Search Results

We need one key quality more than any other for exploring God’s will. This virtue is required to embrace Scripture and to win the wrestling match that often happens in our hearts with God’s will. This quality is humility. The essence of Christian humility is captured in Romans 12:3, where Paul the apostle writes, “For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.” This verse comes in the context of the topic of spiritual gifts. We are all a part of the body of Christ, all used by God for his purposes, and we all need to remember that we are not the center of everything. Why is that truth helpful when we study the topic of God’s will? Because we sometimes cross-examine God as though he were a witness in a courtroom and must answer to us. When we seek God’s will, we need to be careful that, deep down, we aren’t just trying to figure out how to get our own will. We need humility to live out our purpose as Christians. We see this warning throughout Scripture. In Romans 9:20, Paul warns us to be careful of pridefully presuming that we know God’s purposes for everything he allows or does: “But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God?” In chapters 38–40 of Job , we find some of the most eye-opening views of God’s character. After Job hits a low point and basically argues that he is righteous and doesn’t deserve the suffering God has allowed, God responds by saying, “Who is this that obscures my plans with words without knowledge?” He then goes on to say, “I will question you, and you shall answer me. Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?” (38:2–4). It’s one of the most humbling moments in Scripture. God challenges someone who thinks he knows better than the Almighty. (We’re guilty of this too!) Job eventually responds by saying, “I am unworthy—how can I reply to you?” (40:4). The picture we get is not of a mean and insensitive God who doesn’t care about our questions. On the contrary! The idea is that we can  express ourselves to God and seek answers, but we must be careful not to indict him or alter theological truths to satisfy our prideful opinions or lower him to a puppet who answers to us as puppeteers. We must maintain reverence when considering his will. We must be in awe of his sovereign power when considering his purposes. We must also be in awe of his loving kindness and tender mercy, because he most certainly understands our struggle to comprehend his will. In all of these things, we must be humble. Adapted from Walking in God’s Will: Demystify God’s Plan for Your Life and Make Decisions with Confidence  by Costi W. Hinn.

Listen and Learn I recently observed a conversation a few Christians were having with a man who has yet to come to faith in Jesus. It was amazing to me, and saddening, to watch the Christians missing the point of this man’s struggle and questions. It seemed those speaking to him were more concerned about convincing him they were right than about listening to his heart. As a result, he walked away without any good news about Jesus, becoming even more convinced that this “religion” wasn’t for him. It’s not for me either—at least, not what I saw in that conversation. We can do better. We must  do better. We’re talking about people’s souls! And we’re representing Jesus. Helping people come to know the love of Jesus is the most important thing there is, and Jesus’s love for us compels us to love people better. If we don’t, the good news that people need gets muffled by our religious pride. Proverbs 20:5  says, “The purpose in a man’s heart is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out.” We need to become people of understanding—people who seek to understand others before we expect them to understand us and what we believe. We need to learn how to ask more questions and draw out what is deep inside people’s souls. We need to learn to slow down and listen closely to the longings of their hearts. We need to learn their stories. In short, we need to care more about winning people to Jesus than about winning arguments. Gospel fluency isn’t just about talking. It’s about listening as well. This requires love, patience, and wisdom. Drawing Out the Heart Jesus was so good at this. Whenever I consider how I can grow in being a person of understanding who listens well, I think of Jesus with the Samaritan woman at the well. It was high noon, when the sun was at its hottest. There was a reason this woman was getting her water at this time. She chose a time when no one else would be at the well. Nobody went there in the heat of the day. But she probably wanted to avoid running into one of the wives of the men with whom she had been sexually involved. She had had five husbands, and the man she was then involved with was not her husband. However, Jesus didn’t start with where she was wrong. He actually started in a humble posture of receiving from her. He asked her for water, and she poured out her soul. I’ve found that starting with a posture of humility, standing in a place of need and having a heart that is willing not only to give answers but also to receive insight, creates a welcoming place for people to open their hearts. The more open we are to listen and learn, the more likely people are to be open as well. If you look at the story closely, you discover that Jesus continued to make very short, provocative statements that invited more conversation. He was drawing out, little by little, the longing of her soul. He’s a master at drawing out the heart. You notice this if you read the Gospels. Jesus regularly said just enough to invite further probing or create intrigue. He also loved to ask questions so that the overflow of the heart (belief) would spill out of a person’s mouth (words). I’m amazed at how often well-intentioned Christians overwhelm people with a barrage of words. We go on and on about what we believe and what they should believe, assuming we know what others think, believe, or need. I often find that we are giving answers to questions people are not even asking or cramming information into hearts that are longing for love, not just facts. We fail to listen. We fail to draw out the heart. And we miss opportunities to really love people and share the love of God with them. They also miss out on getting to hear what’s going on in their own hearts. I have found that when people, including myself, are invited to say out loud what they believe, they come to realize something is wrong. Jesus slows down, draws out the heart, and listens. Talk Less, Listen More As we are changed by the gospel, we want to share how the gospel has changed us. It’s a great thing to do so. In fact, one of the keys to growing in gospel fluency is to regularly share what Jesus has done or is doing in our lives with others. Our stories are powerful demonstrations of the gospel’s power to save. However, if we don’t also listen, we tend to share the good news of Jesus in a way that applies primarily to our lives, the way it was good news to us , but fails to address the situations others are facing. We can become proclaimers of the good news while remaining ignorant of the ways in which others need to hear it. This doesn’t negate how good the news of Jesus is at all. However, if we read the rest of the story of Jesus’s encounter with the Samaritan woman, we find that while her testimony created intrigue, the people in the village had to meet Jesus for themselves. It wasn’t enough for her just to share her story. They had to get to Jesus as well. So she brought them to him. Our job is to testify to Jesus’s work in our lives while also listening closely to others so we know how to bring the truths of Jesus to bear on the longings of their hearts. We need to bring them to Jesus so he can meet their unique needs and fulfill their personal longings. In order to do this, we have to slow down, quiet our souls, ask good questions to draw out the hearts of others, and listen. Francis Schaeffer said, “If I have only an hour with someone, I will spend the first fifty-five minutes asking them questions and finding out what is troubling their heart and mind, and then in the last five minutes I will share something of the truth.” My regular counsel to Christians these days is to spend more time listening than talking if they want to be able to share the gospel of Jesus in a way that meaningfully speaks to the hearts of others. We were created by God to find our greatest satisfaction and fulfillment in him. Every human is hungry for God. Everyone has eternity written on their hearts, producing a longing for something—someone—better, more significant, and eternal. This is a longing for God ( Eccl. 3:11 ). The cry of every heart— the native tongue of our souls—is for better, not for worse; for the eternal, not for the temporal; for healing, redemption, and restoration. And only Jesus can bring this about. We all long for Jesus Christ. Everyone is seeking him, even if they don’t know it. They are looking for something to fulfill their longings and satisfy their thirst. However, they are looking in the wrong places. They are going to the wrong wells to try to draw soul water. They need to look to Jesus. But they will not come to see how he can quench their thirst if we don’t take the time to listen. And as we listen, with the help of the Holy Spirit, we can discern the longings of their hearts, the brokenness of their souls, and the emptiness of their spirits. And then, we must be prepared to show how Jesus can meet them at the well with soul-quenching water—himself. Our stories are powerful demonstrations of the gospel’s power to save. This article is adapted from   Gospel Fluency: Speaking the Truths of Jesus into the Everyday Stuff of Life   by Jeff Vanderstelt.

