Tag Archive for: encouragement

Psalm 2 addresses the reality that those who want to live according to God’s word dwell among those who don’t. Some people rebel against the laws God gives to protect and bless us, and their rebellion causes suffering.

Our newspapers display the evidence daily. Terrorists murder and maim. Con artists bilk the elderly. The rich exploit the poor. Abusers scar children. Liars lock the innocent behind bars. Each of us has our own stories of wrongs perpetrated against us and our loved ones. And we know in our hearts we’ve hurt others.

When discouragement starts settling in my heart over all the icky things of this world, I turn to Psalm 2. There I find the hope of King Jesus’ return to bring all who trust in him into his kingdom forever. Sin, temptation, and anyone who rejects Jesus’ rule cannot pass its gates.

But Psalm 2 presents a few challenges on a first read-through. So here are seven tips for interpreting Psalm 2.

Tip 1: Read the Entire Psalm

Psalm 2 text

Figure 1: Psalm 2

First we need to get the big picture by reading the whole psalm at least once through. Figure 1 shows Psalm 2 with the background color changing at stanza breaks. (Click Figure 1 to open in a new tab.)

If you’re familiar with the Old Testament historical books, you’ll recognize that it’s about kings descended from King David. If you’re familiar with the New Testament’s teachings about Jesus, you’ll realize it’s also about one particular King: Jesus.

Tip 2: Identify Psalm 2’s Type

We call psalms about kings descended from David royal psalms. This one declares that God gave David’s descendants authority to rule. That makes it perfect for coronations, which was its main use for four centuries.

The New Testament applies Psalm 2 to Jesus, a descendant of David through Mary (Revelation 19:13-16). Since the psalm foretells the crowning of Jesus the Anointed One (“Messiah”), it is also a messianic psalm.

Tip 3: Look Up Unfamiliar Terms

If there are any unfamiliar words or historical references, check those out next. A study Bible with cross-references helps. My book, Discovering Hope in the Psalms, covers Psalm 2’s background in detail, showing how it applied to Solomon and his rebellious brother, to Jesus and the plotting Jewish and Gentile leaders, and to Jesus in the kingdom of heaven. So here, I’ll just briefly explain a few terms.

  • Decree: Psalm 2:7 begins, “I will tell of the decree,” and the stanza following summarizes the decree poetically. What it’s talking about is God’s promise to David in 2 Samuel 7:5-16. God decreed that King David would have a dynasty in which his “throne shall be established forever,” beginning with his son Solomon (2 Samuel 7:16; 1 Chronicles 28:6).
  • Anointed: As part of the coronation ceremony, a priest and/or prophet anointed the new king with oil, so he was called the “Lord’s anointed.” Messiah comes from the Hebrew for “anointed one” and Christ comes from the Greek for it. God anointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit (Luke 4:18; Acts 10:38).
  • Zion: The Davidic kings ruled from Jerusalem on Mount Zion. When applied to Jesus, Zion refers to the “heavenly Jerusalem” (Hebrews 12:22).
  • Son: In 2 Samuel 7:14, God decreed that he would be a father to all the kings descended from David, and they would be his sons. Some translations don’t capitalize “son” so readers catch this reference. Others capitalize “Son” to make sure readers see it also applies to Jesus, who descended from David through Mary and was also the only begotten Son of God.
  • Kiss: “Kiss the Son” in verse 12 means submit to him as ruler. Think of the way people might bow and kiss Queen Elizabeth’s hand.
7 Tips for Interpreting Psalm 2 and Uncovering its Message of Hope Click To Tweet

Tip 4: Identify the Participants in Psalm 2

The first two verses name all the participants: the psalmist, the Lord, the Lord’s anointed king, and the people who rebel against the Lord and his king.

Tip 5: Identify the Arrangement of Psalm 2

This is something I didn’t have room to include in the chapter on Psalm 2 in Discovering Hope in the Psalms.

It helps to identify a psalm’s arrangement by looking for related elements. Psalm 2’s arrangement is straightforward. We can divide it into five stanzas by main speaker. The psalmist is the main speaker in the first stanza. God is the main speaker in the second stanza. The king being crowned speaks in the middle. The king quotes God in the fourth stanza, making God the main speaker there, too. The psalmist is again the main speaker in the last stanza. So this is the order of the main speakers:

Psalmist / God / New King / God / Psalmist

We call this layout (A B C B’ A’) a chiasm (pronounced “KEY-azm”). If we put each speaker on a separate line and indent related stanzas equally, we get this:

Psalmist

God

New King

God

Psalmist

See how that makes it easy to compare related parts? Figure 2 summarizes Psalm 2’s stanzas in this kind of layout. I added the addressees and summarized each speech for you. Notice how easy it is to see the message flow now.

