Ryan Higginbottom | Knowable Word

Psalm 90: A Brief Life, Our Eternal God, and Unending Joy

September 27, 2021 By Ryan Higginbottom

Some psalms are on everyone’s list of favorites. They contain poignant phrases and urgent cries that resonate deeply with our own hearts.

Sometimes we love these psalms—or portions of these psalms—without looking at them carefully. Today we’ll take a close look at Psalm 90.

Our Sovereign God is Everlasting

This is the only Psalm attributed to Moses, and he wrote the whole psalm as a corporate prayer addressed directly to God.

The theme of time is inescapable in Psalm 90, showing up in nearly every verse. To avoid cluttering this article with these observational details, I’ve put that list in this document here.

God has been his people’s “dwelling place in all generations” (Ps 90:1). This is personal. He is God and has been God even before he created the world (Ps 90:2). So while God is certainly the creator, he is more than the creator.

God created man from dust and calls him back at the end of life. This God is in control of the span of human days (Ps 90:3).

Time does not function for God the way it does for us. A thousand years for God is like a day (Ps 90:4). He sweeps millennia away like a dream (Ps 90:5); they rise and fall as quickly as the morning and evening (Ps 90:6).

Our Short Life, in View of God’s Wrath

The middle of Psalm 90 is unsettling, because Moses makes frequent mention of God’s wrath. God’s “anger” or “wrath” appears five times in Psalm 90:7–11.

God’s anger troubles his people (Ps 90:7). But the reason for God’s wrath is not mysterious.

You have set our iniquities before you,
our secret sins in the light of your presence. (Psalm 90:8)

Because our sins are obvious to God, “our days pass away under [his] wrath” (Ps 90:9). Though we may live to be seventy or eighty, our years are “toil and trouble,” and “they are soon gone” (Ps 90:10). With God’s perspective on time, our lives are a blink on the horizon.

Moses brings us around the corner of somberness in verse 11. Many consider God’s wrath, but who does so according to the fear of the Lord? (See Ps 90:11). This posture, and not one of mere terror before God, leads to a proper, sober application of the truth of a brief life. “So teach us to number our days, that we may get a heart of wisdom” (Ps 90:12). Notably, this is Moses’s first request in this prayer.

God’s Favor Makes All the Difference

While verses 7–12 show us the brevity of life in view of God’s wrath, verses 13–17 point to the mercy of God.

Moses longs for God’s nearness, for the mercy of his return (Ps 90:13). The psalm then explains what such a return would mean for God’s people.

God is not only angry at sin, he is known for his steadfast love. This steadfast love, once shown to his people, would sustain them with joy all of their days (Ps 90:14). Though there has been affliction and evil—think of all Moses and the Israelites experienced in Egypt!—God is able to bring them unending gladness (Ps 90:15).

With this as the backdrop—God’s return, bringing his satisfying, steadfast love to his people—Moses turns to pray about the Israelites’ work in the world. He asks God to show his work and his “glorious power” to his servants and their children (Ps 90:16). Then, in light of God’s work, and if his favor is upon them, can his people pray about their own work in the world: “Establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!” (Ps 90:17)

Application From a Favorite Psalm

In this psalm, God’s people praise God for his sovereign, eternal nature and they consider their own time-bound lives. They consider God’s anger toward sin and his steadfast love. So, what is Moses’s main point in writing this psalm?

In our brief lives, we must seek our satisfaction in the steadfast love of the everlasting God.

What are some possible applications? As we consider our brief time on earth, we should number our days. This means we should celebrate birthdays with both joy and sobriety. We should hold our years loosely. At the start of each day we should commit our upcoming hours to the Lord, and we should return thanks to him as each day comes to a close.

If that was an inward application, here’s an outward one. We can help our friends consider their work in light of the Lord’s work. In our churches, we can regularly celebrate God’s work in our communities, we can pray for his ongoing favor, and we can ask him to establish the work of our hands.

Clean Out the Application Cobwebs

September 13, 2021 By Ryan Higginbottom

Heiko Stein (2016), public domain

There are two types of extra-dirty places in my house: those I actively resist cleaning and those I don’t think about at all.