1. Ephesians 5:22–27 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.   Read More The first example of general submission ( Eph. 5:21 ) is illustrated as Paul exhorts wives to submit to their husbands ( Eph. 5:22–24, 33 ). Husbands, on the other hand, are not told to submit to their wives but to love them ( Eph. 5:25–33 ). Paul’s first example of general submission from Eph. 5:21  is the right ordering of the marriage relationship (see also Col. 3:18 ; 1 Pet. 3:1–7 ). The submission of wives is not like the obedience children owe parents, nor does this text command all women to submit to all men (to your own husbands, not to all husbands!). Both genders are equally created in God’s image ( Gen. 1:26–28 ) and heirs together of eternal life ( Gal. 3:28–29 ). This submission is in deference to the ultimate leadership of the husband for the health and harmonious working of the marriage relationship. The focus in these verses is on Christ, for husbands do not “sanctify” their wives or “wash” them of their sins, though they are to do all in their power to promote their wives’ holiness. “Sanctify” here means “to consecrate into the Lord’s service through cleansing, washing of water.” This might be a reference to baptism, since it is common in the Bible to speak of invisible, spiritual things (in this case, spiritual cleansing) by pointing to an outward physical sign of them (see Rom. 6:3–4 ). There may also be a link here to Ezek. 16:1–13 , where the Lord washes infant Israel, raises her, and eventually elevates her to royalty and marries her, which would correspond to presenting the church to himself in splendor at his marriage supper (see also Ezek. 36:25 ; Rev. 19:7–9; 21:2, 9–11 ). without blemish. The church’s utter holiness and moral perfection will be consummated in resurrection glory, but is derived from the consecrating sacrifice of Christ on the cross. 2. Genesis 2:18 Then the LORD God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.”   Read More “Not good” is a jarring contrast to Gen. 1:31 ; clearly, the situation here has not yet arrived to “very good.” “I will make him” can also be translated “I will make for him,” which explains Paul’s statement in 1 Cor. 11:9 . In order to find the man a helper fit for him, God brings to him all the livestock, birds, and beasts of the field. None of these, however, proves to be “fit for” the man. “Helper” (Hb. ‘ezer’ ) is one who supplies strength in the area that is lacking in “the helped.” The term does not imply that the helper is either stronger or weaker than the one helped. “Fit for him” or “matching him” (cf. ESV footnote) is not the same as “like him”: a wife is not her husband’s clone but complements him. 3. Matthew 19:4–6 “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”   Read More “What God has joined together” implies that marriage is not merely a human agreement but a relationship in which God changes the status of a man and a woman from being single (they are no longer two) to being married (one flesh). From the moment they are married, they are unified in a mysterious way that belongs to no other human relationship, having all the God-given rights and responsibilities of marriage that they did not have before. Being “one flesh” includes the sexual union of a husband and wife (see Gen. 2:24 ), but it is more than that because it means that they have left their parents’ household (“a man shall leave his father and his mother,” Gen. 2:24 ) and have established a new family, such that their primary human loyalty is now to each other, before anyone else. Jesus avoids the Pharisaic argument about reasons for divorce and goes back to the beginning of creation to demonstrate God’s intention for the institution of marriage. It is to be a permanent bond between a man and a woman that joins them into one new union that is consecrated by physical intercourse ( Gen. 2:24 ). 4. Colossians 3:18 Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them.   Read More Instead of telling wives to “obey” (Gk. hypakouō ), as was typical in Roman households, Paul appeals to them to “submit” (Gk. hypotassō ), based on his conviction that men have a God-given leadership role in the family. The term suggests an ordering of society in which wives should align themselves with and respect the leadership of their husbands (see Eph. 5:22–33 ). Paul is not enjoining the wives to follow the prevailing cultural patterns of the day but to live as is fitting in the Lord. Seven times in these nine verses ( Col. 3:18–4:1 ) Paul roots his instructions in “the Lord” or an equivalent term, thus stressing the importance of evaluating everything in light of Christ and his teaching. 5. 1 Peter 3:7 Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.   Read More Peter’s advice to husbands is compressed, perhaps because he addresses at more length those under authority who are more likely to be mistreated (slaves and wives). The word “likewise" is merely a transition (cf. 1 Pet. 3:1; 5:5 ); it does not mean husbands should submit to their wives, since Scripture never teaches this (see Eph. 5:21–33 ). “To live … in an understanding way" probably focuses on living in accord with God’s will, which includes understanding the needs of a wife. Interpreters differ over whether weaker vessel means weaker in terms of delegated authority, emotions, or physical strength. Peter is probably thinking of the general truth that men are physically stronger than women and may be tempted to threaten their wives through physical or verbal abuse. Women and men share an equal destiny as “heirs … of the grace of life." Peter does not think women are inferior to men, for both are equally made in God’s image (cf. Gal. 3:28 ). If husbands do not treat their wives in a godly way, the Lord will pay no heed to their prayers. 6. Hebrews 13:4 Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.   Read More Marriage is to be held in honor, and chastity in marriage is called for, with the warning that God will judge anyone who is sexually immoral (Gk. pornos , a general term referring to anyone who engages in sexual conduct outside of marriage between a man and a woman) or adulterous (Gk. moichos , referring to anyone who is unfaithful to a spouse). This warning is addressed to members of the church, and if they are genuine Christian believers, this judgment of God would not mean final condemnation to hell (cf. Rom. 8:1 ) but would bring disciplinary judgment in this life (cf. Heb. 12:5–11 ) or loss of reward at the last day, or both. However, in light of the earlier warning passages ( Heb. 3:12–14 ; Heb. 6:4–8 ; Heb. 10:26–31 ; Heb. 12:14–17 ), it is possible that such sexual immorality will be an indication that the person committing it is in fact not a true believer and not born again. 7. Ecclesiastes 4:9–10 Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!   Read More The wise person will work side by side with another, enjoying a good reward and finding help in times of need. The wise person will pursue cooperative ventures rather than give in to jealous striving to be first (contrast Ecc. 4:8, 10, 11 ), a striving that isolates him from others. 8. Genesis 2:23–24 Then the man said, “This at last is bone of my bonesand flesh of my flesh;she shall be called Woman , because she was taken out of Man.”   Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.   Read More When no suitable companion is found among all the living beings, God fashions a woman from the man’s own flesh. The text highlights the sense of oneness that exists between the man and the woman. Adam joyfully proclaims, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh.” This terminology is used elsewhere of blood relatives ( Gen. 29:14 ). This sentence and the story of Eve’s creation both make the point that marriage creates the closest of all human relationships. It is also important to observe that God creates only one Eve for Adam, not several Eves or another Adam. This points to heterosexual monogamy as the divine pattern for marriage that God established at creation. Moreover, the kinship between husband and wife creates obligations that override even duty to one’s parents (therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, Gen. 2:24 ). In ancient Israel, sons did not move away when they married, but lived near their parents and inherited their father’s land. They “left” their parents in the sense of putting their wife’s welfare before that of their parents. The term “hold fast” is used elsewhere for practicing covenant faithfulness (e.g., Deut. 10:20 ; see how Paul brings these texts together in 1 Cor. 6:16–17 ); thus, other Bible texts can call marriage a “covenant” (e.g., Prov. 2:17 ; Mal. 2:14 ). Paul’s teaching on marriage in Eph. 5:25–32  is founded on this text. The sense of being made for each other is further reflected in a wordplay involving the terms “man” and “woman”; in Hebrew these are, respectively, ’ish  and ’ishshah . As a result of this special affiliation, Gen. 2:24  observes that when a man leaves his parents and takes a wife, they shall become one flesh, i.e., one unit (a union of man and woman, consummated in sexual intercourse). Jesus appeals to this verse and Gen. 1:27  in setting out his view of marriage ( Matt. 19:4–5 ). 9. Isaiah 62:5 For as a young man marries a young woman,so shall your sons marry you,and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,so shall your God rejoice over you.   Read More “Our sons” are the loyal inhabitants of Zion (here, the eternal city of God; cf. Psalm 87 ). A poetic image indicating that the inhabitants of Jerusalem will love and cherish their city: the inhabitants of Zion will forever be committed to and delight in their eternal dwelling place, for the Lord’s people are there, and the Lord himself is there. Isaiah’s poetic imagery leaves an overwhelming impression of joy, delight, righteousness, beauty, safety, and peace. Boldly drawing on a familiar human image of inexpressible joy and delight, God says his delight in his people will be like that of a bridegroom’s delight in his bride. Isaiah explains that in God’s great plan of salvation, he not only forgives his people, protects them, heals them, provides for them, restores them to their home, reconciles them to each other, transforms them so they are righteous, honors them, exalts them above all nations, and makes them a blessing to all nations, as he called them to be—but more than all these things, he actually delights  in his people. 10. 1 Corinthians 7:2–5 But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband. The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.   Read More The Corinthians are commanded to be faithful in their marriages, to avoid divorce, and to be content in their calling. Paul uses the phrase "now concerning" for the first time here to signal a switch from matters raised in the oral report from Chloe’s people ( 1 Cor. 1:10–11 ) to issues raised in a letter from Corinth. This same phrase is repeated in a number of places throughout the rest of 1 Corinthians (see 1 Cor. 7:25 ; 1 Cor. 8:1 ; 1 Cor. 12:1 ; 1 Cor. 16:1, 12 ) where it introduces additional topics from the Corinthians’ letter. Some Corinthian Christians appear to have adopted the view that sexual relations of any kind, even within marriage, should be avoided. Paul seeks to carefully refute this view throughout this chapter (see 1 Cor. 7:2, 5, 9, 10, 28, 36 ). God designed marriage as the place for the expression of human sexuality. Sex within marriage has both relational and spiritual benefits ( Gen. 2:24 ; Eph. 5:31 ; see also 1 Cor. 6:17 ). It also has the practical benefit of reducing the temptation to engage in sexual sin (see 1 Cor. 7:9 ). by: Crossway;  All commentary sections adapted from the ESV Study Bible .

