“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways." - James‬ ‭1‬:‭2‬-‭8‬

Trials have a way of exposing what is truly settled in our hearts. Not if they come, but when they come. As James makes clear, they reveal whether we actually trust God or if we are quietly placing our confidence in something else.

I have found that in those moments, I am not usually searching for more information. I am wrestling with whether I truly believe He is who He has said He is, and whether I will allow that belief to shape my response when life does not unfold as I had hoped. When circumstances press in, doubt is never far behind. 

Doubt is not always loud or obvious. Sometimes it whispers: Is God really good in this? Is He aware of what this feels like? Is He actually in control? And if I am not anchored in the truth of who God is, I can quickly become, as James describes, "like a wave of the sea—driven and tossed by the wind.”

This is why what we believe about God matters so deeply.

If I do not believe He is holy, I will try to measure His ways by my understanding.
If I do not believe He is good, I will question His heart.
And if I do not believe He is sovereign, I will fear things are slipping beyond His control.

But when those truths are settled, when I know He is holy, good, and over it all, I can stand firm. Not because I understand everything, but because I trust the One who does. 

The God Who Is Set Apart

God’s holiness is not just one of His attributes; it is the defining reality of who He is.

He is completely set apart. There is no one like Him and He is without comparison (1 Samuel 2:2). He is not merely a better version of us. He is altogether different. His holiness is not something we need to shrink down to understand. It is a truth meant to steady us.

His holiness means He is not limited by our perspective, emotions, or circumstances. He is not reactive or uncertain. He is perfectly pure and completely consistent. Everything He does flows from who He is which is unchanging and entirely right.

This is where His holiness becomes deeply personal. If God were shifting or influenced by pressure as we are, we would have reason to question Him. But because He is holy, He is altogether trustworthy. His ways are not shaped by impulse or imperfection, but by a nature that cannot fail. When Isaiah encountered God’s holiness, his response was not to analyze but to surrender: “Woe is me, For I am lost…a man of unclean lips”(Isaiah 6:5). That is what God’s holiness does; it reminds us that He is God, and we are not. His holiness means that even when we do not understand His ways, we can trust His heart. And when trials come, that truth becomes an anchor for our souls. 

The God Who Is Good

If God is set apart in His holiness, He is unwavering in His goodness. This is often where our faith is tested most. When life is difficult, we are tempted to question whether God is truly good. 

But His goodness is not measured by our comfort; it is grounded in His character. 

The psalmist declares that God’s way is perfect (Psalm 18:30). He never missteps or makes a mistake. He always knows what is best, even when we cannot yet see it. 

We see this in the story of Israel. Their disobedience caused delay, but it did not derail God’s purposes. He still brought them into the land He promised. What God plans, He accomplishes.

God’s goodness is not fragile—it is steadfast. He is always at work, even in difficult circumstances, for His glory and for the good of those who trust Him (Romans 8:28). His love is both personal and purposeful. He calls us His children (1 John 3:1) and has demonstrated that love fully in Christ (John 15:13, Romans 5:8). God’s goodness is not disconnected and distant. It is active, pursuing, and transforming, motivated by perfect love. This is why we know that even in suffering, His goodness remains.

This echoes loudly in the words of Corrie Ten Boom’s sister before she died in a Nazi concentration camp: “There is no pit so deep that God is not deeper still.” That is the kind of goodness that meets us in the darkest of places and carries us through.

The God Who Is Over It All

Beneath both His holiness and His goodness is a truth that steadies everything: God is sovereign.

He is completely independent, the ruler of all, answering to no one. He declares the end from the beginning, and His purposes always stand (Isaiah 46:10). Nothing surprises Him or threatens His rule. Because He is sovereign, He is never reacting. He is always reigning. 

Scripture reminds us that all things are from Him, through Him, and to Him (Romans 11:36), and in Him all things hold together (Colossians 1:17). What we see and what we cannot see are equally under His authority. This means our lives are never outside His care.

