Thought for Today
Psalm 31:14 But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, "You are my God."
Isaiah 12:2 Surely God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid, for the LORD GOD is my strength and my might; he has become my salvation.
Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
1 Peter 1:21 Through him you have come to trust in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are set on God.
“When I feel a nudging from God, it’s like a nighttime walk with a flashlight. I can see, just not very far.” (These Days, March 9, 2026)
You may have noticed that I sign off each day with the admonition to “trust God.” The word trust appears 75 – 134 times in the Bible. The word faith appears 245 – 288 times in the Bible. Interestingly, trust is most common in the Old Testament, faith most common in the New Testament.
As I am so often led to do, I consulted my Westminster Dictionary of Theological Terms. Therein, I found: “faith (Gr. pistis, Lat. fides, ‘trust,’ ‘belief’) In Christianity, belief, trust, and obedience to God as revealed in Jesus Christ. It is the means of salvation (Eph. 2:8-9) or eternal life (John 6:40).” (pg. 100); and, “trust (Lat. fiducia; Old Norse traust, ‘firmness’) Confidence in something or someone, often used as a primary description for faith.” (pg. 289)
The devotional writer in These Days this morning was writing about putting our trust in God. I loved the use of the word ‘nudging’ in the context of faith and trust. I have often commented to myself and others (who are probably tired of hearing it) that I do wish God would be more overt and obvious about what God is calling me to do. Wouldn’t it be nice to get a text each morning from God with instructions for the day? I’m not sure that asking for a Facebook posting from God is entirely compatible with either the Facebook rules or the propriety of our faith; however, having everything spelled out for me in plain, simple narrative often seems extremely desirable.
Two thoughts come immediately to my mind, however. First and foremost is that God long ago gave me and all of God’s children plain, simple narrative words of instruction. Micah 6:8 comes to mind, “He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” That’s pretty straightforward. Do justice! Love kindness! Walk humbly with God! There are not any interpretive details in those 3 commands. Sadly, the devil is always in the application more than the understanding.
The Bible is not a scientific textbook. The Bible is exactly that plain, simple narrative book of instructions for which so many of us long. While I understand that author’s use of the word ‘nudging,’ I believe God does a lot more than nudging as I read the Bible. God sent Jesus as a living, human, divine example of God’s instructions. Jesus himself offered a comprehensive explanation of God’s instructions when he said, “Luke 10:27 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself." For me, that does sound plain, simple and without any ‘wiggle room’ for interpretation. It also sounds like much more than a vague nudge.
As I ponder on all this today, my second thought is to wonder why so few of us regularly read our Bibles. Most homes in our country possess at least 1 copy of the Bible. How many of those Bibles are ever read? I suspect that the vast majority of their splines would crack and crinkle were one to pick them up and open them. In my youth, there were few easily read English language Bibles. Although amazingly faithful to the Greek, the King James Bible is difficult to understand at times. Today there is a plethora of ‘modern’ English translations and paraphrased Bibles. Yet, how many of us read the Bible with regularity?
I understand the Bible as an ‘instruction manual’ for life. I suspect most folks have spent more time reading the instruction manual for their toasters than the one for their lives. Of course, today, most instruction manuals are online . . . but so too is the Bible.
Next time you feel ‘nudged’ by God, know that you don’t need a flashlight, you just need to spend some time reading in your Bible. If the details and directions aren’t clear, talk with others of your family of faith. Reading and discussing are illuminating flashlights for life.
Stay safe, bask in the light of scripture, trust God,
Pastor Ray