One of the things I love about the Bible is how it tells the hard truths about pain, sin, and suffering while simultaneously providing hope.
The gospel of Jesus Christ is a prime example of this: We are horrible sinners with no chance of finding favor with God on our own merit—it’s impossible. That’s an ugly truth. But at the same time, there is hope because Jesus paid the penalty for our sins so we can be in right standing with God and enjoy fellowship with Him.
The gospel’s goodness is meaningless without the ugly truth of our sin’s severity.
We also see this concept in Psalm 32. Verse 8 is a “feel good” verse: “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.” This verse typically brings a sigh of relief, reminding us of our faithful Shepherd’s leadership. However, when we read it in the context of the chapter, verse 8 has a seriousness we otherwise miss.
Psalm 32 begins with a meditation on the blessing of forgiveness for the repentant. David remembers the suffering he experienced before he repented of his sin, then reflects on the merciful discipline of God and his protection of the righteous. David praises God for his forgiveness and deliverance.
Here, we come to verse 8—that welcome promise of God’s careful guidance. But we must continue through verses 9–11 which remind us that a stubborn horse or mule must be trained by undesirable means. They don’t like the bit and bridle holding them in check. David then contrasts this picture of rebellion against a vision of the love and joy surrounding the righteous who trust God and submit to his leadership.
Putting Psalm 32:8 in context, my response is more like this: “Oh! I have a responsibility here. I must submit to the Lord’s guidance and repent of my stubborn attempts to go my own way.”
Submission is a hard truth, but this psalm pairs it with hope. Our flesh resists submitting to God’s will, but when we trust him and follow his lead, he faithfully guides us in lovingkindness, and we experience joy. Submitting to his leadership is worth the temporary discomfort. There’s so much hope!
The ugly truth and the beautiful truth coexist. Both are true and right at the same time.
Can you think of other examples in the Bible of hard truths and hope coexisting?
This Week’s Worthy Words
IDENTIFYING GOSPEL-CENTERED RESOURCES | BETHANY BELUE
“There are many books and resources available to us in the Christian community. No matter the topic, there is a book or resource that will address it. While this can be a good thing, it is important that we be responsible to identify resources that are gospel-centered and in line with God’s Word. There are five questions I have used to help guide me in choosing God-honoring books and resources.”
HOW NOT TO APPLY THE BIBLE | KENNETH BERDING
Kenneth does an excellent job of recreating a common scene from a group Bible study—an application discussion that bypasses observation and interpretation. Then he offers an alternative approach.
ON THE DOTTED LINE | DINAH OVERLIEN
This is such a neat visual! “Recently I read that people have, on average, about 4000 weeks to live. I’m hoping for a few more than that, as 4000 weeks only gets me to about 77 years. I’m aiming for 4,680 weeks. You can do the math. The idea intrigued me. What would 4000 weeks look like? I had to know…”
NUMBERS, MATH, AND GREEN BEANS | SYLVIA SCHROEDER
This post is a great follow-up to Dinah’s reflection on the same passage of Scripture (above). “In every stage of life, whether young or old, the desire tugs, ‘Let me know what is worth my time and effort and what is not.’”
WRESTLING IN PRAYER | CINDY MATSON
“Epaphras fought in prayer for the Colossian church. Though we don’t know what his exact prayers were or in exactly what ways he interceded for the Colossians, we probably all know from experience that prayer is hard work. Sometimes we have to fight tooth and nail to gain a mere inch. And yet, it’s to this discipline we are called to devote ourselves (Col. 4:2). Let’s take a look at some X’s and O’s so we can form a gameplan.”
A GAME OF HIDE-AND-SEEK: HOW SHAME KEEPS US FROM THE FATHER’S FORGIVENESS | BETHANY BRODERICK
“[O]ur Heavenly Father isn’t surprised by our sins or disappointed with our repeated mistakes. Like his pursuit of Adam and Even in the garden, he pursues a relationship with us, too. He seeks us out in our sin and shame, invites us to repent, and empowers us to walk in obedience. When God disciplines us, it’s because he loves us and wants to remove any barrier in our life to enjoying his presence. He doesn’t want fear and shame to keep us hidden from his love.”