Speak to God God is not asking for silence. When we suffer and do not understand, he is not demanding the stiff upper lip. He does not object to our groanings, our pleas for help, our desperate whimpers when we can’t even form words. He does not need us to piece ourselves together before we say our Thee’s  and Thou’s  in formal prayer. He invites us to question him. God is not threatened by our questions. Neither should we, then, tell the suffering to silence their complaints. But they must take their accusations straight to God—and listen. Everywhere you look in the Hebrew Bible, you’ll see exchanges between God and the patriarchs, prophets, or kings. God does not shrink before our speech. If anything, as we see amid the calamity of invasion at the outset of the prophet Isaiah’s ministry, God invites this dialogue. 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. ( Isa. 1:18 ) God’s People Cry Out to Him Consider how the prophets speak of Israel’s exile from the promised land. The prophet Habakkuk opens with a complaint against God for his people’s suffering. How could God be silent in the face of such injustice? O Lord, how long shall I cry for help,      and you will not hear?Or cry to you “Violence!”      and you will not save? ( Hab. 1:2 ) God’s answer reminds us that God’s purposes sometimes remain obscure even when we’re looking to understand, even when we hear the reasons. Look among the nations, and see;      wonder and be astounded.For I am doing a work in your days      that you would not believe if told. ( Hab. 1:5 ) Habakkuk can’t understand how God could use the evil of the Chaldeans to accomplish his good plan. In Habakkuk, we see that God is not silent before evil. That’s because he speaks through a prophet made in his image as he demands justice. These words, after all, have been preserved for us in the Scriptures. Moreover, God responds that he’s doing something as Creator that we can’t understand. Psalm 88  might be considered the paradigm. The psalmist opens with an appeal to God: O Lord, God of my salvation,      I cry out day and night before you.Let my prayer come before you;      incline your ear to my cry! ( Ps. 88:1–2 ) He senses that God has gone silent. But I, O Lord, cry to you;      in the morning my prayer comes before you.O Lord, why do you cast my soul away?      Why do you hide your face from me? ( Ps. 88:13–14 ) Unlike so many other Hebrew prayers, including those of Habakkuk and Job, Psalm 88  ends without resolution. It ends, in fact, with night. You have caused my beloved and my friend to shun me;      my companions have become darkness. ( Ps. 88:18 ) For anyone who has suffered depression, God’s word here offers comfort. Even the psalmist felt like darkness was his only friend. We are not alone—even when we cannot seem to hear God. This short article can hardly contain all the examples in Scripture, especially in the Psalms, of people crying out to God and hearing nothing in response. Here’s King David: My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?       Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer,      and by night, but I find no rest. ( Ps. 22:1–2 ) Now here’s where Scripture really takes a turn. The next time we hear this prayer, it’s from a man whose companions have shunned him. His friends have fled. The world has become shrouded in darkness. From parched lips we hear a loud voice cry out, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” He’s quoting Psalm 22:1 : “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” It’s the prayerful plea of Jesus as he hangs dying on the cross ( Mark 15:34 ). It’s the final cry of a Son for his Father. The crowd watches and waits. They look to the heavens. If the Father recognizes Jesus as his Son, surely he will rescue him. Do not Jesus’s own disciples—indeed, his own mother and brothers and friends—expect deliverance? Surely, this is the moment for truth to prevail. As the Father has spoken blessing on the Son twice earlier, in the presence of Elijah and his successor, surely he will deliver now before it’s too late. The Son gives one last agonized cry. One last labored breath. From the Father we hear nothing. Only silence. Night has never been darker. Quiet has never been quieter. How could this man claim to be the Son of God? Suffering Servant Was Jesus mistaken? Were his disciples? For Jesus, this silence meant violence. Hanging on the Romans’ most notorious method of murder, he received no reprieve from his agony. How should we understand what was happening? How does this experience speak to those who suffer not only physical pain but also the absence of God? For a clue, we need to head back to the great Jewish prophet Isaiah. In Isaiah 53:7–9 , he spoke this word from God about a suffering servant: He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,      yet he opened not his mouth;like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,      and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,      so he opened not his mouth.By oppression and judgment he was taken away;      and as for his generation, who consideredthat he was cut off out of the land of the living,      stricken for the transgression of my people?And they made his grave with the wicked      and with a rich man in his death,although he had done no violence,      and there was no deceit in his mouth. The lamb led to the slaughter. He opened not his mouth. Only silence . Whatever others may have thought about the Father’s silence, Jesus wasn’t surprised. He taught his disciples to expect nothing less. The Son must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things before dying at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes ( Matt. 16:21 ). Such is the fate of prophets who speak the truth in a world that fell with a lie. John had come as Elijah, and his head ended up on a platter ( Matt. 14:1–12 ). Jesus knew the history. He cried, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it!” ( Matt. 23:37 ). Other prophets had died because of  the hard hearts of the people. But this prophet would be different. This prophet died for the hard hearts of the people. Like righteous Job, Jesus interceded with a sacrifice for his loved ones ( Job 1:5 ). As Isaiah had foretold, an innocent servant’s suffering would pardon his people’s transgression. His chastisement brings peace. By his wounds, our world will be healed ( Isa. 53:5 ). Sounds of Salvation The Father may have been silent as Jesus died on the cross. But that’s not because the Son had been abandoned. Jesus told the disciples that he would lay down his life for his sheep ( John 10:15–16 ). He explained how it was all in accordance with the Father’s will. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father. ( John 10:17–18 ) The sounds of salvation that emanated from the hill outside Jerusalem called Golgotha were the cries of the Son of God. For six hours, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe hung on a Roman cross, slowly dying. In solidarity with its Maker, the land descended into the darkness of night ( Mark 15:33 ). This Son offered friendship to all but made enemies of those who claimed to speak for God while they made every follower “twice as much a child of hell” ( Matt. 23:15 ). The Son’s every good deed, his every healing miracle, enraged the self-righteous. In their show trials, they couldn’t find a single transgression by Jesus. Still, these religious and political leaders threatened by Jesus’s innocence silenced his prophetic voice. Then, on the third day, the sun rose. Light shone on Jerusalem. The women who loved Jesus went to his tomb. “An angel of the Lord descended from heaven.” The sound was deafening. The earth shook while he rolled the stone away from the tomb. The light was blinding. “His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow” ( Matt. 28:2–3 ). He came with news of a new creation. The former things had passed way. “In Christ God was reconciling the world to himself” ( 2 Cor. 5:19 ). That serpent of lies? Jesus crushed his power on the cross ( Gen. 3:15 ). “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin,” we read in 2 Corinthians 5:21 , “so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” Theologians call this the great exchange. In our union with Christ, he takes on our sin and dies the death we deserved on the cross. He gives us the righteousness of his sinless life so one day we’ll hear from our Father, “Well done, good and faithful servant” ( Matt. 25:23 ). God Has a Son For now, at least a little while longer, the sounds of slaughter still haunt every corner of the earth. “Never again” gives way to terrorists on paragliders attacking youth during a music festival. Another land war in Europe yields war crimes in familiar Ukrainian cities. The League of Nations couldn’t stop the last major war. The United Nations can’t stop wars today. Over the clanging gong of breaking news, we listen for the first notes from a trumpet that will signal the end of evil ( Matt. 24:31 ). Then, final judgment will be rendered to the butchers of Buchenwald and Berdychiv. No evil word will go unpunished. On that day, every child’s cries will find consolation. For God himself has a Son. Though he did no wrong, that Son suffered. And his suffering availed to our eternal salvation. This sheep may have been silent. But his sacrifice silenced the original accuser. The first enemy can rage. In the end, however, Satan cannot win. God is not threatened by our questions. This article is adapted from   Where Is God in a World with So Much Evil?   by Collin Hansen.

