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When the Bible Doesn't Make Sense? Here's What Actually Works

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Ever open your Bible with the best intentions and still hit something that just… doesn't make sense? You're not behind, and you're not alone. In this Midweek Motivation, Jess walks through what to actually do when Scripture leaves you confused — and why pushing through that moment is some of the most worthwhile work you'll ever do.

Discover:

  • Why confusion in the Bible is often a sign of growth, not a reason to quit
  • How to pray for wisdom and understanding before you dig in
  • Simple tools for going deeper into context, culture, and language
  • Why community and honest conversation unlock passages you can't crack alone
  • What Matthew 7:7 teaches about being persistent — ask, seek, knock
  • How trusting God's character carries you through what you can't yet understand

Reflection:
God's Word is alive, and it's meant to change you — but transformation rarely happens in one sitting. Sometimes the passage that stops you cold today becomes crystal clear two years down the road, after a little more obedience, persistence, and life. The hurdle isn't the end of the road. It's often the doorway to something God wants to teach you.

Key Takeaways:

  • Confusion is worth working through because the Word is worth it
  • Start with prayer — ask God for wisdom and understanding
  • Use good tools (a solid study Bible, Bible Hub, multiple translations) to understand context
  • Bring your questions to people a step ahead of you, and be that person for others
  • Stay persistent; clarity is often built, not handed over in one shot
  • When understanding runs out, trust the character of the God who loves you

Question for you to think about:
What's one passage that's confused you lately — and which step could you take this week to lean in instead of skip past it?


If this encouraged you, subscribe so you never miss an episode, drop a comment with the passage you're wrestling with, and share this with a friend who could use it. And if you're local, come visit us at a Westside service this weekend.


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SPEAKER_00

Hey guys, welcome to this week's Midweek Motivation. My name is Jess, and uh today we are going to be talking about or answering uh the question what happens when you dive into the Bible and you run into some confusion.

SPEAKER_01

Welcome to the Midweek Motivation Podcast, where we bring practical help for your faith in life. Here's today's episode.

