“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17, NIV)
Picture, if you will, living at a time when it is illegal to own or even quote an English translation of the Bible. In 1526 in England, those who owned an English copy of the Bible were under the threat of execution by order of the king of England himself. Many Christians today are not aware of the incredible sacrifices that were made for an English translation of the Bible to end up in their hands today.
Knowing what it cost others and how willingly they made those sacrifices is inspiring and motivates me to treasure my Bible more dearly. William Tyndale was one such man who gave up so much out of devotion to God and love for others. Prior to Tyndale translating the New Testament and much of the Old Testament into English, only scholars in Latin, Greek, and Hebrew could read and understand Scripture. Everyone else had to rely on their bishops to tell them what the Bible said.
This is hard for us in the 21st century to wrap our minds around, because today we have the Bible at our fingertips, a mere click or two away. But Scripture foretold times when there would be a famine—”not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord” (Amos 8:11, ESV).
Tyndale had studied Greek and Hebrew and knew the treasure of having a relationship with God based on Holy Scripture. He knew that Scripture was not merely the words of wise men, but the very words of the living God, which could be translated into any language (1 Thessalonians 2:13). His heart burned with a passion for the common people of his day to experience the Word of God in the same way.
At one point, a highly esteemed Latin scholar told Tyndale, “It would be better to be without God’s laws than without the pope’s.”
Tyndale courageously responded, “I defy the pope and all his laws! In fact, if God spares my life, I intend to make it possible for a common farmer, a plowman, to know more of the Scripture than you do!”
He spent the next ten years working tirelessly across Europe, fleeing persecution from one nation to the next, translating the Bible into the language even a plowman could read and understand. Tyndale was eventually betrayed and imprisoned. Although he couldn’t do the translation work in prison, he continued to preach the saving message about the crucified and risen Jesus. In fact, the jailer, the jailer’s daughter, and other members of his household surrendered their lives to the Lord Jesus.
Finally, on October 6, 1536, Tyndale was taken out of his prison, strangled to death, and his body was burned as a warning to all who would participate in his Bible-translating rebellion. Just before dying, William Tyndale prayed aloud, “Lord, open the king of England’s eyes!” That prayer was answered three years later when the king of England decreed that Tyndale’s New Testament be placed in every church in England!
It’s impossible to calculate the value of having God’s Word so readily available today.
When I hear about Tyndale’s devotion and sacrifice that led to me having a Bible in my hands, I am deeply moved and compelled to treasure these words and never take them for granted. I hope you feel the same way. God has spoken. And He intends for us to know Him through His Word.
“In the way of your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches. I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word.” (Psalm 119:14-16, ESV)
I pray that just because the Bible is so accessible in our day, it would not be overlooked as the precious gift that it is.
Have thoughts on this post? I’d love to hear from you!
What we prioritize determines the course of our lives.
There’s a simple law of reality that says, “If you don’t set your priorities, someone else will set them for you.” In fact, more often than not, the world will set your priorities. Busyness will set your priorities for you. Your long list of “To Dos” will set your priorities. But God wants us to begin with Him. He doesn’t want us to try and squeeze Him into our busy schedule; He wants to be involved with every aspect of life.
Jesus gave us a really helpful perspective for setting priorities: “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things [the basic necessities of life] will be added to you.”[1] For Jesus, the number one priority in life was the Kingdom of God. He didn’t drift through life passively. He began each day intentionally. “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.”[2]
Jesus lived with the Kingdom in mind. He said His food was to do the will of God, His Father.
And that’s where Jesus would have us begin, too.
We tend to say things like, “There aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done.” But actually, there are exactly the right number of hours in a day. God ordained from all eternity that there would be 24 hours in a day. No more, no less. And it falls to each of us to determine how we will use those precious hours.
We say, “My days have been really full lately.” I think I said that to someone recently. But the truth is, every day is filled with something. It could be filled with working nonstop. It could be filled with chasing the next thrill. It could be filled with binging on Netflix with a bowl of popcorn on the easy chair. But every day is filled with something.
“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” (Ephesians 5:16, ESV)
Now, in one sense, we have zero control over unexpected events in life. But in another sense, we are the ones that get to set our own priorities. God gives us agency.
“So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12, ESV)
These lives are finite. Live in light of eternity. Fill every day with what matters most. Begin with God.
Have thoughts on this post? I’d love to hear from you!
“And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.” (John 3:19, ESV)
This last weekend, the 2024 Olympics kicked off with an opening ceremony that has garnered much attention, mostly negative. I hesitated to write anything about it, because honestly, I didn’t really want to draw more attention to it. But since a couple people have brought it up to me, I felt prompted to reflect on how the gospel speaks directly to cultural moments like this.
I don’t need to get into the details of what was portrayed, but it involved a very gross, in-your-face amalgamation of paganism, drag queens, and disturbing mockery of The Last Supper, Leonardo Da Vinci’s famous painting depicting Jesus with His twelve Apostles in their final meal together. The French Bishops’ Conference lamented that the act was a “mockery and derision of Christianity.” Bishop Robert Barron said the scene “mocked a very central moment in Christianity.” Apparently, there was debate about whether the scene was meant to evoke any connection to Christianity, but in the end the producers admitted “that it was in fact inspired by Da Vinci’s famous painting.”[1]
When Jesus walked the earth, He was both loved and hated. On the one hand, people who keenly sensed their spiritual emptiness were drawn to this miracle-working rabbi who proclaimed the kingdom of God’s arrival in and through His ministry. On the other hand, many despised Jesus because He is holy. Simply by being the Righteous One, Jesus exposed the paltry self-righteousness and hypocrisy of others.
“And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.” (John 3:19-20, ESV)
Jesus is the Light of the world (John 8:12). By coming into this world, His power and character exposed the darkness of evil and self-indulgence. So when people love the darkness, they hate Jesus Christ. But in Jesus’s first coming, He didn’t come simply to condemn the world. He came to save all who would trust in Him from condemnation (John 3:17).
“Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” (John 3:18, ESV)
The Bible teaches that it’s not just the world “out there” that has rebelled against God. We have all turned aside and gone our own way (Isaiah 53:6). We have all fallen short of God’s glorious standard (Romans 3:23). We all stand condemned until we look in saving faith on the One who was condemned in our place.
