Bible Gateway Blog

Why is there an epic love poem in the middle of the Bible? How does the Song of Songs use marriage and romantic love as a metaphor for the intimacy Jesus longs to have with each person?

Bible Gateway interviewed Dee Brestin (@deebrestin) about her book, He Calls You Beautiful: Hearing the Voice of Jesus in the Song of Songs (Multnomah Books, 2017).

What’s the story behind the title of this book?

Dee Brestin: Women in a Milwaukee prison had just completed one of my Bible studies, and now I planned to introduce them to the Song of Songs. But as I was driving, I thought: What am I doing presenting such a challenging book to babes in Christ? They’ll go back to their cells and read this passionate love story and think: “What? What in the world could this have to do with Jesus?”

Yet I’ve also learned that my first leading is often right, and so I plunged ahead.

“There’s a Cinderella love story in the heart of the Bible that can help you see how deeply Jesus loves you,” I said. “There’s a great shepherd/king who falls in love with a common peasant woman. But she’s uncomfortable under his gaze, feeling unworthy. She protests: ‘Don’t gaze at me, because I am dark…’ (Song of Songs 1:6).”

They nodded. These women knew what it was like to feel unworthy. Many had never known earthly love, and then their failures and their prison sentences made them so ashamed. Even after they come to believe the gospel, they had trouble holding on to the truth that they’re loved and beautiful in his eyes.

“But the king doesn’t see her that way. Instead he tells her: ‘Behold, you are beautiful my love.’” (Song of Songs 1:15)

A woman near me gasped and then began to cry. Not wanting to draw attention to her, I kept teaching.

“This is the gospel in the Song of Songs: we’re unworthy, but Jesus, our great ‘shepherd/king’ cleanses us and makes us beautiful. In the Song, he keeps telling her how beautiful she is.” (Song of Songs 1:8; 1:15; 2:13, 4:1, and on).

Now the woman was sobbing so hard I finally stopped and asked: “Julia, do you want to share why you’re crying?”

“I do!” She took a moment to compose herself and then said: “All of my life I wanted someone to tell me I was loved and beautiful, but it didn’t happen. When I got old enough, I turned to men—and I’d do anything they wanted if they’d just tell me I was beautiful.”

She stopped and covered her face, and then said softly. “That’s how I wound up in here. I did things of which I’m so ashamed…. But then, through this ministry, Jesus found me. This morning I told him, ‘Lord, you’re so beautiful.’ And I thought I heard him say, ‘Julia—you are beautiful.’ I could hardly believe it—so I stopped and pleaded, ‘Say it again!’ But there was only silence.”

She looked at me, eyes shining with tears. “But tonight you come in here, open your Bible, and tell me he keeps saying, ‘You are beautiful.’ He said it again!”

A holy awe filled the room for God had met us all. It was then I knew the title of the book had to be, “He Calls You Beautiful.”

How do the themes of desire and longing relate to the heart of Christian believers?

Dee Brestin: So often we try to make his gifts fill up the longings of our heart, when what we’re really needing is him! So many who’ve tested this study speak of experiencing his presence in a way they haven’t before.

Why do you think Christians may be reluctant to study Song of Songs in-depth?

Dee Brestin: If you think it’s just about marriage, and you’re single, it seem irrelevant.

If you’re told it’s also about Christ and his bride, the extreme passion and earthiness of the book may make you react negatively, feeling that approach isn’t holy—even blasphemous. And yet—every other book in the Bible is about God and his people—so why would there be an exception? Commentator Derek Kidner writes: “It’s a bold and creative stroke by which God, instead of banning sexual imagery from religion, rescues and raises it to portray the ardent love and fidelity which are the essence of his covenant.”

Our world has trashed the marriage bed, but God says it’s pure (Hebrews 13:4). He uses many metaphors to show Christianity is a relationship, and they build in intimacy from Shepherd to Friend to Brother to Father. But the most intimate of all is a Bridegroom. Indeed, the Song shows us what Isaiah 62:5 tells us: that the Lord will rejoice over us “as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride.”

How does our hyper-sexualized culture lead Christians to misinterpret Song of Songs?

Dee Brestin: Errors of interpretation come through polarizing the Song to being only about marriage and sex or only about Jesus and his bride.

Up until the early 1700s, the most preached on book in the Old Testament was the Song of Songs—but they focused only on Christ and his Bride. They spiritualized everything, even saying that her two breasts represented the Old and New Testaments.

Today we often have a more serious myopia. If you hear the Song of Songs preached on at all, it’s usually almost exclusively from the perspective of marriage and the marriage bed—and Christ and his bride are lost. Some have even turned it into soft porn; sexualizing everything.

But there’s a fresh wind blowing that holds both pictures together. It sees marriage and the marriage bed, but also sees how this picture sheds light on the mysterious union of Christ and his bride, as Ephesians 5:32 says marriage does. As Dr. E. F. Davis explains in The Westminister Commentary, “Holding both pictures together enhances each.”

How Should Song of Songs be read differently than other books in the Bible?

Dee Brestin: The genre is poetry, and poetry is double-layered—so be sure to see both layers. And metaphors should not be pressed too hard—for example, though God “covers us with his feathers” (Psalm 91:4), he is not a mother bird. And though Christ rejoices over us like a bridegroom, (Song of Songs), he is not an actual physical lover.

Describe a few of the poetic pictures presented in the book and explain their purpose.