My shower is dirty because I dislike cleaning it. Though it takes only ten minutes—and it isn’t even that difficult—I build the task up in my head to be impossibly long and tedious. I’d rather clean any other part of the bathroom.

The area behind the washing machine, on the other hand, is dirty because I never consider cleaning it. Unless there’s a problem, I don’t look back there at all.

I suspect these types of neglect are present in our Bible studies too, mostly when it comes to application. Whether we actively resist or regularly overlook an area of application, we need to identify and fix the problem.

Applying the Bible

After observing the text of the Bible, we interpret what we find. We try to identify the author’s main point in the passage.

Then we turn to application. This is where we ask the question, so what? What implications does this truth have for God’s people?

While there may be a handful of accurate, biblical interpretations to a text, applications run in the millions. But there are some ways to organize our efforts.

Application can take shape in two directions: inward and outward. Inward application is pointed toward ourselves, and outward application involves influencing others.

Application can also happen in three spheres: head, heart, and hands. Head application involves what we think and believe, heart application involves our character, and hands application involves what we do.

This makes six combinations to consider every time you study the Bible. (I’m not suggesting you must hit all six areas with every study!)

Diagnosing and Treating the Problem

Different passages lend themselves to different types of application. Not every main point is easily applied in every sphere or each direction. And different people are drawn toward different application emphases.

But over time, it’s possible to get into a rut. Or to consistently neglect one or more areas of application. We need to find these dusty corners and sweep out the cobwebs.

For some people, applying the Bible outward is easy, but making specific changes to their own life is a challenge. Other people may think of head and hands applications quickly, but they struggle to make heart changes.

The best way to diagnose an area of application neglect is to pay attention. Take notes after personal and small group Bible studies. What types of application do you hit most frequently? Which ones are harder for you? Which ones don’t show up at all? Using the two-by-three grid on this worksheet may be helpful.

Like individuals, small groups tend to have areas of application inattention. Have an honest talk with your group and work to identify those application topics you consistently overlook.

Once you’ve identified your weak areas of application, the treatment becomes obvious if not easy: Work on those areas! Pick a neglected box on the application worksheet and don’t let go.

Two Tools for the Task

A common vocabulary with your friends can be useful as you tackle your application weaknesses. There’s nothing sacred about the words we use here at Knowable Word (inward, outward, head, heart, hands), so if you find something else more helpful, go with it! The general ideas will likely be similar.

And finally, as you target this individual or group deficiency, don’t forget to pray! Our neglect is often the fruit of our spiritual blindness or apathy, and we need power from God for spiritual growth. Application always involves a battle of the Spirit and the flesh, and the fighting is more intense when we don’t consistently train for the conflict. But nothing is impossible with God, and he leads us into repentance, joy, and obedience with his strength.

What We Miss When We Skip the Book of Lamentations

August 30, 2021 By Ryan Higginbottom

As a book, Lamentations is overlooked and ignored. Bible readers often don’t know what to do with it. It’s short and poetic, but it is found among the major prophets instead of within the wisdom literature. It is full of lament, so inspiration-seeking Christians cannot easily hop between uplifting verses. The book is heavy and sad, filled with the sorrows of the aftermath of the destruction of Jerusalem.

But this book is a gem. God has given it to us as his inspired word, and if we’re willing, we have much to learn from this volume.

An Extended Lament

The main thing we miss if we bypass Lamentations is an extended look at lament.

Many books of the Bible contain lament—including as many as one third of the Psalms. But Lamentations is the only book which is only lament. When we read this book, we face sorrow and grief from beginning to end.

Most Western Christians are not familiar with lament; it makes us uncomfortable. With Lamentations we are forced to wrestle with lament as a legitimate, biblical form of prayer.

The laments in Lamentations differ from those in many of the Psalms in important ways. The author of Lamentations confesses guilt on behalf of the Israelites (Lam 1:5; 1:8–9; 1:18; 1:22; 4:13–16) and recognizes God’s hand in the destruction of the city and the holy temple (Lam 2:1–10). Even though God’s anger is justified against his people, their sorrowful cry in the midst of a terrible situation is still legitimate.