“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” (John 3:36, ESV)
Rather than merely accuse or abandon the human race to its deplorable state of moral degradation, Jesus came in pursuit of us. He loved His own to the very end, willingly laying His life down for us and bearing the penalty we justly deserved. In and through Jesus, God was reconciling the world to Himself. On that cross, Jesus was credited with every sin I ever committed (2 Corinthians 5:21). He hung there, stripped and bleeding, because of the sinful and foolish things I have said and done. Scripture is even willing to say that Jesus was made to “be sin” so that I might “become the righteousness of God” through faith in His perfect atonement.
Jesus came to rescue a world caught in the web of satanic lies that have been around since the Garden of Eden. He came to deliver those who have been enslaved to their own lusts. He came to heal those who have been wounded by the pain of a broken world. This is the gospel followers of Jesus must proclaim to a dying world.
What happened during the opening ceremony is a symptom of a world turned away from the light and toward the darkness. Paul wrote of those who “glory in their shame,” whose “end is destruction” (Philippians 3:19). Our message to this lost and confused world is: Look to Jesus—the real Jesus Christ of the Bible. See His spotless character. Watch Him take little children in His arms. See Him reach out and touch the “untouchable” leper. Look at how He takes notice of the man who has greedily lived for money, and He forgives the immoral woman who weeps at His feet. Look at Him hanging between two thieves, dying a criminal’s death for you. See Him gloriously raised to life!
Jesus was the only true Light in a sin-darkened world.
Don’t despise Jesus for coming in weakness and dying a shameful death outside the gate. Instead, “go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach He endured” (Hebrews 13:13). Fall down and worship Him. Because He’s no longer dead! And one day, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. How terrible will be the day of His return for the unrepentant who have mocked Him and derided His authority.
Those who truly love Jesus are willing to bear the scorn heaped on Him. He is the True North for those who have lost their way. And apart from Him our world has no hope and will have to suffer the consequences of moral rebellion.
Have thoughts on this post? I’d love to hear from you!
“Note then the kindness and the severity of God.” (Romans 11:22, ESV)
Not long ago, my friend Matt and I were on Oregon State’s campus talking to people about Jesus. A Jewish rabbi approached us and asked, “Are you Jewish?” When we said we were not, he explained he was passing out materials for celebrating Passover and then started to move on.
When Matt asked what he thought of Jesus, he quickly declined to answer. I couldn’t help thinking, But Jesus is the One Passover is ultimately about.
“For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.” (1 Corinthians 5:7, ESV)
Sadly, throughout the years of engaging with Jewish people, whom I love with the love of Jesus the Messiah, I have had very little fruit in even discussing Jesus. His very Name seems to be a conversation killer.
“To the Jew First”
Nevertheless, I remain convinced that I must tell Jewish people about Jesus. I’m not going to accept our culture’s “everyone gets to choose their own brand of spirituality” mantra. For many people, choosing your spirituality is like choosing your own flavor of ice cream. Just go with whatever floats your boat. But spiritual truth is like gravity; you can deny it has any bearing on you, but you do so at your own peril. We don’t get to decide what God is like; rather, we discover what God is like.
Our culture may say I’m being disrespectful and intolerant of my Jewish neighbor by telling him about Jesus. But, at the core of my being, I believe that every person on the planet, irrespective of their ethnic and religious background, needs to hear the gospel.
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” (Romans 1:16, ESV)
Americans love to say things like, “My God would never send anyone to hell.” Or even, “My God is tolerant of all faiths and lifestyles.” They have a lot to say about their God. But that’s the problem. Such people have violated the first three commandments and set up a false version of God in place of the real God.
Instead, people need to hear what the true and living God of the Bible has to say about this:
“It is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment.” (Hebrews 9:27, ESV)
“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” (John 3:36, ESV)
The truly loving thing is to tell my Jewish neighbor that Jesus fulfilled the Hebrew Scripture that spoke of a Messiah (Psalm 22; Isaiah 53; Zechariah 9:9; 12:10), He fulfilled the Temple sacrifices of the Torah, and He is going to return one day soon to judge and to save.
God’s Plan for Israel in Romans 11
I’m also motivated by passages like Romans 11 to keep sharing the good news of the Messiah. Now, fair warning. Romans 11 is a bit dense for those who are new to the Bible. And even learned scholars continue to wrestle through all its implications. Nevertheless, I think it’s a passage worth a careful reading as we think about God’s plan for Jewish people as a whole.
In the eleventh chapter of Romans, the Apostle Paul is warning Gentile believers to not presume on God’s gracious character. Throughout this monumental letter, Paul has been carefully explaining the gospel of God’s grace—telling sinners how they can be reconciled to a holy God. He has emphasized both God’s righteous character and His extraordinary mercy. But in Romans 11, he discusses the problem of Jewish people rejecting Jesus, the Jewish Messiah. In other words, if Jesus is the Heaven-sent Jewish Messiah, why do so many Jews reject Him? He asks the rhetorical question: “Has God rejected his people? By no means!” (Romans 11:1).
Paul uses the illustration of an olive tree to say that the Jewish people who rejected Jesus’ right to rule over them are like the “natural branches” that were “broken off because of their unbelief” (Romans 11:20). Gentile believers were like wild olive shoots that were grafted in to the tree in place of the branches that were removed.
“But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you.” (Romans 11:17-18, ESV)
So, Israel’s rejection of her Messiah is what led to the gospel going out to the nations? In God’s providence, yes, that’s what happened (see Romans 11:19-20). However, Gentile believers must not grow complacent and presume on God’s grace, thinking they now have the right to the root (Jesus) and Jewish people do not.
“But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but tremble. For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either.” (Romans 11:20-21, NIV)
Natural Branches and Wild Branches
Here’s the point. Many Jewish people rejected Jesus and had confidence in their Jewishness that God would spare them from judgment. John the Baptist directly confronted this mindset (Matthew 3:9-10). However, in the same way, God now gives Gentiles a severe warning. We ought not to presume that because we grew up in church, got baptized, and listened to Audio Adrenaline growing up that we too will be spared from judgment.
