That We Might Have Hope
For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scripture we might have hope.
Romans 15:4
There are two ways people try to benefit from the Scriptures.
One way is to use them as powerful words, magic tokens, or perhaps even phrases like “sacramental words” will be used to describe this approach. Many see them only in this light, that we may take them and use them like a witch doctor tossing them into the face of some demon. Understanding is not necessary, just repeating, rote memorization and nothing more. This approach is doomed to failure as the seven sons of Sceva found out in Acts 19:13–16. They said to a man with a demon, “In the name of Jesus whom Paul preaches I command you to come out.” The demon replied, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?” and gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house “naked and bleeding.”
The other way is to let God through the Scriptures change our hearts, and this is the way God intended His Word to benefit us. What was written was done so “to teach us,” our scripture verse above says, and teaching means learning and learning means a process of gaining knowledge, understanding this knowledge, and applying it. “Endurance” also implies more than just a single, momentary stance against evil and includes a longer time frame where we grow stronger through the knowledge of God’s Word. And “encouragement” carries the ideas of difficulty, of our own failure, of facing opposition and discouragement, but finding in the Scripture the truth of God and the example of other people of faith who overcame hardship in the name of Christ.
The more we know about any subject the better we are able to think along those lines, and the more of God’s Word we know, the better able we are to think along the lines of God’s thoughts. It is a Word that is to master our souls, not merely to be placed in our hands and used to ward off evil spirits, but to be placed in the hands of the Spirit of God and used to transform the evil in our own souls. Memorization of the Word is a powerful tool, but if that does not follow with meditation, understanding, and heart-felt obedience to the will and ways of God, it will not be enough.
Where do you need encouragement and endurance today? Have you judged others? Are you quick to become angry? Do you struggle with forgiveness? Are you too timid in your faith? Do you give in too quickly to some temptations? Do you isolate yourself from others? Are you proud? Are you self-centered? Do you need more wisdom? More patience? Take the Bible to heart, and let God lead you by His Spirit to a more profound experience of faith. Let His Word search your heart and separate the pure from the impure, and you will find a deeper joy and a greater usefulness in the lives of others. You will be able to share with them the hope of God because you will have experienced His hope in your innermost being.