Dee Brestin: There are so many that penetrate our hearts with his love. The Song begins with “Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth” (Song of Songs 1:2). As Mike Reeves explains, the Song is not an allegory where an image represents just one thing, but rather alludes to many things. A kiss from the king could be a verse from Scripture that becomes radioactive; an answer to prayer; the sense of his enveloping presence; or any other way he comes near to you and touches you.

One of my favorites poetic pictures is when the bride compares her beloved to a young stag leaping over the mountains. (Song of Songs 2:8). St John of the Cross said: “It is noteworthy that in the Song of Songs the bride compares the Bridegroom to the stag…She makes this comparison…because of the swiftness with which he shows and then hides himself. He usually visits devout souls in order to gladden and liven them, and then leaves in order to try, humble, and teach them.”

What are the three stages of love in the Song?

Dee Brestin: In both marriage and our relationship with Jesus we tend to go through:

First Love: that euphoric courtship and honeymoon time (Song of Songs 1–2:13; Jeremiah 2:2; Revelation 2:4)
Wilderness Love: a time of doubt toward our bridegroom, when we back up from him (see many segments in Song of Songs 2:14-5:9; Jeremiah 2:5 and 2:13; Hosea 2:13; Hebrews 3:7-15)
Invincible Love: when you become confident, that no matter what, his love is here to stay (Song of Songs 5:10-8:14; Job 13:15; Psalm 18)

The Song shows us the purpose of the wilderness and how to get out of it. By the close of the Song, we read: “Who is that coming up from the wilderness, leaning on her beloved?” (Song of Songs 8:5).

What are your thoughts about Bible Gateway and the Bible Gateway App?

Dee Brestin: I use it all the time, loving the various translations and commentaries. And you keep up-to-date with your App. Thank you so much for your wonderful resource.

Bio: Dee Brestin is the bestselling author of numerous books including The Friendships of Women, which has sold more than a million copies. She’s involved in prison ministries and maintains a weekly Bible study blog through her website: deebrestin.com. A popular speaker around the country, Dee has five grown children and more than a dozen grandchildren. She lives in Door County, Wisconsin.

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What theological issues drove Martin Luther to post his 95 Theses? How can looking at the Reformation from a Catholic perspective be helpful? What is the biblical defense of Catholic doctrine?

Bible Gateway interviewed Matthew Levering about his book, Was the Reformation a Mistake?: Why Catholic Doctrine is Not Unbiblical (Zondervan, 2017).

[Read the Bible Gateway Blog post, CNN: A Catholic Reads the Bible]

See the special resource: 7 Ways to Capture the Reformation Spirit at Bible Gateway

Despite the title, you write that you don’t call the Reformation “a mistake.” Please explain.

Matthew Levering: The title was a given—it was part of the book project from the outset. In my introduction, I explain that I don’t consider the Reformation a “mistake” for two reasons.

First, the Catholic church of the 14th and 15th centuries was desperately corrupt. This does not mean that there was no flourishing Catholic faith or flourishing Catholic communities. On the contrary, as Eamon Duffy, Augustine Thompson, and a number of others have shown, there were indeed many flourishing Catholic areas. But the level of corruption in Rome in the 14th and 15th centuries was high, reflecting a corrupt social situation (this despite the successes of the Renaissance). There were also theological exaggerations and serious pastoral problems that needed to be addressed. The dominant theology in many universities around Europe also was not healthy, biblically or otherwise (consider Biel’s Pelagianism, just to give one example). The Catholic church was still reeling from the Avignon papacy, the great Schism, the tumultuous and at times clearly wicked events surrounding the Council of Constance, and the massive social change caused in part by all the wars and plagues, and also brought about by new technological and historiographical advances. The Catholic church had to address all of this, and so some kind of Reformation was needed. My view is therefore that the Reformation cannot be justly labeled a mistake even though I think that the Reformers did make mistakes.

Second, if the Reformation were to be simply labeled a mistake, then this would entail dismissing Protestant Christianity simply as a “mistake.” I think that would be wrong. Among the many great elements of Protestant Christianity, I admire the Reformers’ theocentrism, Christocentrism, focus on Scripture, focus on grace, and many further elements. I think it would be absurd and deeply wrong to imply that these central elements of the Reformation can or should be summed up under the label “mistake.”

What are the nine issues that divide Catholics and Protestants you address in the book and why do you focus on these particular issues?

Matthew Levering: The book is connected with the 500th anniversary of Luther’s 95 theses and the outset of the Reformation. I tried to identify key concerns that Luther raises in his early writings, that are still generally found to be church-dividing today; that is to say, concerns that generally still divide ecumenically minded Catholics and Protestants from full unity with each other. The list of issues that I came up with are the nature of Scripture, Mary, the Eucharist, the seven sacraments, monasticism, justification and merit, purgatory, saints, and the papacy.

What is your goal in presenting biblical reflections for each of the nine issues?

Matthew Levering: The premise of the book is the centrality of Scripture. In my introduction, I argue that there are various biblically warranted modes of biblical reasoning about the realities of divine revelation. My goal in the introduction is to sketch briefly what biblical examples might help us to discern how we should arrive at what counts as sufficient biblical evidence for doctrinal judgments. In the nine chapters (in each of which I engage one disputed issue), I very briefly undertake to exemplify such biblically warranted biblical reasoning about the disputed issues.