This book of laments also makes Bible readers grapple with the issue of complaint. Complaining to God cannot be inherently wrong because most of Lamentations is a detailed list of all the ways the people are suffering. Therefore, we must learn to distinguish between godly complaint and ungodly complaint. (It may be helpful to use the term “grumbling” instead of “complaining” to make this distinction.)

Repeated readings of this book also force the reader to learn to live with the tension inherent in lament. Each of the five chapters of Lamentations is a separate prayer of lament, and none of these prayers resolve in a way that is satisfying to the modern ear. Far from being a problem, this feature of lament naturally turns the sorrowful Christian back to God, again and again seeking his face.

Trust in the Midst of Destruction

Lamentations helps us to acquire a taste for biblical lament, but it also gives us a brief glimpse into the moment in history after the fall of Jerusalem. The walls are down, the temple is demolished, and most of the population has been captured; how will the people who remain react?

We read the people confess their sins and the sins of their leaders (Lam 4:13–16). We see them cry out to the Lord in pain, wanting to be seen in their affliction (Lam 1:9,11,20; 2:20; 5:1). And we also witness these believers cling to the promises of God (Lam 3:31–33; 4:22).

A Lesson in Waiting

The most famous verses in Lamentations (Lam 3:22–23) have been quoted and misquoted at length, and they have inspired a wonderful hymn. But the middle section of the middle chapter of Lamentations is worthy of extended reflection.

In this passage we learn the importance of looking to God’s character—not our circumstances—for hope. We see that waiting on the Lord is not something we may need to do occasionally, but rather it is a baked-in part of following Yahweh (Lam 3:25–33).

Pointing to Christ

Reading Lamentations is a healthy challenge for those who believe that all the Scriptures speak of Jesus (Luke 24:44). How could a book so sad and filled with devastation speak of the Savior?

The judgments described in Lamentations are devastating and, in some cases, graphic. The people have been justly visited by God’s wrath, through the vehicle of the Babylonians, because they turned away from him.

In Lamentations we have a detailed picture of the wages of sin. We have a faint sense of what we deserve when we stand before holy God. And, therefore, we also glimpse a shadow of the judgment Jesus suffered for his people when he took their sins upon himself (1 Peter 2:24).

Lamentations is worthy of our attention. If, as the Church, we soaked in this book more regularly, we would develop greater sympathy for others, firmer trust in God’s promises, and a deeper understanding of God’s character and what it means to seek him.

Review: The Visual Word

August 16, 2021 By Ryan Higginbottom

The Visual Word is an unconventional project. The book is the work of author Patrick Schreiner and illustrator Anthony Benedetto, and it attempts to add a visual element to written overviews of the books of the New Testament.

You may wonder how a visual component would be helpful in such a situation—this was exactly my question! Schreiner is professor at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and he describes himself as a visual learner. “I find that I can grasp things and remember them better if I can see them. If they are arranged spatially. Students have had similar experiences in my classes” (page 10). When teaching, he found that his whiteboard sketches during class helped his students. This book is an attempt to reproduce, in part, a version of that classroom experience.

The Physical Object

The book itself is beautiful. (Moody Publishers kindly sent me the hardcover version in exchange for an honest review.) At 8.5×11 inches, it is larger than most books. I gather this was necessary to fit all the designs and illustrations on the page.

The pages themselves are also striking. Navy blue and gold are used throughout the book, and the book designers did an excellent job coordinating Bible themes and genres with colors.

Without being any sort of artist myself, I can see the highly skilled hand that produced the illustrations. Each drawing itself is more the size of an internet avatar or an icon—a small circle with a picture inside. The illustrations are the result of arranging many such drawings on a page along with brief words and phrases, connecting them with lines, and producing a visual aid to understanding each book.

I’m not sure how well I described this; to get a clearer picture, take a look at the sample pages the publisher has made available.

The Writing

Schreiner’s aim in his writing is something we at Knowable Word certainly appreciate.

