Welcome to Cam’s Reflective Bible Study Journal

Cam’s Reflective Bible Study Journal is a blog/podcast where Cam, one of Reflective Bible Study's founders, shares things he has discovered from his time studying the Bible (usually from one or more of the four gospels).

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Divine Protection: Psalm 91:1-16

Published April 3, 2025 in Audio Journal Entries

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As we continue moving forward on our journey through prophecies Jesus fulfilled, we come to an Old Testament reference that could be said to point towards Jesus, though, in the context that it is used, I could easily understand how some might doubt this.

However, when we stop to look more closely at the words that were written, it is clear that even if these words were not used in the New Testament event we will look at as prophecy being fulfilled, the context these words are used only allows for these words to be prophecy for the event itself to make sense.

With that as our foundation, let’s take a look at the Psalm that is quoted, and discover why this message is important for us to pay attention to. Our passage is found in Psalm 91, and we will read it using the New American Standard Bible. Starting in verse 1, the psalmist writes:

1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
My God, in whom I trust!”
3 For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper
And from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with His pinions,
And under His wings you may seek refuge;
His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark.

5 You will not be afraid of the terror by night,
Or of the arrow that flies by day;
6 Of the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
Or of the destruction that lays waste at noon.
7 A thousand may fall at your side
And ten thousand at your right hand,
But it shall not approach you.
8 You will only look on with your eyes
And see the recompense of the wicked.
9 For you have made the Lord, my refuge,
Even the Most High, your dwelling place.
10 No evil will befall you,
Nor will any plague come near your tent.

11 For He will give His angels charge concerning you,
To guard you in all your ways.
12 They will bear you up in their hands,
That you do not strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread upon the lion and cobra,
The young lion and the serpent you will trample down.

14 “Because he has loved Me, therefore I will deliver him;
I will set him securely on high, because he has known My name.
15 “He will call upon Me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will rescue him and honor him.
16 “With a long life I will satisfy him
And let him see My salvation.”

On the surface, nothing in this psalm speaks directly to these words being prophetic. At its core, this psalm is simply a prayer of encouragement, and a reminder, that God is with those who take refuge in Him.

However, one set of lines in this psalm show up in Jesus’ life in a powerful way, and when looking at when they show up, and specifically who speaks them, we are left with the impression that this psalm was at least applicable to Jesus and His mission to this earth.

With this in mind, let’s transition to the New Testament and discover what we can learn from the event where these words show up. This event is found in Luke, chapter 4, and we will begin reading in verse 1:

1 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led around by the Spirit in the wilderness 2 for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And He ate nothing during those days, and when they had ended, He became hungry. 3 And the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” 4 And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’”

5 And he led Him up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6 And the devil said to Him, “I will give You all this domain and its glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. 7 Therefore if You worship before me, it shall all be Yours.” 8 Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.’”

9 And he led Him to Jerusalem and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here; 10 for it is written,

‘He will command His angels concerning You to guard You,’

11 and,

‘On their hands they will bear You up,
So that You will not strike Your foot against a stone.’”

12 And Jesus answered and said to him, “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

13 When the devil had finished every temptation, he left Him until an opportune time.

In the temptations that Satan, also known as the devil, brought against Jesus, we find Satan quoting this particular psalm. The minor detail that Satan used scripture to tempt Jesus is fascinating in itself. However, the promise of protection that this psalm speaks to is amazing.

It is interesting that in essence, Satan turns this psalm into being prophetic, or at least he tries to. While I don’t know the extent of how we should understand the protection that is promised or looked for in this psalm, Jesus’ life and ministry were not 100% protected.

I have no idea whether Jesus ever got sick like we might consider sickness, or whether Jesus ever stubbed His toe, which could be thought of in a similar way as striking your foot against a stone.

However, when we look at Jesus’ life and ministry, there was clearly some level of protection present, but the protection we see present in Jesus’ life was protection on a macro scale, or in other words, protection from the highest level.

We can know and understand that Jesus’ life was protected during the time leading up to the cross, because there are plenty of examples of people trying to take Jesus’ life before crucifixion weekend. Three examples of this that jump to mind are Herod killing the babies, which we looked at earlier this year; those in the Nazareth synagogue early in Jesus’ ministry when they try to run Him off a cliff; and Satan himself when the flash storm hits the boat while Jesus slept in the back. While I am sure there are other examples, these three are clear indicators that Jesus was being protected.

