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This morning, we’re finishing up our yearlong focus on Scripture memory.  The goal has been to hide God’s Word in your heart, to train you in one of the most important disciplines in your faith.  For some of you, it may have really challenged you in a good way.  For others of you, you’ll never be the memorizing type, and that’s okay.

One of the verses that has guided us is from the very first Psalm:

Psalm 1:1-3 Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.  ² But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.  ³ He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.

The one who knows God’s Word and meditates on it is like a tree planted by streams of water, always being fed and bearing fruit. This month, our focus has fittingly been on the Bible. Our memory verse for the month is 2 Timothy 3:16-17 - All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

2 Timothy is Paul’s second letter to his protégé Timothy. Paul encourages him to keep preaching the gospel, the story of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection and the salvation that accomplished for us, because it is ultimately not man’s message but God’s message. It is God-breathed, a phrase which speaks to the inspiration of Scripture, its divine origin. These words in the Bible are the words and the very heart of God. Man’s focus changes with the generations; Scripture does not.

The inspiration of Scripture is one of the paradoxes of the faith. Just as Jesus is fully God and fully man, God is three yet one, this world is God’s yet Satan is presently ruling, this is also a paradox – the Bible is written by men, yet is the Word of God, God-breathed. This Bible is the inspired Word of God and is the equipment you need for life. It teaches right from wrong, how to live rightly, so that you might have all the equipment you need to do the work you are called to do.