The Bible doesn’t always make sense to me

This morning I wanted to study a specific passage of scripture in the New Testament. But instead of gaining insight and revelation, I felt like I was hitting a rock. None of it was making sense.

A well of frustration bubbled up inside of me.

Out of that frustration I turned back to my chronological reading plan — back to the Old Testament and into Psalm 25. This is what I read:

“Show me the right path, O Lord; point out the road for me to follow. Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you.” —Psalms 25:4-5 NLT

My frustration began to subside. Maybe the passage I wanted to study didn’t make sense to me and left me feeling uncomfortable because of that, but I have to be ok with not understanding everything. God will lead me by his truth and teach me in due time.

One thing I’ve learned through this reading plan I’m doing is that the Old Testament gives a necessary foundation to what is written and chronicled in the New Testament. I can’t understand one without the other. So while I am eager to get to the good news of Jesus the Messiah, I need to be patient and submit myself to the process.

Show me the right path…point out the road for me to follow.

I also need to trust that God will show himself through his word. That each day I’ll learn a little bit more. That he’ll lead me by his truth. I just need to show up and be teachable.

You are the God who saves me.

My hope is in the Lord. He is my shepherd who leads me, corrects me, protects me, provides for me. I am nothing without him. He is everything without me.

When I don’t understand, my default will be trust.

When I’m frustrated, my default will be trust.

When all else fails, my default will be trust.

Frustration is going to happen as we read the Bible. We’re fallen sinners trying to comprehend the kingdom of God. But remember, God wants us to be a part of his kingdom – that much is crystal clear to me.

This is a good reminder to submit to the process of learning and being made new by him layer by layer.

All day long I put my hope in you.

They Do Not Fear Bad News

“They do not fear bad news; they confidently trust the Lord to care for them.”
^{Psalm 112:7}

I love this verse. I just love it. It invites us to trust God on such a practical, down to earth, everyday level. It also invites us to dig deeper, because the following questions beg to be asked:

Who does not fear bad news?

Who confidently trusts that the Lord will care for them?

Because I want to be that person. I want my relationship with God to be that solid. I want to have that kind of confidence.

So how do I get there?

My study bible opens this psalm up by saying that, “God guards the minds and actions of those who follow his commands.”

So this is our first step: follow his commands.

I know this may cause you to bristle. But let’s think about this for a second. Because the more I get to know God, the more I come to know that his commands are always and only for our good. Just as a parent stops their kids from touching a hot stove to save them from getting burned, or from eating too much candy to prevent an upset stomach, or to warn them about getting into dangerous situations to keep their futures secure and their bodies safe, so the Lord does the same for us through his commands.

When news of bad things come, I want my first response to be wonder at what God is up to behind the scenes. I want to stand firm in confidence that as I follow God with all my heart, soul and mind he will guard me, guide me and protect me in ways I could never imagine.

And when the news is particularly hard, hitting so very close to home, I want my first instinct to be to turn to him with my tears of sorrow, pain, or confusion because I know he loves and cares for me. I know that in turning to him I may not find understanding, but I know I will most certainly find peace.

How joyful are those who fear the Lord
    and delight in obeying his commands.
^{Psalm 112:1}

They do not fear bad news;
    they confidently trust the Lord to care for them.
^{Psalm 112:7}

Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.
^{John 14:21}

Be Strong and Very Courageous!

“This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
_{Joshua 1:9}

Before we really dig into verse 9, I want us to take a look at the verses leading up to it. I’ve found that in the past I have often quick-claimed inspiring verses like this one, but failed to acknowledge the context proceeding it. The context helps us understand who said the verse, why it was said and to whom. It adds a depth and a power that would otherwise be lost to us.

In these verses, the Lord is talking directly to Joshua. Here’s what he said…

⁵ “No one will be able to stand against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you.⁶ Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them. ⁷ Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. ⁸ Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.”
_{Joshua 1:5-9}

Joshua was among the twelve Israelites that went into the land of Canaan to explore and bring back a report before the entire population Israel was to enter¹. Of those twelve, only he and Caleb returned full of faith that God would be with them and fulfill his promises. The other ten were so terrified by the obstacles and opposition they saw that they caused the entire nation to rebel against God.

Though God punished them and set them to wonder in the wilderness for forty years, Joshua’s faith remained firm and did not go unnoticed. At the end of their wilderness punishment, Joshua was appointed to take over and lead the people into the Promised Land.

As we consider God’s powerful promise in verse 9, we need to make note of its caveat in verse 7. It says, “Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do.”

After reading these passages, I find myself thinking of two different belief systems.

The first is that God created all, including us. And including the rules. That the only way to succeed is by following his instructions. That he is the way, the truth and the life. Our hearts are always yearning for more of God and are being refined by him.

The second is that we’re smarter than God, who is out of date, old fashioned, and behind the times. We have full understanding of the world and can, and will, be just fine, if not better, on our own. God will ultimately only slow us down and hold us back from all that life has to offer. Our hearts are growing ever more hard and stubborn.

The world I live in loves this second system and is doing everything it can to eliminate consequences to bad, sinful decisions. It wants good things, prosperous things, but it doesn’t want rules on how to get it. It prefers an anything goes mentality. Satan cleared the way for this, and he paved it to make it easy. He lit it up, made it public, and made it socially acceptable. The stops along the way are irresistible, even predictable, so that we do not have to wonder, second guess or fear.

But Satan doesn’t love, he hates. And he’s cunning and will keep those who follow this path moving further and further from God and closer to eternal separation from Him.

In direct contrast the first is, at its core, submission. It’s admitting that we’re human and not deity. That we see only in part. That we can’t create our own peace or joy. That we don’t know it all. That, when we truly look at our own actions and thoughts and motivations, we’re not better than anyone else – we’re actually far worse that we thought. That we don’t actually know what’s going to happen.

It’s admitting that we’re mere sheep and we desperately need a good shepherd to provide for us, protect us, guide us, heal our broken bones, find us when we’re lost, and redirect us when we’re wandering off.

When we follow the first, when we are careful to obey God and not deviate from him, turning either to the right or to the left, this is where his promise comes into play. This is where he says “…be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” This is when we can go boldly, knowing that the Lord is on our side and is mighty to save, strong in battle!

God knows what’s best for us, and his way is our base case scenario. Whatever you’re facing today, submit it to God. Then go forward with courage. Be strong. Be very courageous! For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

¹ Numbers 13-14