Psalm 2 Arrangement

Figure 2: Psalm 2 Arrangement

Tip 6: Identify Links in Psalm 2

Psalm 2 Links

Figure 3: How the 4 participants view God, his King & rebels

Once we discover that a psalmist arranged a psalm in a chiasm, finding links becomes easy. In a chiastic psalm, the theme is in the center. Often, stanzas equal distance from the center are linked and share elements. That’s clearly the case in Psalm 2. Look back at Figure 2 above and compare stanzas equal distance from the center (I gave them the same background color to make comparison easier).

While Figure 2 shows the main links, this psalm has so many repeated elements that I put them in a chart to make them clearer. Figure 3 compares how each speaker views God, the King, and the rebels. (Since the psalmist quotes the rebels, I list them on a separate line for clarity. Click Figure 3 to open in a new tab.)

Tip 7: Look up How the New Testament Uses the Psalm

The New Testament quotes Psalm 2 quite a bit. For example, Acts 4:24-25 says the Lord spoke this psalm through the mouth of David by the Holy Spirit. Acts 4:25-27 and 13:33 say Jesus’ crucifixion was a plot to reject Jesus’ rule, but it was in vain because God raised Jesus from the dead. Revelation 12 symbolically describes Satan initiating this plot. Revelation 19 depicts Jesus as King of kings and Lord of lords in the same words as Psalm 2, and the next three chapters describe how he ends all rebellion and takes his throne in the new heavens and earth.

So how does this psalm bring me hope when I see the world has run amok? It reminds me that Jesus denies entrance into his kingdom to the unrepentant terrorists, con artists, oppressors, abusers, and liars. Their place is the lake of fire, and they can’t harm God’s children ever again. He’s resurrecting the repentant sinners into bodies that have never sinned and have never been sinned against. He’s rewarding us for all that we did of eternal worth, for no one can take from us anything of eternal value from us. He’s bringing us into his kingdom, where there will be no more mourning or sin or death. We’ll live with him forever.

This world is but a stepping stone to eternity. The kingdom of God awaits. Come quickly, Lord Jesus.

When plots of terrorists, con artists, oppressors & liars succeed, Psalm 2 gives hope Click To Tweet

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If you’d like to learn more about Psalm 2, including how its message worked out in Solomon’s coronation, Jesus’ life on this earth, and in the end times, see Discovering Hope in the Psalms or click the Amazon affiliate link below (Harvest House, 2017).

Terrorists murder and maim. Con artists bilk the elderly. The rich exploit the poor. Abusers scar children. The promiscuous mock the chaste. Liars lock the innocent behind bars. Those who’ve sworn to uphold justice overturn it.

What is our hope in the midst of injustice? Psalm 2 tells us.

It’s a psalm originally composed for singing at the coronations of kings descended from David. It’s one of about ten psalms categorized as royal psalms because they’re about the Davidic monarchy.

Psalm 2:1-3 The root of injustice

Psalm 2:1-3 shows us from where injustice comes

A good, effective king was a cause for rejoicing. Such a king fought wickedness, judged righteously, executed justice, defended the poor, and crushed oppressors. A godly king brought the hope of justice and righteousness to the kingdom.

Since ancient Israel was a type of the heavenly kingdom, and King David was a type of King Jesus, royal psalms often have elements that apply to the kingdom of heaven and to Jesus’ reign. Psalm 2 is no exception, and the New Testament quotes it frequently, applying its words to Jesus, the Son of David. It foretells the crowning of Jesus the Anointed One—the Messiah—so it is also a Messianic psalm.

So what does Psalm 2 tell us?

God Decreed His Son King

Psalm 2:7a is the psalm’s center and tells us the psalm’s theme:

I will tell of the decree:

The rest of the verse explains the decree:

The Lord said to me,
“You are my Son;
today I have begotten you.”

This refers to the decree God made regarding King David. When David wanted to build a temple for the Lord, he asked the prophet Nathan to ask God if that would be acceptable.

