JAN 10

2 Peter 3:14-18
Memorise 2 Peter 3:16
"But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ..."

As a young Christian, I found it hard to wrap my head around certain doctrines. One particular doctrine that I struggled with was on how we are to reconcile God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility. I am sure that you can probably think of many things in the Bible that you do not fully understand too.

Do not fret, dear teen, if you find that there are certain parts of Scripture which you do not understand, for the Apostle Peter himself also recognised that there were certain parts of Paul’s writings that were “hard to be understood”. This refers to the difficulty which we face in comprehending certain parts of Scripture. Sometimes, the things of God are simply beyond the reach of our weak and finite human minds – we are unable to fully comprehend, while still in our sinful states, the wondrous things of heaven and eternity. Sometimes, the fault also lies with us, in that our hearts are so hardened that we refuse to accept certain things that are taught in the Bible.

The second part of today’s reading also contains a warning to us – “they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction”. There are some, who in order to try to force the teachings of the Bible to fit their man-centred worldviews, would twist the meanings of certain passages and interpret them in a way that they would like to. We are to be wary of such people who would pervert the Word of God, promoting false doctrines and leading others astray. Ultimately, such people will face punishment – but in the meanwhile, many fall victim to their false teachings.

Dear teen, even though you may find certain parts of Scripture difficult to understand, may you not be discouraged and therefore give up studying the Bible entirely. Without a firm grounding in the truths of God’s Word, you would be easily swayed by these false teachers! God has promised the Holy Spirit to all believers, who will “guide you into all truth” (John 16:13). May you rely on Him to help you in your understanding of the Bible, and be a lifelong student of God’s Word.

Thought: In the university of life, the Bible is the textbook and the Holy Spirit is the teacher!
Prayer: Lord, grant me understanding of Your Word.