Fact or Fiction?

Believe it or not, I’ve been writing devotions “for difficult days” for over twenty-five years. Some of those days and seasons of life have been profoundly painful and others, just a pebble-in-my-shoe irritation. But in each situation I have landed (eventually) on two bedrock truths: 1. God is good and entirely faithful, no matter the circumstance. 2. And the Bible is the God-breathed, inerrant and infallible word of Almighty God.  I assure you I did not come to these conclusions easily or while relaxing in my favorite chair, sipping a latte. The furnace of affliction has done a great work in my life (even if some of those afflictions were self-inflicted).

Below is a devo I wrote several years ago, but has recently come to my mind. I believe it captures some of the truths that have shaped my life. I pray it encourages you, while also challenging you to (if needed) re-access your view of God’s Word.

The Bible – Truth or Fiction?

Every word of God is tested; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him. Proverbs 30:5 NASB

In all my writing I make the assumption that God’s Word is true. Not a hope-so phrase. Not, “Think warm thoughts” nonsense that has no real value or meaning. But Truth. It is the very foundation for the encouragement I offer. Yet, I realize not everyone accepts that truth. So, in this “devotional” I am going to tackle the topic of God’s Word and why it is the very bedrock of my life.

My devotions always begin with a Scripture. The foundation Stone. Not a man’s opinion but God’s Word. I make the assumption that the Bible, from Genesis’s “In the beginning God created … to Revelation’s “Behold, I come quickly” Is Truth. Building on that as I share from His Word and my life’s experiences.

Now for those who don’t hold this view, my writings and speaking might seem like syrupy Christian nonsense or emotional-crutch-reading for the broken and needy or gullible. I stake my eternity on the Bible’s validity. (In fact, everyone is gambling their eternity on one side of that coin or the other. There is no other option.)

Rather than opinion, I offer readers what God has to say on a matter. And the matter I usually speak on is what the Lord has taught/is teaching me the most about – adversity, trials and real-life difficulties. And most of all, how to walk through them honestly but with a focus on the One who holds my life in His hands. Wrestling out both the pain and His purpose.

Let me tell you how this absolute assurance in the Bible began, or at least how it was solidified in my life. I didn’t “grow up” in Church. In fact, though I was raised to believe in “god” generally, I learned everything from Roman Catholicism to reincarnation/New Age/New Thought spirituality to secularism.

I came to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and surrendered my life to Him after the death of my 3 day old baby girl, who I gave birth to at the ripe old age of barely 15. Many twists and turns have occurred in my life since that day 45 years ago. Including being blessed with 5 more children, two step-daughters as well as the tragedy of giving birth to a still-born son.

Somewhere in the midst of a very challenging trial…okay, a horrific 20 year difficulty … I began questioning God, prayer and even the goodness of God. Why, if God was really listening (and His Word says He is) was life not getting any easier? Either He wasn’t really listening or He didn’t care or He wasn’t even there, were just some of thoughts swirling in my heart as I wrestled this out…

Had I, out of desperation, somehow convinced myself that the Bible and all this Christian stuff was true? Had I talked myself into a reality that existed only in my mind as an emotional crutch? Memories of New Age thinking flooded my mind, causing doubts to increase within me.

I had to know the Truth. Wherever that led me. I began a search that first of all included asking God to reveal Himself to me… and included reading the book, The Case for Christ written by Lee Strobel, an award winning investigative journalist for the Chicago Tribune who was an atheist and skeptic turned Christian. I devoured teachings by famed apologist from Australia, Ken Ham, and read the writings of C.S. Lewis. Another skeptic turned Christian.

But in the end what convinced me of the Truth of God’s Word was the stand taken by a hero of mine, Billy Graham. Dr. Graham faced his own moment of crisis fresh out of seminary. A friend and seminary peer by the name of Charles Templeton told Billy that he just couldn’t believe the Bible anymore. That some parts were not trustworthy. This caused a crisis of faith for Graham that culminated in a mountain-top scene where Dr. Graham cried out to God for help. Finally, with an open Bible, he leaned upon a tree stump and made the declaration that though he didn’t have all the answers, from that day on he would take his stand for the Inerrant Truth of the Bible.

Years later, Dr. Graham was famous for lifting high his Bible and proclaiming with authority, “The Bible says…”

Back to my conviction of the Truth of the Bible. While secular historians from antiquity such as Josephus and Tacitus and modern Biblical scholars provided proof, in the end I made the choice to believe the Bible, the entire Bible, from the first word to the last, to be the infallible, inerrant Word of Almighty God. Period.

Now…now I have a foundation to lean into. To write about. To offer genuine comfort and encouragement to those facing real pain. Real adversity. Real tragedy. Heck…life happens to all of us doesn’t it? I have nothing of real value or substance to offer anyone other than the Words of God Himself. Leaning hard into His Truth that can be trusted in. Depended on. His Word, no warm-thought positive phrase can provide authentic hope and peace. Not, and let me shout this from the mountain-tops of my laptop… not a feel-good, hope so, mind over matter, fluffy nonsense of “just think happy thoughts.” Heck no.

What I offer through my writing. Through my speaking, is the Truth. Truth that can be leaned into and relied upon.

Now, with that sure foundation…Let me encourage you … “The Lord is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him sincerely and in truth.”  Psalm 145:18 AMPC

He is near you. Near me. You are not alone. Seek Him and He will be found by you. Call upon Him. Sincerely. He will not fail you. Bank on it.

In service to The Master,

Written by Becky White for the Lord Jesus