1. HE IS: My Everything Isaiah 9:6–7  Isaiah predicted that a child would be born who would be our everything. The variety of names reveals his character qualities: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Until Christ comes to govern the world, he wants to govern your heart and be your everything. When you’re perplexed, let him be your Wonderful Counselor. When you’re weak and fragile, trust him to be your Mighty God. When you feel that everything around you is changing, remember he is your Everlasting Father. When anxiety knocks, lean on the Prince of Peace. When you’re searching for what completes you, look to your everything. 2. HE IS: Not Angry Isaiah 12:1–3  The prophet predicted the time when the Messiah would come to save his people. When the people turned to the Messiah, God would in turn strengthen and comfort his children, and Israel would praise the Lord because his anger had turned away. He is not angry. While God is angry at your sin, he does not hold on to his anger with you. When you turn to the Messiah for salvation, he turns from his anger over your sin. He loves you, and as his child, you are the recipient of his comfort, not his anger (see also Hosea 14:4–8). 3. He Is: First and Last Isaiah 44:6  The covenant people were going to be taken captive by a nation enmeshed in idolatry. Therefore, God warned them against worshiping idols by reminding them that he alone is God. He proclaimed that he is the first and the last, the only God. We too live in a land where people bow to false gods. Beware! Anything you value above God is an idol. Is he the first thing you consider in the morning and the last on your mind at night? If he’s not first and last in your life, then maybe he’s not your Lord at all. 4. He Is: The Sustainer Isaiah 46:3–4  Even though the people had wandered from God and were destined for punishment, God offered them hope. He promised to sustain them. He didn’t promise a life of ease, but he did promise to be their sustainer. The same God who had carried them thus far would carry them through their trials. Though you may be experiencing hardship and heartache, don’t doubt that God has loved you from the moment you were conceived. Throughout your life, he is the sustainer who will carry you from the cradle to the grave. 5. He Is: A Man of Suffering Isaiah 53:1–6  The prophet foresaw that the Messiah would be a man of suffering. During his life Jesus experienced loss, unfair treatment, rejection, physical pain and spiritual sorrow. On the cross, he took the sin and misery of the world onto his own shoulders. Aren’t you glad that Jesus understands pain? Isn’t it comforting to know that the God-man did not choose an easy, sheltered life? He knows what it feels like to hurt. What sorrows are you carrying? Let him bear them for you (see Matthew 11:28–30). Place your pain on his strong shoulders. He’s familiar with suffering and will carry your pain for you. 6. He Is: The Potter Isaiah 64:8  The prophet Isaiah understood that human beings, like clay, can be shaped and molded for service by surrendering to God the potter. At our best, we are the work of God’s hand. The potter created you for a purpose—to serve him. If you allow it, he will make you into a vessel that pours out his love to others. You must be supple clay in God’s hands, not resistant to his sometimes-painful process of molding your character. Repentance of sin softens your spirit so you can be formed into his divine design. 7. He Is: The Holy Hope Jeremiah 14:7–9  Judah’s drought was a sign of God’s displeasure with his people’s sinfulness. So Jeremiah talked with God, acknowledging the people’s backsliding and sin. God was Judah’s only hope, but the people failed to repent. Are you experiencing a spiritual drought? Has drinking at the wells of pleasure left you thirsting for true fulfillment? If your backsliding is great, know that he is the only hope. Return to God and talk with him. Confess your tendency to wander. He will quench your thirst, save you in times of distress and be your true and lasting hope (see Romans 15:13). 8. He Is: Foreseeing Jeremiah 32:1–25  God instructed Jeremiah to buy his uncle’s field, knowing full well the Babylonians would soon conquer the land. This signified to the people of Israel that God was planning to bring them back to their home. Because God foresees the future, Jeremiah could trust God’s seemingly ill- timed instructions. (Who invests in land right before captivity?!) Nothing is too hard for God—not your housing situation, your health or your happiness. He foresees what will happen before it happens and has a plan to redeem whatever you’re facing. You can trust God to bring his promises to pass in his perfect way and time. 9: He Is: Good Lamentations 3:22–26  The weeping prophet, Jeremiah, grieved over the fall of Jerusalem. Yet he found consolation in the fact that God’s compassions are new every morning. Although the people had sinned and the city was destroyed, Jeremiah knew that God is good to those who hope in him. If you’re grieving over the destruction in your life and you’re longing for a fresh start, seek the Lord. He is good and is able and willing to give you a new beginning. Because he offers a fresh batch of compassion every morning, he’ll help you put the past behind you when you hope in him. 10: He Is: Pleased Ezekiel 18:23–32  Some people portray God as a cruel deity who wants to zap unsuspecting sinners. In Ezekiel’s day, the Israelites accused God of unfairly punishing the people for the sins of their parents. But through Ezekiel, God revealed that people are responsible for their own sin and that he is pleased when people turn to him. God is not begrudging. He doesn’t overcomplicate salvation in the hopes of disqualifying some. He doesn’t enjoy anyone’s death. Rather, he is pleased—thrilled, delighted and satisfied—when you come to him and live (see Luke 15:7). Imagine—the God of the universe, pleased with you! 11: He Is: The Ancient of Days Daniel 7:9–10  Daniel saw a vision of world history where each successive empire was depicted as a fierce beast, culminating in the rule of the antichrist. In the midst of the vision, Daniel saw the Ancient of Days, God himself, regally seated on his throne to judge the nations. He is the Ancient of Days—timeless, enduring, unchanging. How unlike us. While our lives are quick blips on the screen of time, he was, is and is to come. And the Ancient of Days freely offers us eternal life with him—a permanence, security and future we could never earn for ourselves. 12. He Is: Healing Hosea 6:1–3  Hosea recognized that the God who, in justice, chastises his children for turning away from him will also, in mercy, heal them. The Lord rains his refreshing, healing forgiveness on those who acknowledge him. God may allow pain in your life. He may allow you to be torn to pieces and injured by life. Why? So that you will return to him. These afflictions are a severe mercy—though painful, they are the catalyst for you to press on to acknowledge God. He will heal you, bind up your wounds, restore you and invite you to live in his presence. 13. He Is: My Strength Habakkuk 3:16–19  Knowing that the land faced devastation, Habakkuk set his mind on God rather than circumstances. He told himself, I choose to be patient; I choose to rejoice even when (not if) disaster comes. With this perspective on life, he could confidently say that God was his strength. Sometimes faith requires that we make a hard choice that contradicts what we can see. When the circumstances of your life look bad, remind yourself that God is in control. Like Habakkuk, you can choose to trust God. By making the choice to trust, you too can discover that God is your strength. 14. He Is: Stirring Haggai1:13–14  As the Lord’s messenger, Haggai reminded the people that they had put much energy into building their own homes, yet God’s house remained a ruin. God himself stirred up the people to work on his house, the building project he was passionate about. God is also stirring in the hearts of his people today. What is he stirring you to do? Build his house? Reach out to a hurting friend? Witness to your unsaved neighbor? Give? When you are attuned to his stirring in your heart, and open to doing whatever project he is passionate about, he will use you. 15. He Is: A Refiner Malachi 3:3  The people had grown indifferent to the Lord, but Malachi saw that because of their backsliding, God would turn up the heat to bring them back to righteousness. He predicted that God would sit as a refiner. If the heat has been turned up in your life, perhaps God is refining you. He monitors the temperature of your trials so the dross of sin will rise to the surface. He wants to sweep away your iniquities as the silversmith sweeps away the impurities tainting precious metals. Though the heat might feel painful, it’s purifying, making you shine and reflect his glory. Drawn from Flourish: The NIV Bible for Women .

Stay on Track Years ago, when I was serving in high school ministry, we offered this simple plan to our students as they learned how to lead small-group Bible studies with their peers. It consists of the cultivation of six habits that constitute a basic approach to studying any passage of Scripture. Developing these habits will help keep you on track in your study—paying attention to the text, avoiding rabbit trails, and doing everything you can to get the main point and the central application as God intended it. Let’s look at these habits.   1. Read carefully. Our first habit is simply careful reading. So many mistakes are made in hermeneutics (biblical interpretation) because people read too quickly through a passage, assume they understand what it’s saying, and then make a leap to something in their experience that the passage makes them think about. Carefully reading the text several times can be the first and most important step in making sure we are listening to what the Bible is actually saying. Take time to read slowly. Make observations and linger over the text. Read it silently, then out loud. And don’t forget to pray for God’s help as you listen to his word and seek to understand and apply it faithfully.   2. Read in context. It’s important to understand that mistakes in the interpretation and application of the Bible often can be avoided simply by taking time to understand the context of specific verses and passages. A verse that seems to be saying one thing at first glance could actually be understood to mean the opposite when it’s read in its proper context. When we study the Bible, then, we need to pay attention to the verses directly around the passage we’re reading. We need to think about the historical situation of the original audience in order to understand what the biblical author was saying to them before we apply the passage to ourselves. And we need to make sure that we are remembering the context of the entire Bible, which tells the story of God’s creation, humanity’s fall, redemption through Christ, and the promise of resurrected life in God’s new creation. Reading every Bible passage—and every Bible verse—in its proper context is vital for proper understanding and application of God’s word.   3. Identify core terms. Next, we must look for core words or phrases in a passage of Scripture. As we study a Bible passage, we must ask, “What words or phrases are repeated? Are there ideas that keep coming up again and again in the passage? Is there a particular point that the author makes—perhaps at both the beginning and the end of a story or section of Scripture?” This habit is designed to help us get closer to the crux (main point) of the text (see the next habit) by identifying repeated emphases employed by the biblical author. When we tell a story or give a speech, we almost always repeat or emphasize the points that are most important to us. It’s no different with the biblical text, so paying careful attention to repeated words often can be a helpful way to capture what God’s word is saying to us.   4. Identify the main point. This habit can help pinpoint the theme of a passage of Scripture, which can be defined as the timeless theological truth that the passage is teaching. The theme of any biblical passage is just as true today as it was when the passage was written. It may be a truth about the character of God, humanity, sin, salvation, or our fallen world. Whatever it may be, an important discipline in Bible study is to work hard to capture that main point. Try to put this theme into just one sentence—something like “The main point of this passage is _ .” Taking this step in Bible study doesn’t mean you’ll always get the main point exactly right, but it will help you discipline yourself to not only study a passage of Scripture verse by verse, but also to see a chunk of Scripture as a whole, seeking to discern the overall main point that the biblical author, as inspired by God the Holy Spirit, was making to his original audience (and is making to us, God’s people today).   5. See Christ in the text. The simple conviction behind this habit of Bible study is that the Scriptures ultimately are about God’s redemption of sinners—and all of creation—through the life, death, resurrection, and final return of his Son, Jesus Christ. The Bible’s climax is the saving work of God through Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. So it’s appropriate for us to ask, when studying any passage of Scripture, “How does this passage relate to Jesus and the gospel?” Of course, it’s important to remember that different passages of Scripture point to Jesus and the gospel in different ways. Some Old Testament passages offer direct prophetic words about the coming of Jesus, while others simply display the need for Jesus, the Messiah, to come and save sinners. Some New Testament passages explain Jesus’s work on the cross in detail; others apply his saving work or hold him out as an example for Christians to follow. Whatever the case may be, it’s important—and valid—for Christians to seek to connect every passage in the Bible to the person and work of Jesus Christ, who is the Savior of all who believe.   6. Answer God’s call. This is where the rubber meets the road. Here we ask that all-important question, “What does the truth of this passage mean for the way I think, act, and speak?” We are asking ourselves, “What is the central call of this passage to me as a follower of Jesus Christ?” We’re talking, of course, about application. If the Bible is true—and if Jesus indeed is our Savior and Lord, who invites us to follow and obey him—then every passage of Scripture should have a real impact on our lives. If we do not practice this final habit of Bible study, there is a very real danger that while we may engage in some cerebral or academic study of Scripture, we will not allow the Bible to challenge and change us. God’s word is living and active ( Heb. 4:12 ); our Lord intends for us to obey it and to be constantly changed by it as it calls us to deeper obedience, sanctification, and growth in Christ. When we study the Bible, then, we are trying to discover what it means, but also what it means for the way we live as faithful followers of Jesus Christ. Don’t forget to pray for God’s help as you listen to his word and seek to understand and apply it faithfully. This article is adapted from   Understanding God’s Word: An Introduction to Interpreting the Bible   by Jon Nielson.

