Useful beyond measure

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

Useful - profitable (Gk. ophelimos) - helpful, advantageous, of use in order to teach what is true. Would we expect God to leave us with anything other than what would be 'advantageous' for our daily lives? The more we get into scripture, the more we realize the 'usefulness' of it. There we find encouragement right alongside correction, reminders right next to urgent instruction, and praise intermixed with lament. It truly is a very interesting read, but so many avoid its pages as though it offered absolutely nothing of use for their lives.

What is true? If you have ever stood in the midst of a muddle, you might have asked that question. Doubt interwoven with fear, mixed messages of all kinds, and lackluster instructions from all manner of teachers leave a lot of confusion, don't they? We want clarity - yearn for it - finding very little of it in this world's doctrines or teachings. To know truth, we need to turn to the pages of his Word. To comprehend it we need God's Spirit. To uphold it, we need his strength and presence.

We might find it easy to see what is wrong in this world, all the while missing what is wrong right in front of us. Attitudes that need adjustments. Attention that has been misdirected to what really matters very little in the scheme of what God would have for us. Aptitude that lays dormant because we refuse to put it to use in the ways God intended in creating us with these talents. As we explore the scriptures, we might just find a little 'pinprick' to our conscience that tells us we aren't quite 'on target' in these areas. Perhaps that is why we avoid exploration within its pages?

The Word of God is powerful - it has many uses, but one purpose: To prepare us as an equipped army of believers on mission with him in this world. Get into it. Allow it to ask the tough questions that you have avoided all this time. See what God will do within you as you allow it to penetrate the recesses of your mind, will, and emotions. You might just find it is indeed 'useful'! Just sayin!