life; they must feed on every word of God. Matthew 4:4
The kitchen chair looked fine. But when Michael sat down to dinner, one of the chair’s legs snapped in two. As he tumbled to the ground, Michael reached for the table. The only problem, however, was that he nabbed a corner of his place mat, which happened to be holding a tall glass of milk and a plate loaded with spaghetti. A little crack in the chair leg meant Michael wound up wearing his dinner. The chair just couldn’t hold Michael’s weight.
Some people think the Bible is just like that old chair with the broken leg. They figure it has some nice things to say about God and love and faith. But they suspect that under pressure the Bible will fall apart—that it can’t stand up under the weight of hard questions.
Talk about it: What do you think? Is the Bible valuable only because it has a nice message, or is it the totally true Word of God? How do you know?
If we believe that Jesus is the Son of God—that he is true and all-knowing—then we should believe in what he taught about the Bible. Jesus himself said that “the Scriptures cannot be altered” (John 10:35). In Matthew 12:40, he related the experience of Jonah as fact, not fiction. Over and over he referred to the Scriptures in his teaching, and obviously regarded the teachings, historical details, and events of the Old Testament as accurate.
We see Jesus’ attitude toward Scripture very clearly in the account of his temptation in the wilderness. Each time Satan hurled a question or temptation at Jesus, our Savior responded by quoting Scripture. Not only was he totally convinced that the Word of God is true, but he used it as a powerful weapon to defeat his enemy.
To Jesus, the Bible wasn’t just a good book with inspiring stories. It was a reliable account of human history, a powerful picture of God’s involvement in our life, and a dependable promise of God’s faithfulness.
Proverbs 30:5 says that “every word of God proves true.” You can be sure that the Bible is God’s true and accurate message to people. It’s not like an old chair that will crumble under the slightest amount of pressure. It’s the solid truth of the Lord that will remain standing no matter what.
TALK: How does Jesus’ obvious faith in the Bible help you to believe that God’s Word is trustworthy? Does it encourage you to trust in the Bible with all your heart?
PRAY: Lord, thanks for giving us a reliable message of your love and truth.
ACT: Jesus was able to recite Scripture so well because he had devoted his time to studying and learning it. Choose a Bible verse to think about and memorize today.