First, I believe one of the most important things to do when reading the Bible is to read it contextually. For most, this means historical context. This is vitally important, but this book focuses on the literary context.[…]To read well, readers must follow the flow of an author’s argument. (The Visual Word, page 10)

For the most part, the book hits its mark. For example, the way Schreiner wrote about the book of 1 Peter gave me a clear, bird’s eye view of Peter’s purpose in writing and the flow of his argument through the book. This is exactly what I’d want from a resource like this.

There was at least one curious decision in these outlines. Schreiner takes all of John’s epistles (1, 2, and 3 John) together. After expressing in the introduction a desire to highlight the literary context of each New Testament book, it puzzled me to see topics from 2 John and 3 John simply attached to similar sections in 1 John.

The Illustrations

While Benedetto is obviously adept as an illustrator, I must confess that I didn’t get as much out of the spatial representation of the outlines as some of Schreiner’s students did. I acknowledge that this may just be me and the way my brain processes and absorbs information, indicating no weakness with the book at all.

Most of the illustrations seemed like standard, top-level outlines of Bible books, written perhaps in rows or columns instead of in standard outline format, with some accompanying icons. Some of the arrangements of the words and pictures were hard for me to follow. With a few exceptions, the illustrations did not add a lot of value to the book overviews for me.

A Valuable Resource

Despite my hesitance in the previous section, I found this book to be a helpful resource. Along with videos from The Bible Project (from which Schreiner admits to takings some cues), I envision using this volume to remind me of the big-picture structure and argument of New Testament books.

You can buy this book at Amazon or directly from Moody Publishers.

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Psalm 103: Everlasting, Steadfast Love Toward Those Who Fear the Lord

August 2, 2021 By Ryan Higginbottom

Some psalms are on everyone’s list of favorites. Some have memorable lines; some capture just perfectly what we are feeling but couldn’t put into words.

Sometimes we love these psalms—or portions of these psalms—without looking at them carefully. Today we’ll take a close look at Psalm 103.

Bless the Lord!

Psalm 103 begins with a repeated, jubilant call to bless the Lord (Psalm 103:1). Why should we bless him? There are many, many reasons (Psalm 103:2).

The list of “benefits” that David writes is glorious.

who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
who satisfies you with good
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. (Psalm 103:3–5)

What is true of the one who is blessed by the Lord? He is completely forgiven, thoroughly healed, redeemed, crowned with love and mercy, satisfied with good, and renewed in his youth. That sounds pretty good! It’s fitting that David calls “all that is within [him]” to “bless his holy name” (Psalm 103:1).

Merciful and Gracious

In the second portion of Psalm 103, we learn more about this Lord whom we should bless. David tells us not just what God has done, but who he is.

At the heart of this portion of the psalm (Psalm 103:6–14) is a description of God that appears in multiple places in Scripture.

The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. (Psalm 103:8)

The theme of God’s steadfast love is also apparent later in this section.

For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him. (Psalm 103:11)

The rest of this section explains the meaning of verse 8. He does not repay us according to our iniquities (Psalm 103:10). He removes our transgressions from us (Psalm 103:12). God is compassionate toward us like a father toward his children (Psalm 103:13). Part of his compassion is shown in remembering our frame, that we are dust (Psalm 103:14).

We need to observe the text carefully. God does not show compassion to everyone; he shows compassion to those who fear him (Psalm 103:13). Fearing the Lord is also a requirement for receiving God’s steadfast love (Psalm 103:11).

From Everlasting to Everlasting

The third portion of this psalm is short but presents a profound contrast. Man’s days are brief, like grass or a flower of the field. They are fragile and can blow away in the wind (Psalm 103:15–16).

There is a fabulous connector at the beginning of verse 17: but. In contrast to the brevity of man’s days, David writes that “the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting” (Psalm 103:17). In the flow of this section of the psalm, the subject of this clause is surprising. If man’s days are finite, we expect to read that the Lord’s days are infinite. But David emphasizes that the Lord’s love is everlasting! He comes back again and again to God’s love.