What do you mean when you write, “Although I differ from the Reformers with respect to the biblical grounding of the Catholic doctrines they disputed, they were right in seeking reform”?

Matthew Levering: On the nine issues, I believe that the biblical grounding of the Catholic doctrines can be defended in a manner that, while falling short of proof, suffices for biblical faith. In my book, I do not have space to discuss the ways in which Catholic theology and pastoral practice were deficient in the Reformers’ day. The Second Vatican Council tried to make clear what some of those ways were, as recent popes have also done. There’s no question that reform was needed, and indeed the Council of Trent sought extensive pastoral reform and sought to deepen and re-focus Catholic theology.

From a Catholic perspective, how does the Reformers’ view of sola scriptura contrast with the Catholic church’s view of Scripture and its interpretation?

Matthew Levering: It depends on how sola scriptura is defined. So long as it’s assumed that sacred Scripture must be handed on and interpreted in the community of believers, then there’s a good bit of room for various positions. In sum, this question would require a lengthier answer that’s not possible here. I think that the authority of Scripture must be accepted by Catholics and Protestants, and that if our doctrinal judgments are not measured by Scripture, then we’ll be found lacking, since Scripture communicates divine revelation to us.

What do you hope is the biggest take-away for readers of your book?

Matthew Levering: This book is an entire failure if it doesn’t draw Catholics and Protestants closer to each other and closer to divine revelation as set forth in Scripture. If the book simply caused further hurt feelings and doctrinal condemnation on both sides, then it would be a failure. The goal is to show that Catholic doctrine is not unbiblical, and this is very important not only ecumenically but also for Catholics ourselves, since Catholics in our day must above all seek the obedience of faith to the life-giving Word of God.

What is a favorite Bible passage of yours and why?

Matthew Levering: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Gen 1:1) This is such a reassuring thing. The world is in God’s hands; it is his world. We sinners have messed things up and the amount of human division and cruelty is so terrible, but fortunately God is God. Admittedly, I cannot read this passage without also having in mind John 1 and, indeed, the entirety of Scripture.

What are your thoughts about Bible Gateway and the Bible Gateway App?

Matthew Levering: I think that these instruments are wonderful for increasing biblical knowledge.

Is there anything else you’d like to say?

Matthew Levering: I would like to thank Kevin Vanhoozer for his Response, which appears at the end of Was the Reformation a Mistake? and spells out disagreements in an eloquent, friendly, and incisive manner.

Bio: Matthew Levering (PhD, Boston College) is Perry Family Foundation Professor of Theology at Mundelein Seminary, University of Saint Mary of the Lake, in Mundelein, Illinois. He previously taught at the University of Dayton. Levering is the author of numerous books, including Engaging the Doctrine of Creation, Engaging the Doctrine of the Holy Spirit, Engaging the Doctrine of Revelation, Proofs of God, The Theology of Augustine, and Dying and the Virtues, and is the coauthor of Holy People, Holy Land. He serves as coeditor of the journals Nova et Vetera and the International Journal of Systematic Theology and has served as Chair of the Board of the Academy of Catholic Theology since 2007.

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How would David describe the giant from his own young perspective? A new storybook Bible from Lifetree/Group Publishing provides an illustrated collection of firsthand stories.

The Friends With God Story Bible: Why God Loves People Like Me (Group Publishing, 2017) offers 54 Bible stories from the Old and New Testaments told in first-person narratives. Each story highlights the emotions, truths, and examples of how each character’s friendship with God changed everything.

[Sign up for free email devotionals from Bible Gateway that are specifically for parents and their children]

According to the Bible’s creators, kids and their parents will get a firsthand view of the many ways God chooses to work through people, and together they’ll discover that faith is really all about a one-on-one relationship with him.

Written by Jeff White and illustrated by David Harrington, the Friends With God Story Bible takes kids through the Bible using spectacular images and stories that bring the characters to life. The stories conclude with the Bible characters sharing an important truth from their lives and inviting readers to live that message out in their own lives.

As an enhanced feature of the Bible stories, augmented reality digital triggers provide access to the free Friends With God Bible App. Mobile games unlock different levels of collectible Bible character cards. Each of the virtual cards provides fun facts about the character as well as an opportunity for children to create cards of themselves.

Releasing alongside the Friends With God Story Bible is the companion Friends With God Devotions For Kids: 54 Delightfully Fun Ways to Grow Closer to Jesus, Family, and Friends (Group Publishing, 2017). This devotion book follows the same 54 stories contained in the Bible, providing faith-building devotions that give kids a fresh, compelling look at God. The devotion book also includes kid-sized nuggets of relational advice that help kids build lasting relationships with others.

Author
Jeff White is a lead content developer for Group Publishing, where he’s written or co-written 15 books for church ministry and faith development. He has a passion for helping people grow their creativity, and leads creativity workshops at ministry conferences around the country. A graduate of Biola University, Jeff has also published several books for young readers, including The Runaway Candy Cane.

Illustrator
David Harrington’s love for art began at an early age when he drew on everything, which eventually lead to a career in illustration. He graduated from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in fine arts with honors. David has illustrated numerous children’s books and enjoys snowboarding, surfing, and spending time with his wife and children in Laguna Hills, California.

