“For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” Romans 15:4

I love the Bible. It’s God’s Word, our ultimate source of truth. It contains not only the grand story of the beginning of time and space and our Earth, but also the intimate story of God’s people, and the glorious coming of God’s Son Jesus Christ for our salvation.

But even so, I find that there are times in my life when my daily Bible reading becomes merely routine, if I happen to do it at all. In fact, sometimes I wonder about the Bible: Couldn’t God have given us a more efficient manual? What I mean is, it sometimes seems so complicated. Did you know that the Bible has 66 books, containing 1,189 chapters and 31,170 verses? Instead of 17 major and minor prophets, for example, maybe we could have been given a list of the top 10 marriage tips instead?

Then I think: God didn’t want to give us the kind of book that you read once and put on the shelf. He wasn’t interested in giving us a pamphlet. God wanted to give us something that would engage us and continue to challenge us for a lifetime. He, in His infinite wisdom, gave us a book that was so deep that we could read it every hour of every day of our entire lives and still not exhaust its wisdom.

If you’ve spent any serious amount of time reading the Bible you can probably attest to how you’ve read a passage a dozen or more times before, but somehow this time, it hits you in a totally new way as God illuminates your mind to deeper meaning and fuller understanding. “How did I not see it before?” you think. And it’s so amazing how deep this book is!

God Himself is like that: Our great God isn’t someone of whom you could say, “Oh, God? Yeah, I met him once, I think.” God is so amazingly great that it’s a lifelong process to know Him. He wants us not to just know ABOUT Him, but to know Him intimately. And for that, a simple pamphlet won’t do.

God, we thank you for your Word, the wisdom of which can never be exhausted!

Question: How has your Bible reading been lately? Is it time to begin to re-read it with “new eyes”?

“All things work together for good, for those who love God and are called by Him to fulfill His purposes.” (Romans 8:28)

Our grandson came over with his parents for dinner. After dinner, his auntie turned on her computer to make a Skype call to her husband, who works on an ocean-going yacht.  Our grandson watched this whole process, and was excited when he saw his uncle on the screen, talking to him.  In jest, his uncle said that he was stuck inside the computer and couldn’t get out!

Our grandson became upset and wanted someone to get his uncle out of the computer, rescuing him from his prison! As adults, we laughed at the absurdity of someone being trapped inside a computer. We reassured our grandson that his uncle was not really in the computer.

It made me wonder, “How many times do I get all upset and worried about something that I do not understand?”  God works in ways that are confusing to me, as well. Like my grandson, I can become even angry because no one is doing anything and I feel helpless.

Trust in a loving God reassures me when seemingly impossible problems face me.  In my limited knowledge, I might also panic about things that I cannot change or fix.  But I can trust God through these times – even when it appears that God is not doing anything about the situation.  I may never understand why God allows certain crises in my life and in the lives of those I love, but I can know that He has a perfect plan.

God’s Word says that “All things work together for good, for those who love God and are called by Him to fulfill His purposes.”  (Romans 8:28) I know I can trust that!

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6

You may be facing a dead end right now—financial, emotional, or relational—but if you will trust God and keep on moving in faith, even when you don’t see a way, he will make a way.

It will become more understandable as you head down the path he sets before you, but understanding is not a requirement for you to start down the path. Proverbs 4:18 says, “The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining brighter till the full light of day.” One day you will stand in the full light of eternity and view the big picture. You’ll see God’s purpose behind the path he specifically chose for you.

In the meantime, do what Proverbs 3 says: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

Be patient. God knows what He’s doing. God knows what is best for you. He can see the end result. You can’t. All those problems, heartaches, difficulties and delays—all the things that make you ask “why”—one day will all be clear in the light of God’s love.

But for now, we’re learning to trust God.

Question: What is often a better response than asking God “why?” things are happening?

I didn’t know.

I didn’t realize that would happen.

Words of protest escape from our lips in our defense. Surely we can’t be held responsible for actions made in ignorance.  Yet, would an honest examination of your heart reveal you were unaware of the truth or merely that you pretended not to understand so that you wouldn’t be held responsible?

