VERSES DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND

I've found that there's a lot of truth in saying that the Bible is generally easy to understand. Most of it is pretty straightforward, you know? But, yeah, every now and then you stumble across a passage that really makes you scratch your head. Figuring out what those tricky parts mean can be a real challenge.

Thankfully, I'd say 99% of Scripture is clear as a bell. And that's the stuff we really need to focus on living out. The Bible itself talks about how God's word is meant to be understandable, accessible to everyone.

But let's be real, sometimes we run into those verses that feel a bit murky. Even with all the great commentaries and resources we have available today, including stuff online, even theologians will tell you some passages are just tough nuts to crack.

But I believe that with God's help, and by digging a little deeper with the tools available to us, we can gain a better understanding of even those difficult verses. He'll give us the wisdom we need if we seek it.

Jehovah, thou hast heard the desire of the meek:\par\tab Thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear;

He healeth the broken in heart,\par\tab And bindeth up their wounds.

and he shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and death shall be no more; neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain, any more: for the first things are passed away.

{\i The righteous} cried, and Jehovah heard,\par\tab And delivered them out of all their troubles.

Jehovah is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart,\par\tab And saveth such as are of a contrite spirit.

And Jehovah, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.

Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

Thou, who hast showed us many and sore troubles,\par\tab Wilt quicken us again,\par\tab And wilt bring us up again from the depths of the earth.

Increase thou my greatness,\par\tab And turn again and comfort me.

Jehovah is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart,\par\tab And saveth such as are of a contrite spirit.

Rejoice with them that rejoice; weep with them that weep.

For Jehovah hath comforted Zion; he hath comforted all her waste places, and hath made her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of Jehovah; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.\par

casting all your anxiety upon him, because he careth for you.

For his anger is but for a moment;\par\tab His favor is for a life-time:\par\tab Weeping may tarry for the night,\par\tab But joy {\i cometh} in the morning.

{\b For the Chief Musician. {\i A Psalm} of the sons of Korah; set to Alamoth. A Song.}\par\par\tab God is our refuge and strength,\par\tab A very present help in trouble.

This is my comfort in my affliction;\par\tab For thy word hath quickened me.

Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for Jehovah hath comforted his people, and will have compassion upon his afflicted.\par

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,\par\tab I will fear no evil; for thou art with me;\par\tab Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.

Let us therefore draw near with boldness unto the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and may find grace to help {\i us} in time of need.\par

Blessed {\i be} the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort;

who comforteth us in all our affliction, that we may be able to comfort them that are in any affliction, through the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.\par

And in that day thou shalt say, I will give thanks unto thee, O Jehovah; for though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away and thou comfortest me.

These things have I spoken unto you, that in me ye may have peace. In the world ye have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.}\par

Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even so as it hath been spoken unto me.

I called upon thy name, O Jehovah, out of the lowest dungeon.

Thou heardest my voice; hide not thine ear at my breathing, at my cry.

Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee; thou saidst, Fear not.

fear thou not, for I am with thee; be not dismayed, for I am thy God; I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

Turn back, and say to Hezekiah the prince of my people, Thus saith Jehovah, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee; on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of Jehovah.

Hear my prayer, O Jehovah, and give ear unto my cry;\par\tab Hold not thy peace at my tears:\par\tab For I am a stranger with thee,\par\tab A sojourner, as all my fathers were.

{\i It is of} Jehovah's lovingkindnesses that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.

They are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness.

Jehovah openeth {\i the eyes of} the blind;\par\tab Jehovah raiseth up them that are bowed down;\par\tab Jehovah loveth the righteous;

For godly sorrow worketh repentance unto salvation, {\i a repentance} which bringeth no regret: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

And thou shalt be secure, because there is hope;\par\tab Yea, thou shalt search {\i about thee}, and shalt take thy rest in safety.

There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee; I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

My soul, wait thou in silence for God only;\par\tab For my expectation is from him.

In the multitude of my thoughts within me\par\tab Thy comforts delight my soul.