The Crux of Each Book Just as every Bible passage has a main point, so does every biblical book, and it’s very important to find it. The crux tool—a hermeneutical tool—can help you do that. By using it well, you can discover the message or theme of any biblical book.   Understanding This Tool The idea of finding the main theme or big idea for an entire book of the Bible may seem intimidating because some of those books are very long. So I want to give you a few basic hints about how you can begin working to identify the crux of any book of the Bible by using this tool. This is a very important tool, and here is why: every author of the Bible was inspired by God’s Holy Spirit to write, and they wrote with a very clear purpose—a big idea. Unless we identify that big idea—that crux—for any particular book, we will become confused as we study the individual passages within that book. We need to have a good grasp of the overarching point in order to understand the points of the individual parts. The crux tool will help you do that—and will serve you well as you study smaller passages within any book. Here are the hints that you can use to help you as you seek to pinpoint the crux of a book: Purpose statement . You can look for a purpose statement. Some biblical authors make it very easy on us; they obviously and openly tell us why they are writing the book and what their main point will be. Beginning and ending. You can look at how a book begins and ends. Many times, a biblical author will start by giving you an idea of the main purpose or crux of his book, then will conclude with a restatement of that point. Again, this is a very helpful way to find the crux. It’s not very different from the way that many of us were taught to write essays in school—by giving an introduction that states the main point, writing the body of the essay, and then restating the main point in the conclusion. Some biblical authors do this more explicitly than others. Repetition . You can often discover words, phrases, and ideas that keep coming up throughout a book of the Bible. Many times, what the author keeps repeating is an important hint as to the overall crux of the book. Obviously, a key part of using these three hints is actually taking some time to read through books of the Bible—even multiple times—and ideally in one sitting. The best method by which to find your way to the crux of a book is to read it again and again, and to work hard to determine the book’s shape, trajectory, and major themes. You will get better at using this tool the more you read the Bible. Don’t cheat yourself out of the experience of actually reading an entire book of the Bible all the way through; there is no shortcut to good Bible study. Remember, this tool is a very important one for your tool belt because you cannot understand the various parts of a book unless you grasp the crux of the entire book.   Problems Avoided with This Tool Now think about some problems in Bible interpretation and application that can be avoided when we use the crux tool well. Seeing these problems will set us up to learn about the important benefits of this tool. What are some of the problems that can happen if we ignore the crux tool as we study biblical books? We might get lost in our reading and understanding .  Perhaps you have known the experience of getting lost in your reading or study of a particular book. If this has ever happened to you, you know that it is not fun; rather, it’s quite frustrating. It is not pleasant to be confused or to not understand what an author is doing or where he or she is going with a plot or a story. Understanding the crux of a biblical book will help you avoid getting lost as you read and study it. It will help you keep the main focus central in your mind so you can always look for the way the author is developing, expanding, or referring to that main point. We might fail to see the right application in our study .  Sometimes as we study a particular passage in the Bible, we begin to think that it is leading to a particular application for Christian actions, thoughts, or words. But we are not sure. How do we know if we are applying a Bible passage to our lives in the right way? One way we can check our application is to see if it lines up with the overall crux of the book. If it fits with the main point that the author is making, there is a good chance that it is a good application. But if it is completely off the crux of the book, we likely have understood some verses incorrectly. We might miss the main point of the entire book .  Finally, if we do not first work on finding the main point of a book by putting the crux tool to work, we may discover that we have worked through a book passage by passage and missed the book’s big idea. That would not be a good thing. Putting the crux tool to work first can help us get a big picture of the main point of the book. Then, as we work through it passage by passage, we can see the way each individual passage relates to the overall big idea that the author is trying to communicate.   Benefits Received with This Tool Now let’s think about some benefits that can come from using the crux tool well. Hearing the main “melody” of the book .  In musical pieces, there is almost always a main melody that is repeated throughout. There are pieces of harmony that are combined with this melody, but the melody serves as the main musical theme for the entire piece. Books of the Bible can be much like this. There are often many elements of harmony that combine with the main theme, and there are different variations of the big idea that the author is trying to get across. But ultimately there is one main melody that the book really centers on—its main message. The crux tool is ideal for helping Bible students find their way to that main melody so that they will keep their focus on the main point of the biblical author. ​​ Understanding the author’s intention.  The above point leads us to a second important benefit of the crux tool. When this tool is used well in a book of the Bible, the Bible student can actually see the main intention of the biblical author. He or she can begin to discern what the author is trying to do in different parts of the biblical book. This is the best way to “get inside the heads” of the writers of Scripture, to see their books from their perspective. Also, as we learned previously in connection with the context tool, finding the intention of the original author—and the perspective of the original audience—is key to making sure that we get our interpretation and application of Scripture right. Connecting individual passages .  Perhaps the greatest benefit of using the crux tool well is that, when the big idea of a book is located, it helps you connect the biblical passages in the book to one another because you can see how they are all relating to—or expanding on—the overall theme of the book. Passages in a biblical book change from being random stories, arguments, or poems to being important pieces in the overall point that the book is making for its audience. In other words, the crux tool can help bring a good, grounded perspective on every part of the book, which will help you in your study of each individual section. Every author of the Bible was inspired by God’s Holy Spirit to write, and they wrote with a very clear purpose—a big idea. This article is adapted from   ​​Understanding God’s Word: An Introduction to Interpreting the Bible   by Jon Nielson .

