Bible Questions and Answers

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Writing as one who was made redundant three times in his working life I understand to some extent the trauma of the situation and anyone experiencing this has my full and heartfelt sympathy.

There are many encouraging passages in the Bible for life’s adverse situations written with the hindsight of experience and by inspiration of God for our comfort.

I must first begin with somewhat of a parable. If we owned a motor vehicle that broke down and we had not joined a breakdown organisation we would hardly expect to call for one of their patrols to assist us. Similarly, if we had no home contents insurance and had something damaged or stolen we would not contact an insurance company to reimburse us.

Not that I am suggesting that the Bible is a breakdown service or an insurance company. Rather that the Bible is not designed by God to be used as a palliative when things go wrong in our lives if we have limited knowledge of him and are not familiar with his word. The Bible is designed to teach us how we can know God and attain to eternal life in the kingdom of God. It contains the gospel or good news of the kingdom of God. It shows how we can have a relationship with God through his son Jesus Christ. Without this relationship the comfort that the scriptures offer is just a ‘placebo’. It has no basis in reality. We cannot in all honesty expect the experiences of people of faith to apply to us if we have no faith.

Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Faith comes from reading and understanding the word of God.

Romans 10:17... faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

By reading the word of God, believing the gospel and being baptised into Christ we become children of God. By belief in and baptism into Christ we enter in by the door of the sheep and become part of his flock.

John 10:7 Then Jesus said to them again, "Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep... "I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.

As part of the flock, Psalm 23 becomes true for us.

Psalm 23:1 A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. 3 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever.

Psalm 9 becomes true for us.

Psalm 9:9 The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, A refuge in times of trouble. 10 And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You, LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You.

Psalm 42 becomes true for us.

Psalm 42:11 Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God.
 
Proverbs 3 becomes true for us.

Proverbs 3:1 My son, do not forget my law, But let your heart keep my commands; 2 For length of days and long life And peace they will add to you. 3 Let not mercy and truth forsake you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart, 4 And so find favor and high esteem In the sight of God and man. 5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil. 8 It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones. 9 Honor the LORD with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase; 10 So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine. 11 My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, Nor detest His correction; 12 For whom the LORD loves He corrects, Just as a father the son in whom he delights.

Hebrews 12 becomes true for us.

Hebrews 12:5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: 6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. 7 If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? 8 But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. 9 Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. 11 Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

James 1 becomes true for us.

James 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

Romans 8 becomes true for us.

Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. 31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written: "For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." 37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

2 Corinthians 1 becomes true for us.

2 Corinthians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

2 Corinthians 1:4 may help when we are ‘down’ because it reminds us that our focus should be on the needs of others rather than ourselves; helping others is a self-help therapy.

A life in Christ requires active fellowship. Each part of the body of Christ has a task to fulfil in the edification of the body. It is recorded of the early baptised believers:

Acts 2:42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.

There are of course many other scriptures that I could refer you to, but it is better for you to read the whole of the Bible using a daily reading planner make the comfort of scripture real for yourself.

Romans 15:4 For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.

The comfort comes not just in applying passages to ourselves but also in seeing how God has dealt with men of faith in the past. Further by considering the joy that God has promised through the prophets for the future, the problems that we encounter in this life are put into proper perspective.

Here's a website where a daily reading guide may be viewed and printed.  www.christadelphia.org/readplan.htm

Here's a companion site where you will find useful comments on the day's readings. www.dailyreadings.org.uk/

Jesus emphasises that we should set our hope on the kingdom to come and not be ‘anxious’ about this life.

Matthew 6:33 "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

We must needs endure the trials of this life to try our faith and fit us for the kingdom of God. If we believe God, obey him and put our trust in him, he will not let us down.

Psalms 37:25 I have been young, and now am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendants begging bread.

I hope this helps.

Glenn Smith