That night the Lord spoke to Nathan and told him to tell David no, David would not build a house (that is, a temple) for God, but rather God would build a house (that is, a dynasty) for David. God decreed that he would establish the throne of David’s son’s kingdom forever (2 Samuel 7:13). These sons of David would be called sons of God—a political term in those days because lesser kings (vassals) were called “sons” of the greater king (suzerain) whom they served. David and his sons were to be vassals of God.

The first son of David to reign would be Solomon. Most Bible translations capitalize “Son” so you don’t miss that the last Son is Jesus, not son in the same political sense as David’s other sons—that was mere foreshadowing of the Son of God born of a virgin. It is Jesus’ throne that will last forever.

Well and good, but what does that have to do with the evil we see around us? For that we look back to the beginning of the psalm.

Many Rebel Against the Decree

Psalm 2:1-2 (see figure) tells of a rebellion of those who don’t want to submit to the newly crowned king. Newly crowned kings often faced rebellion from those ready to test their strength. In Jesus’ case, the religious leaders rebelled and turned Jesus over to Rome to be crucified on trumped-up charges. They celebrated, thinking the threat to their authority demolished. They didn’t know God had raised Jesus from the dead and anointed him king on the heavenly Mount Zion.

Psalm 2:10-12 the final answer to injustice

Psalm 2:10-12 Those who refuse God’s Son’s rule will perish, but those who embrace it will be blessed

When Jesus ascended to heaven, his followers proclaimed that Jesus was the Messiah who had sat down at the Father’s right hand. They offered the grace found in Psalm 2’s close: Be wise and warned, serve the Lord God, and “kiss the Son” (that is, pay homage to him as ruler) so that you will not perish, but have eternal life.

Today, Christians continue to spread this message in a world in which most still rebel.

For one day, trumpets will sound and the Lord will return (Matthew 24:31). On that day, it will be seen that all the plotting to reject his rule will be in vain (Psalm 2:1), and every knee will bow. Some will bow as the conquered bow, yielding to the inevitable before perishing. But those who willingly bowed on earth will bow then in gladness and joy, the hope of Jesus’ reign finally come.

“Blessed are all who take refuge in him” (Psalm 2:12). Yes, truly blessed: They will be in Jesus’ kingdom where there will be no injustice, no tears, no pain. All will be made right.

That is our hope in the midst of injustice today.

His Kingdom Comes!

Until that day, we pray, “Maranatha!” There in one word is the cry, “Our Lord, come!” (1 Corinthians 16:22). It encapsulates what Jesus teaches us to pray: “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10).

When we pray for God’s kingdom to come, we express our yearning for that kingdom in which our Lord rules with righteousness and justice. We offer ourselves as obedient servants longing to dwell under his reign. We agree that God’s commands are right and holy, and that justice demands sin’s wages be paid. We give thanks for Jesus paying the penalty for our sins through his death on the cross in order that we might live. We trust that as he rose from the dead, so shall we.

Maranatha!

Adapted from Discovering Hope in the Psalms (Harvest House, 2017)

On Saturday, April 4, 2015, white police officer Michael Slager shot and killed an unarmed black man, Walter Scott. Officer Slager claimed Scott had grabbed his Taser and he had shot in self-defense. The story may have ended there except for one thing.

Feidin Santana, a barber walking to work, saw the officer “controlling” Scott and heard the Taser, so he recorded the unfolding events with his cellphone camera. When Santana later read the officer’s version of what happened, he turned the video over to the victim’s family.

Every cover-up to be revealed at the Judgment

On Judgment Day the Light will shine and every cover-up will be revealed

In the video, as the two men struggled, the Taser apparently drops to the ground, Scott breaks away from Slager and runs. Slager pulls his gun and fires at the fleeing man without warning. Scott falls to the ground some thirty feet away. Slager walks over, handcuffs him, returns to retrieve the Taser, and drops it next to Scott, in an apparent cover-up to make it appear that Scott had taken the Taser.

The family’s lawyer turned the footage over to the NY Times. Immediately after the video was made public, Slager was fired and charged with murder.

What Slager concealed the video revealed. If there’d been no video, Officer Slager’s story might have held.

On earth, that is.

Because here’s the promise that every person who’s been wrongly accused can hold to:

There is nothing concealed
that will not be revealed,
nor hidden
that will not be made known.
Matthew 10:26; Luke 12:2

Jesus said this is why his disciples needn’t fear those who can falsely malign and can kill the body but can’t kill the soul.

