Whether you’ve made a formal list of resolutions or not, as a Christian, you cannot faithfully enter into a new year without being resolved to be and to do certain things.
It was late, dark, and quiet—the kind of quiet that made up every night before. Nothing out of the ordinary. Just a regular night. I had prayed, locked the doors, and turned off the lights. The room was sealed like a tomb (as it always was), and I lay down, ready for the sweet mercy of sleep. But what came that night was something else entirely.
The Word of God does not come to us as a fragmented collection of spiritual tidbits for our devotional moments. No, it is a roaring fire, burning with clarity and authority over all of life. From the smallest whispers to the great rumblings of the world, the Bible speaks to every facet of human existence – and it does so with sufficiency, authority, and finality.
We think that because our suffering is “lesser,” it should be ignored or shoved down. But the Bible knows nothing of such stoicism. This is no game of comparative agony; it’s a reminder that God’s mercy applies to the smallest inconvenience as well as the greatest tragedy.
For those of you who imagine Jesus as only ever gentle, soft-spoken, and infinitely tolerant, His words about Judas might come as a shock. “It
Romans 9:18 says, “So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills.” Meanwhile, Hebrews 4:7 says, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.” How can these two verses be harmonised?
Biblical hermeneutics are the tools that allow you to plow the fertile soil of Scripture and unearth its treasures. They’re not barriers to understanding; they’re gateways.
Today, we’re jumping into the exhilarating—and occasionally maddening—world of biblical hermeneutics.
