Bite-sized Bible Nuggets

Instructions need to be broken down into simple bites we can easily digest. 

When my husband purchased a new sewing machine for me, the instruction manual was SO complicated, I couldn't use it.  I have been sewing for 40 years,  but the words were unintelligible.  I had to drive to the place of purchase with my machine and ask for help. 

I like little words in little sentences.  Like most moms, I don't get a lot of sleep and daily lose brain cells.  They seem to fall out of my brain like change out of a  pants pocket with a hole.

Complicated rules are not only hard to understand, they're hard to follow.

Through the years, my husband and I  have been blessed to study the Bible with a godly older man, John.  Scott began studying with him when he was an 18 year old college student, I joined later when we began hosting weekly Bible studies in our home with John taking us through Genesis, Ephesians, John, I John, I Corinthians, and many other books.

John has the ability to bring out the beautiful deep truths of the Scriptures, the typologies of Christ, but break them down into little bite-sized Bible nuggets  His wise, simple thoughts have stayed with me through the years.

Through conversations with him I gleaned these simple rules.  I can still hear his warm voice nurturing my bruised soul with

rule #1

"take it from the Lord."

See, I toldja' it was simple.

Whatever is going on in your life right now, take it from the Lord.  Understand and believe that all things are caused or allowed by Him,  this is not out of His control. 

He is not surprised by your struggles, nor does He rejoice to see your suffer.  He loves you.  He wants to uphold you with His victorious right arm.  He has plans that are not your plans, and ways that are not your ways.

Traumas happen, trials happen, life is hard. We can react wrongly to our circumstances, thinking if only God understood, if only He really knew, He wouldn't have allowed this to come to pass.  He might change His mind if He only understood yours.

Why did my husband lose his job?
Why am I so sick?
Why did I  lose a child?

These are very real  agonies and deserve sympathy, prayers and tears. But,  we cannot face these things with unbelief, we need to trust Him. 

We do not know what the future holds, and we do not know the fruit this trial may produce.  If God told you ahead of time souls would be saved if He could test you for a season, what would you say? 


The Lord causes and allows all things in our lives.

What happens to us is because God planned it for our good, or He allowed it for our testing, which is also for our good. When we accept this, we will stop swimming upstream and allow the healing waters to pull us downstream to a place of maturity.

"take it from the Lord."

It's the only place to start.




(We'll continue tomorrow with rule "leave it with the Lord.")

I'm linking this series with  Spiritual Sundays.  Click your way over for some spiritual encouragement from other faith bloggers.