There’s a heavenly recording of everything. There’s a final judgment coming.

It’s a promise.

But it’s also a warning: “But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!” (Luke 12:5). We need to walk in the light by shunning hypocrisy, banishing lies, searching our hearts, and keeping our motives pure.

“The sins of some people are conspicuous, going before them to judgment, but the sins of others appear later. So also good works are conspicuous, and even those that are not cannot remain hidden.” 1 Timothy 5:24-25

When you’re facing fear or confronting doubt, one of the best tools at your disposal is what I call a truth journal.

A truth journal is a piece of paper or a section in a spiral notebook or journal in which you write truth statements that you need rooted in your heart. The truth journal supports you during difficult seasons of life. You write in it only truths: This isn’t the place for the fears or falsehoods that come at you like fiery darts, but only for the truth that extinguishes them.

How to Create a Truth Journal

Grab a piece of paper or set apart a section of a spiral notebook or fancy journal. Or see below to download one. List truths, numbering each one so you can distinguish between them easily and more quickly find what you need for the moment.

Here are the dos and don’ts of adding to the truth journal.

2 Corinthians 10:5 is about knowing truth

A truth journal helps you take every thought captive

Do write Scriptures that comfort you

Pray for God to show you verses that will encourage and comfort you, and then open your Bible and read. When you find a Scripture that speaks to your situation, add it to your truth journal. Write shorter passages in full; summarize longer ones with their references. If you’re not familiar with the Bible yet and don’t know where to find God’s promises, ask a mature Christian for help. At the end of this blog, I list some verses for common false beliefs.

Do write truth statements that combat lies

Most of us grew up believing lies of some sort: “You’re only valuable if …” or “You’ll always be a failure.” Ouch. During hard times, these lies can hit us forcefully. Write down the truth that overcomes the lie.

Do sketch truths

If you’re artistically inclined, when an image comes to mind as you’re reading a verse, sketch the image in the truth journal next to the verse. For example, for Psalm 23:4, I have a powerful mental image of the Lord walking through a dark valley with a sheep so I’ve sketched a rough approximation of it. The image will speak to you faster than the written words. When the truth journal isn’t near, it’s easier to remember pictures than words.

Don’t write the lies you’re combatting

In the truth journal, don’t write the lies along with the truth because you don’t want to read those lies ever again—they’ve had too much play in your mind already. Just write the truth. Likewise, this isn’t the place to work out your thoughts.

Don’t write the lies along with the truth … they’ve had too much play in your mind already

Don’t write “positive thinking” statements

Don’t write statements about the future that may not be true. For instance, don’t write, “I will get that job.” Instead, write, “If this is the job God wants me to have, he’ll give it to me. Either way, I can trust him for what’s good for me.”

How to Use the Truth Journal

When you’re in a difficult trial, build the truth journal bit by bit as you find what strengthens you. Read the truth journal before bedtime, first thing in the morning, and every time you start to feel fear or face doubt. Meditate on the truths and what they mean for you today and for your future. Put a few verses from it near the nightlight in the bathroom for use at night. Carry a shortened version in your pocket or purse during the day.

Keep this up until the tough time passes, then set it aside. One day when you face a new faith challenge, grab a fresh piece of paper or set aside a new section in your journal and enter the truth statements that address your new ordeal.

Examples of Truth Statements

Here are a few false beliefs that many people have to fight, along with a verse to get you started and a sample truth statement.

Lie Verse Truth
“God could never forgive me” 1 John 1:9 “I’ve confessed my sins and turned to Jesus as Savior, so God has forgiven me and cleansed me from all unrighteousness.”
“I’m afraid I’ve lost my salvation” John 5:24 “I hear his word and believe in Jesus so I will have eternal life.”
“You’re bad for saying bad things about [person]” Psalm 72:12-14 “It is right to report for the oppressed to report abuse. God commanded the strong to rescue the weak from oppression when they call for help.”
“People will look down on you if …” 1 Corinthians 4:1-5 “God will not look down on me if …, and neither will godly Christians. God’s opinion alone counts.”
“No one will ever believe you if …” Luke 12:1-7 (esp. v. 2) “God knows the truth and he has the power to make the truth known. He will make the truth known on the Judgment Day if not before. Wise, godly people seek out truth.”
“No one will ever love you if …” Romans 8:38-39 “God loves me no matter what. Godly people will love me no matter what.”
“This disease means you’re not valuable to God” Psalm 71 (esp. vv. 9, 20) “I am valuable to God. He values my faithfulness to him through this disease, and he will reward my faithfulness.”
“God let … happen so he must not care about me” Romans 8:28 “God cares about me very much. He has some reason for allowing … to happen, and he will work it for my good.”