This section of the psalm reiterates the bounds of God’s steadfast love. It is for those who fear him (Psalm 103:17). Those who fear him are marked by keeping his covenant and doing his commandments (Psalm 103:18). This is all God’s prerogative, of course, since “his kingdom rules over all” (Psalm 103:19).

Bless the Lord!

Psalm 103 ends with another call to bless the Lord. Though the psalm begins with a personal, internal call to the soul, it ends with a summons for all creation—including our souls—to bless the Lord.

God’s obedient angels should bless him (Psalm 103:20). All his ministers who do his will should bless him (Psalm 103:21). Even all his works should bless the Lord (Psalm 103:22).

Application From a Favorite Psalm

This is a psalm of exultation, rejoicing in who God is for the people of his covenant. David calls himself and all of creation to meditate on God’s unending love. What is David’s main point in writing this psalm?

God abounds in everlasting, steadfast love toward those who fear him. So, bless the Lord!

As we wrap up, what are some possible applications? I know that I need to grow in the fear of the Lord, and I can help my Christian friends grow in this fear as well. I can also search for any false ideas about God’s love that I might believe and replace them with the truths from this psalm. Finally, I can call others to bless the Lord with me, rejoicing in all his benefits and his great compassion.

Context Matters: In the World, but Not of the World

July 19, 2021 By Ryan Higginbottom

Perhaps you’ve heard that Christians are (or ought to be) in the world but not of the world. You’ve learned that those who follow Jesus should interact with their friends and neighbors (the world) but they should also be distinct, with different priorities and standards.

This phrase is common in Christian circles, but many may not know where it comes from. Is this a biblical saying? If so, are we using it correctly? If we read the Bible as a whole and not as an inspirational-motto jukebox, we’ll see that some familiar expressions take on a deeper meaning than we originally thought.

Within the Gospel of John

Let’s dispense with one thing first. “In the world but not of the world” does not appear in the Bible. Rather, it is a simple phrase that joins two sayings of Jesus together in a memorable way.

We find the pieces of this phrase in Jesus’s “high priestly prayer” in John 17. Jesus prays this prayer at the end of his last meal with his disciples, after Judas leaves to betray him (John 13). Jesus addresses the remaining disciples for three chapters (John 14–16) regarding his departure and the coming of the Holy Spirit. At the beginning of John 17, Jesus turns from talking to the disciples to praying to his Father for those same disciples.

In the World

My hunch is that “in the world” was pulled from John 17:11.

And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. (John 17:11)

Jesus was thinking about his departure from earth, contrasting where he will be (“no longer in the world”) with where the disciples will be (“in the world”). By “in the world,” Jesus means that the disciples are walking around on the earth like other living humans. This conclusion follows from the beginning of Jesus’s prayer.

I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed. (John 17:4–5)

Not of the World

The second part of this saying occurs a few verses later in Jesus’s prayer.

I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. (John 17:14–16)

Whereas “in the world” was used by way of contrast between Jesus and his disciples, the phrase “not of the world” is used to show similarity. The disciples are not of the world just as Jesus is not of the world.

Jesus spoke of this idea in John 15:19. The disciples are not of the world because Jesus chose them out of the world. Put differently, the disciples are “the people whom [God] gave [Jesus] out of the world” (John 17:6). There is a fundamental difference between the disciples and other people now. Instead of being of the world, they are of Jesus.

Jesus’s Requests

The context of words and phrases in the Bible always matters. Both parts of this little saying are located within Jesus’s prayer. How are they connected to his requests?

With regard to the disciples being “in the world,” Jesus asks his Father to “keep them in your name…that they may be as one, even as we are one” (John 17:11). Jesus wants God to guard them, so that none will be lost (John 17:12). The end goal of this preservation is a divine unity.

Part of what identifies the disciples as not being “of the world” is that Jesus has given them his word (John 17:14). Jesus prays that his Father would not “take them out of the world,” but that he would “keep them from the evil one” (John 17:15). A related request falls two verses later: “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth” (John 17:17).

A Helpful Phrase

Sometimes in these Context Matters posts, we correct a popular understanding of a verse. In this case, “in the world, but not of the world” is not found in Scripture, but the phrase is a helpful summary of biblical truths.