However, the protection that we see present in Jesus’ life did not extend to protection that didn’t allow for problems to be present. On more occasions than we have time to go over, Jesus’ pushed back against His mission and ministry being undermined by the popular culture’s opinion of what Jesus’ ministry should have been. If Jesus was being protected from problems, then we wouldn’t have the passage we just read, because Jesus wouldn’t have gone in to the wilderness, wouldn’t have fasted for 40 days, wouldn’t have became hungry, and definitely wouldn’t have been tempted by Satan.

We can learn from this psalm and how it applies to Jesus’ life that in our own lives, we won’t be spared from experiencing problems, trials, or challenges. However, when we lean on Jesus and focus on giving Him glory while moving forward through life, we can know that with whatever happens in our lives on this earth, our eternity has been assured, and our eternal life has been protected.

Jesus ultimately faced the cross so that we wouldn’t have to face it ourselves. Jesus gave up His own life at the time the crucifixion was prophesied. Jesus didn’t shy away from challenges. Let’s learn from Jesus’ example and press forward in life, living it for God!

As we come to the end of another podcast episode, here are the challenges I will leave you with:

As I always challenge you to do, intentionally seek God first in your life. Choose to lean on Him for strength, purpose, and guidance to live in this life, and trust in Jesus that when we live for God, our future, eternal lives are protected. When we ally with Jesus, Jesus has promised us that our eternal lives are protected.

Also, continue to pray and study the Bible for yourself to learn and grow closer to God. Through the pages of the Bible, discover a God who loves you more than you can imagine and a God who will not stop trying to redeem you while you still have breath!

And as I end every set of challenges by saying in one way or another, never stop short of, back away from, chicken out of, or give up on where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!

Year of Prophecy – Episode 14: When looking at the first part of Jesus’ ministry, discover how the least likely character pulls a passage from the Old Testament to apply to Jesus’ life, regardless of whether this passage was intended to be prophetic or not.

Join the discussion. Share your thoughts on this passage.

The Parents’ Failure: John 9:1-41

Published April 2, 2025 in Written Journal Entries
Focus Passage: John 9:1-41 (NLT)

1 As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. 2 “Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?”

3 “It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him. 4 We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work. 5 But while I am here in the world, I am the light of the world.”

6 Then he spit on the ground, made mud with the saliva, and spread the mud over the blind man’s eyes. 7 He told him, “Go wash yourself in the pool of Siloam” (Siloam means “sent”). So the man went and washed and came back seeing!

8 His neighbors and others who knew him as a blind beggar asked each other, “Isn’t this the man who used to sit and beg?” 9 Some said he was, and others said, “No, he just looks like him!”

But the beggar kept saying, “Yes, I am the same one!”

10 They asked, “Who healed you? What happened?”

11 He told them, “The man they call Jesus made mud and spread it over my eyes and told me, ‘Go to the pool of Siloam and wash yourself.’ So I went and washed, and now I can see!”

12 “Where is he now?” they asked.

“I don’t know,” he replied.

13 Then they took the man who had been blind to the Pharisees, 14 because it was on the Sabbath that Jesus had made the mud and healed him. 15 The Pharisees asked the man all about it. So he told them, “He put the mud over my eyes, and when I washed it away, I could see!”

16 Some of the Pharisees said, “This man Jesus is not from God, for he is working on the Sabbath.” Others said, “But how could an ordinary sinner do such miraculous signs?” So there was a deep division of opinion among them.

17 Then the Pharisees again questioned the man who had been blind and demanded, “What’s your opinion about this man who healed you?”

The man replied, “I think he must be a prophet.”

18 The Jewish leaders still refused to believe the man had been blind and could now see, so they called in his parents. 19 They asked them, “Is this your son? Was he born blind? If so, how can he now see?”

20 His parents replied, “We know this is our son and that he was born blind, 21 but we don’t know how he can see or who healed him. Ask him. He is old enough to speak for himself.” 22 His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who had announced that anyone saying Jesus was the Messiah would be expelled from the synagogue. 23 That’s why they said, “He is old enough. Ask him.”

24 So for the second time they called in the man who had been blind and told him, “God should get the glory for this, because we know this man Jesus is a sinner.”

25 “I don’t know whether he is a sinner,” the man replied. “But I know this: I was blind, and now I can see!”

26 “But what did he do?” they asked. “How did he heal you?”

27 “Look!” the man exclaimed. “I told you once. Didn’t you listen? Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?”

28 Then they cursed him and said, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses! 29 We know God spoke to Moses, but we don’t even know where this man comes from.”