Downloadable Truth Journal

The Joy Super Bonus Bundle has a downloadable Truth journal that you can print.


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“I’m a Christian. I confess my sins like the Bible says, but I don’t feel forgiven. What should I do?”

This is such a common question. Some think their past failures are too great for God to want to forgive them. Others have fallen so many times to the same sin, they’re sure God has given up on them. Still others compare themselves to other Christians who seem so happy and perfect and not messed up like they are, and surmise that God must not have forgiven them or they’d be different.

What can you do when you start to wonder if God has really forgiven you? The key is realizing that feelings follow thoughts, but what we think isn’t always true. Here’s what I mean.

Forgiven in "Return of the Prodigal Son"

A wayward son finds forgiveness and his father’s embrace in “Return of the Prodigal Son” (Rembrandt, circa 1668)

In French 101 in college, I felt sure that my professor didn’t like me … until the day he gave me a French translation of a Peanuts book as a gift because I tried so hard. Till then, I had thought professors liked only the best students, and since I was the only student who had never taken French before and students next to me were doing better, this false belief fed the feeling that he mustn’t like me. When my false belief was proved wrong, my feelings changed and I relaxed in class.

When our feelings contradict reality, we have to teach ourselves truth. Here are five steps you can take to teach yourself the truth about God’s forgiveness.

Teach Yourself 1 John 1:9

First and most important, memorize 1 John 1:9, concentrating on its words so you absorb its meaning:

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

Read this verse aloud at least ten times a day to memorize it. Write it on a card or enter it into your cell phone so you can review it often. Think about what it says. How would you feel if God completely cleansed you? He has! So that’s how you should feel now.

Every time you start to feel nagging doubts about being forgiven, quote this verse and thank God for forgiving you: “Thank you, Father, that when I confess my sins, you are faithful and just to forgive my sins and cleanse me from all unrighteousness. I’ve confessed my sins, so thank you that you have forgiven and cleansed me.”

Act Out 1 John 1:9

The more senses we involve when we’re learning something, the better we remember it. Here’s an activity that will help make 1 John 1:9 real to you.

Grab a roll of toilet paper and two pens, one black and one red. Write on the toilet paper in black all the black sins that are bothering you. Tear off the section you’ve written upon and turn it sideways. In red, write out 1 John 1:9 on top of all your sins, imagining it to be like drops of Jesus’ blood shed on the cross for forgiveness of sins. Then flush them! Your sins are gone.

Walk someplace else, kneel, and thank God for washing your sins away.

Repent

Sometimes the reason we don’t feel forgiven is that we haven’t really repented. Repentance doesn’t mean a quick, “I’m sorry”; it means turning away from our sins with the intention of not repeating them, and actually taking steps to block the way back.

For example, Clay and I have known people who have confessed their lusts to God, but they haven’t gotten rid of the porn over which they lusted. That’s not repentance, and without repentance, we won’t have a good conscience.

Take a look at what the Apostle Peter wrote:

For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 2 Peter 1:5-7

Did you see the words, “make every effort”? God tells us to put effort into adding virtue to our faith. The effort isn’t to achieve salvation or attain forgiveness: it’s so we’ll grow in character. No, we won’t be able to do it without God’s help, but yes, we have a part to play. We get rid of stumbling blocks, we examine whether our lives match God’s instructions, and we think about how to do the things God tells us to do. We pray for God’s help and we do the best we can.

When we live in unrepentant disobedience, the Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin. That can give us the nagging feeling that we’re not forgiven. The answer to this problem is true repentance: turn from disobedience, confess that we’ve been living against God’s will, pray for God’s help, and take steps to change.

Realize that Godliness Increases

In the passage we just looked at, Peter goes on and makes two more important points when it comes to knowing you’re forgiven. Here’s the next:

For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:8

These qualities increase as we walk with God. He grows us, but it takes time. Know that God doesn’t expect you to be perfect overnight and take comfort in the fact that these qualities will increase. Be patient—God isn’t finished with you!

