TUESDAY

2 Timothy 3:16

Communication can be a complex thing. The same words can sound different to us depending on tone of voice, body language, or the perspective from which a person is speaking. The more we know the person who is speaking, the more we are likely to understand what they are saying and how they are saying it. As we touched on in yesterday’s reflections (and previous devotionals), one of the things that Jesus frequently reminded His disciples of was that the Scriptures were all ultimately about Him, and that He had come to make sure we had a clear understanding of what God is really like. That realization can have a powerful impact on the way we read and hear Scripture, now that we know that we need to read Scripture through the lens of the picture of God that Jesus came to reveal. With that in mind, take a few moments to read this well-known passage about the Scriptures through the lens of Scripture being best understood when read in light of Jesus. How might this Scripture be read in fresh ways as you realize that the God who breathes into the Scriptures is the same God that Jesus revealed?

• The word that sometimes gets translated as “inspired” literally means “God-Breathed.” How does that image of God breathing life into what we read in the Scriptures add to your appreciation of how the Scriptures can speak to us?

• What does “teaching” sound like when seen through what Jesus came to reveal about God?

• What does “rebuking” look like when seen through what Jesus came to reveal about God?

• What does “correcting” look like when seen through what Jesus came to reveal about God?

• What does “training in righteousness” look like when seen through what Jesus came to reveal about God?

• How does realizing that it is the God whom Jesus revealed who is speaking to you through Scripture shape how you read it or hear it?

Take a few moments to respond to God in prayer about your reflections on this passage.