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Bible Gateway Adds New Matthew Bible to Its Extensive Online Bible Translation Collection
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One-Half Million US Public School Students Expected to Participate in #BringYourBible to School Oct. 5
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Kentucky Public Schools Allowed to Add Bible Literacy Classes
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Bible Verse on Bench, in Memory of Charlotte County Virginia Teen, Has to be Removed
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Famed ‘Vinegar Bible,’ With Its 300-Year-Old Typo, is Back in Use by New Jersey Church
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Bishop Angaelos Named President of the Bible Society
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Australian Bicyclists Ride 200 KM in One Day to Raise Funds for Indigenous Bible Translation
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Second Temple Period Discoveries at Biblical Hebron
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Death Row Prisoner Graduates In Bible Studies
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Zambia Government Welcomes Kunda Speaking People for Their Initiative to Translate the Bible Into Their Dialect
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A Witch-Themed Store Opens in Lawrence, Kansas to Serve a Growing Pagan Population
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What happens when you take a wide-eyed preacher’s daughter from Texas “across the pond” to the multicultural lawns of Oxford? With winsome honesty, Andrea Lucado relives the year she spent navigating the Thames river, romantic relationships, the university’s atheist society, and a coffee-less Lent—and searched for answers to the universal questions of identity and faith.

Bible Gateway interviewed Andrea Lucado (@andrealucado), the daughter of Max Lucado, about her book, English Lessons: The Crooked Path of Growing Toward Faith (WaterBrook, 2017).

[Browse books by Max Lucado in the Bible Gateway Store]

Tell a little about your upbringing with such a famous father.

Andrea Lucado: I heard a fellow preacher’s kid and author Chrystal Evans Hurst answer this question recently: What was it like being raised a pastor’s kid? I liked her response: Does a fish know it lives in water?

This captures what my upbringing was like with a famous father. I didn’t know, or care, that he was famous. He was just dad. He was around. He didn’t talk about doing TV interviews or speaking in front of thousands of people. He was at all of our games and recitals. It wasn’t until I was older that I realized just how well-known he was.

Your book has been called a memoir of belief and identity. How so?

Andrea Lucado: English Lessons is about a year in my life that I questioned my faith, more than any other year. Questioning your faith will go hand-in-hand with questioning your own identity because when you’re in Christ, he’s your new identity. So if you’re questioning the whole Christianity thing, you will, undoubtedly, question yourself also.

This happened to me during that year. I was living in England going to grad school and for the first time I was surrounded with people who were not like me: non-Christians. It shook me up, out, and everywhere, in the best kind of way.

Why did you include the word “crooked” in the book’s subtitle?

Andrea Lucado: I don’t think our faith journeys are easy, straight, clear pathways. I think they look more like crooked and winding paths with detours where we get lost for a little while before being found again.

My big detour that year in Oxford was doubt. I went through this somewhat intense season of doubting my faith. It didn’t feel like I was on the path to being a better or stronger Christian in any way. Looking back though, I see that in the doubt I was beginning to grasp my faith as my own. There was purpose in it. For this reason, I prefer the crooked path toward faith, rather than striving to live some sort of perfect and polished Christian life.

What was your perspective on the Bible growing up and how did it change during your time in Oxford?

Andrea Lucado: I first read through the Gospels when I was 14 years old. My youth minister had challenged us to do that as a New Year’s resolution. When I finished with John I just kept reading, all the way through the New Testament, stopping before Revelation (because it freaked me out). I loved reading the Bible. I think part of this was because I loved reading, in general, and I think part of it was truly the Holy Spirit giving me this hunger for it.

Of course I haven’t always felt a deep desire to read the Word, and in Oxford I remember Scripture falling a little flat for me. Rather than being interested in reading it, I grew interested in knowing whether or not it was true. How could I trust it? Who wrote which part? What did the apologists say about Scripture? What did the atheists say?

Interestingly, it was Scripture that proved to be my breakthrough in doubt that year. I was at a conference about faith and art and the speaker read from Psalm 137:

How shall we sing the Lord’s song
   in a foreign land?
If I forget you, O Jerusalem,
   let my right hand forget its skill!
Let my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth,
   if I do not remember you,
if I do not set Jerusalem
   above my highest joy! (Psalm 137:4-6, ESV)

Something about these verses struck me. I made a note to look them up when I got home. When I did, I wrote the words on a Post-it® note and stuck it on the wall above my desk. I began to cry. I was a foreigner in a foreign land. I had begun to forget Jerusalem, where I was from and what I believed. And I realized, I didn’t want to forget, and not only that, but that my faith had not left. It was still there. It was small, but it was still there.

What insights would you give millennials and new graduates who are wrestling with their Christian faith?

Andrea Lucado: I think the most important lesson I learned through my time at Oxford was that things are not as black and white as we think they are. The hard and fast rules we make for ourselves don’t usually make sense as we begin to make our way through adulthood. We make mistakes, others let us down, we experience doubt, we get a glimpse into how other people live—all of these things will change your perspective on the world, on faith, and on others.

I think keeping a posture of humble, open-handedness is crucial. Keep your hands open to possibly being wrong about something. Keep your hands open to other perspectives. Keep your hand open to who God is. The older I get the bigger he gets. Like what Lucy says to Aslan at the end of Prince Caspian:

“Aslan,” said Lucy, “you’re bigger.”
“That is because you are older, little one,” answered he.
“Not because you are?”
“I am not. But every year you grow, you will find me bigger.”

What are your thoughts about Bible Gateway and the Bible Gateway App?

