"Could a God who allows suffering really be good?"

"And as for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive." (Genesis 50:20)

TODAY’S BIG QUESTION: “Could a God who allows suffering really be good?”

The passage that we’re pondering today is really an amazing display of God’s plan which was set into place before the universe even began. Joseph had to go through incredible heartache as a result of the horrible sins that his brothers committed toward him. They hated him with a perfect hatred. They sold him into slavery, hoping never to see him again. It appeared that there was no hope that Joseph would ever again be happy.

But God was able to take an event even as terrible as this and use it for something beautiful. Through Joseph’s slavery, God was able to rescue the entire family of Jacob and turn them into the great nation of Israel. Wow! What a plan!

There is no such thing as random pain. God has a divine purpose for everything, and He can often accomplish things through suffering that He would not be able to accomplish in any other way.

Because God is omniscient (He knows everything), He truly sees the big picture. He truly knows what’s best for us. He knows what will bring the ultimate good for mankind. And He allows suffering at times to bring about that ultimate good – in mankind in general, and in your life in particular.

As a parent, I occasionally have to do the same thing with my kids. My daughter may not understand why we would have to take her to the doctor to get a shot, but that medical treatment would be for her ultimate good. I can see the big picture in a way that she does not fully understand … yet. At some point she will … perhaps.

One thing in this life about which you can be sure is that God loves you dearly. And the suffering that you experience is somehow related to His love for you. And this can only be understood fully as it is seen from His eternal, “out-of-this-world” vantage point.


TODAY’S BIG IDEA: “Suffering can be an extension of God’s goodness when it is viewed from the perspective of God and eternity.”

What to Pray: Pray that God will help you to trust in Him even when it hurts. Pray for God to help you to run to Him and not away from Him in times of trials.

-Chris Russell

“Who’s Running this Place?”

"For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist." (Colossians 3:16-17)

TODAY’S BIG QUESTION: “Who’s running this place?”

Imagine a universe in which everything is completely random. There is no order, there is no consistency, there is no purpose. What a horrible place that would be! Yet those who believe in a purely naturalistic explanation for the origin of the universe find themselves in precisely such a place.

I’m thankful that we can know that there is purpose, there is direction, and that there is order in the universe. This universe was designed, laid out, and is maintained by the Creator, the God of the universe, Himself. The laws of physics are such a beautiful picture of the great order that God gives to His creation. Not only has God created this world, but He is intimately involved in keeping everything running according to His perfect plan.

This truth actually brings us great comfort. I don’t know if you’ve figured this out, but I have noticed over the many years that I’ve been alive that life does not actually turn out the way that I thought it would when I was much younger. As a matter of fact, life regularly takes turns that I never would have ever imagined in my early years.

Unexpected tragedies come. We experience loss. We experience pain, heartache, sorrow, failure, and despair. But knowing that God reigns on His thrown on high is an incredible comfort. We can be assured that nothing takes place that is outside of His control. Take a moment to think about God’s perspective on this universe. Consider God’s perspective on your problems. God is not stressed out. God is not sitting on His thrown wringing his hands in worry about how things are going to turn out.

As you go throughout this day, take time to ponder God’s sovereignty. Meditate on the reality that He is in control of everything. Take time to ponder His sovereignty and how it makes a difference in your life. Consider how big of a deal that is.

TODAY’S BIG IDEA: “God is in control, and you can relax and trust in Him.”

What to Pray: ask that God will help you to trust in His sovereign control over your life, and pray that He will keep you from getting stressed out over those things that are in His control.

-Chris Russell

“How Does the Doctrine of Inspiration Affect My Life Today?”

"For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled." (Matthew 5:18)

Today’s big question: Is it true that we can’t really know what God has said because so much has been lost from the original manuscripts?

There is a disturbing myth being perpetuated in our generation that goes something like this: since it has been so many years since the original biblical manuscripts were written, and since they were copied so many times, we really can’t have any way of knowing what they actually said. This is a disturbing myth because it blasts away at the credibility and authority of the Bible itself.

Anyone with a basic understanding of the copying practices of the Scribes would understand that this myth is completely false. To say that they put extraordinary care into producing precise manuscripts is an understatement.

For instance, the Scribes used a counting system to help them check the accuracy of their copies. After completing a copy, they would count to the very middle word of that document. If that middle word did not match what they knew that word should be, then they would discard the entire copy. They would then count all the letters in the copy and find the middle letter. If that letter did not turn out to be what they knew it should be, then they discarded the entire document. And this is just one example of the many precautions they used in their copying work.

With these types of safeguards in place, it’s no wonder they were able to do their work with such precision. And the more copies that are uncovered from ancient times, the more we realize that God has kept His Word pure and whole.

The truth is that when we compare the preservation of God’s Word to the preservation of any other book from antiquity, we would have to conclude that something truly miraculous was going on with this document. God clearly preserved His Word for every generation.

Today’s big idea: You can study God’s Word with confidence knowing that He has preserved His message in its entirety.

What to pray: ask God to guide you through His Word and to help you to understand His plans for your life.

-Chris Russell

“Shoehorn Theology”

“Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it. (Deuteronomy 12:32)

Today’s big question: how does the doctrine of inspiration affect my life today?

Today’s passage is important, because it established a very important principle as the Children of Israel prepared to enter into the Promise Land: don’t add to or take away from the words of God. God (through Moses) wanted this to be a foundational concept for their nation as they developed in this new land that God had provided. The foundation of their new nation had to be that they let God speak for Himself, and they were not to try to add to that or take away from that.

