Inspired writing

One of the things that interests me these days is the argument people make about how they don't believe the Bible because it was written by man.  That's true, and the argument I would make is that it was inspired by God and written by man.

I had a lesson in that today while preparing a sermon for tomorrow night's chapel service at the Rescue Mission.  I still can't believe I get to do this once a month and as usual, I never have any idea what I'm going to write about, past an idea.  My idea was to talk about peace.  I know I need God's peace in my life and I try to chase the peace.  When I have it, it's a huge indicator to me that I'm where I should be and looking up instead of anywhere else tends to invite that peace into my life.  That's another story, though.

I googled some Bible verses about God's peace which led me to Isaiah 55 which is an invitation from God.  A sermon that was supposed to be about peace turned into an invitation from God.  I love the verses here and one of them does speak of peace.  I used that as my closing idea, by the way and it was the closing thought that really drove the idea home.

Paul writes about how Jesus essentially fills the words Isaiah was given and which are written in Isaiah 55.  The time difference is large and it's amazing how Jesus is described here in these verses.  Nobody but God could have orchestrated that and it's a reminder to me how God inspired others to write His book.

I don't take credit for the sermons I write.  I type them, but the ideas aren't mine.  Sure I have a part in it but the words come from a place in me that I don't have to struggle to find them.  I've never once had a "block" about something I was writing to share unless it was more something I wanted to say instead of following the prompting of the Holy Spirit.

It's a thing worth thinking about if you're fence sitting about whether or not the Bible is God's word to us.  Tomorrow night, I'll post the message and you can read it for yourself.