What's in your mind right now? No, really. What's in it? I'm not talking about your wondering of what's for breakfast when you get up in the morning or your worrying of how to complete all the piling school work. We're talking about those deep thoughts we tend to bury at the back of our heads, shushing them out because we're too 'busy' right now to accommodate them.
Shushhh… as we go back to our busy lives of Netflix shows (you have so much to catch up on) … back to our video games (your friends are waiting for you) … back to the parties (you don't want to be left out) …
Do you have questions bothering you about life? Doubts on God's existence and goodness? Or do you simply just feel…hafkjkanf?? It's fine. It's normal.
Go through different stories in the Bible and see how there are a ton of chapters and books exhibiting regular human thoughts and emotions experienced by even the greatest of Bible characters.
Psalms is a perfect example of this. It served as the Songbook of God's people to sing praises and just worship God as a community. Think of it as one of those heartbreak anthems every person in your class knows by heart and sings along to when it plays. Similarly, these psalms were a familiar tune to sing alongside one another, except it wasn't to just continue making us stuck with what we're feeling and thinking but to really process them.
A third of the book is actually made up of laments — cries to God as the author is hunted by his enemies or just felt utterly hopeless. Even through those desperate pleas and prayers, they make it a point to conclude with praise and affirmation of their faith in God.
Psalms begins with chapter one laying down the foundation for us to appreciate God's Word and this Songbook. It starts by introducing to us how a particular man is blessed not just because he’s visibly set apart in all life circumstances, but really because he delights in the law of the Lord (Psalm 1:2).
Honestly back in high school, I would devour through one fiction book after the other but as soon as I opened my Bible, I'd fall asleep after a paragraph. Don't we all start like that? We don't really take delight in knowing God's laws or reading His Word. It seems suffocating and boring, and we just don't get it.
This draws us to the importance of meditating on it day and night, making the time to take the time to ruminate on God's steadfast love and faithfulness and how every single detail ties together to the Cross. I always wondered how pastors get to enjoy reading the Bible and learn something new even as they read it year after year. They are like this man who delights in God's law, blessed and firmly rooted! The blessed man doesn't get blown away nor withers as the seasons change. He even bears fruit (vv.3-4)!
So let this be an invitation to reflect on the last time you opened your Bible to really take the time to listen to God and read it (and I'm not referring to those times our Bible teacher told us to do it in class). It's not going to be a one-time-big-time effort king of thing wherein suddenly we'll get it and no longer have any more questions.
Even one of Jesus' disciples, Thomas, was skeptical about His resurrection (and he's quite known by this!) that he wanted to see the pierced hands and sides of Jesus to prove it. So Jesus makes a special appearance just for him since he missed out on the first appearance to the disciples. Jesus still shows Thomas what he wanted in order to believe. He was patient. He didn't get mad and disowned him as a disciple, nor did He rebuke and humiliate Thomas. He just wanted him to believe (John 20:24-29).
Jesus knows his heart. Thomas was the one who said to the other disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with Him" (John 11:16). He was also the one who really wanted to be with Christ when he asked, "'Lord, we don't know where You are going, so how can we know the way?' Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'" (John 14:5-6). This experience made him have stronger faith, that we too may have stronger faith through the doubts and just believe.
For what is faith? "Faith is the assurance of the things we hoped for, the conviction of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1). God has already shown us through who He is and what He's done that He is our Lord and Savior yesterday, today, and tomorrow. It is enough for us to believe and be of no excuse (Romans 1:20).
Know that God wants to be with us and have a relationship with us. And that requires a two-way conversation. Genuinely seek Him through prayer and the reading of His Word. He will not forsake us. He will listen to us (Jeremiah 29:13).
It's easy to take God for granted since we're in a Christian school surrounded by Christian friends and teachers but our faith is our own walk with God. No one is going to believe and place hope on God on your behalf.
We are invited to dig deep and refine our understanding of God — from knowing of Him to truly knowing Him. In this way, we can confidently give the reason we do have hope (1 Peter 3:15). Even with the uncertainties, we can be sure of our One Great Certainty.
Story by Stephanie Sayson, Phoenix Batch 2013
For more self-evaluating and action-oriented conversations based on biblical principles, tune in to Steph's podcast! Just search for "Develop Me for We: A Personal Development Podcast" in your favorite podcast players (e.g. Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts) and even Youtube. Follow her also on Instagram for daily inspirational posts @stephsayson.
linktr.ee/stephsayson for the podcast player direct links
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