That is the trouble with truth. Once we know truth, we must make a decision. Either we will respond or refuse to respond, but we can no longer pretend to not understand simply because we don’t want to change.

Israel didn’t want to be held accountable for their sins. They wanted to claim ignorance, but Amos speaks as a witness against them.

“Do two walk together unless they have agreed to do so?
Does a lion roar in the thicket when he has no prey?
Does he growl in his den when he has caught nothing?
Does a bird fall into a trap on the ground where no snare has been set?
Does a trap spring up from the earth when there is nothing to catch?
When a trumpet sounds in a city, do not the people tremble?
When disaster comes to a city, has not the LORD caused it?” (Amos 3:3-6)

Through Amos, God was saying, “these things are obvious, everyone knows them, anyone can understand them.”  They had God’s laws but they did not live by them. They didn’t want Amos prophesying because they didn’t want to hear the truth or be held accountable to it.

Have we also closed our ears to the truth? It is easier to pretend we don’t know what’s expected of us than to have to confess our sins and surrender our will to God, but God knows what is in our hearts.

Holy God, You have revealed Your truth to me. Help me to allow it to penetrate my heart and change me. I don’t want to pretend any longer that I don’t know what is right.  Amen.

Questions: Why do we fake ignorance? What truths have you been pretending you don’t understand?

About this Author: Suzanne Benner

On September 12.

Since September 11, 2001, I’ve often wondered what might have happened had her appointment been a day earlier or the terrorist attacks a day later. I could have been walking the streets of New York City with her picture.

What were your feelings that tragic day? Shock? Fear? Anger? Confusion? Sadness? How do you process those feelings now, as reminders of the attacks come in anniversary commemorations and media coverage? Nearly two-thirds of American Red Cross 9/11 adult counselees still grieve, according to a study of those directly affected by the attacks{1}.

“I Hate You!”

In the immediate aftermath, my feelings of sadness blended with intense hostility. Once when Osama Bin Laden’s face appeared on television, I spontaneously shouted, “I hate you!”

I was and am a follower of Jesus. He taught his followers to “love your enemies.”{2} Why was I yelling “I hate you!” to a picture on a TV screen?

I wondered why this guy hated my sister. If Deborah Wright had been among the victims, her death would have been included among those he applauded. If I had been a victim, he would have applauded mine. I wrote a radio series on “Why Radical Muslims Hate You” to discover historical, socio-cultural, political, religious, and psychological roots of such anger. It helped me to connect with Muslims who shared similar concerns but disavowed the radical methods.

Dust of Death

Deborah’s experience as a corporate chaplain took her back to New York to help WTC-based companies and their employees who suffered loss on 9/11 cope with the emotional and spiritual whirlwinds their worlds had become. Many suffered from survivor guilt. Failure to process grief could lead to serious consequences. Some firemen, for instance, were assigned to look after widows of fallen comrades. “There can be enormous intimacy and bonding in shared grief,” Deborah notes. “Some of the firemen and widows ended up in bed together.”

Some competitive, driven businesspersons re-examined their rat race—making big bucks and accumulating the most toys—and asked, “Is that all there is?”. Long looks at corporate culture prompted many to consider spiritual realities.

Part of helping survivors process their experiences involved taking them to Ground Zero. Deborah comments, “As I stood at Ground Zero and picked up the dust, I could not help but think that we were standing in a giant crematorium. The ground seemed hallowed to me.”

Personal Lessons from 9/11

What personal 9/11 lessons persist? Perhaps you can relate to these that seem poignant to me:

We live in a contingent universe. Human decisions and actions have consequences, often for good or evil.

Life is temporary. One early spiritual leader wrote of our lives’ fleeting nature, “You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.”{3}

Link with the eternal. Jesus of Nazareth, whom people of diverse spiritual persuasions respect as a great teacher, told a friend grieving her brother’s death, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die like everyone else, will live again. They are given eternal life for believing in me and will never perish.”{4}

Cherish your friends. In the aftermath of 9/11, many friendships were deepened as people linked with each other for encouragement, solace and support.