How much greater the reminder this phrase can provide, therefore, when we remember its components lie at the heart of Jesus’s prayer for his followers. Jesus still (and always) prays for his people, so we might conclude he prays these things for us now.

Those who follow Christ are in the world in a way that Jesus no longer is. Because we are still in the world we should ask God to keep us in his name that we might be one.

Those who follow Christ are, like him, not of the world. For this reason the world may hate us. So we should ask God to keep us from the evil one and sanctify us in his truth.

Context matters.

For more examples of why context matters, click here.

Stretching Application Beyond the Big Three

July 5, 2021 By Ryan Higginbottom

Read the Bible more. Pray more. Share the gospel more.

Christians know what’s likely coming at the end of a sermon or Bible study. If there’s any application discussed, it will be one of the big three: read, pray, share.

It’s easy to make Christians feel guilty in any of these areas. None would boast of having a check mark next to these boxes.

Even so, why do we land in the same places every week, regardless of the Scripture we study? One effect is that we become callous to these exhortations, ignoring actions that are good for us and for God’s kingdom.

The Good Kind of Repetition

When I go to my annual physical, I know my doctor will touch on diet and exercise. This isn’t because he lacks creativity or because he’s a bore. He returns to these topics because they are essential to my body’s health. Other patterns and activities are also important, but if I’m not paying close attention to what I eat and how much I’m moving, most other things won’t matter.

Similarly, Bible reading, prayer, and evangelism are central parts of our Christian lives. We cannot obey the first great commandment (love God) without hearing from him and speaking to him. And we cannot obey the second great commandment (love your neighbor) without considering ways we might point our friends to Jesus.

These application topics are repeated because they are of vital importance. We need the repetition both because we forget them and because we resist them. Let us not despise the good repetition that our souls need.

Go Beyond the Basics

It is good to be reminded to read the Bible, pray, and talk to our friends about Jesus, but that doesn’t mean these are the only applications we should draw from Scriptural truths. In some situations, these serve for a preacher or teacher as a too-easy fallback or blanket prescription.

This is precisely where I find the grid on our application worksheet so helpful. Thinking systematically can help spark ideas and push us in new directions.

Application has two directions—inward and outward. Inward application has to do with personal obedience, piety, and growth. Outward application refers to the influence we have on others—both other individuals and institutions of which we are a part.

It may also be helpful to think about Bible application in three spheres—head, heart, and hands. Head application is concerned with what we think or believe. Heart application refers to our affections—what we value, long for, or love. Finally, hands application is about our actions—what we will start or stop doing.

Overwhelmed by Application

When we put together the two directions and three spheres, we have six potential application categories. (See an example here.) For some readers, this may give you whiplash—from only three familiar application topics to an overwhelming number of possibilities.

Six may well be too many applications for any given sermon or study. A smaller number works better in most cases.

We should be drawing our application from the main point (or, occasionally, main points) of a passage. And most main points lead naturally to some of these six application categories more than others.

Finally, we must remember Jesus in our application. Feeling overwhelmed often means that we are not resting in God’s grace. The gospel reminds us that we obey and apply the Bible because we are God’s beloved children, not in order to be beloved. Jesus has bought us with a price, secured our salvation, and made our Bible application possible.

The Word of God, at Work in You Believers

June 21, 2021 By Ryan Higginbottom

In the opening chapters of 1 Thessalonians, Paul is effusive in his thanks for these new believers. And in the midst of this gratitude, Paul makes some astonishing claims about the Bible.

And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers. (1 Thess 2:13)

It Really is the Word of God

We must, as always, read this passage in context. But some things are plain from this verse alone. Paul thanks God that the Thessalonians accepted their preaching of the gospel (1 Thess 1:5; 2:2; 2:8; 2:9) as what it really is, the word of God.

It’s easy to lose sight of this miracle, but dwell on it with me for a moment. The Bible is not the word of man, it is the word of God. This means that the Bible is lasting, not temporary; it is perfect, not flawed; it is given intentionally, not on a whim; it is for our good, not to ruin our fun; it is sturdy, trustworthy, reliable, and holy. The Bible is the word of the most glorious, most blessed king. The fact that this God has given us his word should knock us over flat.