Why? Because it is only through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, His substitutionary death for our sins and resurrection from the grave, that we are saved. If we have not surrendered our lives to Jesus, it doesn’t matter what our “Christian” background is—we “too will be cut off” (Romans 11:22).
“Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God's kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off.” (Romans 11:22, ESV)
John Stott writes, “Not that those who truly belong to Him will ever be rejected, but that continuance or perseverance is the hallmark of God’s authentic children.”
Faith in Jesus makes all the difference, because that is how we are united to Christ and get to wear His righteousness before a holy God on the Day of Judgment. To “continue in his kindness” is to demonstrate that our faith is genuinely in Jesus, because genuine faith continues to the end.
“For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.”(Hebrews 3:14, ESV)
Thus, we should have a holy fear of the Lord and be staggered by the sheer grace of God to save us by hanging Jesus on the cross we deserved.
See, without this warning, we’d miss out on an important aspect of God’s character, that He is holy, just, and righteous. We should revere Him and have an awe for who He is. The warnings in Scripture help us to not lose sight of this.
Warnings are given by God to shake us out of our spiritual slumber that proudly thinks we are better off than others because we were raised in the “right” church or family. Warnings like this also remind us what is at stake for everyone who dies apart from Jesus.
We Gentiles are the wild branches. We aren’t the natural heirs of the promise, but we’ve been adopted into God’s family through faith in Jesus. I don’t believe that the church has replaced Israel in God’s plan, but that we have been grafted into the root of Israel. No promise of God has been abrogated; instead, our understanding of the original promise to Abraham and his offspring has been expanded (Genesis 12:1-3; Romans 4:13-18). But Paul warns us Gentiles not to be arrogant, because we are nourished by the Jewish root (Jesus).
“Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And in this way all Israel will be saved.” (Romans 11:25-26, ESV)
This gives me great hope! Even though it looks today like Israel will go on rejecting her Messiah, God says that this is only a temporary situation. The hardening is “partial” not total, and it will only be “until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.” In other words, as more and more Gentiles turn to the Jewish Messiah, eventually it will reach a tipping point. At that providential moment in history, there will be a sudden and powerful inflowing of Jews into the kingdom of God.
“All Israel Will Be Saved”
Paul says, “All Israel will be saved.” This cannot mean all of “spiritual Israel” or the elect remnant of Israel will be saved; otherwise, the statement would be redundant. Paul has to be speaking of ethnic Jewish people, and his statement probably carries even more force in light of the fact that Israel has been a sovereign nation since May 14, 1948. In other words, God is not done with Jewish people. In His sovereign plan, Israel—as a nation—will one day repent and trust in Jesus as their Messiah and God.
Does this mean that every Jewish person alive at that point will be saved? F. F. Bruce explains: “’All Israel’ is a recurring expression in Jewish literature, where it need not mean ‘every Jew without a single exception’ but ‘Israel as a whole.’”[1]
That makes good sense, because even today while there is a “partial hardening” on the Jewish people, there are still a great many Jews who love and worship Jesus.
Okay, so what’s the big takeaway from all this? Be not discouraged as you encounter Jews who reject the gospel today. Yes, it is sad when any person (Jew or Gentile) rejects the offer of eternal life. Paul said he was willing to go to hell for the sake of his fellow Jews (Romans 9:3)! His heart’s desire and prayer was that his countrymen would see their need for the righteousness of Jesus (Romans 10:1-4).
But God has a purpose and a plan, and we can always trust what God is doing in the world today; He told us it would happen this way. For myself, I’m committed to continually honoring Jewish people as those whom God has used mightily throughout history. We must roundly condemn all forms of anti-Semitism, including weaponizing the Bible as a tool of denigration. We must thank God for how He has blessed Abraham’s descendants and, in turn, allowed us who love and follow Jesus to be grafted on to the Abrahamic olive tree. The Bible I read every day is very Jewish!
And I’m also committed to sharing the good news of Jesus the Messiah with every Jewish person I meet.
“But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5, ESV)
I pray this encourages you to be bold in the gospel. If you have any thoughts or questions about this, I would love to hear from you!
One of the biggest ways our enemy, the devil, will try to sabotage our walk with Jesus is through painting God as uncaring or incapable of helping us during the rough patches of life. And when it comes to “rough patches,” we’ve all had them, right? Those times where we feel like we just got sucker punched by life, and it’s like the wind has been knocked out of our lungs. The fresh joy and peace we were just experiencing in the Lord yesterday seems to have vanished. Our spiritual sails don’t seem to be catching wind anymore.
God knows our tendency is to go from scratching our head in confusion, “Where did that come from?” to “Oh, God, why me?” to “God… do you even care?”
Let me assure you. God cares. These times in life—which we, as followers of Jesus, all face—are intended by God to deepen our faith and, ultimately, our communion with Him. The devil’s intention, however, is to tempt us to doubt God’s goodness, love, and presence with us.
So, what do we do when times of testing come?
1. Stay humble.
Whether we realize it or not, this attitude that says, “God doesn’t care about my situation. Why should I go to Him?” is actually incredibly arrogant. It indicates a lack of faith in His character and an unwillingness to listen to what He might want you to learn. It also plays right into the devil’s hand. The devil, you may remember, fell through the sin of pride, and he would gladly enlist you into the same plan of rebellion if you’re willing to sign on.
In his first letter, the Apostle Peter reminds us that God looks with favor on the humble—not on those who puff themselves up in arrogance:
“So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor.” (1 Peter 5:6, NLT)
Notice Peter says “at the right time” God will honor you. In other words, if you’re going through a rough patch in life, it’s not that God has neglected you. It does mean that He has a purpose in your distress and that His goal is to lift you up and honor you when the time is right if you stay humble.
2. Cry out to God from the heart.
“Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” (1 Peter 5:7, NLT)
Whatever is pressing on your mind—even if it’s some kind of sadness or fear that you can’t quite name—give it over to God. If you find yourself up late at night incapable of getting those worst fears out of your mind, come back to this passage. Be as open and transparent with the Lord as you can. Name the feelings of fear and frustration and anxiety, even if you can’t pinpoint the source. And tell Him how desperately you want to trust Him to handle these anxious thoughts and give you new life and peace in their place.