30 “Why, that’s very strange!” the man replied. “He healed my eyes, and yet you don’t know where he comes from? 31 We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners, but he is ready to hear those who worship him and do his will. 32 Ever since the world began, no one has been able to open the eyes of someone born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he couldn’t have done it.”

34 “You were born a total sinner!” they answered. “Are you trying to teach us?” And they threw him out of the synagogue.

35 When Jesus heard what had happened, he found the man and asked, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?”

36 The man answered, “Who is he, sir? I want to believe in him.”

37 “You have seen him,” Jesus said, “and he is speaking to you!”

38 “Yes, Lord, I believe!” the man said. And he worshiped Jesus.

39 Then Jesus told him, “I entered this world to render judgment—to give sight to the blind and to show those who think they see that they are blind.”

40 Some Pharisees who were standing nearby heard him and asked, “Are you saying we’re blind?”

41 “If you were blind, you wouldn’t be guilty,” Jesus replied. “But you remain guilty because you claim you can see.

Read John 9:1-41 in context and/or in other translations on BibleGateway.com!

One reason why I believe the Bible to be accurate is that it doesn’t seem to brush past people’s failures or faults. In this passage, had I been the one developing this story as a work of fiction, I would have changed one relatively minor detail because it would make the two least relevant characters appear better than they currently do. This detail wouldn’t change the outcome of the event, but it would simply sound better – at least in my mind.

Between the two interrogations of the formerly blind man, they call in his parents to question them. In verses 20-22, we read what actually happened. The formerly blind man’s parents, responding to the Pharisees say, “‘We know this is our son and that he was born blind, but we don’t know how he can see or who healed him. Ask him. He is old enough to speak for himself.’ His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who had announced that anyone saying Jesus was the Messiah would be expelled from the synagogue.”

John shares that the parents were more interested in aligning with the Jewish leaders, and being accepted into their synagogue than they were about sticking up for their healed son. If I were creating this event as fiction, I would change the parents’ response to sticking with their son, or framed their current response in a way that made them look like miracle supporters.

But the Bible doesn’t minimize people’s failures. It may actually emphasize them. It is in short verses like these that we learn that those living then faced similar tension that we do now, and when there is failure, it simply reveals that we need a Savior to help us. There was nothing the blind man could do to regain his sight on his own, revealing his need for a Savior. The formerly blind man’s parents struggled with how to interpret Jesus’ actions in the face of outright opposition, and they needed a different kind of Savior – One who they believed would take care of them spiritually if they lost favor with others relationally and/or socially.

The formerly blind man’s parents faced a challenge we all face: picking either God’s favor or other people’s favor when you can only choose one. In our culture today, the trend is to eliminate God as much as possible, and minimize His significance in the world. When we are pushed to choose, which direction will we go? To acknowledge and serve God, or to hide God and serve man – the choice is yours.

This thought was inspired by studying the Walking With Jesus “Reflective Bible Study” package. To discover insights like this in your own study time, click here and give Reflective Bible Study a try today!

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It’s Not About Us: Luke 10:1-20

Published April 1, 2025 in Written Journal Entries
Focus Passage: Luke 10:1-20 (NCV)

1 After this, the Lord chose seventy-two others and sent them out in pairs ahead of him into every town and place where he planned to go. 2 He said to them, “There are a great many people to harvest, but there are only a few workers. So pray to God, who owns the harvest, that he will send more workers to help gather his harvest. 3 Go now, but listen! I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. 4 Don’t carry a purse, a bag, or sandals, and don’t waste time talking with people on the road. 5 Before you go into a house, say, ‘Peace be with this house.’ 6 If peace-loving people live there, your blessing of peace will stay with them, but if not, then your blessing will come back to you. 7 Stay in the same house, eating and drinking what the people there give you. A worker should be given his pay. Don’t move from house to house. 8 If you go into a town and the people welcome you, eat what they give you. 9 Heal the sick who live there, and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God is near you.’ 10 But if you go into a town, and the people don’t welcome you, then go into the streets and say, 11 ‘Even the dirt from your town that sticks to our feet we wipe off against you. But remember that the kingdom of God is near.’ 12 I tell you, on the Judgment Day it will be better for the people of Sodom than for the people of that town.

13 “How terrible for you, Korazin! How terrible for you, Bethsaida! If the miracles I did in you had happened in Tyre and Sidon, those people would have changed their lives long ago. They would have worn rough cloth and put ashes on themselves to show they had changed. 14 But on the Judgment Day it will be better for Tyre and Sidon than for you. 15 And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to heaven? No! You will be thrown down to the depths!