It also means we are not without responsibility. We live within time, making real choices for which we will give an account (Hebrews 4:13). Yet even within that, God’s sovereignty remains intact. Our obedience does not secure His control; it aligns us with it. This is where trust becomes essential. When I hesitate, it is often because I am trying to calculate outcomes only God can see. But He is not asking me to understand everything; He is asking me to trust Him in all things. And trust always precedes obedience.

When trust takes root, obedience becomes less about striving and more about surrender. I move forward not trying to secure my own outcome, but confident that I am walking within His.

Living in the Tension

As believers, we live in a sacred tension.

God draws near to us in love, yet He reigns in absolute authority. He comforts us while also refining us. This tension is not for us to fix or figure out, but something to embrace. Because when we do, we find deep assurance.

Our sorrow is never outside His sovereignty. Our trials are never without purpose. And our lives are never beyond His reach. So when difficulties come, we have a choice. We can allow them to push us toward doubt, or we can allow them to press us deeper into the truth of who He is: holy, good, and in control. When we choose the latter, something shifts. We stop pursuing comfort and begin pursuing the Comforter. We begin to trust what He allows because we trust who He is. In that place, obedience becomes simpler, not because life is easier, but because our trust is deeper.

We are held steady by the unshakable truth that we are held by an unshakable God. And there is no safer place to be than in His holy, good, and sovereign hands.

Do you believe God exists? What has formed your view of who He is? How does that inform who you are? Where do you turn for Truth? The answers to all of those questions are ultimately shaped by doctrine, the scriptural foundation and basis for why the Church and those within it believe what they believe. Doctrine matters. The very basis for all Church doctrine lies with its view of the Bible.

Doctrine matters because it defines what we believe about God. Those beliefs shape every aspect of our lives—our behavior, our decisions, and our worldviews. Without a clear understanding of our beliefs, we cannot be sure we are truly worshiping the Creator of the universe and not simply an idea of Him which we like best. 

Naturally, the first doctrine we must know and understand is the Doctrine of the Word, the Bible. This is upon which we base everything we know about God.

How do we know God? He has made Himself known through His creation (Romans 1:20-21), His Son (John 1:1-3) and His Word (Jeremiah 15:16; Psalm 119:103; Matthew 4:4). 

The common denominator amongst mature Christ-followers with unshakable faith is this; they love the Word of God and nourish their souls with the Word of Scripture. 

Why should we consume, trust and obey God’s Word? We should do these things because God’s Word is inspired, inerrant, and instructive

God’s Word is Inspired

“Inspiration” of Scripture refers to the process by which the Holy Spirit used human authors to pen the books of the Bible to communicate exactly what God intended to communicate. Inspiration is the very aspect Paul is referring to when he says in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 that Scripture is “God-breathed.” It can be said that the Bible was written by “divine inspiration,” while still making room for the fingerprints of human personality throughout the writing. 

Jesus Himself affirmed the Old Testament was the Word of God. But what about the New Testament? The inspiration of God’s Word has been affirmed over centuries, beginning with the early church recognizing which writings were truly inspired by God, taking into account the following:

• Apostolic authority: Was it written by an apostle, someone who had been chosen by Christ? Christ gave apostles authority to teach and carry forward the message of the gospel. 
• Eyewitness credibility: Was the author giving an eyewitness account?
• Doctrinal consistency: Does the book line up with the doctrines of the rest of the books? 
• Widespread acceptance: Was the church as a whole accepting of this book?

Because the Bible is inspired, it carries authority over and above every other voice, culture, law, institution or personal opinion. God protects His Word, which then leads to the second reason you consume and you obey, and you trust it—because it's inerrant. 