3. Stand firm against the devil and his schemes.
“Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith.” (1 Peter 5:8-9a, NLT)
It’s sobering to remember the devil is a “great enemy.” When we’re talking about the devil and what he’s capable of when he comes against a follower of Jesus, we aren’t talking about a chihuahua. We’re talking about a “roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”
Last year, my family went to a small game park that had several lions. At one point, one of the male lions let out a thunderous roar. Despite being about 100 yards away, I felt the sound in the pit of my stomach. I’ve seen TheLion King, but a Disney film just can’t convey how loudly they can roar. Were I ever to cross a wild lion in the African savannah, you can bet I would have a healthy fear of what that creature could do to me.
To be clear, Jesus is infinitely more powerful than the devil. And by the power of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God, we have all the resources we need to “stand firm against him.” And yet, he’s still a drooling lion, on the prowl for his next lunch.
So how do we stand firm in the faith and resist our great foe? We wield the very weapon Jesus wielded in His hour of testing in the desert (see Matthew 4:1-11). Get your mind into the Word of God, and those razor-sharp claws start to retract. Remember Daniel? Despite the very real threat of being the main course for the king’s pet lions, Daniel banked everything on God’s power to deliver. So he kept on praying to the God of Heaven when it was illegal. He learned that when your confidence is in God and His promises, hungry lions suddenly lose their appetite.
Be so full of God’s Word that you lose that worldly flavor to which the devil is drawn.
4. Remember you’re not alone in the battle.
You are in a battle, no question about that. We are told to don the armor of God, because our fight is “against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12, NLT). Peter reminds us:
“Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.” (1 Peter 5:9, NLT)
Pick up a copy of the magazine Voice of the Martyrs and spend some time learning about the persecution many of our brothers and sisters are experiencing in other nations. And yet, in the midst of their trials, these suffering Christians often tell of how faithful Jesus has been even though they have lost their church building, their home, and even, at times, family members.
Peter is not speaking from ignorance. He knows what it’s like to be mocked, derided, beaten, flogged, and imprisoned for the Lord Jesus (see Acts 5, 10). And how did Peter respond after being threatened with death and then flogged?
The apostles left the high council rejoicing that God had counted them worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus. And every day, in the Temple and from house to house, they continued to teach and preach this message: “Jesus is the Messiah.” (Acts 5:41-42, NLT)
Is that not incredible? With a blood-soaked back from the flogging they’d just endured, Peter and the other Apostles could only rejoice that “God had counted them worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus.” Clearly, they had a countercultural perspective on what life is all about. Even if you’re not there yet, don’t you want to be?
5. Seek first the Kingdom of God.
And then what? They kept doing the very thing that earned them a flogging. They went right on telling people the glorious truth: “Jesus is the Messiah you have been waiting for! He is the Savior who died in your place so that you can be forgiven! He is the Lord of life who conquered the grave!” The more you are captivated by the bigness of the Gospel, the more you will be eager to turn whatever pain you’re enduring into gain for the Kingdom of God.
In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. All power to him forever! Amen.” (1 Peter 5:12, NLT)
Let that truth settle in. God Himself will personally restore, support, and strengthen you. If you remember God’s sweet kindness toward you and commit your battle to the Lord, you have nothing to lose and eternal glory to gain. Because “at the right time” He will set you on a firm foundation.
I pray this encourages you. If you have any thoughts or questions about this, I would love to hear from you!
“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12, ESV)
An objection I often hear on college campuses is the charge that the Bible is just an ancient book written by men. Sure, some say, it claims to come from God,[1] but why give it special authority? Think about that question. How would you respond? Well, one thing you could do is show them some of the archaeological evidence or fulfilled prophecy. Those are both very powerful pieces of evidence for it being a divinely given book.
That can be a great approach, but it also can be hard to have all that evidence ready at your fingertips when you’re in a brief conversation with a skeptic. So, another approach I like to go with is to first point to the evidence all around them for the Bible’s uniqueness.
For instance, you can turn this objection around and say, “You’re right: the Bible was written thousands of years ago. Now, isn’t it incredible that the Bible is still the best-selling book of all time? What does that tell you about the Bible that so many people live their lives by its teachings after 2,000 years?”
See, you’re using their very point about the Bible being old and leveraging it to show the uniqueness of the Bible. After all, what other ancient book has 40 different authors yet one consistent story, was written across 1,500 years, and has had so much influence on the way we live and think today? The Bible has stood the test of time. In that sense, its ancient origin is a point in its favor.
Many people in the last 2,000 years have tried to stamp out the Bible’s influence. Some have even tried to destroy the Bible. But God responds:
“Is not my word like fire,” declares the LORD, “and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?” (Jeremiah 23:29, NIV)
Military generals, pagan rulers and emperors have tried to destroy the Bible. But it seems that the more that people try to silence the Bible, the stronger it grows. In the 16th century, Mary, queen of England, also known as “Bloody Mary,” ordered that anyone owning a copy of the Bible should be burned at the stake. Five years after that edict, Bloody Mary was dead and her half-sister Queen Elizabeth I was on the throne. Not only did Elizabeth repeal her sister’s nasty edict, but under her reign, more Bibles were published in England than ever before.
The fact that the Bible, though written thousands of years ago, still has enduring influence in countless societies demonstrates its supernatural origin.
Today, influential thinkers like Jordan Peterson and Jonathan Haidt have increasingly drawn their insights from the wisdom of the Bible. They’ve recognized that while in one sense the Bible is ancient, there’s another sense in which it speaks with a timeless and transcendent authority on all the perennial issues of the human condition. Ironically, most people who have mocked the Bible as outdated don’t realize just how indebted our society is to the Bible.
For example, our society loves the idea of freedom and equality for everyone. But where did this idea that we are all equal come from? It didn’t come from Darwin. If you trace it back, it came from Genesis. Even secular historians have frankly admitted that we owe this idea of equality to the Bible and its teaching that we are all made in God’s image.
One area where we see the powerful influence of the Bible is in our laws.