Understand and love your enemies and intellectual adversaries. Support national defense, but learning about state enemies can help communication with moderates who share some of their convictions. Getting to know neighbors or associates with whom you differ politically, philosophically or spiritually can help build bridges that foster civility in public discourse.

Related reading: Lorraine tells the story of her son, a NYPD officer at Ground Zero on 9/11, and how she began her own search for meaning. Hear Lorraine ‘s story.

Notes
1. Amy Westfeldt, “Study: Sept. 11 Survivors Still Grieving,” Associated Press, May 26, 2006, on AOL News. Also see full Red Cross report, http://www.redcross.org/images/pdfs/SRPClientSurvey.pdf, p. v.
2. Matthew 5:44 NASB.
3. James 4:14 NASB.
4. John 11:25 NLT.

© 2006 Rusty Wright, used by permission.

Image credit: Joseph Hoetzl, used with permission, Creative Commons 2.0 License.

If you ever feel unqualified to share in the riches of all God has for you… you are not alone. Even the Colossian people of Paul’s day struggled with this. Paul prayed for them with a prayer that we can pray for one another. Pray this prayer for yourself and for the others reading this around the globe today.

“… we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding …”.

Thank you Lord, that You offer me wisdom that is far above my own best thinking. Show me what You desire me to do today through Your divine wisdom. Give me an understanding that comes straight from Your heart to mine. What an amazing thought,  Lord. I need Your wisdom in so many areas.

“…and we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way; bearing fruit in every good work…”.

Lord, I want to live my life in a way that is worthy of Your name and the inheritance I have in You. Help me to be aware of pleasing You in every part of my life… my talk, my walk, my generosity, my integrity. Help me to be aware that what I do will bear fruit of one kind or another. Lord, may the things I do today bear much fruit for You.

“… growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience,…”.

Lord, today I choose to intentionally grow in my knowledge of You. Help me to carve out times to be in Your presence and think on Your word. I know that when I come into Your presence You give me all I need from the storehouse of my inheritance. Give me patience and endurance today as I lean on Your wisdom and navigate the path You have set me on.

“… and joyfully give thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light” (Colossians. 1:9-12).

Lord, fill my spirit with joy today. Help me to overflow with thanks. You have amazingly qualified me to share in this rich inheritance. Help me to live today as a child of the King! In Jesus name I pray, amen.

Questions: Let’s take some time today to pray for others who we know are struggling today. Let’s pray for ourselves as well that God help us to live as children of the King.

About the Author Gail Rodgers

Please open your bible and read Psalm 46:1-11.

“I’m outta here!” Most of us will feel this way at some point in our lives. When stress in daily living becomes unbearable, we want to escape. We may want out of jobs, relationships or some other difficult situation. We think we can’t handle things the way they are because they are much too stressful. So we decide we are walking out. Moving on. Heading for anywhere but where we are.

God has a powerful truth for us to hear. The way to handle stressful situations is to cease fighting against them and instead to be at rest. To the psalmist, this rest meant being still and knowing God. (Psalm 46:10) Jesus described it as a peacefulness that we will both find and receive as we spend time learning from Him. (Matthew 11:28-30) Our human instinct clamors for us to escape but God calls us to draw near and absorb the truths of Scripture.

Most of all, He wants us to know who He is. As we believe the truth of His sovereignty (1 Chronicles 29:11) and accept both the absolute goodness of His plans (Jeremiah 29:11) and His deep, abiding love for us (Ephesians 3:17-19), we will grow in trust. Then we will find it easier to “be still” and not to respond like the world, which says, “I’m outta here.”

Our stress need not become distress. With an accurate understanding of our heavenly Father, we will be able to walk through circumstances with an inner quietness (Galatians 5:22) and genuine confidence. (Hebrews 13:6) This is our privilege as God’s children.

