The Spirit Leads

The Dutch national museum made an embarrassing discovery a few years ago. One of the most prized possessions in their collection was a moon rock. During the Apollo trips to the moon, more than 840 pounds of rock were collected, and some were given as gifts by U.S. ambassadors to different countries around the world.

The prime minister of the Netherlands received one such gift and, when he died in 1988, the rock was donated to the museum. Everyone thought the rock was authentic, and it was even insured for half-a-million dollars. But researchers at the Free University of Amsterdam had their doubts and began extensive testing. They finally concluded that the rock was a piece of petrified wood worth about $70. No one knows how the switch was ever made.

The Word of God is compared to a solid rock (Matthew 7:24) and is even better than fine gold (Psalm 19:10). But how does one truly know they possess heavenly truth? It comes only through the influence of the Holy Spirit, who alone can reveal God’s messages. A casual reading of the Word will not open the divine teachings to a reader. The apostle Paul explained that “no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God” (1 Corinthians 2:11).

One way the Spirit leads us to believe in the Bible is through predictive prophecy. When prophets foretell the future (see Daniel 2) through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we grow to trust the Scriptures. “And so we have the prophetic word confirmed…” (2 Peter 1:19, emphasis added).

We are helpless in knowing truth and may actually be holding on to things that are worthless. The Holy Spirit is the One who guides us and helps us test and know the teachings of the Bible. “God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God” (1 Corinthians 2:10).

Apply It:

Make a commitment to always pray for the Holy Spirit to guide you before reading the Bible.

Dig Deeper:

Isaiah 8:20; Matthew 16:13–17; 1 Corinthians 12:3

Key Bible Texts

Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. (1 Corinthians 2:12 KJV)