Sociologists have long recognized that if a society doesn’t have some kind of law by which to live, it will end up self-destructing. We humans need to live under a code of ethics. Without a law to govern us, anarchy and violence is the result.
The historian Will Durant, who is not a Christian, has recognized that many of our laws in Western civilization are derived from the Ten Commandments. For example, the sixth commandment forbidding murder is the basis for all the protections against taking life. The seventh commandment forbidding adultery was designed to protect marriage and the family, and so many of our laws protecting the family are derived from that. The eighth commandment forbidding stealing gave us the concept of private property and our need to protect ownership with various laws.
Professor Israel Drapkin even said:
“The Ten Commandments [are] the moral and legal foundations of Western Civilization.”
But how did the Ten Commandments come to have so much influence across so many countries? Historians are compelled to say that it’s primarily through the spread of Christianity and its high view of Scripture.
One example of this is the Christian Roman Emperor Justinian who came along in AD 482. Justinian ended up taking the Roman law that then existed and throwing out a good portion of it so that he could bring about a new set of legislation that was based on the Law of the Bible.
Will Durant and other historians argue that Justinian’s Code of laws was based on the Bible. And virtually every nation of Western civilization is largely indebted to Justinian’s law code. So, what does that tell us? The Bible is at the root of every major legal system in the Western world.
In fact, have you ever wondered why we have a court system of trial by jury? It’s because Christians witnessed kings presiding over cases and acting as corrupt judges, and they recognized that this contradicted the Bible.
And in view of that verse, they recognized that a plurality of judges—which we call a jury—is more likely to root out arbitrary convictions. The whole reason for placing your hand on the Bible in a court room was to remind people that they were answerable to a higher authority when giving testimony in a human court.
So, is the Bible relevant today? One of the most powerful pieces of evidence that we’re dealing with a supernatural book is the way countless people have had their lives turned upside down by a powerful encounter with Jesus Christ in its pages. In the words of Hebrews, it is “living and active” and discerns even “the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”[2] Which is why the best case for the Bible’s divine origin is the Bible itself. Countless skeptics have had their eyes opened to its power and authority through finally reading it.
Personally, I’ve experienced this in my own life. The Bible has shaped the way I understand God, myself, and the world I live in. Time after time, I’ve had my priorities reoriented, my perspective challenged, my desire for God fueled, my love for others revived, my soul sustained through trials, and my passion for reaching the world with the good news of Jesus reignited through submitting my mind to the Word of the Lord, and to the Lord of the Word.
I’ve only scratched the surface looking at all the incredible ways the Bible has transformed our world. So, when someone says the Bible is irrelevant to our modern world, they are revealing their ignorance about how powerfully this book has shaped every aspect of life. To push the Bible to the margins is to the push away the basis for freedom, equality, justice, love of neighbor, and everything else good in our society.
And at the level of the individual, the Bible tells us the truth so that we can finally understand ourselves. We were made for a relationship with God, but things have gone badly wrong—not just in the world, but within our own hearts. First and foremost, within our own hearts. And apart from God revealing Himself through this precious Word, we are utterly lost and without hope. Mark this. There is no substitute for the Bible. Though the hubris of man may imagine otherwise, nothing outside of Scripture can ever replace it.
The Bible is more to be desired “than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings from a honeycomb” (Psalm 19:10). “Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him” (Proverbs 30:5, NKJV). Applying the biblical book of Deuteronomy, Jesus taught, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4).
The Bible doesn’t just tell me about God’s standards and reveal how I’ve failed to live up to those standards. It shows me that there is hope of forgiveness, new life, and peace with God through the good news of Jesus Christ’s substitutionary death for sinners like me and His glorious resurrection.
So, here’s my encouragement. Treasure your Bible by committing to study it regularly, expecting to encounter the living God Himself in a real and powerful way. And what could be more relevant than that?
I pray this encourages you to read the Bible. If you have any thoughts or questions about this, I would love to hear from you!
Saddle Mountain, Oregon. Photo Courtesy of Ben McBee
One of the best ways to get to know someone is to go hiking together. I mean, really, what better way to bond than trekking through the Oregon wilderness together? When you go for a hike, you aren’t just taking a quick stroll. You’re on an adventure! You’re crossing brooks, stepping over fallen logs, snapping pictures of stunning sights, gaining elevation.
That last one is important. My wife Whitney recently took our boys for a “hike” with some other moms and kids, but the boys later told me, “That was a walk, not a hike.” The event had been dubbed a “nature hike,” but there was no elevation gained. I must agree with my boys.
The best hikes always have as their final reward a grand vista where you can look out and see the wonders of nature—a lush valley, a snowy mountain range, or the Pacific Ocean glimmering in the sunlight. Throughout the journey, there is time to get to know your fellow travelers and discuss subjects that can’t be explored in brief, ordinary conversations. All the while, you are experiencing the beauty of creation together; shared experiences are nearly always exponentially better than solo experiences (that’s why watching a movie is far better with a friend, despite the fact that all you are doing is sitting and staring at a screen).
The Bible often uses the metaphor of someone “walking with God.” From the very beginning, it is implied that God often walked with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:8). We are told that the antediluvian[1] Enoch—a guy who avoided death through his own private rapture into Heaven— “walked with God” (Genesis 5:24). “Noah walked with God” (6:9). God called Abraham to “Walk before Me and be blameless” (Genesis 17:1). On numerous occasions, God even tells all the people of Israel, “I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be My people” (Leviticus 26:12). The idea of walking with someone implies intimacy. It’s not me running ahead of God or me fighting to keep up with God, but me walking with God.
And if you’re walking with God, you’re not running away from Him (like Adam and Eve in the Garden after they sinned), but seeking to be with Him continually. Rather than trying to push thoughts of Him away from your mind, you’re seeking to “practice the presence of God”[2] by regularly reminding yourself that all of life is meant to be lived before His face.
“If we say we have fellowship with Him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1:6-7, ESV)
The blood of Jesus cleanses us and through trusting in that blood, we begin a new journey of walking with Him by the light of His Word and filled with the energy of His Holy Spirit.