Question: How can we prevent stress from becoming distress?

About this Author: Charles Stanley

A man and his dog are in the same car. The dog howls bright-moon-in-the-middle-of-the-night caterwauling howls. The man pleads, promising a daily delivery of dog biscuit bouquets if only the hound will hush. After all, it’s only a car wash.

Never occurred to him—ahem, to me—that the car wash would scare my dog. But it did. Placing myself in her paws, I can see why. A huge, noisy machine presses toward us, pounding our window with water, banging against the door with brushes. Duck! We’re under attack.

“Don’t panic. The car wash was my idea.” “I’ve done this before.” “It’s for our own good.” Ever tried to explain a car wash to a canine? Dog dictionaries are minus the words brush and detail job. My words fell on fallen flaps. Nothing helped. She just did what dogs do; she wailed.

Actually, she did what we do. Don’t we howl? Not at car washes perhaps but at hospital stays and job transfers. Let the economy go south or the kids move north, and we have a wail of a time. And when our Master explains what’s happening, we react as if he’s speaking Yalunka. We don’t understand a word he says.

Is your world wet and wild? God’s greatest blessings often come costumed as disasters. Some of you doubt it. How can God use cancer or death or divorce? Simple.

He’s smarter than we are. He is to you what I was to four-year-old Amy. I met her at a bookstore. She asked me if I would sign her children’s book. When I asked her name, she watched as I began to write, “To Amy …”

She stopped me right there. With wide eyes and open mouth, she asked, “How did you know how to spell my name?”

She was awed. You aren’t. You know the difference between the knowledge of a child and an adult. Can you imagine the difference between the wisdom of a human and the wisdom of God? What is impossible to us is like spelling “Amy” to him. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts” (Isa. 55:9).

I keep taking Molly to the car wash. She’s howling less. I don’t think she understands the machinery. She’s just learning to trust her master.

Maybe we’ll learn the same.

Question: How can we trust God at times when we are confused, frustrated, or just don’t understand where our life is taking us?

About the Author: Max Lucado

“Faith makes us sure of what we hope for and gives us proof of what we cannot see.” Hebrews 11:1, CEV

When I purchased the car last year, I didn’t pay a lot of attention to reading the manual….. nobody does. In fact they say that the automobile handbook is the most unread book. I did notice some reference to “Engine Diagnostics Notification,” but thought nothing of it.

Then last week, on a Sunday afternoon, I got an e-mail telling me that all four of my tires were below acceptable pressure and it told me the pressure in each tire. I sort of sat there and stared at the monitor trying to figure it all out. How could my tire pressure be beamed up so a satellite high above that would in turn send me this e-mail? I got another e-mail telling me that I needed an oil change.

I was perplexed, as it was beyond my ability to understand, but I have learned over the years that I don’t necessarily have to understand how something works in order to participate in its value. I still don’t understand how the Internet works when I communicate almost instantly with someone on the other side of the world, but that doesn’t stop me from sending and receiving dozens of e-mails each day.

Faith in God is like that. I don’t have all the answers and I don’t understand everything, but I have faith in God as much as I have faith that while the dawn is still dark, the sun will rise at precisely the right time.

Having faith is not like having a wish list of things we would like to see happen. No, faith, as used in the Biblical sense is the assurance that what we hope for will come about and the certainty that what we cannot see exists. Faith is an unquestioning belief that does not require proof or evidence.

We drive our cars, purchase our food and do all sorts of things on the faith that they will work and not be harmful to us. Yet, why is it that many people use the excuse that they do not have proof of Christianity and therefore cannot embrace it? Through Jesus, we have assurance, guarantee and confidence.

How much of what we do is really motivated by an implicit trust in God’s Word? This is how we can tell whether we are living in faith. God tells to walk by faith and not by sight and have faith in Him.

Lord God, Increase my faith in You today. Amen.

Question: How would you define the word “faith” in such a way to go beyond the typical “blind faith” stereotype to someone who does not know God?

About this Author: John Grant