January 9

Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture comes from one’s own interpretation. For no such prophecy was ever brought forth by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. — 2 Pet 1:20-21 BSB

The Bible is given to us as a revelation from God. This is how we have received it from our ancestors, and this is the only basis on which it claims our attention and obedience. If it is not the Word of God—speaking with all reverence—then it is a deception. But if we can establish the necessity of a revelation from God, we have a strong foundation for believing the Bible to be that revelation, for no other would be worthy of consideration. This argument from necessity is stronger than it first appears and applies broadly. Consider the natural world: everywhere you look, the All-wise and All-powerful Creator has provided for every need. From humans down to the smallest creatures, there is not a necessity for which God has not made provision.

You came into the world a helpless infant, utterly dependent, and you would have perished unless provisions had been made for your survival. Who filled your mother’s breast with milk and her heart with love? Just as God provided for your body’s needs, so too has He provided for your soul’s needs. Shall the body’s necessities be met, but the soul be left without provision? Is there no spiritual milk for the soul, no "sincere milk of the Word" by which it may grow? The soul, once born again, longs for God and eagerly seeks comfort and instruction from His Word. The joy it finds in the light of divine revelation shows how deeply the need for it is embedded in the relationship between man and his Creator.