I am no Hebrew scholar, but from what I gather, there isn’t exactly a word for “hike,” in contrast to “walk” in ancient Hebrew. One word would basically be used for both. So, while the word “hike” is not in the Bible, when I think about “walking with God,” I like to think about this in terms of hiking. Maybe it’s my personal bias; I love hiking. But a hike suggests a journey, one that will be marked by both challenges and delights. I also like how hiking gives us a picture of an upward goal we are progressing toward. Paul says, “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14).
A long and arduous journey shared by companions with a common goal serves as the backdrop for many literary classics, including Lord of the Rings and Pilgrim’s Progress. Our walk with God is a lifelong journey, one in which we don’t always know what is ahead, but we are comforted by the fact that our Guide knows about every step along the way. In fact, He’s marked out the trail for us.
Like a challenging hike, our walk with God won’t always be easy. There will be moments of testing, new difficulties to overcome, and times when exhaustion will set in and the temptation to turn back will be very strong. From a distance, it may look like we are wandering in the proverbial forest, lost and confused. Others may question our motives and criticize the path we’ve chosen, maybe even claiming they have found a more “practical” or wider trail with fewer bumps along the way. But if we faithfully follow our Guide and stay on the trail, He will lead us to new vistas of His glory and His grace that we never dreamed possible when we first began the journey.
Our walk with God is not a brief stroll, but it is a shared experience. To use an old-fashioned (but good) word, life is meant to be lived in communion with God: He continually shows us more of His heart even as we open more of ours to Him. When we do wander off the trail, we quickly get tangled in those painful blackberry bushes of sin that tend to leave a mark, reminding us how foolish it was to try to carve a new path on our own. Thankfully, He’s always willing to wash us off when we come back to the Way. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9, ESV).
To walk with God is to daily surrender yourself to Him, letting Him teach you how life is meant to be lived. Jesus said that if you want to save your life, you first need to lose it so that it can be truly found in Him (Matthew 16:25). We were made for Him, so life will always be hollow until it is filled by His life. Whereas before God’s purity, goodness, holiness, and love were abstract ideas, as we walk with God, we begin to experience more of God Himself.
The psalmist cries out, “Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good!” (Psalm 34:8). It’s one thing to believe your friend who tells you of a new dish that is to-die-for delicious, but it’s something else entirely to actually taste it for yourself. Similarly, while sound doctrinal statements about God are vital and give us a necessary map for our journey, they can never replace the intimacy of actually knowing God and experiencing the warmth of His love flooding your soul.
As we are drawn into the life of God, we sometimes pause in our walk and think about how far we’ve come together. We briefly wonder, Where would I be if it weren’t for God? But only briefly. Because our eyes are on the goal ahead. We are traveling together with a destination in mind.
This alone is what can satisfy our hearts—tasting the Lord’s goodness and seeing His glory.
The church father Augustine had this to say:
“So what should we do in sharing the love of God, whose full enjoyment constitutes the happy life? It is God from whom all those who love Him derive both their existence and their love; it is God who frees us from any fear that He can fail to satisfy anyone to whom He becomes known; it is God who wants Himself to be loved, not in order to gain any reward for Himself but to give to those who love Him an eternal reward—namely Himself.”
Have you begun your journey with God? Walk with Him and enjoy the endless fruit of delight in knowing His love for you.
I pray this encourages you. If you have any thoughts or questions about this, I would love to hear from you!
[1] That’s an old school word for “pre-Flood” or “before the biblical Flood.”
[2] Brother Lawrence, The Practice of the Presence of God.
“For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will tell this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:20, CSB)
Prayer is powerful. I don’t say that to be cliché; I say that because Jesus taught us this. Time and time again, He called us to pray boldly and passionately in His Name.
I also cannot deny the ways my wife Whitney and I have been wowed by God’s grace and perfect timing in answering our prayers in incredibly specific ways. There are too many to count but let me just give a few examples.
Before we met, my wife Whitney prayed for the wisdom to find the right man to marry and that this fellow would arrive at her church’s college group with several others so that she wouldn’t know immediately who that man would be. A short time later, I visited that college group with a handful of others, because I was invited by the pastor who led that group while I was working at Applebee’s. The rest, as they say, is history.
Another time, I was in a Bible study, and one man shared that his very young grandson had a brain tumor the size of a golf ball. For several weeks in a row, we prayed for healing each time we met. One morning, he came to our study with amazing news. The tumor had not only shrunk—it was completely gone. Not a trace of it. In fact, I know of numerous cases where someone plagued with life-threatening cancer has been totally healed. Just yesterday, I heard of another answer to prayer of a dear woman who received the glorious news that the latest scan revealed she is cancer free.
I can think of another time when Whitney and I were raising money for a short-term mission trip to Guatemala, and we were a little short on the green stuff. We prayed passionately and specifically that God would supply the money we needed for the trip in whatever way He saw fit. He came through in various ways to provide us with exactly what we needed. I remember my heart swelling with joy as I thought about how God had so lovingly answered our sincere requests so that we could go on this mission trip together as a young married couple before we had any kids.
These are just the tip of the iceberg. I really could go on and on with examples of how God has provided answers to prayers—often in ways we never saw coming.
As these come to mind, I sometimes wonder why I don’t pray more often or more passionately. It’s not as though God has ignored me in the past. Lately, He’s been really challenging me to lead from deep, heartfelt prayer, as opposed to only praying with passion when something goes wrong. The Lord wants me to admit my shortcomings and acknowledge my great need for His power in every aspect of my life.
Jonathan Edwards said that when we ignore prayer, we “live like atheists or like brute creatures,” and “live as if there were no God.” Why would we ignore our direct line to the One who reigns over all?
If anything is worth doing, it must come by God’s power, not my own strength. Therefore, I need to be drawing power from the Lord in everything I do if I want to have an eternal impact. The Bible reminds us, “The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working” (James 5:16, ESV). Our prayers have “great power” because they are directed to a God who is known for doing what is humanly impossible (Luke 1:37).
