Episode 139: The Jim Elliot test

Psalm 91 contains some of the most confident statements of God’s protection to be found anywhere in the Psalter; such words have been a comfort to countless believers through the centuries. But as I’ve suggested repeatedly, I'm concerned about how people treat verses like these as inviolable "promises" from God, even to the point of teaching that faithful Christians shouldn't suffer, or at least suffer too much. Counter to that way of thinking, I propose the “Jim Elliot test”: would someone who drew encouragement from Psalm 91 still believe in the faithful love of God even in martyrdom?

What is Chunks: The Book of Psalms?

If the Bible had a hymnal, it would be the book of Psalms. This diverse collection of 150 poems and prayers runs the gamut of emotion and experience, from songs of highest praise to the deepest depths of lament, from prayers for help and salvation to vehement curses against the psalmist's enemies. We will not cover all the psalms in this podcast, nor take them in order. But my hope is that each episode will help you connect more personally with the riches of the Psalms. All biblical passages will be read from the New International Version, unless otherwise noted.