We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. II Peter 1:19-21 (New International Version, NIV)

God spoke His words to the chosen vessels who recorded His Word, many of them prophets. They wrote down what they heard from God. They did not add their opinions to what He said, but only wrote what the Holy Spirit inspired them to write. It was God’s sure Word, written down from God to man for man. What comes from God is infallible, without error, mistakes, or contradictions. The writers did not hear one thing and write another. And they didn’t write from their imaginations or some other source. Therefore, Scripture is a reliable source to live by.

If you are not convinced that the Bible is true and without error, consider the prophetic words that were written down through the centuries that have been fulfilled. The writers of these prophecies could not have known what would happen hundreds, sometimes even thousands, of years in the future. They simply wrote what the Holy Spirit moved on them to write. Many times, they wrote of things they couldn’t possibly understand because they were writing of things many years into the future, describing technology and other things not conceivable at the time it was written.

And yes, some translations of the Bible do miss it once in a while, but the original, infallible Biblical text has been preserved and we can look at the original language to make sure we are accurately dividing the Word and applying it correctly. That is why surface reading of the Bible will only do so much for us. When we want a deeper and truer picture of the Word, we must study the orignal words in Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament). This can usually be done with a good Bible concordance, like Strong’s. And we must also consider the culture and time that the Bible was written in. Some verses take on a new meaning when viewed through the lens of the time period and eastern culture in which it was penned.

So, as we read, study and speak the Scripture, we can be sure that it is God’s Word. We can use God’s Word to shine His light in the darkness, to share with others the life-giving truth of the Bible. It is the Word that works because it is the will of the Father. We can be sure the written Word of God is true. We can base and judge everything using the Word of God. The Word is prophetic in nature, so we can speak it and see results in our lives.

The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. Psalm 19:7 (KJV) emphasis mine.