Five Religious Myths Debunked

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1. If I live right, I will avoid suffering. If that were true, good people would not suffer, and we would recognize the evil in our world. Paul pleaded with God three times to take away his thorn in the flesh (how he referred to his pain). God didn’t take it away. He said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). This verse gives me more than hope through suffering; it encourages me that when I feel inadequate, God is strong. He picks me up when I get to the end of me and accomplishes more in me than I imagined.
2. My pain doesn’t compare to the suffering of others. That sounds like God doesn’t care about what you are going through. That is not true. He said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you,” (Joshua 1:5) and “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid. Do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9). These verses are my lifeline for whenever I go through troubling times.
3. Pain is the result of disobedience. Many people today do not pay attention to God’s ways so they unknowingly disobey Him or disregard Him on purpose. Not all of them suffer pain. They go on with their lives as if nothing is wrong. Health and wealth are not measures of obedience. They could be here today and gone tomorrow. The result of disobedience is sin, and the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). Unchecked disobedience is separation from God.
4. There is always a silver lining. It seems like a fairy tale to believe our suffering leads to a silver lining. Perhaps that is a misunderstanding of, “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). Over the years I have seen how God uses even the difficult things in my life for His purposes. I have even grown thankful for the times I experienced loneliness and despair because they are what drove me to Jesus. Only in Jesus can we hope for a better ending.
5. God will love me if I am good. God loves the whole world so much He gave His only son so that whoever believes in Him will not perish but experience salvation from the ways of the world (my paraphrase of John 3:16). “God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Friend, if you have not experienced God’s amazing love, call on His name, the name of Jesus, and you will know His presence, His love. He has prepared a way for you – a way where there seemed to be no way. Rejoice!

Prayer

Thank you, Lord, for Jesus your beloved Son. He is Faithful and True. Thank you for loving us and setting us free to experience abundant life, even today. Thank you that we don’t have to wait til we get to Heaven. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Writing on the Wall

Bell Cave at Beit Gurvin, Israel

Enjoy this tour through one of the largest bell caves in Israel. The video is short but shows the wonder of the caves used as quarries thousands of years ago. They got their name from narrow top and wide circular bottom. The bell caves are in the Shephelah, the low rolling hills of Judah, and many of them overlooked the plain of Gaza and Ashkelon, Philistine country. This is the region where Herod the Great was born. Although he was king of the Jews, he was not Jewish but an Edomite. The Edomites descended from Esau, the twin brother of Jacob (Genesis 36:8). Two nations from one womb. Wow!

During Herod’s reign, Christians were tortured in the amphitheater at Caesarea. Some were beheaded. Others survived their torturous wounds and fled in an effort to get to the bell caves to live their last days.

We visited the largest bell cave, 70 feet in diameter and 55 feet high. Carverd into the walls were crosses and Scripture verses. Dying believers wrote words to encourage those who would follow them to this cave. We sang “Amazing Grace.” The acoustics made our voices sound heavenly. I was amazed to think of the beautiful cave as a place of death, but it meant that suffering ended here. No more torture. No more pain.

Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for the hope of Heaven. Our bodies will be glorified. No deformities, disease or disabilities. As a deer pants for streams of water, so we long for the time we can be with you, face to Face. In Jesus’ name, Amen.