When God says something, it is as good as done.
You can question it, investigate it, doubt it, discuss it, or debate it. But regardless of what you or anyone else does with it, it will be done. You can be sure of that. What God says happens. If he promises, he will deliver. If he tells you something is true, you can take it to the bank.
But if this is real, then why are there so many hangups when it comes to relying on Scripture?
Well, the answer to that is quite straightforward. While the trustworthiness of what God says in the Bible is clear, there are times where what he means by what he says is much less so to us. As readers of the bible, it is not uncommon to hit a passage that goes beyond what we can comprehend, or a section which makes us uncomfortable, or a statement which isn’t as tight as we would like it to be.
Sometimes these snags can make our heads spin so much that they keep us awake at night. If this has ever happened to you, then you know it isn’t a particularly enjoyable experience. Yet despite this, we shouldn’t be surprised by these encounters from time to time. God’s thoughts and his ways are both understandable and mysterious. The nature of who he is can be understood at some level by young children, even though the fullness of who he is goes well beyond the smartest among us.
So, if you are reading scripture and you get to a section where God accelerates and leaves you in his dust a little, don’t be put off. Remember: you can still bank on what he says, even if it is confusing, bothersome, or you don’t understand it.
I was reminded of this again as I was reading Luke 2 this morning. It was the section of Jesus’ birth narrative where the angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds in the fields at night. He announced the birth of Jesus, what he would look like, and where they could find him. It was so random, so out of the blue, so supernatural. What did the shepherds do? They went looking for the Saviour, eventually finding him with his parents, lying in a manger.
Here's the way Luke closes out the scene:
You can question it, investigate it, doubt it, discuss it, or debate it. But regardless of what you or anyone else does with it, it will be done. You can be sure of that. What God says happens. If he promises, he will deliver. If he tells you something is true, you can take it to the bank.
But if this is real, then why are there so many hangups when it comes to relying on Scripture?
Well, the answer to that is quite straightforward. While the trustworthiness of what God says in the Bible is clear, there are times where what he means by what he says is much less so to us. As readers of the bible, it is not uncommon to hit a passage that goes beyond what we can comprehend, or a section which makes us uncomfortable, or a statement which isn’t as tight as we would like it to be.
Sometimes these snags can make our heads spin so much that they keep us awake at night. If this has ever happened to you, then you know it isn’t a particularly enjoyable experience. Yet despite this, we shouldn’t be surprised by these encounters from time to time. God’s thoughts and his ways are both understandable and mysterious. The nature of who he is can be understood at some level by young children, even though the fullness of who he is goes well beyond the smartest among us.
So, if you are reading scripture and you get to a section where God accelerates and leaves you in his dust a little, don’t be put off. Remember: you can still bank on what he says, even if it is confusing, bothersome, or you don’t understand it.
I was reminded of this again as I was reading Luke 2 this morning. It was the section of Jesus’ birth narrative where the angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds in the fields at night. He announced the birth of Jesus, what he would look like, and where they could find him. It was so random, so out of the blue, so supernatural. What did the shepherds do? They went looking for the Saviour, eventually finding him with his parents, lying in a manger.
Here's the way Luke closes out the scene:
The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
Luke 2:20
Luke 2:20
Just as they had been told. That’s how it works. That’s how it always works with what God says. He doesn’t lie, and he doesn’t play games.
Regardless of the things God has said that have gone beyond you, stumped you, upset you, or confused you – on the day Jesus comes back, you will realise that everything is just as you have been told. Everything.
By all means, drill deep into Scripture and understand as much as you can. You won’t regret it. But as you do, you need to be aware that you will inevitably hit the odd bump or get caught on a dilemma or two along the way. Don’t be put off by it.
Remember: What he says always comes to pass. It always makes sense. Everything will be just as you have been told.
Regardless of the things God has said that have gone beyond you, stumped you, upset you, or confused you – on the day Jesus comes back, you will realise that everything is just as you have been told. Everything.
By all means, drill deep into Scripture and understand as much as you can. You won’t regret it. But as you do, you need to be aware that you will inevitably hit the odd bump or get caught on a dilemma or two along the way. Don’t be put off by it.
Remember: What he says always comes to pass. It always makes sense. Everything will be just as you have been told.