Quit Looking at Past Sin

The next verse in this passage is especially important. Read it carefully and take note of what causes us to lack godly qualities:

For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. 2 Peter 1:9

Notice here that forgetting you’re forgiven actually causes you to lack the positive character qualities mentioned in verses 5-7, such as “virtue,” “self-control,” “steadfastness,” and “love.” Young Christians often think that if they continually beat themselves up over sin, then they’ll be motivated to do better. But just the opposite is true. When we berate ourselves over past sins, we’re blind to the truth of God’s forgiveness. We need to take our eyes off of our failures and focus them on our God’s love. Why? Because forgetting our past sins are forgiven will keep us from growing these qualities!

Remember you’re forgiven and move on. You’ll gain these qualities in ever increasing amounts.

Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. Isaiah 1:18

Related posts:

Four resources for those just getting started in Christian apologetics–giving reasons for faith

First Peter 3:15 tells us to always be “prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.” But when you first start answering seekers and skeptics, preparing can seem overwhelming because of the mountain of material out there. Here are four resources for anyone just starting out in giving reasons for faith. They won’t overwhelm you, and they’ll give you a solid foundation upon which you can build.

Bible for giving reasons for faith

NIV Study Bible

Bible: NIV Study Bible

Having a good study Bible is an essential for knowing your Bible well, and knowing your Bible is the first step towards effectively sharing your faith. A study Bible will explain cultural and historical details, and will answer questions about apparent discrepancies. The NIV Study Bible is my favorite because it presents multiple views for passages about which evangelical scholars have different opinions (for instance, both Calvinist and Arminian interpretations). Being familiar with multiple views can help keep us from majoring in the minors; it also promotes unity—an essential since Jesus said people will know we’re his disciples by our love for each other.

Book for giving reasons for faith

The Reason for God

Book: The Reason for God

This book, The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism, is worth its weight in diamonds just for how it demonstrates respectful engagement with skeptics. Dr. Timothy Keller, pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian in New York City, gathered the seven main objections that NY twenty-somethings had against Christianity. In Part 1, he clearly presents the objections and answers them with understanding and respect. In Part 2 he argues for belief in Jesus as Savior. This book is excellent both for learning how to give reasons for faith and for handing out to seekers.

Software for giving reasons for Faith

Prepared Defense

Software: Prepared Defense

Load this software on your PC, Mac, iPad, or iPhone. When you’re asked a tough question, select the question in the hierarchical list and quick answers pop up on the screen. Dr. Clay Jones first developed Prepared Defense for use on his live call-in, talk radio program. It’s great for those times when you need a quick answer, when you need your memory jogged, or when you want an exact quote. It lists plenty of resources for studying a topic more deeply. Get it from Biola University as a stand-alone product ($12), from WORDsearch as an add-on for their other software products ($29.95), or from LifeWay as a digital eBook ($29.99).

Book for giving reasons for faith

The Fallacy Detective

Book: The Fallacy Detective

Hans Bluedorn and Nathaniel Bluedorn wrote this delightful book on fallacies (errors in reasoning). It’s important to know fallacies so that you not only avoid using them, but recognize them when you hear them.The Fallacy Detective: Thirty-Eight Lessons on How to Recognize Bad Reasoning is sprinkled with witticisms and comics that keep the tone light. Each short chapter ends with a quiz to help you practice and hone your budding skills.

These four resources will give you a solid foundation for answering basic questions about your faith.


Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

These are the six top posts and pages in 2013–see if you missed any of them:

Top Posts Book cover for 'The Story, NIV'

‘The Story, NIV’ takes you through the Bible’s grand story

  1. Download The Story: This was by far the most popular page in 2013, with over 4,000 downloads of “The Story: Personal Journal & Discussion Guide” in 2013!
  2. Telescoped Genealogies: Was Rahab the Mother of Boaz? It’s not as straightforward as one might think because Matthew lists 5 generations for the 366 years between Rahab and David.(This late 2012 post continues to receive visits every week.)
  3. Who are “the Righteous” in Psalms & Proverbs? The Bible says no one is righteous, so to whom are the Psalms and Proverbs referring when they talk about the righteous?
  4. Abraham, Isaac & Child Sacrifice. Why did God ask Abraham to sacrifice Isaac? Was this child sacrifice? What possible reasons could God have had for this? Are there any lessons for us today?
  5. Did Joshua Cause Leap Years? Did Joshua cause leap years when he prayed for the sun to stop, or does something other than Joshua cause leap years? Leap years & tropical years explained.
  6. How to Choose Discussion Questions. How do you choose discussion questions from Bible study workbooks in a way that allows you to discuss a week’s worth of homework within the allotted time?