The Effect of the Word

Paul mentions that the word of God “is at work in you believers.” From the first two chapters of 1 Thessalonians, we can see what Paul means.

Paul remembers their “work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thess 1:3). The gospel had come to them “in power” (1 Thess 1:5). The Thessalonians “became imitators” of Paul and his co-missionaries (verse 6), they “became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia” (verse 7), and “the word of the Lord sounded forth” from them (verse 8). By the power of the Holy Spirit, God’s word had transformed them from unbelievers to proclaimers of the gospel.

In the more immediate context of 1 Thess 2:13, the word of God came as exhortation, encouragement, and charge from Paul and his friends. The Thessalonians were told to “walk in a manner worthy of God,” so the word instructed and shaped them. But the word also reminded these believers that God “calls you into his own kingdom and glory” (1 Thess 2:12). The word of God provided encouragement and hope.

This hope was needed as well, because one final effect of the word’s work in the believers was suffering. The Thessalonians received the word “in much affliction” (1 Thess 1:6). As these new believers learned to imitate older Christians, they “suffered the same things from [their] own countrymen” that the churches in Judea had suffered from the Jews (1 Thess 2:14). This is not unexpected, but it is fact: God’s transformed people should expect suffering (see 2 Tim 3:12).

In summary, what effect did the word have in the Thessalonians? It brought them alive in faith and made them proclaimers of that faith. The word instructed and encouraged them. And as a result of their transformation, it brought them suffering.

How Might We Act if We Believed This?

Not only do we have access to the word of God, but this word is at work in us. In other books, the words sit inert the page, but God’s word transforms us. That transformation may happen slowly, but if we believe the Bible we need to agree that God’s word is at work!

How might this truth shape our lives, both individually and as communities of faith?

If I really believed God’s word was at work in me, I would be more eager for it. I would welcome every opportunity to take in the Bible.

I would also meditate on God’s word more than I currently do. I would ponder exactly how God’s word is working in me. How is the Bible encouraging me? How is it confronting or convicting me? This is not a call for any increased focus on myself—God knows I do too much of that now! But if I believed God’s word worked in me, I would have more thoughtful, meditative engagement with the Bible.

Finally, we should note that this is not written to individuals but to a group. The word of God is at work in believers, but it is also at work in the community of believers. Within the church, we should consider how we can exhort and encourage each other with words of Scripture. This will likely include bearing witness to how God’s word is working in us individually. We should plan and expect for God’s word to change our church families over time, because his word is an active word. It works!

Context Matters: God’s Ways Are Higher Than Our Ways

June 7, 2021 By Ryan Higginbottom

Perhaps you’ve heard that God’s ways are higher than our ways, that his thoughts are above our thoughts. You’ve been told that God is so great, and our minds are so small in comparison, that we cannot grasp his motivations or his logic.

I’ve heard well-meaning Christians tell others that God’s ways are beyond us in an effort to bring comfort and assurance. We cannot figure out what God is doing, our lives feel out of control, but don’t worry—God’s thoughts are higher than our thoughts. It’s okay—even predictable—that we wouldn’t track with what God is up to.

But is this what that verse in Isaiah is meant to convey? Are we using this phrase in its proper context? When we learn to read the Bible as a book instead of as an independent collection of sentences and phrases, we’ll find that some of the most familiar passages mean something different than we’ve assumed.

The Context in Isaiah

This passage about God’s ways being higher than ours comes from Isaiah, and it’s worth reproducing a good portion of the passage here.

“Seek the Lord while he may be found;
call upon him while he is near;
let the wicked forsake his way,
and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him,
and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:6–9)

Peter has already written about the big-picture structure of Isaiah. Chapters 40–55 hang together, and this passage falls near the end of that section. This portion of the prophecy describes how God will use a Servant to pardon the iniquity of his people.

Crucially, for our purposes, this part of Isaiah is about forgiveness, reconciliation, and the restoration of God’s people.