God’s Word is Inerrant

What does that mean when we say it's inerrant? “Inerrancy” effectively means that the words in the Bible are true and without error. Another word to describe inerrancy would be “infallible.” If the Bible is, in fact, divinely inspired, that means it has come directly from God Himself. Knowing that it is “impossible for God to lie” (Hebrews 6:18), we must acknowledge that anything produced by God is truthful. Therefore, the Bible is, indeed, inerrant or free from errors. Unlike any other piece of historical literature, the Bible is true and trustworthy. 

“The inerrancy of Scripture means that Scripture in the original manuscripts never affirms anything that is contrary to fact.”

—Wayne Grudem

The Word of God can be inerrant and still speak in ordinary language. The Bible says the sun rises because every human understands exactly what that means, despite its seeming contradiction of scientific fact that the Earth actually turns and revolves around the sun. The Bible can use loose quotations or paraphrases. The authors never intended to get it word for word. They didn't have to in the grammatical style of their world. The Bible also can use strange grammar. There are times when it's hard to understand, but that doesn't mean that the message is not accurate. 

That’s a beautiful picture of how God understands and communicates with His creation. If His Word is inspired and it is inerrant, you need to consume, trust and obey it, because it's also instructive. 

God’s Word is Instructive

The Bible was not intended for you to just memorize so you can win a trivia game. The Bible is intended to teach you. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says,

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

Notice the four words for which God’s Word is profitable: for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness. What's the goal of these? That the man or woman of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. God’s Word is a firm foundation upon which to build your life. 

God has works He plans for you to carry out with your life. The first plan is for you to get saved, to come to Christ. And then, once you come to Christ, your life is to be lived for the glory and the honor of God. Your life has purpose. How do you know what to do when you go out and try to live for the Lord? You don't just go with your gut. You don't just hope there will be some divine revelation. You consume Scripture and obey accordingly. That means taking Scripture—ALL Scripture—and using it according to the following blueprint:

• For teaching: God’s Word shows you what is true and how to live (e.g., believe and do this).
• For reproof: Scripture confronts what is wrong (e.g., avoid this or stop this).
• For correction: The Bible puts you back on the right path after you confront what is wrong (e.g., let me show you again how to do this).
• For training in righteousness: Consuming God’s Word builds consistent godly habits (e.g., keep trusting and keep doing).

This is why James 1:22 implores us to not just be hearers, but doers, of the Word.

What does this mean for your daily life?  

If you commit to a high view of Scripture, acknowledging that the Bible is truly inspired, inerrant and instructive, this should affect your daily life. You must spend time in God’s Word in order to allow God to change you. Seek the Lord’s presence and ask Him to teach you, reprove you, correct you, and train you in righteousness. 

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

—Colossians 3:16

It's important to have a high view of Scripture and trust God's Word. There's no better way to deepen your trust in the Word of God than to plant it into your soul and speak it from your lips each day. We've created flashcard tool to help you memorize Scripture related to the inerrancy and importance of God's Word. Simply visit the link and click each card to reveal the Scripture. Click here to get started. Happy memorizing!

Part 1 of our Knowing God Bible Reading Plan invites you to see who God truly is—through His Word and His character. Together, we’ll anchor our lives in the truth that God is unmatched, good, sovereign, and personally knowable. Join us as we grow in knowing Him rightly so we can worship Him fully and live with confident faith. To view or download the Bible Reading Plan, click here.

Have you ever been accused of having your head in the clouds? They might be suggesting that you are daydreaming or out of touch with reality. If you were told that your head was in the clouds in the 1600’s, that would have been a compliment because clouds were considered unreachable and mysterious. Having your head in the clouds often described someone who was a "lofty" thinker or a creative visionary.

The Apostle Paul had a similar statement, but with a different meaning. He said, “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth” (Colossians 3:2). Paul contrasts “earthly thinking” with “heavenly thinking.”

Your Mind is Working Overtime

The one verb we have in this verse is “set your mind.” Paul may have been remembering the words of Jesus when he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man” (Mark 8:33). The mind is the command center that processes information, forms a worldview, and dictates moral choices. Your mind was shaped and given to you by God. It is meant to be used to know Him more intimately and the riches of His majesty and grace. 