(By the way, I deleted the post from earlier today that was a preview of my article, “Don’t Judge Me, I’m Childless,” over at Today’s Christian Woman because it turned out to be available to only subscribers. If you’re a subscriber or would like to consider subscribing to this fabulous on-line magazine, click here to read ways we can minister to the childless. TCW has got a deal going where a year’s subscription–52 issues–is only $9.95 and comes with a $10 gift certificate to their store.)

 

Seeing the heavenly Father’s patience with our weaknesses isn’t always easy.

Years ago a young man barely out of high school asked me how he could know God still loved him despite his repeated failings.

weaknesses

At ten months, I found walking on grass a challenge!

People had told him God is a loving and patient Father who forgives sin, and had given him many verses, but he wasn’t sure God could keep loving him when he failed so often at things with which others seemed to have little difficulty. Even the fact that he couldn’t grasp the verses the way others did was, in his mind, a failure.

I knew he’d grown up with a demanding father who showed little love and acceptance, but he believed his father’s lack of patience with him was justified (hadn’t his dad told him so?). Hearing that God is like a patient father naturally caused him to see God as having his earthly father’s limited patience.

I asked him if he’d ever watched parents teach a child to walk. He said yes, he often had dinner with his older brother and his wife, who had a young child.

I asked, “When the child fell on his diaper the first time he tried to walk, did your brother yell at him?”

“Of course not!”

“When he fell a second time, did they spank him?”

“No! How could you ask that?!?”

“When he continued to fall as he tried to walk, did they give up on him and tell him he’d never make it?”

“No, you don’t understand them at all!”

“Then did they praise his attempts, and embrace him when he fell?”

He nodded, but I could see he didn’t catch the connection.

I told him that parents know a child will tumble many times while trying to walk. They delight in his attempts, even though they’re not initially successful. They care only that he keeps trying, for they know that with their help he’ll succeed. The only reaction that would displease them is if the child after falling decided, “That’s enough. I don’t like falling. I’m going to give up trying and just be satisfied with crawling.”

God's patience with our weaknesses is like a father helping a baby take his first step

My friend Matt helping his son take first steps

I said, “God’s patience with our weaknesses is like your brother’s patience with his son’s imperfect walking. God is teaching you to walk. He’s delighted with your attempts, and doesn’t mind that you fall as you learn to walk. In fact, when you fall, picture him scooping you into his arms to assure you he’s pleased with your attempts, just like your brother does with his son.”

He grinned. “That makes sense,” he said. “That really makes sense.”

Some time later, he told me that analogy was a turning point in his spiritual walk. He finally believed God loved him. I think just as important as the analogy was that he finally had someone to model God’s love more correctly.

And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. ~Luke 15:20

Discouragement. It stops progress—especially progress overcoming temptation, doubt, and fear.

  • Will I ever get over my anger towards that person?
  • Can God really love a person who has failed as miserably as I have?
  • Will I survive the loss of my loved one?
  • What will happen to my loved ones if I die?
  • Will I ever get a job?
  • What if we can’t pay the mortgage?

When temptation, doubt, and fear persist, perseverance can seem futile. In the forty plus years I’ve been a Christian, I’ve seen many discouraged people give up trying to prevail in difficult circumstances.

But that’s not what God wants. In fact, perseverance is one of the qualities God wants to grow in us:

Make every effort to add to your faith … perseverance
2 Peter 1:5-6

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up
Galatians 6:9

So here are five ways to chase away temptation, doubt, and fear.

1. Treat Temptation, Doubt, and Fear like Crows

Once upon a time there were two farmers. Each had five sons. One year both farmers planted a field of corn.

doubt and fear

Chase the crows of doubt and fear

The First Farmer

When the corn began to sprout ears, the first farmer heard cawing, looked out the window, and saw crows descending. He shouted, “Boys, crows are after the corn. Quick! Let’s chase them away!”

The farmer and his sons ran outside yelling. One banged on a metal trash can lid. Another waved a rake in the air. One fired rocks with his slingshot. Finally they succeeded in chasing the crows away and returned to the house. They wiped their foreheads and drank tall glasses of sweet tea.

But soon, the farmer looked out the window and saw the crows returning.

