Trusting the God Behind the Text
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” — Proverbs 3:5–6
At the end of the day, every challenging passage of Scripture invites us to one foundational question: Can I trust the Author?
We’ve talked about context, justice, mercy, and God's heart for the vulnerable. But none of that matters if deep down we believe God might not actually be good. Many people walk away from faith not because the Bible is too confusing, but because they don't trust the God it reveals. They see judgment and assume cruelty. They see law and assume oppression. But when we slow down, dig in, and look closely—we discover something surprising. Behind the hardest verses is a God who steps into a broken world and moves it toward restoration.
The cross is our anchor here. It shows us that God's justice isn't heartless and His mercy isn't reckless. It shows us that God doesn't ask us to trust Him blindly. He bled to prove He was trustworthy. Every word in Scripture flows from that same heart. A heart that sees the oppressed, confronts the oppressor, and makes a way for both to be healed.
So when you don't understand, when a passage feels too sharp or too strange—remember who’s behind it. Not a distant dictator, but a crucified King. And if you can trust Him with your eternity, you can trust Him with your confusion too.
Reflection Question
What’s one part of Scripture you’ve struggled to trust—and how might the cross reshape how you view it?
The goal of studying Scripture isn’t to make God more palatable—it’s to see that He’s already better than we imagined. The cross proves it.
Prayer
Jesus, thank You for being a God I can trust even when I don’t fully understand. Help me to hold on to who You are when parts of Your Word feel hard. Show me that even the difficult places in Scripture still lead back to grace, justice, and love. Amen.
At the end of the day, every challenging passage of Scripture invites us to one foundational question: Can I trust the Author?
We’ve talked about context, justice, mercy, and God's heart for the vulnerable. But none of that matters if deep down we believe God might not actually be good. Many people walk away from faith not because the Bible is too confusing, but because they don't trust the God it reveals. They see judgment and assume cruelty. They see law and assume oppression. But when we slow down, dig in, and look closely—we discover something surprising. Behind the hardest verses is a God who steps into a broken world and moves it toward restoration.
The cross is our anchor here. It shows us that God's justice isn't heartless and His mercy isn't reckless. It shows us that God doesn't ask us to trust Him blindly. He bled to prove He was trustworthy. Every word in Scripture flows from that same heart. A heart that sees the oppressed, confronts the oppressor, and makes a way for both to be healed.
So when you don't understand, when a passage feels too sharp or too strange—remember who’s behind it. Not a distant dictator, but a crucified King. And if you can trust Him with your eternity, you can trust Him with your confusion too.
Reflection Question
What’s one part of Scripture you’ve struggled to trust—and how might the cross reshape how you view it?
The goal of studying Scripture isn’t to make God more palatable—it’s to see that He’s already better than we imagined. The cross proves it.
Prayer
Jesus, thank You for being a God I can trust even when I don’t fully understand. Help me to hold on to who You are when parts of Your Word feel hard. Show me that even the difficult places in Scripture still lead back to grace, justice, and love. Amen.
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