Andrea Lucado: I use BibleGateway.com almost daily. I do a lot of devotional writing and Bible study writing for my job and I love that you make free commentaries available. When I’m doing this type of writing I typically like to compare how a passage is written in different versions of the Bible. On my desk I’ll have a couple of different Bibles open, and then on my computer I’ll have Bible Gateway open where I can look up any version. I love how easy Bible Gateway makes it to study the Bible for those of us who don’t have seminary degrees.

Bio: Andrea Lucado is a freelance writer based in Austin, Texas. The daughter of bestselling author and pastor Max Lucado, she inherited an obsession with words and their arrangement. She’s the author of English Lessons: The Crooked Path of Growing Toward Faith blogs regularly at AndreaLucado.com. She has a masters degree in English literature from Oxford-Brookes University and contributes regularly to online and print publications such as Relevant magazine and She Reads Truth. When she is not conducting interviews or writing stories, you can find her laughing with friends at a coffee shop or running in the Texas hill country.

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How have we let our fears get the better of us? What’s the difference between fear and anxiety? What does it mean to be anxious for nothing?

In this Q&A, Max Lucado (@MaxLucado) talks about his book, Anxious for Nothing: Finding Calm in a Chaotic World (Thomas Nelson, 2017).

[Browse books by Max Lucado in the Bible Gateway Store]

[Read the Bible Gateway Blog post, Because of Bethlehem: An Interview with Max Lucado]

How common is anxiety in American society?

Max Lucado: Anxiety disorders in the United States are the number one mental health problem among women and are second only to alcohol and drug abuse among men. Some say the United States is now the most anxious nation in the world. The land of the Stars and Stripes has become the country of stress and strife. This is a costly achievement. Stress-related ailments cost the nation $300 billion every year in medical bills and lost productivity, while our usage of sedative drugs keeps skyrocketing; just between 1997 and 2004, Americans more than doubled their spending on anti-anxiety medications like Xanax and Valium, from $900 million to $2.1 billion. The Journal of the American Medical Association cited a study that indicates an exponential increase in depression. People of each generation in the twentieth century “were three times more likely to experience depression” than people of the preceding generation.

What drives our anxiety?

Max Lucado: Change, for one thing. Researchers speculate that the Western world’s “environment and social order have changed more in the last 30 years than they have in the previous 300.” Think what has changed. Technology. The existence of the Internet. Increased warnings about global warming, nuclear war, and terrorist attacks. Changes and new threats are imported into our lives every few seconds thanks to smartphones, TVs, and computer screens. In our grandparents’ generation news of an earthquake in Nepal would reach around the world some days later. In our parents’ day the nightly news communicated the catastrophe. Now it’s a matter of minutes. We’ve barely processed one crisis, and then we hear of another.

In addition, we move faster than ever before. Our ancestors traveled as far as a horse or camel could take them during daylight. But us? We jet through time zones as if they were neighborhood streets. Our great-grandparents had to turn down the brain sensors when the sun set. But us? We turn on the cable news, open the laptop, or tune in to the latest survival show.

What’s the difference between anxiety and fear?

Max Lucado: Anxiety and fear are cousins but not twins. Fear sees a threat. Anxiety imagines one.

Fear screams Get out! Anxiety ponders What if? Fear results in fight or flight. Anxiety creates doom and gloom. Fear is the pulse that pounds when you see a coiled rattlesnake in your front yard. Anxiety is the voice that tells you, Never, ever, for the rest of your life, walk barefooted through the grass. There might be a snake…somewhere.

In Philippians 4:6, the apostle Paul wrote “be anxious for nothing.” Isn’t that kind of extreme?

Max Lucado: Right! “Be anxious for less” would have been a sufficient challenge. Or “Be anxious only on Thursdays.” Or “Be anxious only in seasons of severe affliction.” But Paul doesn’t seem to offer any leeway here. Be anxious for nothing. Nada. Zilch. Zero. Is this what he meant? Not exactly. He wrote the phrase in the present active tense, which implies an ongoing state. It’s the life of perpetual anxiety that Paul wanted to address. The Lucado Revised Translation reads, “Don’t let anything in life leave you perpetually breathless and in angst.”

The presence of anxiety is unavoidable, but the prison of anxiety is optional. Anxiety is not a sin; it’s an emotion. (So don’t be anxious about feeling anxious.) Anxiety can, however, lead to sinful behavior. When we numb our fears with six-packs or food binges, when we spew anger like Krakatau, when we peddle our fears to anyone who will buy them, we’re sinning.

Do Christians struggle with the myth that they shouldn’t ever feel worried or experience anxiety?

Max Lucado: Yes! We’ve been taught that the Christian life is a life of peace, and when we don’t have peace, we assume the problem lies within us. Not only do we feel anxious, but we also feel guilty about our anxiety! The result is a downward spiral of worry, guilt, worry, guilt.

You long to be “anxious for nothing.” You long for the fruit of the Spirit. But how do you bear this fruit? Try harder? No, hang tighter. Our assignment is not fruitfulness but faithfulness. The secret to fruit bearing and anxiety-free living is less about doing and more about abiding.

Our aim—our only aim—is to be at home in Christ. He’s not a roadside park or hotel room. He’s our permanent mailing address. Christ is our home. He’s our place of refuge and security. We’re comfortable in his presence, free to be our authentic selves. We know our way around in him. We know his heart and his ways. We rest in him, find our nourishment in him. His roof of grace protects us from storms of guilt. His walls of providence secure us from destructive winds. His fireplace warms us during the lonely winters of life. We linger in the abode of Christ and never leave.