I’m reminded of the story of Elijah. He prayed fervently for God to send the rain when Israel was enduring a drought while the wicked King Ahab was on the throne. In 1 Kings 18, we read:
And Elijah went up to the top of Mount Carmel. And he bowed himself down on the earth and put his face between his knees. And he said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.” And he went up and looked and said, “There is nothing.” And he said, “Go again,” seven times. And at the seventh time he said, “Behold, a little cloud like a man's hand is rising from the sea.” And he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot and go down, lest the rain stop you.’” (1 Kings 18:42-44, ESV)
Elijah didn’t just pray once, see there was nothing, and then give up. No, the text emphasizes how he prayed fervently seven more times for the rainclouds to show up. He understood that God wants us to pray with passion, expectancy, and repetition. At the very first tiny sign that God had answered his prayers (after all, a hand-sized cloud seems like a bit of a letdown), Elijah confidently sent word to Ahab, “Get in your buggy and go, because the rain is a-comin’!” God answered his prayers in such a way that no one in Israel could chalk up the sudden change in weather to mere happenstance.
Imagine an Israelite saying, “Finally! We’re getting rain after three-and-a-half years. How lucky are we!”
Elijah’s prayers made the difference.
Through this prophet’s prayers, God turned the rain off and then back on 42 months later, raised a widow’s son to life, and shot down fire to engulf a thrice-soaked altar to vindicate Elijah’s claims about Yahweh, not Baal, being the one true God of the world. Clearly, we’re meant to see that Elijah’s prayers were powerful. God can change the weather conditions whenever and however He wants. He’s sovereign over this world. But, as in our lives, He chose to change the circumstances in response to the prayer of one of His faithful followers.
When we read about Elijah’s ministry, we are rightly in awe of how the Lord worked through him. However, before we lionize Elijah as a biblical superhero and assume we could never pray like him or see God work wonders before our eyes, we should consider what James says about this.
“Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.” (James 5:17-18, ESV)
James is reminding us that the situation is not so different for us today. At the end of the day, Elijah was just a man; he had a nature like ours. And God Himself hasn’t changed, because He never changes (Malachi 3:6). If Elijah prayed to the same God we pray to today, why should we expect our prayers to be less effective? The whole reason James brings up Elijah as an example is to say, “You too can pray with power.”
So go to the Lord today and pray with passion, boldness, and expectancy like Elijah did. There is no telling what massive changes God will bring about through your prayers. After all, “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours.”
I pray this encourages you. If you have any thoughts or questions about this, I would love to hear from you!
Picture the scene. A seasoned fisherman has labored all night, but he and his team have come up empty. Out of the blue, an itinerant rabbi tells this blue-collar worker that he will catch some fish if he lets down his nets one more time. The fisherman, named Simon, doubted this rabbi knows what He is talking about. After all, Simon is the experienced, no-nonsense fisherman. But the man is a rabbi, so it’s probably best to comply out of respect, even if it’s a pointless exercise.
And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” (Luke 5:5, ESV)
Then, the impossible happened. They caught so many fish that the nets began to break. Simon quickly realized his boat simply couldn’t handle this much weight. He called his partners over to help him out. It was the greatest fishing story of Simon’s life.
In that moment, Simon recognized that he was in the presence of pure holiness.
But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” (Luke 5:8, ESV)
Self-assurance was replaced by awe. Reluctant compliance was replaced by humble trust. After this, Peter left everything to follow Jesus. How could he turn Jesus down now? And Peter would continue to learn just how much he didn’t know.
“The Word of Our God Endures Forever”
If you study the Bible long enough, you will always have questions. Sometimes a passage just doesn’t seem to make sense. We may even wonder aloud, “Why would God do it that way?” Sometimes our cultural distance from the events in the Bible make it hard for us to grasp what was really going on. At other times, we understand the context well enough, but God’s plan or design for human life just seems weird or confusing—maybe even flawed.
Sometimes, people invoke the ancient cultural situation of the Bible’s human authors when they want to relativize Scripture’s teaching on things like generosity, self-control, and sexual ethics. “That was then,” people often say. “But things are different now. This is the 21st century after all.”
The fallacy of that argument is that when God speaks clearly on a matter, He speaks for all times.
“The entirety of Your word is truth, and all Your righteous judgments endure forever.” (Psalm 119:160, BSB)
Unlike your smartphone, the Bible never needs updates.
“The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.” (Isaiah 40:8, NIV)[1]
The Bible is the only flawless thing on earth.[2] When God speaks, He doesn’t stutter or fumble for words. God gave Scripture through men for our encouragement and edification.[3] While their historical and cultural situation matters, God is not limited by human cultures to say what He wants to say. Without the Bible, we are spiritually lost, like a submarine without a navigation system.
The French intellectual Voltaire is reputed to have quipped, “One hundred years from my day, there will not be a Bible on earth except one that is looked upon by an antiquarian curiosity-seeker.” The ironic twist of Providence is that Voltaire’s own house in Geneva, Switzerland, later became a storehouse for Bibles by the Evangelical Society of Geneva (pictured above).[4] Those who try to mock the Bible end up making a mockery of themselves.
The Apostle Paul clearly believed the whole Bible was still relevant and authoritative when he wrote:
“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17, ESV)
He said that to Timothy, even though much of the Scripture available at that time (the Old Testament) was written some 1,400 years earlier and in a different culture.
“Come Let Us Reason Together”
It’s never a good idea to think you know better than God. At the same time, God is not opposed to questions. The psalms and prophets are filled with God’s people asking Him why certain things must be so. God even welcomes our frustrated pleas for understanding and our laments over why the world is in the sordid mess that it is.
“Come let us reason together,” God invites us (Isaiah 1:18). Questions are good; they indicate thoughtfulness and engagement with what God has said. But questions should always be tinged with humility. Those who want to sit in judgment on God’s Word are following the plan of the serpent, who asked, “Did God really say?”[5]
We need to remember that God is infinitely holy and majestic. We are finite human beings with a three-pound brain who have only been around for about two seconds compared to the eternal God. To assume we know better than God is the height of arrogance. We should admit that we know almost nothing next to our all-knowing God.
Whenever I come across a passage that confuses me or seems to paint God in a negative light, I should start with the assumption that I am missing something significant.
For instance, many people might ask, “How could God kill everyone on earth in the Genesis flood? That seems so extreme!” or “How can God command Joshua to utterly destroy those Canaanites?”