SPEAKER_00

If you didn't get a chance to catch this weekend's message, Caleb did an excellent job about uh talking through how to actually read the Bible. But if I'm real, I'm gonna admit that even diving into the Bible with real intention, um, I still run into things that are really confusing. And that's uh something that's happened my whole life and it through growing in faith. And so we're gonna talk about that today, but first I really want to hit the why. Why is it important to get over or get through what feels like such a hurdle when diving into the Bible? And um, the why really is that it's worth it. Um I think that if we lean into and recognize what the Bible claims to be, God's word and God's truth, then um diving into that and being instructed by it and being changed by it is worth the work. It's worth the effort that we need to put into to actually reading it and to working through some of the hurdles. So um in Hebrews 4, 12, it says, um, for the word of God is alive and it's powerful. It's sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable. That's that packs a big punch right there, right? Um, I think when we dive into the Bible and we're looking for for God's transformation, we're looking for him to really form us and to grow us up spiritually, um uh we are promised that he will, right? In in the deepest possible way. And so diving into the word is worth it. Getting through some of the hurdles is definitely worth it. Romans 12, too, says, don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. And we see these promises from God's word. And if those things are the truth, if we know that we can expect those things, then getting through any kind of a confusion or any kind of what might feel like a roadblock in the moment, um, but might actually just be a time of teaching or renewal is worth the effort. It's worth the work. So knowing that it's worth it, what do we do when we run into those kinds of situations? Um, first and foremost, I have learned to pray for wisdom and understanding. Um sometimes diving into the word introduces something new to us that maybe we've never experienced before. And sometimes it's uh it's a brand new idea that we really have to dive into to understand because it's from God. It's it's not in or of humanity or us. Maybe we have grown up in a different environment and God is is um working to introduce us to something different. And so we've got to be willing to go through the process of transformation and the process of new learning in that um experience. Sometimes it challenges me personally to or exposes me in something that um that I'm sold on. And God's like, that's not the way that I designed it. That's not the way that I want you to go. And sometimes it's really hard to let go of that thing and to repent from it and to turn uh and move in a different direction. And I think that we see that again in Hebrews 4.12. Um, God's word, it cuts between bone and marrow. And so um, sometimes that can be the resistance that we're sensing when we're reading. So pray for wisdom and pray for understanding. Pray for God's um guidance in that process, and we know that He's gonna give it to us for sure. Uh the next thing, dive deeper. If you're running into a situation where you're confused about what it is that you're reading, it could be that that you just need a deeper understanding in context. It could be that you you need more clarity in what it was that God was originally sharing with the people that he was talking to so that you can gather what it is that he's trying to tell you in the moment and what it is that he wants you to apply in the moment. Um, sometimes it's understanding the culture of the time, sometimes it's um understanding uh a different language. Um, there's a lot of different tools that we can use that really help us to dive deeper into that. And so the work is finding those tools and using them purposefully, making time to set side a time, uh, set time aside to really diving into that. Um, some great tools are a Bible hub. Um, a an awesome study Bible is really, really great for those types of things. But to be really purposeful and intentional about diving deeper to understand what it is that you're you're reading is worth the work. So then, okay, you've done the work, you've prayed, you've asked God for wisdom, you've um you've reached, you know, done research and dove into context and trying to understand it maybe language, you've maybe used different translations of the Bible to try and understand. The next thing that I'd suggest is to talk about it. And so um we see over and over again in the Bible and just in our culture that we learn things from other people. And so um you go to school to learn how to do math. Um, you go to uh you use coaches to to help to further you in whatever endeavor it is that you're you're trying to um to grow in. You um go into YouTube to see if you can find how-to videos. You know what I mean? Like like being taught and being in an environment of apprenticeship is very valuable in our culture. And we see that over and over again in the Bible as an example of how to learn as well. And so community is so important when it comes to diving into the Bible. I absolutely love diving into the Bible and wrestling with something that I'm I'm reading and going to people that I know who are a little bit ahead of me and bouncing those ideas and what I've read off of them to get their feedback. I absolutely love getting together with a friend on a back porch with a cup of coffee and mulling over the concepts that I'm learning in the Word of God. There's so much value in talking about what it is that you're learning, both in that you get to get feedback from other people, but you also get to be that for other people. As you're learning, you get to help to um to pull other people along with you. So talk about it for sure is a great way to um dive into the Bible and get through some of those confusions and some of those hurdles that you might run into. The next thing that I would suggest is to be persistent, have faith that God is going to be bring clarity. Matthew 7, 7 says, ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock, and the door will be opened. He gives three different examples of how to pursue, right? And what persistence looks like. Ask, seek, knock. The truth is that you know, understanding and wisdom doesn't always come in just one shot. Sometimes it's built, sometimes you have to chase after it and run after it. So be persistent. And I think we see that in the rhythm and the obedience of of being in the Bible on a regular basis. If you're persistent in all of these things, then you're gonna see clarity and God is gonna um He's gonna answer that door for you. He's gonna, He's gonna give you what it is that you seek. And then finally, trust God. I I think that one of the things that I find the most comfort in is knowing who God is and understanding his character. And the truth is sometimes there are things that are outside of my understanding. Sometimes I'll read the Bible and be completely confused about what I'm reading, and then two years later, after a little bit of obedience and persistence and and time in the Bible and a little bit more life, I'll go back and I'll read that same pass passage and not understand why I was confused at all. So um, trust God in the process. John 3.16 um reminds us that God loved us so much that he sent Jesus to die on the cross for us. That's the love that God has for you. So if you have a deep understanding of the sacrifice that God made to connect with you and to create space and an opportunity for redemption and engagement, and you know that he wants the best for you and he um wants to draw you in, then trust the process. Trust him, trust his character, and um and just keep on plugging along. All right. I hope this was an encouragement to you, and um good luck in praying for you as you dive into the Bible.

SPEAKER_01

We hope you enjoyed this episode of Midweek Motivation. To make sure you don't miss any content in the future, please subscribe, share, and if you enjoyed this, give us a like and consider popping by a Westside service some weekend. You can find out more at Westside Community Church.com.