For thou wilt light my lamp:\par\tab Jehovah my God will lighten my darkness.

And I will delight myself in thy commandments,\par\tab Which I have loved.

I will lift up my hands also unto thy commandments, which I have loved;\par\tab And I will meditate on thy statutes.\par

{\b ZAYIN.}\par\par\tab Remember the word unto thy servant,\par\tab Because thou hast made me to hope.

This is my comfort in my affliction;\par\tab For thy word hath quickened me.

rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing stedfastly in prayer;

Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, in the power of the Holy Spirit.\par

In nothing be anxious; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.\par

Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and {\b ye shall find rest unto your souls.}

For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.}\par

For the Lord will not cast off for ever.

For though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his lovingkindnesses.

For he doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men.

{\b For the Chief Musician; on a stringed instrument. {\i A Psalm} of David.}\par\par\tab Hear my cry, O God;\par\tab Attend unto my prayer.

From the end of the earth will I call unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed:\par\tab Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

For thou hast been a refuge for me,\par\tab A strong tower from the enemy.

For we have not a high priest that cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but one that hath been in all points tempted like as {\i we are, yet} without sin.

Let us therefore draw near with boldness unto the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy, and may find grace to help {\i us} in time of need.\par

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be fearful.

When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned, neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

Be ye free from the love of money; content with such things as ye have: for himself hath said, {\b I will in no wise fail thee, neither will I in any wise forsake thee.}

For God gave us not a spirit of fearfulness; but of power and love and discipline.

{\b For the Chief Musician; on a stringed instrument. {\i A Psalm} of David.}\par\par\tab Hear my cry, O God;\par\tab Attend unto my prayer.

From the end of the earth will I call unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed:\par\tab Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

And we know that to them that love God all things work together for good, {\i even} to them that are called according to {\i his} purpose.

My flesh and my heart faileth;\par\tab {\i But} God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever.

{\b A Song of Ascents.}\par\par\tab I will lift up mine eyes unto the mountains:\par\tab From whence shall my help come?

My help {\i cometh} from Jehovah,\par\tab Who made heaven and earth.

Thou wilt keep {\i him} in perfect peace, {\i whose} mind {\i is} stayed {\i on thee}; because he trusteth in thee.

Trust ye in Jehovah for ever; for in Jehovah, {\i even} Jehovah, is an everlasting rock.

Wherefore we faint not; but though our outward man is decaying, yet our inward man is renewed day by day.

For our light affliction, which is for the moment, worketh for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory;

while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.\par

but they that wait for Jehovah shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint.\par

The name of Jehovah is a strong tower;\par\tab The righteous runneth into it, and is safe.

He hath regarded the prayer of the destitute,\par\tab And hath not despised their prayer.

In the day that I called thou answeredst me,\par\tab Thou didst encourage me with strength in my soul.

{\b For the Chief Musician. {\i A Psalm} of the sons of Korah; set to Alamoth. A Song.}\par\par\tab God is our refuge and strength,\par\tab A very present help in trouble.

Therefore will we not fear, though the earth do change,\par\tab And though the mountains be shaken into the heart of the seas

Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled,\par\tab Though the mountains tremble with the swelling thereof. {\i Selah\par

and let us consider one another to provoke unto love and good works;

not forsaking our own assembling together, as the custom of some is, but exhorting {\i one another}; and so much the more, as ye see the day drawing nigh.\par

Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are upon the earth.

Wherefore exhort one another, and build each other up, even as also ye do.\par

Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

Jehovah also will be a high tower for the oppressed,\par\tab A high tower in times of trouble;

For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive,\par\tab And abundant in lovingkindness unto all them that call upon thee.

He giveth power to the faint; and to him that hath no might he increaseth strength.

Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:

but they that wait for Jehovah shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint.\par

Jehovah is nigh unto all them that call upon him,\par\tab To all that call upon him in truth.

He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him;\par\tab He also will hear their cry and will save them.

to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them a garland for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of Jehovah, that he may be glorified.\par

being confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ:

Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

Prayer