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Using Bible stories to examine characteristics of God that we never thought about, characteristics that apply to what we’re facing right now.
Gregory C. Lyon
Take a few moments to read through Luke 4:31-37. Think about these questions as you read: What if you were sitting in that congregation on that day with all the challenges that you are facing right now? Consider your current circumstances in life and then ask yourself: What characteristic about Jesus sticks out?
Is there an obvious answer? Perhaps. One is given in the text. Jesus is powerful. But what else?
Suzy’s story
A pastor sat with Suzy a few weeks after a major mental breakdown as part of her ongoing support team. She was not in a good place. Where does he start? He started with a story. He opened his Bible to Luke 4 and asked Suzy, “What characteristics of Jesus do you see on display here?”
Without hesitation, Suzy said, “He’s brave.” (Is that a characteristic that you had considered?)
“Why brave?” the pastor asked.
She replied, “He’s not afraid to confront the demon that confronted him. He was confident.”
Suzy knew that she wasn’t brave because she could not confront her own demons. She began to understand that Jesus was what she could not be for herself. She began to see Jesus not just as someone who did amazing things for some people but as a gracious God who was FOR HER! She continued in her professional counseling and was able to confront some of those difficult things she thought she would never be able to face. She knew that Jesus was brave for her and that he had already conquered all her enemies. None of those “demons” had power over her.
Your story
Sometimes reading a biblical narrative can lead you to ask, “Who cares?” A blind man receives sight. A little girl is raised from the dead. Jesus shows mercy to a guilty prostitute. Great for them, but what about me?
But what happens if you read biblical narratives like I suggested at the beginning? What if you put yourself in the story? With your current circumstances right in front of you, might you notice something that you had not noticed before?
Biblical narratives provide powerful lessons in the grace, mercy, and power of God for individuals, including you and me. Biblical narratives can also show us characteristics of God that we may never have thought about, characteristics that apply to what we are facing now. You might see a Savior who is brave for you, strong for you, confident for you. And the next time you read that story, you might notice something else as your experiences change.
Over the next five issues, we are going to dive into a few biblical narratives with an eye toward common struggles among Christians: anxiety, depression, guilt, grief, and trauma. We will look at various biblical narratives and place ourselves in the story as a bystander. We will explore through personal applications what we see and hear, while also identifying characteristics that are on display. Perhaps we will learn more about ourselves and God’s amazing love for us, a love that is always there right when we need it, in the specific way that we need it.
This is the first article in a six-part series on applying biblical narratives to our lives.
Author: Gregory Lyon
Volume 107, Number 01
Issue: January 2020
- Psalm 103: When you count your blessings
- Psalm 91: When God lifts you up on his lap
- Psalm 4: When you draw nearer to the end
- Psalm 42: When you ask, “Where is God when I’m hurting?”
- Psalm 32: When you need forgiveness
- Psalm 130: When rocks fall
- Bible study: Freedom in service
- What does this mean for me? Article 6
- Bible study: Spiritual gifts
- What does this mean for me? Article 5
- What does this mean for me? Article 4
- Bible study: Rejoice in your status!
- Bible study: Baptismal blessings
- What does this mean for me? Article 3
- What does this mean for me? Article 2
- Bible study: Gifts of tongues and miraculous healing
- What does this mean for me? Article 1
- Bible study: Jesus is everyone’s Savior
- Bible study: Love one another
- Bible study: Above all things!
- Bible study: The comfort of God’s providence
- The book of James: Waiting for Christ’s return
- Bible study: Precious grace
- The book of James: Active in using prayer
- Bible study: Rewards of grace
- The book of James: Active in showing love
- The book of James: Correctly evaluating riches
- Bible study: What’s going to happen on the Last Day?
- The book of James: Avoiding loveless judging
- Bible study: Interpretation practice
- The book of James: Taming the tongue
- Bible study: The Bible’s attributes
- Bible study: The importance of the family altar
- Bible study: God’s attitude is grace
- Bible study: The Bible’s account of Easter morning
- Bible study: Different types of sin
- Bible study: God’s inspiration
- Bible study: Giving God glory
- Bible study: Judge for yourself
- The book of James: Using the Word of Truth
- Bible study: The need for the Bible and worship
- Bible study: Citizens of two kingdoms
- The book of James: Active in good works
- The book of James: When battling temptation
- Bible study: God cares
- Bible study: God made the world
- The book of James: When facing trials
- Bible study: A loving God saved people from hell
- The book of James: A blueprint for living out our life of faith
- A Bible story just for me: Guilt
- Bible study: God provides victory over death!
- A Bible story just for me: Anxiety
- Bible study: God forgives and refuses to remember our sins
- A Bible story just for me: Grief
- Bible study: God helps those who cannot help themselves
- A Bible story just for me: Depression
- Bible study: God has not grown soft on sin
- Bible study: Only one path leads to God’s presence
- A Bible story just for me: Trauma
- A Bible story just for me
- Bible study: God wants me in heaven
- Bible study: The incarnation of our Lord