Verses That Trouble Me

             I’ve been reading and studying God’s Word for most of my life.  I’ve been teaching Bible Studies since I was in college—many, many years ago.  Yet, I must admit that there are still many verses that I don’t understand.  Over the years, I’ve had times when verses that I’ve read over and over suddenly come to life as the Holy Spirit guides me to a new revelation.  Still, I am confident that when I get to Heaven, I’ll have questions about the thousands of verses that I still don’t understand.

            While we all have verses that we don’t understand, I wonder if we all have verses that we don’t like.  I’m not talking about those verses that convict us, or, in our stubbornness, we don’t want to obey. I’m talking about those verses that tear at our hearts as we consider who God is and what He has done for us. Here are a few of mine.

            In the middle of Malachi 1: 10, God says to the Israelites, “I am not pleased with you” (NIV84).  The thought of hearing those words breaks my heart.  Yet, I am quite certain there have been many times in my life when God has thought those same words about me.  God is our Father and He loves us very much.  Just like any proud parent, He is disappointed when we fail.  When we consider that each sin prompts the thought, “I’m not pleased with you”, I think it doesn’t just magnify our sin but should also intensify our repentance and desire to do better.  We all should be striving to please our Father!

            As we approach Easter, our thoughts go to the crucifixion and the price that Christ paid on the cross, but we often ignore the emotional and spiritual agony that He endured.  In the gospel of John, as the time for His death approached, Jesus said, “Now, my heart is troubled…” (John 12: 27 NIV84).  Similarly, Luke recounts the agony He endured in the Garden of Gethsemane, as He prayed earnestly and drops of blood fell from His head (Luke 22: 44).  Finally, as He hung on the cross, He cried out “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mark 15: 34 NIV84).

 I’m sure that the physical pain that Christ endured was unimaginable, but I don’t think we comprehend the emotional toll that the crucifixion caused.  The Father and the Son are one!  Yet, in that moment, as Christ bore the sins of the world, our sins separated them.  The Holy Father could not bear to look on His sin-laden Son.  What anguish that must have caused each of them.  That anguish should break our hearts.  It should also magnify the price that was paid for our salvation.  I can’t read those words without thanking God for the pain they endured so that I could be saved.

Those are just a few of the verses that tear at my heartstrings.  We all have verses that convict us, encourage us, and give us hope.  Maybe we should focus a little more on those verses that trouble us just as a reminder of the love that God has lavished on us.

Malachi 1: 10 – 14

John 12: 27 - 33

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