How Can We Trust The Bible?

The penultimate best-seller. Arguably the most popular ancient text. Translated over 3,000 times. What book is it? You guessed it, the Bible. 

But how can we trust the Bible? Whether you come from generations and generations of Christian heritage or you are a new believer, at some point in your journey, this question arises. 

How does the seemingly violent and angry God of the Old Testament align with Jesus of the New Testament who is portrayed as compassionate and gracious? Did the great flood in Genesis, the parting of the Red Sea in Exodus or the story of Jonah being eaten and then spit up by a whale really happen?

Questions like these and many others have often sown seeds of doubt into the hearts and minds of us who are faithfully trying to follow Jesus. If you’re anything like me, when I search for answers to these questions, I’m often left wanting, feeling like what I’ve found doesn’t really satisfy me. 

If you are feeling this way, you are not alone. People have struggled with these issues for centuries. Welcome to the club!

But I want to share with you what helps me trust in Scripture when I am having a hard time 

I turn my focus from searching for answers to looking to the One who has authored it all.  Now, hear me out. This might sound simplistic or reductionistic, but I’m not advocating for a blind faith. Rather shifting from a primarily cognitive or thinking position to an experiential and emotional place. 

Trust is both a cognitive and emotional experience. So when we are struggling with one side, we can move to the other.

No matter what side of the theological spectrum you find yourself on, there is agreement that God has a significant influence on the writing of the Bible. If we can strengthen our trust in God, then our trust in his word will grow, as well.  

I want to give you one tip today on how we increase our trust in God and thus scripture by moving from a cognitive to emotional perspective. 

One of my favorite concepts throughout scripture, but highlighted in the Old Testament is the practice of remembering. Over and over, God calls his people to remember what He has done for them. David in the Psalms instructs us to remember God (Psalm 106). Joshua ordered his men to create a monument of twelve stones to remind them of the miraculous work God had done on their behalf (Joshua 4).  And Jesus tells us to participate in the holy act of communion to remember him (Luke 22:19). 

Remembering what God has done in and through our lives emotionally connects us to his work and empowers us to move forward in faith.  The painful season he brought you through, the loss that you experienced, the sadness or darkness that seemed like it would never leave. God brought you to the other side. He gave you the strength to move through. He encouraged you through people he placed in your life.  He answered your prayer.  

This and so much else has marked our stories and journeys. When we can participate in the act of remembering, we have an emotional experience that can lead to trust. 

So I would encourage you this week to take some time to remember. Find a few quiet moments, take out a journal and write down how God has shown up in significant ways throughout your life.  Allow the Holy Spirit to strengthen and encourage your own spirit. 

And then, approach the Bible with a renewed trust, not only in the words, but the one who they come from.