Three Things I Don’t Understand

Our Through the Bible in a Year reading plan wrapped up the Old Testament this weekend, and on Sunday we began the book of Matthew. As much as I love the men and women of the Old Testament, the stories of Jesus and His life here on earth. The Gospel is filled with His exact words, His example for us and His sacrifice just for me.

No matter how many times I read the gospels, though, I always unearth passages that I don’t remember reading before. That’s the Scriptures being alive and movable by the Holy Spirit. And every time I read them, there are always questions that come to mind, things I am curious about. Here are just a few of them.

1. I don’t understand how these four men - Matthew, Mark, Luke and John - must have felt being inspired by God Himself to pen these words. We know Scripture is the Lord’s breath turned into words by the Holy Spirit, but did these writers know as their pens were dipped in ink that we would be reading them 2,000 years later. Did the Holy Spirit come softly, as the still small voice did so long ago? Or did He shake them to their core as He placed thoughts and phrases in their minds and hearts? As a writer myself, I just can’t wrap my brain around that idea.

2. I don’t understand God’s timing and how He makes everything happen perfectly. There were 400 years of silence between the Old Testament and the New Testament. My impatient, finite mind would have waited a few days and then set the birth of Jesus into motion. But in God’s perfection, He knew how every Old Testament prophecy would be fulfilled, when the timeline would all come together and who needed to be in what location for His plan to unfold. My perspective is only the line of sight right in front of me, but praise God that He can see the whole picture of human history.

3. I don’t understand how so many people remained unchanged, every after meeting Jesus Christ face to face. We’re only eight chapters into the New Testament, and I am already growing in faith and hope just reading about Jesus’ time here on earth. Imagine having seen His face, heard His voice and walked wherever He went. Even after that closeness to Him, there were so many people who turned away and refused to accept Him. We Christians have a passionate hope of the day we will meet our Savior and look Him in the eye, and these people had that opportunity and walked away. How sad and how disappointing.

There is much that I don’t understand, even after reading my Bible every day, but one day I will. I will have the mind of Christ and be able to talk with Him about everything I want to. And what a day, glorious day, that will be!

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