The prophet Isaiah prophesied during one of the most crucial times in the history of Judah and Israel—a time marked by political upheaval, spiritual decline, and growing threats from powerful neighboring empires. His ministry spanned the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah ( Isaiah 1:1 ). Many scholars believe that Isaiah’s call to the prophetic office occurred around 740 BC, the year King Uzziah died ( Isaiah 6:1 , 8 ).   During that time, both the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah had experienced nearly a half-century of increasing prosperity and power. However, spiritually, things were in decline.   Israel, ruled by Jeroboam and a series of lesser kings, had fallen into pagan worship. Judah, under Uzziah, Jotham and Hezekiah, outwardly maintained orthodoxy but had gradually fallen into serious moral and spiritual decline ( Isaiah 3:8– 26 ):   Though there would later come one more revival under King Josiah (640–609 BC), Isaiah knew that Judah had violated the covenant recorded by Moses in Deuteronomy 30:11–20 to such an extent that judgment and captivity were inevitable even as it was for Israel.   Isaiah entered his ministry at about the time of the founding of Rome and the first Olympic games of the Greeks. While Europe’s nations were still emerging, powerful Asian empires—especially Assyria—were poised for conquest to the south and west. Isaiah recognized that conflict was imminent and Assyria took Samaria in 721 BC which resulted in the fall of the northern kingdom of Israel and its people being taken into captivity.   A Prophet with a Purpose   Isaiah’s ministry had at least a threefold purpose:   1. To declare God’s judgment  on the sins of Judah, Israel, and the surrounding nations. Isaiah used nearly every Hebrew word for sin to highlight the seriousness of their disobedience.   2. To call God’s people to repentance  in the hope of averting disaster. While this call went largely unheeded, Isaiah faithfully delivered it.   3. To offer hope and a future  to the faithful remnant of God’s people. Isaiah’s writings are filled with promises of restoration, redemption, and salvation, as well as the certainty of the coming Messiah.   Isaiah’s message was both a warning and an encouragement. While judgment was inevitable, he assured God’s people that His ultimate purposes would prevail.   A Prophet for the Ages   The book of Isaiah speaks as powerfully to today’s world as it did to his own. For this reason, Isaiah has been called both the “Messianic prophet” and the “evangelical prophet.” He prophesied events not only for his time but for all ages, including predicting the first and second comings of Christ.   His very name, “Isaiah,” means “Yahweh is Salvation,” reflecting the heart of his message. This salvation was to come from a Savior or Redeemer who provided a ransom and salvation by grace—not just for Israel, but for all nations. Isaiah’s prophesies carry through to when the Savior will rule over his kingdom of peace which is yet to come ( Isaiah 2:1– 5 ; 11:1– 9 ; 42:1– 4 ; 61:1– 11 ; 65:17– 25 ; 66:22–23 ).   Prophesies of the Coming Messiah   Isaiah and other prophets  of his time also prophesied events in the life of Jesus which happened seven hundred years later. —events that would take place 700 years later. After His resurrection, Jesus Himself explained to His disciples how the Scriptures—including Isaiah—pointed to Him ( Luke 24:27 ).   In fact, seventeen chapters in the book of Isaiah contain prophetic references to Christ describing Him as: The LORD The Branch of the LORD Immanuel (God with us) Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace The Cornerstone The King  and Shepherd The Servant of the LORD  and Chosen One The Lamb  and Redeemer   Isaiah 53 is the most striking prophecy of the Messiah’s atoning work. This chapter paints a clear picture of Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross, explaining that “He was pierced for our transgressions” and that “by His wounds we are healed” ( Isaiah 53:5 ; Romans 4:25 ; 1 Peter 2:24 ).   Other New Testament writers who quote Isaiah include: Romans 15:21  ( Isaiah 52:15 ); John 12:38  ( Isaiah 53:1 ); Romans 10:16  ( Isaiah 53:1 ); Matthew 8:17  ( Isaiah 53:4  ); Acts 8:32–33  ( Isaiah 53:7-8 ); Luke 22:37  ( Isaiah 53:12 ).   The Holy Spirit at Work   Isaiah also emphasized the work of the Holy Spirit, mentioning Him twelve times in his book. The Spirit and his work are described in three general categories: 1. The Spirit was active at creation and in the preservation of nature ( Isaiah 40:13 ).   2. The Spirit’s outpouring upon Israel to give them success in their rehabilitation after the exodus ( Isaiah 44:1– 5 ; 63:1– 5 ), to protect them from their enemies ( Isaiah 59:19 ), and to preserve Israel’s covenant relationship with Yahweh ( Isaiah 59:21 ).   3. The Spirit’s anointing upon the Messiah to rule, heal, liberate, enlighten and bring justice to the nations ( Isaiah 11:1– 12 ; 42:1– 9 ) as the anointed one (Messiah) in both his comings ( Isaiah 61:1– 3 ; Luke 4:17– 21 ).   The Lord Jesus, whose earthly ministry was carried out in the power and anointing of the Holy Spirit as Isaiah has prophesied, promised to pour out his Spirit upon the church to empower it for ministry in the fulfillment of the Great Commission.   Isaiah’s Legacy Isaiah’s life was marked by faithfulness in a difficult time. He highlighted the sordid sins of Israel and Judah, warned of the consequences of judgment if sin continued, and urged a return to holiness. Tradition holds that he was martyred during the reign of King Manasseh. Many believe that the clause “sawed in two” in Hebrews 11:37  is a reference to Isaiah’s death. Despite this, Isaiah’s message endures. His words challenge us to turn from sin, trust in God’s salvation, and look forward to the fulfillment of His promises. Above all, Isaiah points us to Jesus—the Messiah, the Savior, and the hope for all nations.   Drawn from content in the NIV New Spirit-Filled Life Bible .

If God is good, why isn’t he intervening to bring peace and healing? People have wrestled with questions like this over the centuries.   While we won’t be able to untangle all the deep mysteries about God and evil in this short devotional, the ministry of the Old Testament prophet Habakkuk provides us some insights into the source of earthly suffering and the solution that God provides through his people.   Habakkuk was a prophet to the tiny nation of Judah during the closing moments of its survival. His home was surrounded by enemies, some less than a day’s walk away. His own nation had strayed from God, worshipping the idols of surrounding nations and sacrificing their children to them. The discovery of the Book of the Law during the reign of King Josiah caused great fear and mourning as the people of Judah realized the extent of their disobedience.   Habakkuk challenged God about the evil and violence he saw in his nation: “How long, Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, “Violence!” but you do not save? Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrongdoing? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds. Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails. The wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted.” – Habakkuk 1:2-4   The Hebrew word תָּפ֣וּג ( tapug  or “paralyzed”) used to describe what had happened to the law in Habakkuk 1:4 means to have grown cold or become numb. When the law is unable to do its work, injustice, wrongdoing, destruction, violence, strife, and conflict abound.   Jesus used similar words to describe the last days before his return. Love, which fulfills the law (Romans 13:18-10), would grow cold: “Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.” – Matthew 24:12-13   How does love become numb? It happens gradually over time. Imagine you move to a new home and want to meet your neighbors. Maybe you take a home baked cake and knock on their door. They open it, scowl at you, and slam the door. How would you feel? Confused and rejected? Would you risk being hurt again? Or would you build a protective barrier around yourself and choose not to put yourself in that situation again? That protective barrier desensitizes a part of your heart. It becomes numb.   So, what’s the alternative? Even in the darkest circumstances, we can choose to continue showing love. The light shines brighter in the darkness.   Corrie Ten Boom and her family chose love during the dark days of the Second World War. They helped many Jewish people by hiding them behind a false wall in Corrie’s bedroom. Eventually Corrie’s family was betrayed and sent to a concentration camp in Germany. Even there, Corrie and her sister Bettie continued to love:   “Do you know what hurts so very much? It’s love. Love is the strongest force in the world, and when it is blocked that means pain. There are two things we can do when this happens. We can kill that love so that it stops hurting. But then of course part of us dies, too. Or we can ask God to open up another route for that love to travel.” – Corrie Ten Boom, The Hiding Place   Amid all the angry Israeli-Palestinian dialogue, a friend of mine was convicted when the Holy Spirit asked her, “What is your plan to love your enemy?” She pondered that question, and began praying for others like her who admitted they didn’t have such a plan.   While the evils of the Second World War and the violent conflicts in the world today might seem far removed from our peaceful homes, your “enemy” could be anyone that fills you with anger or fear.   Does anyone come to mind? What is your plan to love them? How can we keep our love from growing cold?   By Wendy Halloun, Creative Communications Officer MENA, Biblica.

