Daily Devotional
Do You Refer to the Bible?

September 23, 2021

Ponder This

A while back I had the joy of spending several hours with Dr. Billy Graham in his home in Montreat, North Carolina. We sat before a fire and talked, and it was one of the most enjoyable times that I’ve had. We had a cup of coffee, and I asked him to tell me again about that time in his life when he got the matter settled about the Word of God. Billy Graham told me how he as a youngster had heard all of the machinations and all of the protestations of the liberal theologians, and he was being bombarded on every side. He said, “I went alone in the mountains to get it settled. I took my Bible. I read it over and over and over again, and I went out there and I prayed to God. Finally, I knew I had to make a decision. And I said, ‘Lord God, I have preached this Bible already enough to see its mighty effect, its power in the lives of men. I may not understand everything, I may not be able to answer all of the arguments, but God, I believe that Book is Your Word, and I’m going to preach it that way.’”

I believe if there’s any secret to the ministry of Billy Graham it was that Billy was committed to preaching and saying, “The Bible says … the Bible says….” We must always return to what the Bible says. The inerrancy of the Word of God leads to the authority of the Word of God.

• Are you more likely to rely on what the Bible says or on what you say? Why?
• How would your life look different if you truly rely on what the Bible says?

Practice This

Make a list today of things the Bible says. Contrast this with things you or others in the world might say according to human wisdom. Keep this list to refer to regularly.