Your mind is always taking in and processing information. In fact, you process more information in one day than a person in the 17^th century would have processed in their entire lifetime. Imagine that! How important, then, is it to “be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God” (Romans 12:2).

Don’t Waste Your Mind on Worthless Matters

Paul commands us not to set our minds on the things of the earth. So what are the things of the earth? The things of this earth are those things that have no eternal significance or value. Paul was specifically referring to false teachers who were trying to influence the church to follow a bunch of rules that were eternally insignificant. We set our minds on earthly things when we get consumed with worthless matters. Recently, Pastor D.J. Horton had his wife, Laurel, on his podcast. In their discussion on parenting, the theme was to focus less on their kid’s behavior and more on shepherding their hearts. Your child’s behavior does matter, but it is most useful as a window into their soul. If you are focused on managing their behavior without shepherding their heart, you have set your mind on earthly things. 

Similarly, if you are in the workforce and your focus is on career advancement, job title, entitlements, or deadlines, you are focused on earthly matters. These are not necessarily bad things. But they are secondary matters compared to the “things that are above.” So what are those things?

Your Mind is for Kingdom Thoughts

As a Christian, your life is now intertwined with Jesus. The Scripture says you are “rooted and built up in him and established in the faith” (Colossians 2:7). God made you “alive together with him” (Colossians 2:13) and transferred you from “the domain of darkness” to “the kingdom of his beloved Son” (Colossians 1:13). So then Paul makes the conclusion, “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God” (Colossians 3:1). In other words, if Heaven is your eternal home, set your mind on the things that matter in light of Heaven and eternity. 

Warren Weirsbe elaborates, “When we trusted Christ, we moved into a new spiritual position: we are now ‘in Christ’ and ‘out of the world.’ To be sure, we are in the world physically, but not of the world spiritually. Now that we are ‘partakers of the heavenly calling’ (Hebrews 3:1), we are no longer interested in the treasures or pleasures of sin in this world. … The world system functions on the basis of conformity. As long as a person follows the fads and fashions and accepts the values of the world, he or she will ‘get along.’ But the Christian refuses to be ‘conformed to this world’ (Romans 12:2). The believer is a ‘new creation’ (2 Corinthians 5:17) and no longer wants to live the ‘old life’ (1 Peter 4:1-4).”

I encourage you to take a brief inventory of your day. If you are reading this at the end of your day, look back at how you spent your time and what you focused on. If it is morning, think ahead to what you anticipate your day will bring. What is your mind “set” on? What is consuming your thought life? Take a minute and evaluate. Do one or two things rise to the top? Now ask yourself, are these things of eternal significance? Are they being filtered through the lens of Heaven? What would Jesus say about the things occupying your mind? 

May God bless you as you fill your mind with the wonderful riches of the glory of God and His unfailing love for you!

---

1  Steve Lohr, "The Average American Consumes 34 Gigabytes of Content a Day," New York Times, December 9, 2009, https://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/10/technology/10data.html.

2  Warren W. Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: The Complete Old Testament and New Testament (Colorado Springs, CO: David C. Cook, 2007), 288.

Written by Eric Kuykendall

Maybe you have heard recently that Christian persecution is on the rise throughout the world. In fact, some mission organizations report that there are presently more Christians persecuted for their faith than at any time in the last 2,000 years.

But that is not happening in America, right? Indeed, with rare exception, Christians in the United States do not risk death for proclaiming Christ. But a Christian friend told me last week that he lost his job for wearing a t-shirt inspired by Charlie Kirk, a Christian and political activist who was assassinated for his beliefs. Did my friend experience persecution?

What Is Persecution?

The word literally means to be hunted – to be followed or pressed hard after, pursued with hostility and persistence.

The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia defines it as: “The suffering or pressure, mental, moral, or physical, which authorities, individuals, or crowds inflict on others, especially for opinions or beliefs, with a view to their subjection by recantation, silencing, or, as a last resort, execution.”