The Gospel of John offers us vivid pictures of Jesus’ leadership and power. As the Word, Jesus is the creator and light of the world (John 1:1–5). He is the Son of God, sent from the Father (John 1:14–18), the Lamb of God who takes away the world’s sin (John 1:29), God’s Chosen One (John 1:34), the King of Israel (John 1:49), and the Son of Man (John 1:51).   As creator, Jesus has power over all the universe and chooses to bring light into darkness. Being God’s Chosen One, He is empowered by the Holy Spirit, using that power to heal and uplift the oppressed. As King of Israel, He reigns alongside the Father in glory, yet He rejects the oppressive rule of the Roman emperor.   Instead, Jesus’ kingship is as the Lamb of God who willingly gives his life for others because of his great love for them. As Son of Man, Jesus is more than just the one sitting enthroned with God with all authority; he is a bridge between heaven and earth, and the one who will be raised up on a cross.   These characteristics of Jesus’ kingship and power redefine what all leaders should do: reject tyranny, violence, power for its own sake, and instead embrace love, sacrifice and care for those in the greatest need.   Let’s look deeper into Jesus’ model of servant leadership from the book of John. Jesus’ Profound Humility: John 13:1-30   As the time of his death approaches, Jesus is aware of Judas’s impending betrayal (John 13:1-2). Yet when Jesus washes the disciples’ feet, he includes Judas. Foot washing was an activity that servants did. Upon entry, guests would have their feet washed by a servant before they were served a meal. We hear why Jesus chooses to do this: “Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God” (verse 3). Jesus’ show of humility is his power over all things. Opting for humility underscores His power, not weakness. He actively surrenders his power to serve and purify his people.   After he washes their feet, Jesus eats with his disciples. He sits near his betrayer, Judas, giving him food to eat as a sign of who will betray him. Not only does Jesus serve his betrayer by washing his feet like a servant, but also by feeding him.   Jesus shows that true humility is not grounded in powerlessness, but in a demonstration of what true divine power is—serving those who do not deserve our grace. Jesus lays down his prestigious status in order to serve the person who he knows will betray him. This is Jesus’ shocking undoing of the expectations of his time and of ours. He does not execute vengeance on his betrayer; instead, he cares for him. He does not wield his power for selfish gain, but instead uses his power to love others. This picture of humility in power can transform how we serve each other if we embrace it. True Power and Authority: John 14:5-11   If we want to know what God’s power looks like and how the Father uses his authority, we look to Jesus. What do we see? Jesus uses his power in service to others: healing the sick, freeing those oppressed by demons and washing his disciples’ feet. When the disciples ask him to “show us the Father,” Jesus explains seeing Him is seeing the Father (John 14:8–9), emphasizing their unity.   This passage shows us that we misunderstand true power and authority if we believe it should be used to dominate others. God the Father and Jesus the Son are one in their actions to heal, free and serve. They show us what true power and authority look like— sacrificially serving others with humility. Every Christian leader should emulate this kind of Christlike leadership. Lead with Love and Sacrifice: John 21:1-19   In restoring His relationship with Peter, Jesus imparts a lesson on kingdom leadership (John 21:15–19). Peter has shown his impulsive and effervescent love for Jesus and his hesitancy to believe that Jesus must suffer; he has also denied his relationship with Jesus three times. Restoration requires time with Jesus, who charges Peter with leadership—feeding His sheep.   The exchange between Peter and Jesus is filled with tension and with love. Three times Jesus asks Peter whether he loves him; three times Jesus receives an affirmative answer, and three times Jesus responds by giving Peter a task of leadership. Using the metaphor of shepherding, Jesus’s final charge prophesies Peter’s death, symbolizing a love-filled, sacrificial death that glorifies God (verses 18–19).   The tension Peter feels during Jesus’s repeated questions about his love is essential for the kind of leader he will become. Today, we need this repeated reminder and the tension it creates. “Do you love me?” Jesus asks us. When we say “yes,” we must also be willing to take on whatever task he assigns us. John’s Gospel and letters frequently show us that Jesus believes that love involves action rather than only words. He calls each of us to care for his people as proof of our love for him.   Drawn from study notes in the NIV Upside Down Kingdom Bible.

The biblical picture of love can differ wildly from how the world defines it. Be set aright and encouraged by these verses and commentary adapted from the ESV Study Bible.   1 Corinthians 13:4–8       Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.   The terms believes and hopes are sandwiched between bears and endures and, like them, probably refer to relationships between people rather than to faith and hope in God. Love believes the best of others and hopes the best for them.   Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. Interpreters differ over the time when Paul expects prophecies to pass away and tongues to cease (along with other gifts represented by these examples). The “cessationist” view is that miraculous gifts such as prophecy, healing, tongues, interpretation, and miracles were given to authenticate the apostles and their writings in the early years of the church, but those gifts “ceased” once the entire New Testament was written and the apostles died (c. A.D. 100). Others hold that Paul expected these gifts to continue until Christ returns, which will be the time when “the perfect” (1 Cor. 13:10) ways of speaking and knowing in the age to come replace the “in part” (1 Cor. 13:9) gifts of this age. Support for the second position is found in 1 Corinthians 13:12, which indicates that “then” (the time when these gifts will cease) is the time of Christ’s return.   Ephesians 5:25–27       Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.   Paul turns to the duty of husbands. He does not command the husband to submit to his wife but instead tells the husband that he must give himself up for her. Thus, husbands are to love their wives in a self-sacrificial manner, following the example of Christ, who “gave himself up for” the church in loving self-sacrifice. Clearly the biblical picture of a husband laying down his life for his wife is directly opposed to any kind of male tyranny or oppression. The husband is bound by love to ensure that his wife finds their marriage a source of rich fulfillment and joyful service to the Lord. Notably, Paul devotes three times more space to the husband’s duty (nine verses) than to the wife’s (three verses).   The focus in these verses is on Christ, for husbands do not “sanctify” their wives or “wash” them of their sins, though they are to do all in their power to promote their wives’ holiness. Sanctify here means to consecrate into the Lord’s service through cleansing. washing of water. This might be a reference to baptism, since it is common in the Bible to speak of invisible, spiritual things (in this case, spiritual cleansing) by pointing to an outward physical sign of them (see Rom. 6:3–4). There may also be a link here to Ezekiel 16:1–13, where the Lord washes infant Israel, raises her, and eventually elevates her to royalty and marries her, which would correspond to presenting the church to himself in splendor at his marriage supper (see also Ezek. 36:25; Rev. 19:7–9; 21:2, 9–11). The church’s utter holiness and moral perfection will be consummated in resurrection glory, but is derived from the consecrating sacrifice of Christ on the cross.   Ephesians 4:1–3       I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.   Paul explains his calling and ministry as an apostle to the Gentiles. This was to assure his Gentile readers that their share in the inheritance is authentic because of its divine origin. Paul suffered imprisonment or confinement several times in the service of Christ (Eph 4:1; Acts 16:23; 24:23; Col. 4:10; 2 Tim. 1:8; Philem. 1).   Paul was the apostle, teacher, and preacher to the Gentiles (1 Tim. 2:7; 2 Tim. 1:11), so the sufferings he experienced during his ministry were on their behalf (2 Cor. 6:5; 11:23). Paul may not have known the recent Ephesian converts, especially in the outlying villages, though he had spent three years in Ephesus (Acts 20:31). This mystery is now revealed: Christ has come to unify Jew and Gentile in one body through the gospel, about which Paul had just written briefly (see the parallels with Eph. 1:9, 17). Christ revealed this mystery to Paul by revelation on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1–7) and more fully at other times (cf. Acts 22:17–21; 2 Cor. 12:1–7; Gal. 1:12; 2:2).   Song of Solomon 8:6–7       Set me as a seal upon your heart,     as a seal upon your arm,     for love is strong as death,     jealousy is fierce as the grave.     Its flashes are flashes of fire,     the very flame of the LORD.     Many waters cannot quench love,     neither can floods drown it.     If a man offered for love     all the wealth of his house,     he would be utterly despised.   A seal could be a stamp or a cylinder (the latter being less common), and could be attached to a person by a band (and thereby hang from the neck or arm) or worn as a ring. It was pressed into clay to create an image or an inscription that assigned ownership of an object. Love, like death, is relentlessly persistent, always accomplishing its goal. Here jealousy (which parallels “love” in the preceding line) is a resolute devotion rather than a selfish ambition; only such devotion can rightly describe the relationship with God and with one’s spouse.   This is the only mention of the divine name in the entire Song of Solomon, but it is fitting in a book of covenant wisdom. This statement indicates that both love and a jealousy to protect marriage are given by God. The image of many waters that cannot quench love picks up the image of love as a fire in Song of Solomon 8:6; the floods that are unable to drown it (or “overwhelm”; cf. Isa. 43:2) are another image.   Proverbs 3:3–4       Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you;     bind them around your neck;     write them on the tablet of your heart.     So you will find favor and good success     in the sight of God and man.   These terms are used together in the Lord’s self-declaration to Moses of his character in covenantal relationship (Ex. 34:6, “abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness”). In light of the appeals to trust (Prov. 3:5), fear (Prov. 3:7), and honor (Prov. 3:9) the Lord, the call here to bind them around your neck and write them on the tablet of your heart is best understood as encouragement to live faithfully to the covenant (see also Prov.14:22; Prov.16:6; Prov.20:28) by heeding faithful parental instruction (cf. Ps. 25:10).   1 John 4:16–21       So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.   Assurance of salvation, while never an arrogant presumption, can become a settled state of mind and heart. “By this” refers to the previous verse, where John speaks of believers abiding in God and God abiding in them.   Either eternal life or eternal punishment awaits all humanity (see John 3:36), and God’s love furnishes a sure hope for those who have trusted in him. as he is so also are we in this world. Just as the Son was and is present in the world in a loving fashion that in no way attracted divine displeasure, so are the Son’s followers. The love that Christ embodied and lived out among believers is their confidence in the day of judgment.   No fear in love does not rule out the presence and constructive effect of “the fear of the Lord” that is “the beginning of knowledge” (Prov. 1:7). Here John speaks of fear of final judgment (cf. 1 John 4:17). God’s perfect love for believers casts out the fear of wrath and eternal punishment.   Christian love is a gift from God, demonstrated supremely in the cross (see Rom. 5:8). God’s love always takes the initiative, and the love of Christians is a response to that love. Likewise, all morally good human actions are good not because they conform to some arbitrary human standard of good but because they are rooted in imitation of the morally perfect character of God and conform to God’s commands.   1 Peter 4:8       Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.   Enduring love for others testifies that a person is living in light of the future. True love covers a multitude of other people’s sins (Prov. 10:12). Where love abounds, offenses are frequently overlooked and quickly forgotten. Hospitality, much admired in both Greco-Roman and Jewish sources (cf. 1 Tim. 3:2; Titus 1:8), was much needed in an era when inns could be dangerous and unpleasant.   Colossians 3:12–14       Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.   Paul calls the Colossians to a holy lifestyle, consistent with their new identity. Believers have been chosen by God and stand before him as his beloved holy ones. They are to live up to what they are in Christ.   Tolerance is a virtue within the Christian community, although Paul clearly does not want the Colossians to tolerate the false teaching. When wronged and betrayed, Christians are called to forgive others, even as they have been forgiven for their betrayal of Christ. See Matt. 6:12, 14–15; 18:21–22. Above all else, Christians are called on to love one another (see 1 Cor. 13). “Binds . . . together” may suggest that love unites all the virtues.   Romans 13:8       Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.   Romans 13:8–10 focuses on the Christian’s relationship to the Mosaic law. Owe no one anything links back to Romans 13:7, and thus the command does not prohibit all borrowing but means that one should always “pay what is owed,” fulfilling whatever repayment agreements have been made. The debt one never ceases paying is the call to love one another. Indeed, love fulfills what the Mosaic law demands.   Hebrews 10:24–25       And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.   The third and final exhortation in Hebrews 10:22–25 calls for serious thinking about other Christians with a purpose to stir up (or “provoke”) them in their love and service (good works). Christian perseverance is thus also a community endeavor. Community encouragement toward perseverance requires being together. That some were neglecting this duty may have been among the motives for the author’s warnings throughout this book. Voicing exhortation with the goal of strengthening another’s faith (see Heb. 3:13; cf. Heb. 13:22).   All commentary sections adapted from the ESV Study Bible.