Don’t load yourself down with lists. Don’t enhance your anxiety with the fear of not fulfilling them. Your goal is not to know every detail of the future. Your goal is to hold the hand of the One who does and never, ever let go.

So, what does a life without anxiety look like?

Max Lucado: With God as your helper, you’ll sleep better tonight and smile more tomorrow. You’ll reframe the way you face your fears. You’ll learn how to talk yourself off the ledge, view bad news through the lens of sovereignty, discern the lies of Satan, and tell yourself the truth. You’ll discover a life that’s characterized by calm and will develop tools for facing the onslaughts of anxiety.

It’ll require some work on your part. I certainly don’t mean to leave the impression that anxiety can be waved away with a simple pep talk. In fact, for some, God’s healing will include the help of therapy and/or medication. If that’s the case, do not for a moment think that you’re a second-class citizen of heaven. Ask God to lead you to a qualified counselor or physician who’ll provide the treatment you need. This much is sure: It’s not God’s will that you lead a life of perpetual anxiety. It’s not his will that you face every day with dread and trepidation. He made you for more than a life of breath-stealing angst and mind-splitting worry. He has a new chapter for your life. And he’s ready to write it.

You write that God’s sovereignty gives Christians an inside track to peace. How?

Max Lucado: Sovereignty is the term the Bible uses to describe God’s perfect control and management of the universe. He preserves and governs every element. He’s continually involved with all created things, directing them to act in a way that fulfills his divine purpose. That’s why the most stressed-out people are control freaks. They fail at the quest they most pursue. The more they try to control the world, the more they realize they cannot. Life becomes a cycle of anxiety, failure; anxiety, failure; anxiety, failure. We can’t take control, because control is not ours to take.

The Bible has a better idea. Rather than seeking total control, relinquish it. You can’t run the world, but you can entrust it to God. This is the message behind Paul’s admonition to “rejoice in the Lord.” Peace is within reach, not for lack of problems, but because of the presence of a sovereign Lord. Rather than rehearse the chaos of the world, rejoice in the Lord’s sovereignty, as Paul did. Sovereignty gives the saint the inside track to peace. Others see the problems of the world and wring their hands. We see the problems of the world and bend our knees.

What do you say to those who feel God is far away when life is most stressful?

Max Lucado: The Lord is near! You’re not alone. You may feel alone. You may think you’re alone. But there’s never a moment in which you face life without help. God is near. God repeatedly pledges his proverbial presence to his people. Don’t assume God is watching from a distance. Avoid the quicksand that bears the marker “God has left you!” Don’t indulge this lie. If you do, your problem will be amplified by a sense of loneliness. It’s one thing to face a challenge, but to face it all alone? Isolation creates a downward cycle of fret. Choose instead to be the person who clutches the presence of God with both hands. We can calmly take our concerns to God because he’s as near as our next breath!

How does prayer affect anxiety?

Max Lucado: Peace happens when people pray. “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7 NIV). Casting is an intentional act to relocate an object. Let this “throwing” be your first response to bad news. As you sense anxiety welling up inside you, cast it in the direction of Christ. Do so specifically and immediately. Find a promise of God that fits your problem, and build your prayer around it. These prayers of faith touch the heart of God and activate the angels of heaven. Miracles are set into motion. Your answer may not come overnight, but it will come. And you will overcome.

Can gratitude calm frayed nerves?

Max Lucado: Gratitude is a mindful awareness of the benefits of life. It’s the greatest of virtues. Studies have linked the emotion with a variety of positive effects. Grateful people tend to be more empathetic and forgiving of others. People who keep a gratitude journal are more likely to have a positive outlook on life. Grateful individuals demonstrate less envy, materialism, and self-centeredness. Gratitude improves self-esteem and enhances relationships, quality of sleep, and longevity. If it came in pill form, gratitude would be deemed the miracle cure. It’s no wonder, then, that God’s anxiety therapy includes a large, delightful dollop of gratitude. The anxious heart says, “Lord, if only I had this, that, or the other, I’d be okay.” The grateful heart says, “Oh, look! You’ve already given me this, that, and the other. Thank you, God.”

How would you encourage someone who doesn’t know how they’ll survive life’s current storm?

Max Lucado: Paul’s answer to that question is profound and concise. “The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:7). As we do our part (rejoice in the Lord, pursue a gentle spirit, pray about everything, and cling to gratitude), God does his part. He bestows upon us the peace of God. Note, this is not a peace from God. Our Father gives us the very peace of God. He downloads the tranquility of the throne room into our world, resulting in an inexplicable calm. We should be worried, but we aren’t. We should be upset, but we’re comforted. The peace of God transcends all logic, scheming, and efforts to explain it.

How do our thought patterns shape our perspective on life’s difficulties?

Max Lucado: There are many things in life over which you have no choice. But the greatest activity of life is well within your dominion. You can choose what you think about. You can be the air traffic controller of your mental airport. You occupy the control tower and can direct the mental traffic of your world. Thoughts circle above, coming and going. If one of them lands, it’s because you gave it permission. If it leaves, it’s because you directed it to do so. You can select your thought pattern.