16 “Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever refuses to accept you refuses to accept me. And whoever refuses to accept me refuses to accept the One who sent me.”

17 When the seventy-two came back, they were very happy and said, “Lord, even the demons obeyed us when we used your name!”

18 Jesus said, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 Listen, I have given you power to walk on snakes and scorpions, power that is greater than the enemy has. So nothing will hurt you. 20 But you should not be happy because the spirits obey you but because your names are written in heaven.”

Read Luke 10:1-20 in context and/or in other translations on BibleGateway.com!

As Jesus was training His followers to carry on the Christian movement after He returned to heaven, He sent them out on a mission trip to the surrounding countryside. In His mid-ministry commission for His followers, Jesus shares some interesting instructions that are relevant for us living today.

Near the end of this commission, Jesus draws the focus of everyone present onto how Jesus’ disciples could be treated when arriving at a town. Some towns might accept the message Jesus’ disciples brought with them, while other towns might not. Here is how Luke’s gospel shares Jesus’ words: “If you go into a town and the people welcome you, eat what they give you. Heal the sick who live there, and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God is near you.’ But if you go into a town, and the people don’t welcome you, then go into the streets and say, ‘Even the dirt from your town that sticks to our feet we wipe off against you. But remember that the kingdom of God is near.’ I tell you, on the Judgment Day it will be better for the people of Sodom than for the people of that town.” (v. 8-12)

As I read Jesus’ words, I am impressed that it is not up to us to get other people to listen to God’s message. Because Jesus had to warn the disciples in this way, it might be surprising to think that there were towns in that region that refused to accept God’s message. We might think that it was easier for those back in the first century to share about God than it is for us today, but this is not necessarily true. About the only conclusion we can make between those sharing God’s message in the first century and us living in the 21st century is that we live in two different worlds and in two different cultures.

Sharing Jesus in the first century is simply different than sharing Jesus in the 21st century. They had different methods than we have today, and we have different tools than they had living 2,000 years ago.

But while we might get caught up worrying about how to share Jesus most effectively, the simple truth that I see in this passage is that when we share (regardless of the ‘how’ question), those who are listening in can either accept or reject the message. When they have made their choice, they are not accepting or rejecting us – they are accepting or rejecting Jesus.

While the stakes are incredibly high in this decision and no one should make their choice lightly, when we share Jesus with others, God’s Holy Spirit steps in and helps guide the conversation and the hearts of those listening. Sharing Jesus is not about you and I – it is about Jesus, and everything He has done for us.

This thought was inspired by studying the Walking With Jesus “Reflective Bible Study” package. To discover insights like this in your own study time, click here and give Reflective Bible Study a try today!

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Flashback Episode — Restoring a Special Relationship: Luke 7:11-17

Published March 31, 2025 in Audio Journal Entries

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Continuing moving through Luke’s gospel detailing Jesus’ life and miracles, we arrive at an event that only Luke included. However, far from being insignificant, this event and miracle might be one of the most significant miracles Jesus did prior to raising Lazarus from the dead and prior to His own resurrection. If Jesus had simply been a good healer in people’s minds before, this miracle would be enough to elevate their thinking.

Let’s read our passage and discover what happened. Our passage is found in Luke’s gospel, chapter 7, and we will read from the New International Reader’s Version. Starting in verse 11, Luke tells us that:

11 Some time later, Jesus went to a town called Nain. His disciples and a large crowd went along with him. 12 He approached the town gate. Just then, a dead person was being carried out. He was the only son of his mother. She was a widow. A large crowd from the town was with her. 13 When the Lord saw her, he felt sorry for her. So he said, “Don’t cry.”

14 Then he went up and touched the coffin. Those carrying it stood still. Jesus said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!” 15 The dead man sat up and began to talk. Then Jesus gave him back to his mother.

16 The people were all filled with wonder and praised God. “A great prophet has appeared among us,” they said. “God has come to help his people.” 17 This news about Jesus spread all through Judea and the whole country.

In all the gospels, this event might be one of the most amazing miracles Jesus ever did. When reading this event, in my mind, it is worth looking for the faith behind this miracle and the reason Jesus chose to do it.

From the many miracles Jesus did healing people, in most cases we see a clear picture of where the faith came from. In many cases, the faith was from the one who was healed, and on several occasions, the faith necessary wasn’t from the one healed, but from those who brought the person to be healed.

However, in this event, we don’t find any evidence of faith present from any of the disciples or any in the funeral procession. Prior to this miracle, Jesus had not resurrected someone from the dead before, so there was no precedent.