John ended that last book of the canon of Scripture by adding a similar statement:

For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.Revelation 22:18-19

The challenging thing for us today is that we live in a culture that continually seems to add to and take away from God’s Word. The first eleven chapters of Genesis are an excellent example of this. For instance, many writers attempt to perform amazing “linguistic gymnastics” in order to to fit the notion of billions of years into Genesis 1. God has clearly told us that He created the earth in six literal days, and yet people regularly attempt to add to that message.

On the other hand, God has also told us that we will one day have to give an account of our lives before Him, but many Bible teachers seem to want to leave that part of the message out for fear of offending followers. How much better it would be if they would communicate the life-changing truths that God has given us!

God has given us the exact, precise message that we need for life. It behooves us to know and heed every last word!

Today’s big idea: we must take time to study and obey every single word that God has given us in the Scriptures.

What to pray: ask God to guide you through the Scriptures and to help you to trust and obey every single word.

“God’s Words or Man’s Words?”

For prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.
(2 Peter 1:21)

Today’s big question: whose words are these [in the Bible], anyway?

As we’ve taken time to ponder concepts related to the inspiration of the Bible over the past couple weeks, we’ve gained a better understanding of the truth that the Bible clearly is God’s Word given to us. But some people then wonder how that works. If the Bible is made up of words that have come from God, why are the writings of the 40 different authors of the various books of the Bible distinct in their style, approach, vocabulary, and perspective?
To give us a better understanding of this, I find it helpful to think of the writers of the Scriptures as functioning as a sort of “box of crayons” with which God has “colored the pictures” related to their own specific books. God is the actual artist, but for each book, He is tapping into that specific “box of crayons” for that writer. This “box of crayons” represents the vocabulary, personality, experiences, memories, etc. of each writer.
Thinking in these terms, we see that the Apostle Peter had a rather small “box.” He was not as well educated which limited him to write with a smaller, simpler vocabulary. The Apostle Paul, on the other hand, had a larger “box” due to the fact that his education and background were so rich and full.

When God wrote through the hand of Peter, He used the vocabulary, experiences, background, etc. of Peter to communicate His message. When He wrote through the hand of Paul, He used more sophisticated language based on Paul’s larger “box of crayons.”
In each case, God used the writers to write from their own background and experiences. However, their writings were ultimately still the Word of God in that God selected precisely what to write from each writer’s “box.”

With this in mind, let us marvel in the wonderful miracle of God in giving us the Scriptures. And let us strive to know His Word better each and every day!

Today’s big idea: God personally crafted the Holy Scriptures for us, so we must put great effort into studying them thoroughly and applying them to our lives.

What to pray: ask God to guide you through His Word and show you any changes in your life that you need to make for Him.

“The Word that Changes Lives Forever”

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
(Hebrews 4:12)

Today’s big question: how is it that the Bible has the power to change lives?

One of the greatest miracles that God performs on a regular basis is the miracle of a changed life. Every year around the world there are untold millions of lives that are delivered from afflictions such as substance abuse, destructive/self-destructive habits, emotional wounds, etc. For those of us who have been changed, we see a very real power that accompanies life in Christ.
One of God’s main tools for affecting change is the Bible. But what is it about this collection of writings that empowers lives to be changed in such amazing ways?
The key to understanding this is to understand that the Bible is truly the Word of God. This is not just a collection of inspirational writings that were penned by great philosophers. The Bible is distinct from every other manuscript in history in that it actually is the Word of God to man (2 Timothy 3:14-16).

The writings of man may be able to amuse, educate, or even enlighten in some ways, but the Word of God actually has the ability to change lives forever. The Bible actually presents the words that have emanated from the mind and heart of the Creator Himself. These words carry with them power that is unparalleled by anything else that has ever been written. When a person opens his heart to reading, learning, and studying the Scriptures, he will be begin to see himself and God like never before. He will understand his true condition of sin before a holy God. He will understand the gift of forgiveness through the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross. He will begin to grasp the power of the Holy Spirit that will enable him to turn from his sin and enjoy a life of great joy. And he will see a miraculous change begin to take place in his life as he goes deeper into God’s Word over time. What an amazing Book!

Today’s big idea: the Bible has the power to change your life forever, so fill your heart and mind with it every day!

What to pray: ask God to use His Word to change your life forever for His glory.

“Whose Words Are These?”

I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word.
(Psalm 119:16)

Today’s big question: whose words are these?
The Scriptures are filled with references that indicate that the words being written are truly the words of God Himself. As a matter of fact, phrases such as “Thus says the Lord” or “Your word” appear more than 2,800 times in the Old Testament alone. Think about that! The Scriptures are clearly working to drive home a key point here!

One example is to go through Psalm 119. In this one Psalm, you will find a reference to the Word of God in every single one of the 176 verses. Over and over again, the Psalmist continues to develop that point.

In Psalm 119:16, David speaks of “delighting” in God’s statutes. You see, David had such a clear understanding of the true source of these words that he felt great joy in his heart. And as you go through the entire Psalm, you will see that part of this joy was related to the fact that these words of God actually had the ability to change lives. David repeats that concept over and over throughout Psalm 119.

But then, in verse 16, David also states that he was committed to not forgetting God’s word. Sadly, that seems to be the state of the world in which we live. So many are turning away from the Scriptures, and so many Christians seem to forget about God’s Word as soon as they get into their cars to go home after church each week. It is a fatal error to allow ourselves to forget about God’s Word. They are the very words of the God of the universe, so we must keep them at the forefront of our hearts and minds at all times.

Today’s big idea: the Bible is the very Word of God Himself, therefore we must keep it in the very forefront of our hearts and minds.

What to pray: ask God to use His Word to change your life, and also pray that He will help you to keep His Word in the forefront of your mind.