The Context in Isaiah 55

This chapter begins with God’s famous invitation: “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price” (Is 55:1). God is calling those who hear to live by means of an everlasting covenant with him (Is 55:3).

Those who listen should “seek the Lord” and “call upon him” (Is 55:6). The call is to the wicked and the unrighteous, to “return to the Lord,” for God will “have compassion” and “abundantly pardon” (Is 55:7).

The often-quoted verses (Is 55:8–9) are connected to verses 6–7 by the word “for.” This is a simple but powerful observation. God’s thoughts are different than our thoughts—this explains his eagerness to welcome and forgive. Our ways are not his ways, because we are neither in a position to pardon the repentant, unrighteous man nor are we inclined to show this compassion.

The chapter ends with an explanation about how God intends to accomplish this plan of forgiving those who forsake their wicked ways. It will happen through his word; it will go forth, accomplish his purposes, and not return to him empty (Is 55:11). As a result, the people rejoice, and nature will “break forth into singing” (Is 55:12).

Our Compassionate God

In terms of kindness, God’s ways are high above ours. Isaiah mentions God’s compassion three times in the previous chapter (Is 54:7, 8, 10), so this is a familiar theme by the time we reach chapter 55.

Let’s return to our earlier question. Yes, God is infinitely wiser and more complex than we are; his plans are beyond our ability to unravel. But when Isaiah writes about God’s thoughts being higher than our thoughts, he’s referring to God’s welcoming love to repentant sinners. We should worship and adore the God whose compassion overflows in this way that ours does not.

Context matters.

For more examples of why context matters, click here.

How to Pray for Your Small Group Bible Study

May 24, 2021 By Ryan Higginbottom

It is no small thing to gather with others and focus on the Bible. God can (and often does) move mightily during such a meeting.

How can Christians pray for this work of God? What would that look like?

Praying for the Leader

A small group Bible study leader has an important calling from God. One of the best things we can do for our Bible studies is to pray for our leaders.

Pray for their Preparation

A lot goes into preparing for a Bible study meeting. Pray that your leader, in all of it, will depend on the Lord.

As they study the Bible in advance, pray that God would protect their time and give them wisdom. Pray that God would give them a faithful, accurate understanding of the passage. Pray also for their spiritual growth, for their fight against sin and their walk in God’s grace.

Pray that their understanding of the Scriptures would lead to genuine change in their lives. The most effective leader is the one who is regularly applying the Bible with the help of the Holy Spirit.

A good Bible study leader will think carefully about the discussion they plan to lead. Pray that they would frame the discussion in a way that is helpful for the group. Pray that God would help them to prepare questions that will encourage fruitful conversation.

Pray for their Leadership

It takes experience, sensitivity, and wisdom to lead well during a Bible study meeting. Pray that God would give your leader what is necessary to manage the meeting well.

Pray that your leader would be able to move the group toward the main point of the passage. And pray that they would encourage heart-oriented application in their group members.

A small group with a compassionate, honest leader is powerful. Pray that your small group leader would love all the members of your group.

Praying for those Who Attend

If we pray only for the leader of a small group, we’ve done just half the job. So much of the group dynamics hinge on the non-leaders in the group. Let’s pray for them too!

Pray that small group members would prepare themselves for the Bible study. This may involve homework, but it surely involves growing in their love for the Lord and for their small group friends.

Pray that those who attend would learn to be vulnerable during the meeting, willing to let others into the difficult parts of their lives.

Pray that attenders would engage in honest, thoughtful discussion. Pray that God would guide each person to speak and listen in love. Pray that God would give wisdom by his Spirit through each Bible-focused conversation.

Some churches and ministries grow in large part due to the expansion of their small groups. If you find yourself in that situation, you should pray for the end of your group.

Ministry Covered in Prayer

Bible studies are not just a social gathering or religious activity. A Bible study can stoke and fuel the fire of spiritual engagement and growth in a church.

With such important work taking place within these groups, we should spend time and energy asking God for his work and blessing through them. Why not use the suggestions above and make a prayer list for your local group?

Note: Aside from those linked above, we have written several other articles about leading and attending small group Bible studies that you may find valuable.

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