Megan Blair: Confession

August 22, 2004

Confession

I've been having trouble reading the Bible. The differences between the Old and New Testaments confuse me. Seemingly contradictory statements frustrate me. The several different portrayals of who God is leave me feeling like I know him less rather than more.

Today, during the music portion of church, I was relishing the time worshiping God. The words of the songs brought back to mind the God I know -- loving, powerful, merciful. I can't reconcile the fact that I can have faith in God when I just take a moment to tell him how wonderful he is, but when I try to bring logic into it, I wind up questioning whether God even exists.

Another time I end up frustrated is when I'm stuggling to trust God with an area of my life. I try to force myself to just let it go, but then a nagging doubt sets in, and I hear, "What if there isn't a God? Then nobody is in control."

I want to believe. I really do. I just have a hard time with it.

------
Quote of the Day:

Dear God,
Don't let me fall apart
You've held me close to you
I have turned away and searched for answers
I can't understand

They say that I can move the mountains
And send them falling to the sea
They say that I can walk on water
If I would follow and believe
With faith like a child

Jars of Clay

Posted by Megan at August 22, 2004 11:15 PM

Comments

Good questions Megan.

Questions of doubt, if we leave them in that realm, come from Satan. That's all he can do with us is create doubt. "Did God really say...?" types of questions.

Instead of leaving them there, we should strive to be like the "noble-minded" Bereans, "who searched the Scriptures to see if these things were true." (Acts 17:11).

I am not free of doubt, but in my searching of the Scriptures I have found that the NT God is the same as the OT God, there are no contradictions, just some things that I don't fully understand or have difficulty explaining, and that there are not different portrayals of God, per se. It's just that he's multi-faceted, like you. After all, you are created in his image.

And the more I know, the more I realize how little I know.

Posted by: Different Dan at August 23, 2004 09:53 AM

Hey Megan, if you have questions, ask me, I have all the answers.

-matt (who was struck by lightning shortly after this post)

Actually, Dan is very right. Satan used the trick on Adam and Eve (did god really say....?) AND ON CHRIST (IF you are the son of God...)

He is a liar and the father of lies, and he will always try and get us to question our identity, Christ's identity, and God's identity...

Jeremiah 33:3

Posted by: Matt at August 24, 2004 12:43 AM