For that reason, the wise man urges, “Be careful what you think, because your thoughts run your life” (Prov. 4:23 NCV). Do you want to be happy tomorrow? Then sow seeds of happiness today (count blessings, memorize Bible verses, pray, sing hymns, spend time with encouraging people). Do you want to guarantee tomorrow’s misery? Then wallow in a mental mud pit of self-pity or guilt or anxiety today (assume the worst, beat yourself up, rehearse your regrets, complain to complainers).

Thoughts have consequences. Healing from anxiety requires healthy thinking. Your challenge is not your challenge. Your challenge is the way you think about your challenge. Your problem is not your problem; it’s the way you look at it.

Bio: More than 130 million readers have found inspiration and encouragement in the prolific writings of Max Lucado. Browse his books in the Bible Gateway Store. Max lives with his wife, Denalyn, and their mischievous mutt, Andy, in San Antonio, Texas, where he serves the people of Oak Hills Church.

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We’re saddened to learn that Nabeel Qureshi, an active figure in Christian apologetics, has passed away after battle with cancer. Qureshi, who converted to Christianity from Islam, became a leading voice in Christian apologetics with books like Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus and No God but One: Allah or Jesus? He worked not only to introduce Muslims to the Gospel, but to help Christians better understand and love their Muslim neighbors.

We interviewed Qureshi twice, inviting him to talk about his two books. In those interviews, you’ll see his Qureshi’s approach to apologetics and his passion for evangelism. You can read them here:

For a moving tribute to Qureshi’s life and ministry, see this Washington Post article by Christian apologist Ravi Zacharias.

With Qureshi’s passing, the modern church has lost a powerful voice. We’re grateful for the intellectual rigor he brought to the work of evangelism, and we pray that his example will inspire others to carry on with his mission.

One of the most famous paintings depicting the crucifixion of Jesus Christ is Diego Velázquez’ Christ Crucified:

Diego Velázquez’ Christ Crucified

As you can see, it depicts rough-hewn beams, fashioned together perpendicularly. Nailed to those boards is the man Jesus, blood seeping from both hands and both feet. There’s also the crown of thorns, with blood trailing down Jesus’ neck. Blood trails from a several-inch cut on his upper right chest—the slice from the Roman soldier’s spear.

This nearly five-hundred-year-old painting is typical of the kinds of images that have been used to depict Christ’s death. Yet it doesn’t even begin to capture the reality of what he endured.

What he endured was the most severe form of capital punishment ever devised, one that was usually reserved for the Roman Empire’s most notorious political rebels.

A Punishment Fit for Terrorists

While most retellings of the crucifixion story portray Jesus as enduring a common form of punishment for common criminals, this isn’t entirely true. In reality, this form of punishment was mostly reserved for insurrectionists, enemies of the state, and terrorists. (Think Osama Bin Laden and Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the architects of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.)

This form of execution wasn’t used against just anyone, but was mostly reserved for those who tried to directly challenge Rome’s authority. It was the most horrifying death imaginable. Rome understood this, and they used it to instill the fear of the Empire in their subject people.

Rome would line up cross after cross after cross of crucified terrorists to show their subjects who was boss. In one instance, after the Siege of Jerusalem, it was reported by Jewish historian Josephus that hundreds of captured rebels were crucified—letting everyone know what would happen to those who tried to take on Rome.

We know from the account of Jesus that one such terrorist, Barabbas, was waiting to be crucified: he “had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder” (Luke 23:19). While some have suggested that Jesus was crucified between petty thieves or criminals, the original Greek word used in Matthew and Mark to describe them is lestes—“insurrectionist” or “rebel,” the same word used for Barabbas after he had terrorized the city in rebellion against Rome. In fact, it’s possible Jesus hung in the very spot reserved for Barabbas—the purported leader of these two terrorists. Political insurrection is also the charge the Jewish religious leaders leveled against Jesus before the Roman governor—that he was “subverting our nation” (Luke 23:2), like a terrorist.

This is how Rome treated Jesus: as a rebel, an insurrectionist, a terrorist who threatened the order of the empire. And the punishment they doled out fit the crime.

Cruel and Unusual Punishment

Before a crucifixion, guards would often flog their victims with a device called a flagrum—a wooden handle with several strips of metal-studded leather. Before the main event, guards would flog the convicted terrorists, destroying their backs, ripping out pieces of their scalps, tearing off the sides of their face.

Jesus was flogged. And then he was beaten by soldiers with a staff, clubbed to the side and head and ribs—again and again and again. He was spit upon and mocked for being a supposed “king of the Jews.” The guards shoved a crown of thorns on his head and draped a purple robe around him in mockery. In the eyes of Rome, Jesus was obviously a failed terrorist, for he was succumbing to the might of Rome.

After hours of this pain and suffering, victims were forced to carry their own beam to the site of their crucifixion. Jesus’ beating and flogging left him physically incapable of carrying that burden, so one of the guards pulled a man out of the crowd and forced him to carry it for Jesus.

Once at the site of crucifixion, Jesus would have been laid on the cross naked, stripped bare of his clothes—an important feature of crucifixions missing from most depictions. We know this is true because after the soldiers had crucified Jesus they gambled for his clothes.

Then there were the spikes. Seven-inch-long pieces of sharpened metal that were pounded through each of his wrists and feet—through flesh, tendons, and bones. The posture these instruments created allowed for maximum agony… often for days.