Instead, the key phrase is found in verse 13, where Luke tells us, “When the Lord saw her, he felt sorry for her.” This statement not only shows us a glimpse of Jesus’ heart, it also directs us to this being a miracle Jesus did because He wanted to help someone who was hurting. If faith is necessary for a miracle, then the faith needed for this miracle came from Jesus Himself!

I cannot imagine a more special reunion than between the widow and her only son.

Looking at the details surrounding this miracle, I cannot escape a similarity between those present in this circumstance, and God. While God the Father is not a widow in any way this word is used, this event mirrors the emotion that would likely be present in heaven when Jesus, the Son, died on the cross. Even knowing that resurrection would happen less than 48 hours later wouldn’t change the feelings one would have if they were 100% focused on the present moment.

God knew the pain this widow was facing, and while they all could look forward to the future resurrection when Jesus returns, God’s heart reaches out to this widow who is facing emotional pain greater than most people know. However, God understands this widow’s pain and Jesus wants to turn her pain into joy! Jesus resurrects this child in advance of the resurrection that would happen when He returns because He wants this woman to experience joy and to know that God had not forgotten or turned His back on her.

I believe turning this sadness into joy is one of the big reasons Jesus did this miracle. In a subtle way, this miracle foreshadows Jesus’ own resurrection as a Son who dies before their parent who is ultimately resurrected. God wants to turn sadness into joy.

Another reason Jesus likely did this miracle was because the response He knew those present would give. In this passage, Jesus does not get the glory for this miracle. Instead, Jesus has the awkward role of stopping a funeral procession, telling a mourning widow not to cry, and then talking to a dead boy. Following the miracle, Luke tells us in verse 16 that, “The people were all filled with wonder and praised God.”

Jesus did not get the credit for this miracle, at least not initially. Instead, this miracle prompted people to praise God. When reading the gospels, miracles that prompt people to praise God are easy to find. It is as though this is one other big reason Jesus did miracles.

Sometimes I wonder if Jesus did these God-praising miracles because He wanted the people to realize that God was not like the religious leaders present in the first century. While the religious leaders should have been a group of people working together to represent God to their broader culture and community, the picture they were painting of God was far from loving. Jesus came to show us what God is like, and helping people praise the Father likely brought joy to Jesus’ heart!

This idea is summarized in the response those present give at the end of verse 16. Luke tells us that these people exclaim that, “God has come to help his people.” The implication is that, prior to this miracle, these people were feeling forgotten by God. While it is easy to fall into the trap believing that God has forgotten us here on this planet, nothing could be further from the truth.

Instead, if we don’t see God actively working in the world today, this means not that God has abandoned us, but that He is instead working behind the scenes directing history to its ultimate conclusion, which could be summarized as Jesus’ return, the end of sin, and the recreation of earth.

Satan would love for humanity to forget God and to openly reject anything that would suggest His existence. However, when we open our eyes to the world around us, there are too many pieces of evidence to reject a Creator, and more than enough evidence that points towards God being our Creator, and Jesus’ mission to earth was a mission to redeem us from a sin-tainted, sin-filled world.

Everything Jesus predicted would happen in His ministry happened exactly like He said it would, including His death and resurrection. This gives us the assurance that even if Jesus’ return feels like it has been delayed, a postponed trip is not a cancelled trip. We can know and be assured that just like Jesus’ predictions of His earthly ministry took place exactly like He predicted, Jesus’ return will happen at the exact moment in time that it needs to for us to be assured that sin will never reappear in the newly recreated universe!

As we come to the end of another podcast episode, here are the challenges I will leave you with:

As I always challenge you to do, continue intentionally seeking God first in your life and choose to trust in Jesus’ working in the world today, even if we cannot see it clearly. Trust that when God appears absent, He is instead working behind the scenes drawing history towards its conclusion.

While we wait for Jesus to return, continue praying and studying the Bible for yourself to learn what God is really like and to open your heart to Jesus. Through the pages of the Bible, discover just how much God was willing to give and how far Jesus was willing to go to open the way for you and I to be redeemed and saved from sin! Discover in the pages of the Bible what God means when He is described as being love!

And as I end every set of challenges by saying in one way or another, never stop short of, back away from, chicken out of, or abandon where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!

Flashback Episode: Year in Luke – Episode 13: When Luke describes a visit to the small town of Nain, we discover Jesus likely went there at that exact moment in order to help someone who was hurting. Discover how this miracle reflects God’s love and what God would ultimately face as Jesus died on the cross!