How do I know the Bible isn’t made up?

Have you ever asked yourself the question “How do I know the Bible isn’t made up?” It’s a big question. Thinking about it today I ask myself, how do I actually know?

Looking online, I find many different answers. Scientific and historical accuracy, fulfilled prophecies, etc. But how do I know that the Bible applies directly to me, to this life I am living right now, in this day and age we live in?

The Bible has been the foundation of my life since I was a little girl. I remember sitting with my mom and my brothers and sisters as she read Bible stories to us before bed. The stories were alive for me. Heroes of faith doing great things through God. Jesus and the apostles working miracles. I especially loved the story of Esther. A real life fairy tale, about a girl who became a queen and saved her people! The images that played in my mind as I lay my head on my mom’s shoulder and listened have never really left.

More than a storybook

As I grew up I began to understand that the Bible isn’t just a storybook. I learned that the stories and teachings of the Bible are still relevant today. They are a guide for me, to show me the way that I must walk on in my life. The life that Jesus and His disciples lived, which is brought to life so vividly in the pages of the Bible, has given me a template for my life.

I ask a friend of mine if she can shed some more clarity on the topic. She is an older woman, and I have confidence in her wisdom and experience. “We know that the Bible is true and is God’s Word, because when we do what it tells us, the result is as the Bible tells us. For example, if I give, I become happy. If I humble myself, I receive grace. If I pray to God, He hears and answers me, etc.” (2 Corinthians 9:6-7; James 4:6; Jeremiah 29:12-14)

Her answer resonates with me. I know that this has been something that I have experienced myself. It starts with a step of faith, then when I am obedient to that faith, I start to experience that the principles written in the Bible can change my life, and then my faith is strengthened even more.

How has believing affected my life?

I think back on my life. I can see that over the years, as I’ve worked with and been obedient to the Word of God, my life has actually changed. I know that I still have a long way to go before the work that God wants to do in my life is finished, but I can also see that there has already been a transformation that has taken place in me.

For example, by nature I am a very anxious person. I could worry about everything. The future. The past. My family. My job. But in Philippians 4:6-7 it says “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

I have really worked with this verse in my life. I’ve prayed to God, and I’ve fought the anxious thoughts that come so easily to me. And slowly but surely I’ve discovered that the peace of God is coming into my heart and my mind. I’m learning to trust in Him and “be anxious for nothing”, and I am experiencing the promised rest and peace that comes from that. I am experiencing that God’s Word is true!

The greatest miracle of all

So when I think about the heroes of faith that I used to hear about, and the miracles that used to be done, I know that I can be one of those stories. Not that I am slaying giants, or turning water into wine. But because of faith, and obedience to the faith, I am being transformed. That is the greatest miracle of all, and it couldn’t be done without the Word of God.

So if you are asking the question “How do I know the Bible isn’t made up?” I challenge you. Try living the life that it teaches us. Be obedient. Just see if you don’t experience the truth of it for yourself.