But God is holy, and His ways are perfectly just. What people often forget is that, as our Creator, He is in a category all by Himself.
“The Beginning of Knowledge”
As we grow in our understanding of God’s holiness, we begin to see things with a better perspective. When people say, “I would never do it that way!” I would agree and add, “That’s because you and I are not God. He alone is the holy and good Ruler of all.”
As the Lord and King of this world, God has every right to judge sinful people who rebel against Him and blaspheme His Name. The real question the Bible pushes us to ask is not “How can God judge?” but “How can God be so incredibly merciful to those who persist in atrocious deeds against their fellow man and moral rebellion against His perfect will?” Solomon reminds us:
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.” (Proverbs 1:7, ESV)
Notice what this verse says. We can’t even begin to have a true knowledge of God, ourselves, and the world we inhabit until we develop a right fear of the Lord. Jesus reminded us that while we often fear corrupt men, we should be fearing the incorruptible God who can send people to an eternity in hell.
And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. (Matthew 10:28, ESV)
When we lack a healthy fear of God as the all-powerful Judge that He is, we begin to think that we get to put God in the dock and accuse Him of wrong. And those who slander God tend to slander their fellow man who has been made in His image.
The Lord says:
“These things you have done, and I have been silent; you thought that I was one like yourself. But now I rebuke you and lay the charge before you. Mark this, then, you who forget God, lest I tear you apart, and there be none to deliver!” (Psalm 50:21-22, ESV)
When we have a low view of God, we will misinterpret His actions. If we want to honor God and be blessed by Him, we should consider that God blesses those who revere His Word.
“But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.” (Isaiah 66:2, ESV)
Every time we open the Bible, we should ask God for a humble attitude that is ready to learn and an open heart ready to be transformed more and more into His likeness.
Once we recognize where we have arrogantly flouted God’s Word (we all have), we need to come back to Him in humble repentance, falling on our knees as Simon Peter did before the Lord Jesus (Luke 5:8). When we do that, we get to experience His forgiving mercy and grace.
“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (1 Peter 5:5, ESV)
I pray this encourages you. If you have any thoughts or questions about any of this, I would love to hear from you!
“As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?” (Psalm 42:1-2, NIV)
Like most larger animals in the forest, deer need a lot of water. I was recently watching a nature video that discussed how regularly deer find streams of water throughout each day. During the summer, a 200-pound buck will drink close to 200 ounces of water per day.
I tend to drink a lot of water, but rarely do I drink even 100 ounces of water in one day!
If you have ever watched a deer drink water, you know how they will often step right into the water source, lower their head, and then, with their mouth submerged, begin lapping the water up with the long tongue God gave them. Deer need lots of water because they travel several miles each day.
Knowing how often deer get thirsty informs my reading of Psalm 42, one of my favorite passages in Scripture. Psalm 42 reminds us that when we are feeling empty or spiritually barren, our great need is to come back to the Fountain of Living Water and drink deeply of His loving presence.
As a deer longs for flowing streams, so I long for you, God. (Psalm 42:1, CSB)
Do you thirst for God like this? Do you long to experience more of His power and presence in your life? Do you hunger for greater knowledge of His goodness, holiness, and love?
Just as deer cannot survive without drinking copious amounts of water, our souls will shrivel up apart from drinking deeply from the living God. As a deer steps into the streams of water, so we need to be immersed in the Lord’s presence daily if we are to thrive spiritually.
God did not create us for natural self-sufficiency. We were made to long for God. And the fullness of joy we crave is only found in fellowship with our Creator.
Augustine famously said, “Thou hast made us for Thyself, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in Thee.”
In his book Ten Questions to Diagnose Your Spiritual Health, Donald Whitney describes three kinds of thirsty souls: 1) the empty soul, which is devoid of God and seeking to satisfy his thirst with worldly pursuits; 2) the dry soul, which has known soul-satisfaction in God but is living through a dry spell with little fresh communion with God; and 3) the satisfied soul, which is marked by a continual satisfaction in all that God is for him in Jesus Christ. It’s worth noting that the satisfied soul is still thirsty for more of God. The difference is that the satisfied soul has a joyful longing for more of God, rather than a desperate ache from a place of emptiness or dryness.
I found these categories helpful in understanding my own walk with the Lord and why there have been seasons of spiritual aridness, even after knowing the Lord for many years, and other seasons of vibrant joy in the Lord that seemed impossible to surpass at the time.
The important thing to note is that every soul is thirsty. Again, this is what it means to be made in God’s image and likeness. If you don’t seek the soul-satisfaction that only God can give, you will still try to quench that deep longing, but you will chase after things like sports, entertainment, sex, money, power, and a million other worldly forms of pleasure, hoping that they will fill the void within. But these can never satisfy. Like drinking saltwater, these things will only leave your soul thirstier than ever.
Jesus said that “whoever drinks of the water I shall give him will never thirst” (John 4:14). Because God is an infinite well of joy, only life with Him can truly satisfy the human heart. Even more to the point, Jesus even stood up before a crowd of Jewish people at one of their festivals and said, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. The one who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, will have streams of living water flow from deep within him” (John 7:37-38, CSB).
Time and time again, I have found Jesus’ words to be absolutely true. In my own life, I have discovered that Jesus of Nazareth is everything He claimed to be, and that He deals gently with sinners and sufferers who come to Him and drink. I love to share my faith in Jesus because He has utterly changed my life and continues to change me. I know what it means to have my sins washed away and have “streams of living water flow from deep within.” The supernatural presence of Jesus is real and on offer to you today. Through personal trust in Him, you can know what life in His kingdom is like. All this is possible because Jesus is not dead. The Jesus I know and love is a living Jesus, and He makes the same offer to you today: “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.”
So, here’s my encouragement for you. Stop going through the motions. Seek out Jesus through investigating the New Testament for yourself. Speak to Jesus as you would when a friend is in the room with you. Enter into the life Jesus offers today. Don’t think that Netflix, ESPN, or social media can supply you with something that can only be found through abiding in God’s love through Jesus the Messiah. Drink deeply from the water of life that He alone can give you and thank Him for making Himself available to you.
If you have any questions about any of this, I would love to hear from you!
Lamp and Light 