The Bible makes a startling claim: “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12-13). That’s a hard truth. The Bible implies that every Christian actively practicing their faith will face persecution.

So ask yourself: Am I facing persecution for publicly living for Christ? If not, maybe the better question is, why not?

What Persecution Is, and Isn’t

Let’s make a distinction so there’s no confusion:

• Hardship from our own mistakes isn’t persecution. If you’re fired for being late, that’s on you.
• Hardship from others’ sins isn’t persecution either. A harsh boss, a difficult spouse, or a dent in your car are unfortunate, but not persecution.
• Hardship from life’s circumstances, sickness, weather, broken appliances, are just part of a fallen world.
• Sacrifices for faith, losing sleep for prayer or giving up vacations for mission trips are noble, but not persecution.

Persecution happens when authorities, individuals, or crowds cause hardship because of your beliefs and practices as a follower of Christ.

Truth #1: Jesus Promised Persecution

Read John 15:18-21. Jesus told us plainly: if the world hated Him, it will hate His followers too. Why would the world care if you’re a Christian? 

Think of the Colorado baker who refused to bake a cake celebrating same-sex marriage. There were dozens of other bakers available, why target him? 

Because light exposes darkness. Jesus said in Matthew 5:10, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake.”

Truth #2: Persecution Was the Backdrop of the New Testament

Most New Testament letters were written in a context of persecution.

• Jewish persecution: The apostles were arrested, beaten, and imprisoned for preaching Jesus (Acts 4-5). Stephen became the first martyr (Acts 7).
• Roman persecution: Christians refused to worship the emperor or engage in pagan idolatry, so they were branded as rebels or atheists.

Emperor Nero famously blamed Christians for the Great Fire of Rome, leading to horrific executions, even as he “played his fiddle.”

Truth #3: Persecution Fueled the Growth of the Church

The second-century church father Tertullian said, “The blood of Christians is seed.” The more Christians were persecuted–thrown to lions, burned, chained–the more they multiplied. Why? Because persecution created unity, courage, and authenticity. It inspired nonbelievers who saw their faith and joy in suffering. Christians fleeing persecution planted new churches everywhere they went, and the Gospel spread.

Truth #4: Persecution Is Real Today

Persecution isn’t ancient history. It’s happening right now, and at an alarming rate.

The Top 5 countries for Christian persecution are:

• North Korea
• Somalia
• Yemen
• Libya
• Sudan

Six Modern Trends (according to Open Doors, a Christian ministry that monitors global persecution)

• Violence in Sub-Saharan Africa - Christianity grows fastest here, but so does bloodshed.
• Churches Going Underground - In Afghanistan and China, believers worship in secret.
• Authoritarian Crackdowns - Central Asian governments like Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan suppress Christian gatherings.
• Civil War Instability - Nations like Sudan, Yemen, and Myanmar use chaos as cover for persecution.
• Organized Crime in Latin America - In Mexico, cartels target Christian leaders who promote peace.
• Rising Global Hostility - Laws, censorship, and social pressure increasingly marginalize believers.

Truth #5: Persecution Is Part of the End Times

Revelation describes martyrs under the altar crying out for justice (Revelation 6:9-11). It also reveals the Beast making war on the saints (Revelation 13). Evil may oppress the body, but it cannot conquer faith.

So What Should We Do?

If you see no evidence of persecution in your life, maybe it’s time to turn up the spiritual volume…

• Wear your faith publicly. Maybe start with clothing or a coffee mug. 
• Share the gospel boldly. We need to explain the good news to people. Romans 10:17 says, “faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” The world needs to hear the truth. 
• Step into hard cultural conversations with truth and love. Most of us don’t love confrontation and avoid it like the plague! But make sure you balance truth with love. 

“All who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” - 2 Timothy 3:12
Don’t shrink from that truth. Stand in it.