it is enduring

BY Amanda Bible Williams

Text: Psalm 119:105-128, 1 Thessalonians 2:13, 2 Timothy 2:8-9

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the [wo]man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
(2 Timothy 3:16-17, ESV, brackets mine)

This passage in 2 Timothy paints the Bible as a sort of Swiss Army knife for believers – every essential tool we need, right here in our pockets. And, in a very real sense, that’s true. God’s Word is living and powerful and it never fails, and as women of the Word we praise God for it. But have you ever wondered if God’s Word has any value outside of the Church?

In the boundless world of the internet, with its countless users sharing countless opinions, the conversation is ever-going: Is the Bible even relevant anymore? Are we really still taking orders from a thousands-year-old text? The fundamentalists and the progressives, the evangelicals and the post-evangelicals, those on the left and right and in the middle all toss in their two cents. And when the dull roar of the crowd seems especially loud, we may find ourselves tucking the Book’s leather cover out of plain sight – not necessarily embarrassed, but maybe feeling something akin to it… Confused, conflicted or just plain tired?

This is when we need to hear the Spirit-inspired words of our Brother, the apostle Paul, rise loudly above the crowd:

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes…  (Romans 1:16)

For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (1 Corinthians 1:18)

Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel, for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the word of God is not bound! (2 Timothy 2:8-9, emphasis mine)

Sisters, this Word is not just for us. This Word is for your boss and my neighbor, my cousin and your friend. This Word is for the world.

Has the Bible endured and is it enduring? One thousand times, yes! Truth is truth, in any language. Heart-wounds need healing and souls need freeing in every single country on this spinning globe – so thank God His Word is not bound! It is not governed by time or geography, not subject to our circumstances or even our understanding. The Story of Stories is not bound. Period.

May we grow to believe this even more and, by God’s grace, may we never be ashamed. Amen.