“Bad news, sons,” he said. “The crows are back. We’ll have to take shifts to keep them away until harvest.”

So they each took shifts chasing away crows until the corn ripened. They harvested the corn and had plenty to eat and sell.

The Second Farmer

Now the second farmer likewise heard cawing, looked out his window, and saw crows descending on his corn. He called out to his sons and they too ran through the rows shouting. They banged on a trashcan lid, waved a rake, and fired rocks with a slingshot. When the crows finally fled, the farmer and his sons returned to the house and drank icy lemonade.

But soon, this farmer, too, looked out his window and saw the crows returning.

“Bad news, sons,” he said. “The crows have returned. We don’t eat this season.”

The Moral

Of course, no sensible farmer would simply give up. But we are like that second farmer when we don’t persevere in our struggles against temptation, doubt, and fear. These are like crows in our spiritual lives. We need patience to prevail.

2. Set up Guards against Temptation, Doubt, and Fear

Paul told Timothy to “guard the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called ‘knowledge’” (1 Timothy 6:20). Just as the persistent farmer stationed his sons in shifts to guard his corn, so we can station truths to guard our hearts. Here’s how my husband and I do it.

Create a Truth Journal

A truth journal can be a notebook, a piece of paper, or a file on a smartphone. In it you write out what’s true from God’s perspective about your situation. Each truth is like an armed farmer’s son. Here are examples:

  • I am a dearly loved child of God. He is training me to do his will and I am learning to overcome _______.
  • God will work _______ out for my good. He sees the big picture. I don’t. Therefore, I can trust him that he knows best.
  • God loves my family even more than I do. I can trust him to care for them.

I like to number each truth because it encourages me to see how many truths God is working into my life through my current difficulty.

Add Scriptures

Take time to read your Bible every day. Begin by asking the Holy Spirit to guide you to verses that will help you see what he wants you to know and do. Additionally, use a concordance or ask your pastor for verses that suit your situation. When you find encouraging verses, write them out in your truth journal. I number these, too.

Here are some verses to get you started.

  • Discouragement: Philippians 1:6; 2:13; Romans 8:37-39
  • Temptation: 1 Corinthians 10:13; Matthew 5:6
  • Doubt: 2 Corinthians 10:5; Proverbs 3:5
  • Fear: 1 Peter 5:7; Hebrews 13:5
  • Assurance of forgiveness: Isaiah 1:18; 1 John 1:9
  • Assurance of salvation: John 1:12; 3:16-17; 5:24

Use the Truth Journal

Keep the truth journal handy at all times. Every time crows of temptation, doubt, and fear return, read the truth journal until you find the truth that helps. Loop it in your mind until the temptation, doubt, and fear flee.

3. Don’t Call Crows

That is, don’t do things that invite temptation, doubt, and fear.

  • Temptation: Put parental filters on your television and computers.
  • Doubt: Don’t “test your faith” by frequenting atheist sites.
  • Financial fear: Avoid window shopping and reading magazines with glossy photos of things you can’t afford right now.
  • Anxiety: Turn off the news.

Jesus said, “If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away” (Matthew 5:29). He was using hyperbole to get across the point that we need to take drastic measures to get rid of stumbling blocks.

4. Pray with Hope

Draw near to God through prayer.

Pray the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13). Pray each line, then personalize it. This will help you care for all aspects of your spiritual life.

Pray Psalms of hope. These teach you to remember God’s past care, focus on the eternal view, and give thanks for God’s current care. Pray a line or stanza, and then personalize it. Use Psalm 119 for temptation; Psalm 73 for doubt; Psalm 71 for fear; and Psalm 51 for repentance.

Sing worship songs, especially before bedtime. These remind you of God’s love. They help you “set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth” (Colossians 3:2). When you remember that eternity will end all evil and bring final healing, peace will calm you. Additionally, the rhythm of music and poetry can stop frenetic thoughts.

5. Serve

Serve others in a way that gets your mind off your temptation, doubt, and fear, and onto helping others. For example, feed the poor, help a widow, or volunteer at church.

Helping those in need can reset your thinking. “Nature loves a vacuum,” and filling your mind with positive thoughts about serving can prevent negative thoughts. Seeing what someone else needs to do to get out of a predicament can help you see what you need to do. Helping others gets your eyes temporarily off yourself. Besides, God rewards our efforts to serve others. It’s a win-win.

Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
James 1:4

See also: