Sunday Ponderings ~ Equipped

Pondering this evening a passage from church earlier today. We were encouraged by a team from the Wilds (a beautiful family camping facility in the hills of NC) who spoke in the morning service, followed by a time of visiting and fellowship at our Winter Dinner, then a worshipful quartet concert in early afternoon. A blessed way to spend a Sunday with fellow followers of Jesus Christ.

My ponderings come from 2 Timothy 3:15b-17:

... the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

It's amazing that 66 books could be written by more than 40 authors from all walks of life over a period of 1500 years, compiled, and everything in it agrees! How can that be? Written by God, not by man. God-breathed through the writers. God's ways are perfect, beyond our understanding.

What does God do through the scriptures? He brings us to salvation. He calls us to Himself. The scriptures tell us about the only way to God--through the God-man Christ Jesus.

Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

~ Acts 4:12

All scripture is profitable--all of the writing itself, the words themselves; not just what we think the thoughts express. Profitable for what?

doctrine--teaching us what is right
reproof--telling us how we've gone wrong
correction--showing us how to make our wrongs right; for setting us aright, that we may get up and go on
instruction in righteousness--training us how to continue in God's ways

The purpose of this profitability? That we may be perfect (not in a Jesus-is-perfect sense, but complete) and 'throughly furnished' for all good works--completely equipped.

My take-home for today--To be equipped. I need to be in the scriptures, learning what is right, where I've gone wrong, how to make my wrongs right, and how to continue in God's ways in my brief earthly course, the beginning of my endless existence.

Painting ~ In the Orangery by Charles Edward Perugini