Breathe in, Breathe out

2 Timothy 3:16-17

16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God[a]may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

I bet I've read those two verses hundreds of times:  how about you?  Verses like this are easy to skim over.  How can there be something new there for me, for you?  As I pray for God to open up scripture to me and reveal what I need to learn to more completely follow him, I am struck by the first phrase:  All Scripture is God-breathed.  The image of God breathing gives me pause. 

Yes, I breathe in, I breathe out.  Thousands of times every day.  I don't think about it - it comes with being human and being very much alive.  It is essential to living, and yet I almost never pause and say "I'm so thanking for being able to breathe."  

Scripture is God-breathed.  All of it.  And - the amazing, wonderful thing is that God breathed his scripture through his people!  Scripture is God-breathed and written through inspired men and women who revealed God's character and purpose to those who follow him.  

And these two short verses outline the purpose of this God-breathed scripture:  teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness - equipping us for good work.

What good work does God have for you, for me?  A good place to start is reading his God-breathed scripture and asking him to show you how to serve.  So many opportunities abound through UALC's many ministry opportunities. How are you serving?  What will God reveal to you?  He has a plan!

Lord, God, thank you for your God-breathed scripture.  Help me to take advantage of every opportunity for training for good works.  Amen.