God’s Response to Us I first heard Handel’s Messiah performed live in college. My knowledge of the oratorio went as far as this: it’s artsy classical music for Christmas (so I thought), and it’s very long (so I might fall asleep during the concert!). As it turned out, I didn’t fall asleep, and immensely enjoyed the music. That was long ago. Now when I hear Messiah , I still enjoy it, but the “listening experience” is different. I hear much more in the music. Near the beginning, for example, I hear strings—don’t they sound like the refrain of “Joy to the World”? These strings, however, are quiet, being gently caressed by the bows, like a mother comforting her babe with caresses. And my body veritably vibrates with the very comfort that the tenor simultaneously announces: “Comfort ye my people.” I missed all that on my first rather ignorant hearing. But through various practices (e.g., further listening, reading on Handel’s life and music), my ears have been cultivated to hear better what was there all along. I am increasingly persuaded that “hearing back” from God in the life of prayer involves an analogous process. It involves a practiced prayer life that matures our perceptions to hear him aright. For it’s not as though God was ever truly silent. And it’s not that we are at too great a distance from the one in whom we live and move and have our being to hear his voice. On the contrary, as G. K. Chesterton suggests with characteristic paradoxy, it may be that “the laughter of the heavens is too loud for us to hear.” If such things are so, then What to dobut draw a little nearer to such ubiquity by being still? Silence “Be still and know that I am God” ( Ps. 46:10 ). Being still, or practicing silence, is my first suggestion in a course for retraining perceptions. My primary focus isn’t so much on literal silence (though it can’t hurt); it’s on quieting our voices and hearts enough to listen. Those who would truly hear any other, and certainly the ultimate Other, must relinquish control over what’s said. They must render themselves vulnerable to hearing something they didn’t already expect, something they might not want to hear. They must hold their tongue, quiet their hearts, be still, and practice silence. Silence, for the nations, may be an all too awkward reminder that their hopes are set on “speechless idols.” In stark contrast, the prophet says, “the LORD is in his holy temple.” What, then, to do first? “Hush before him!” ( Hab. 2:20 , my translation). To be sure, the practice of Christian silence is no mere negation. We need to hush our  murmurings, our many petitions, the voicing of our expectations placed upon God. Yet strangely, such silence is rife with a manner of expectation, for our God is no idol. Scripture “Hear, O my people, and I will speak” ( Ps. 50:7 ). It’s possible for us to “hear back” from God the way I first heard Messiah : ignorant about what we’re hearing, untaught concerning what to listen for, missing much without realizing it. At an extreme, we may miss God’s answers to prayer for paying attention to the wrong things. For example, if the chief answers we look for (and, preceding that, the only prayers we earnestly pray) come in the form of healing from terminal disease, we may miss God’s mighty and merciful presence in sustaining faith and empowering to die well. We might then be tempted to think of the abiding suffering and prospect of death as God’s cold shoulder. How would we know to listen for God’s loving and wise response to his children’s cries even in  (not around) suffering and dying? What could help us hear such minor key “music?” When it comes to Messiah , my learning more about the composer Handel has gone some way toward cultivating a better ear for his music. Surely, in like manner, learning more about the Composer of the true music of reality goes a good way toward helping us hear. By attending to God’s self-revelatory word, meditating on how he has acted in history, and pondering deeply his promises and what he says he’s committed to doing in our lives, we might develop a better ear. Set Times for Prayer “Give us this day our daily bread” ( Matt. 6:11 ). The request might be translated, “Give us our bread for this day ahead.” Jesus teaches us to pray not for a fortnight’s worth of groceries in our cupboards but simply for the present day’s needs. It’s reasonable to suppose that the Lord means for us to pray the prayer daily, even to pray it first thing  daily. Prayer at the beginning of the day is another perception-cultivating practice for the life of prayer. Through setting apart time at the day’s outset to pray the Lord’s Prayer, we name in truth any bread appearing in the day ahead as a gift to be received from the Giver, the better to disabuse us of a materially godless outlook. More significantly, we ready ourselves to receive our lunch when it comes as not simply any old gift but also a specific, palpable answer to our prayer . Then, as we set aside time at the day’s end for evening prayer, we’ll have ample opportunity to recognize that we have “heard back” from our good heavenly Father and to thank him for it. God would daily be discerned as answering our prayers and thus known as an attentive, ever-caring, responsive Father. How often do we miss it for not setting aside time daily to pray and pay attention?   Supplicating Regularly with Others “We recount your wondrous deeds” ( Ps. 75:1 ). God constantly answers our prayers, often in ways that are easy to “hear”—to see, to taste, to recognize and discern. To better hear them, to hear them more often, we do well to develop the regular habit of praying with and for the whole church. In my church, we gather every Lord’s Day for an evening prayer service. From week to week through the year, I join in praying for others’ good and growth in Christ, and I hear many thanksgivings recounting the varying ways God is answering these prayers in the lives of varying brothers and sisters around me. It might be easy for me praying in isolation, not discerning answers related to my personal needs, to feel as though I’ve not heard back from God in a long time. It’s harder to spiral down to this, or the seasons of silence are shorter, when I’m regularly gathering with others to pray. In evening prayer services, praying with and for others, I’m reassured that God isn’t utterly silent toward us, the family of God of which I am a part. And I’ve been particularly impressed at how some of the most regularly answered prayers are the simple, faith-filled prayers of children in our community. I’m consistently inspired to seek God with child-like faith and motivated to press on in prayer, knowing that God is assuredly not absent but present in our midst, able to be “heard” in response to our praying, constantly working for our good in Christ. Seeking to Hear God in Jesus’s Name “In that day you will ask in my name” ( John 16:26 ). Any good answer we hear back from God is assuredly something we receive only in and through Jesus. By way of reminder, it is good practice to—with consistency—pray explicitly in the name of Christ. But doing so also is part of cultivating joy-giving, hope-enlivening hearing of God. Too often our prayers are twinged with anxiety that the starting point in the labor of prayer is basically an absent and silent God. That is to say, the real starting point must be our praying  well enough to get God to show up and speak. Yet the word we most desperately need has already been spoken—the word which is Christ crucified, risen, ascended, and reigning for the good of all who believe, and most certainly returning. Praying in Christ’s name is praying that remembers and pays attention to and listens first and foremost to that word. Here is the beginning of truly hearing back from God, hearing the word that quiets our anxieties and gives us rest and joy. Here, in the Son’s name, we may even be emboldened to pray more fervently and expectantly: “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” ( Rom. 8:32 ). Those who pray in Christ’s name truly hear back from God in their most pressing need and are strengthened in hope that they will continue to hear in days to come. God constantly answers our prayers, often in ways that are easy to “hear”—to see, to taste, to recognize and discern.   Daniel J. Brendsel is the author of   Answering Speech: The Life of Prayer as Response to God .