Does God Only Speak Through The Bible?

I recently posted about my quiet time process and how it occasionally needs an overhaul. I listed the materials I am currently using in this process. I also included a timer that helps me stay on track. I got some good feedback from that post, but I had one reader question the materials I listed in that post.

Is The Bible Our Only Source?

Her approach was very professional and considerate. She simply stated that she feels the Bible is the best and only proper component for use in a quiet time for building one’s relationship with God through Christ. She made some very good points about the potential for mistakes or false teaching in materials produced by man. She posed an excellent argument and never got personal or rude.

While we disagree to a point, I truly appreciated her comments and felt it would be a good idea to share my response in today’s post. I do this because I think it could be helpful for you to see my reasons for each of the materials I use in my quiet time. Maybe this discussion could be beneficial to you as you build your own quiet time process.

My Response

Here are my comments below (I changed her name):

Kim, I agree with you to a point. As my quiet time has evolved, I sometimes gravitate to the Bible alone. Other times, as mentioned here, I have more time and I do bring in other materials. I do agree that anything other than the Bible can be a risk.

I recognize and believe that none of the rest of the materials are His Word. They cannot replace or even compare to the Bible. As such, I must be careful to discern whether they align with His Word or not…I feel I do this with the help of the Holy Spirit.

Other Materials Add Context

At the same time, I have found that when I have more time (currently I am spending 90 minutes +/- daily), the other materials add some context to what I am reading. I do believe that if my heart and motives are right, then God can show me wisdom in these other materials that complements and aligns with His Word.

The devotion book I am currently reading uses Scripture and then gives an example of a workplace, community, or family application. This helps me to translate what I am reading into action. My heart is in a state of prayer as I read it, looking for God to show me how it applies to me.

Scanning the news headlines gives me context of the world and how far from Him it has gone. I also find I feel urges to pray for certain circumstances, leaders, etc. I scan these headlines during this time in the morning because my heart is in the best position of the day (focused on Him) and I find my eyes pick up thoughts and ideas that I would miss otherwise.

Other Examples Of Scripture Application

The blogs are the type that show me how other business leaders are applying their faith in the workplace. I do not take any of them or their ideas as gospel, but I consider them more as wise counsel. I have personally connected with several and maintain a Christian brother relationship with them that is valuable to me.

I journal and pray about all that I feel God is revealing to me. I ask for increased wisdom to understand what I have read and boldness to act it out. This helps me organize my thoughts and again, hopefully turn them into action. These are steps I find helpful as my mind processes what I have read.

Bible IS Absolute Truth!

I guess my point is that I do agree that the Bible is our only source of absolute truth, but I think He has given us other material as well that can complement our study of His Word. I know I have experienced Him speaking to me through other sources – godly counsel, Christian accountability, etc. – and there has been much fruit as a result. I feel my current quiet time is more effective in producing fruit than many times in the past.

I hear your advice that the Bible is the only 100% TRUE source of guidance…I agree 100%! At the same time, if I take that to the extreme and ignore all other materials that have come as a result of Him speaking through others, then it would follow that I must do the same with preachers and pastors and their sermons.

Different Perspective

I have heard many sermons that focus on the Scripture, but also bring in other anecdotes and facts to help the listener grasp the main idea of the Scripture. I see this process as similar to my quiet time structure.

Bottom line, I thank you for your comments. These are great topics for us to discuss here. I agree with you, but I also see this from a little different perspective. I hope you can appreciate my thoughts on this as well.

Your Thoughts?

I would love to hear your thoughts on this issue. Do you see benefits to bringing outside materials into your quiet time? Do you instead avoid the risks and stick to the Bible alone? Is there a RIGHT way to do this? Please add to the discussion in the comments section!

Other than the Bible, what materials do you include in your quiet time?

On what Scripture do you base your position?

Can you see and understand the other perspective?

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