For hours Jesus hung on the cross completely exposed to the crowd and elements—to flies, birds, animals, the sun. His nakedness added to the humiliation, increasing the shame and excruciating experience. Flies buzzed around his wounds. Birds probably tried to scavenge flesh off his body. He wouldn’t have been able to hold his waste. The heat would have been suffocating—baking in 100 degrees without relief, dehydration would have set in.

Imagine the struggle, imagine the pain, imagine the suffering—for over three hours.

For you, for the world.

Death with a Purpose

Christ’s brutal, undignified death at the hands of Rome served a purpose that has rippled through all of history.

As the early church father Cyril of Alexandria commented, “He made his life to be an exchange for the life of all. One died for all, in order that we all might live to God sanctified and brought to life through his blood, justified by his grace.”

Remarkably, the Son of God died for those who had rebelled against him! He wasn’t the rebel or insurrectionist, we were. And at just the right time, the Bible says, Christ died for us ungodly rebels:

Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:7–8).

Because God loved the world so much, he sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to die the death we should have died to pay the price of our sin. Rome didn’t take Jesus’ life—he freely offered it! And the result?

Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation (Colossians 1:21–22).

Because Jesus Christ shed his blood on the cross, drinking the cup of pain and judgment completely dry,we don’t only have peace with God; we’re holy, forgiven, justified, and free of any shame or guilt.

Puts the familiar, sanitized version of the crucifixion in its proper context, doesn’t it?

One of America’s best-loved and most respected pastors, Chuck Swindoll, partners with Tyndale to publish an insightful and practical study Bible

Tyndale House Publishers (@tyndalehouse) will release The Swindoll Study Bible (NLT) (website) in October 2017. The fruit of pastor, teacher, and author Chuck Swindoll’s (@chuckswindoll) more than 50 years in ministry, The Swindoll Study Bible offers the best of Swindoll’s biblical wisdom, wit, charm, and practical insight that gets straight to the heart of the Bible’s transformational message for the world today.

[Hear the Bible Gateway Blog post, Searching the Scriptures: An Interview with Chuck Swindoll]

[Browse the more than 70 books by Charles Swindoll in the Bible Gateway Store]

“This study Bible was designed with the reader in mind,” says Swindoll. “As you read the Scriptures, imagine me sitting beside you and sharing personal stories, important insights, and hard-earned lessons that will encourage you to walk more closely with Jesus Christ.”

A lifelong desire to help people understand and apply God’s Word to their daily lives is the driving force behind The Swindoll Study Bible (NLT). Readers will find it the perfect complement to other study resources from Swindoll and other trusted authors.

“Based on recent conversations with Chuck, I think there are two words that really capture this Bible: relevance and practicality,” says Kevin O’Brien, Tyndale House study Bible and reference brand manager. “That doesn’t mean that it doesn’t have scholarship or depth behind it! We often hear people say, ‘Well, this one is good for personal devotions and that one is good for serious study.’ My response is simple—if your devotions aren’t serious and your study isn’t personal, you’re doing it wrong. The Swindoll Study Bible (NLT) really does help you do both.”

The Swindoll Study Bible (NLT) features include:

The clear, accurate New Living Translation: Chuck says, “When I am in the pulpit, the Bible I use is the New Living Translation. It is really a scholarly work, but it is readable.”
Living Insights include more than 1,600 study notes developed straight out of Chuck’s personal sermon notes.
Application Articles adapted from Chuck’s sermons include compelling stories, illustrations, and specific application points.
Holy Land Tour stops take readers on detailed excursions to significant biblical locations. It’s almost like touring the Holy Land with Chuck and his ministry team.
People Profiles explore illuminating lessons from figures in the biblical story that hit home with modern readers.
Prayer Moments feature heartfelt prayers from Chuck, asking God to help us live out the truths of his Word.
Book Introductions provide enlightening answers for five key questions that orient readers to essential details and themes for each book of the Bible.
Searching the Scriptures summarizes Chuck’s personal approach to Bible study and message preparation. Adapted from Chuck’s book of the same name, this article includes exercises to teach readers to prepare and serve their own nourishing spiritual meals.
Bible-reading plans, indexes, dictionary/concordance, and color maps help readers stay in the Word and better understand its context.

Swindoll says, “’How can I apply Scripture today?’ is a question more than any other that has fed my passion to publish this Bible. My primary focus in ministry has been preaching and teaching biblical insight for living; for genuine life change. After all, that’s why God communicated his Word to us—that we may become like his Son, Jesus Christ, the central figure of this book.”

About Charles Swindoll:
Charles R. Swindoll has devoted his life to the clear, practical teaching and application of God’s Word. Consistently ranked as one of America’s best-loved and most respected pastors, he is highly influential, a 12-time Gold Medallion winner, and a bestselling author and contributor to more than 70 titles. His Insight for Living (@IFL_USA) radio program airs on more than 2,100 outlets around the world and in multiple languages.

Tyndale House Publishers:
Tyndale House Publishers, founded in 1962, is the world’s largest privately held Christian publisher of books, Bibles, and digital media. Tyndale has published many New York Times bestsellers. The largest portion of its profit goes to the nonprofit Tyndale House Foundation, which makes grants to help meet the physical and spiritual needs of people around the world. Tyndale was founded to publish Living Letters, which later comprised part of The Living Bible, a contemporary paraphrase of the Bible that became a global publishing phenomenon. Tyndale now publishes the Holy Bible, New Living Translation (NLT), the translation of choice for millions of people.

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