Beyond “Obey”: A Look into God’s Desire through Proverbs (From Episode 6)

Thank you so much for tuning in again!
How was today’s episode?

As I mentioned briefly in the show, I originally recorded this podcast in Japanese—and then translated the script myself (with a little help from AI!) to share it in English as well.

Why go to all that trouble?
Well, I wanted to share not just the content, but also the tone of my voice, the pauses, and even the atmosphere I try to create when I read aloud.
(And let’s be honest—AI voiceovers can sound a bit… bland, right? 😅)

While translating the script, I realized something unexpected:
Japanese is long. Like, really long.
It often takes the scenic route to get to the point—but that’s part of its charm, too.

English, on the other hand, tends to be more direct and to-the-point.
At first, I found that a bit jarring—but now I find it refreshing. It often brings clarity in a way that surprises me.

Recently, I got my hands on a bilingual New Testament—Japanese and English side by side.
Reading it has been full of little discoveries:
“Oh wow, that’s how they put it in English!”

There are many different Japanese Bible translations, and I switch between them depending on the situation.

For example, I often quote from a more conversational version (like the JCB) in my podcast, or listen to it like an audiobook when I want something more relaxed.
When I really want to dig deep into the Word, though, I turn to a more literal translation, like the Shinkyōdōyaku (New Interconfessional Version).

But in the end, when it comes to reading the Bible, I believe this is what matters most:
It’s not so much which version you read—it’s whether the words truly reach your heart.

And then—through those words that resonate deeply in your heart,
there are moments when something suddenly clicks, or you realize something important.
In Christianity, we sometimes call that kind of experience “understanding” or “spiritual insight.”

And not just by reading the Bible,
but also by holding on to those words in our daily lives and putting them into practice,
that “understanding” can deepen over time.

The Bible is not a book meant to just fill our heads with knowledge,
nor is it a collection of pleasant-sounding spiritual quotes.

It’s a book rooted in everyday life,
meant to be lived out—so that we ourselves can grow and live in true happiness.

And this book was written out of God’s love.

That might come as a surprise to some.

After all, when we hear the word “love,” it often feels vague,
and especially in the Old Testament, there are many scenes where God gets angry (as we touched on in Episode 3 🌊),
and many words that can be hard to hear.

The book of Proverbs, which we’re looking at this time, is full of practical teachings and warnings,
and at first glance, it may not seem to have anything to do with “God’s love.”

But as we saw in the verse I quoted in this episode —
“And so, my children, listen to me,
for all who follow my ways are joyful.”
(Proverbs 8:32, NLT)

At the heart of it is God’s desire:
that we don’t lose our way, and that we live a truly good and happy life.

—Still.
When we’re told to “obey,”
it can feel a bit suffocating, rather than loving.

To be honest, for a while after I came to faith, I struggled with this.

Even though I knew in my heart that it was “right,”
I couldn’t fully bring myself to willingly follow God’s teachings from the heart.

But after reading a post by Rapt-san (the blogger whose writings led me to start reading the Bible),
I began to understand—that it wasn’t like that at all.

If you read this post,
I think you’ll gain an even deeper understanding of the verse I quoted earlier:
“And so, my children, listen to me,
for all who follow my ways are joyful.”

God, who is all-knowing and all-powerful,
understands us humans even better than we understand ourselves.

That’s why—fully aware of the many enemies surrounding us—
He lovingly guides us through His Word, saying,
“Do this,” or “This is the better path.”

And when we try to walk in obedience to those words,
God blesses us in all kinds of ways—
as if to say, “I saw your steps. I’ve been with you all along.”

This is something you might not fully understand until you try it for yourself.
But it’s true.

It’s through experiencing this again and again in my own life
that I came to truly believe in God.

I’ll be sharing more about those moments and stories little by little in future posts.

🎤 In Episode 7, I’ll be diving into one of our more persistent “enemies”—
that other version of ourselves who just wants to slack off, procrastinate, and stay lazy.

We’ll explore this topic through the words of Paul,
a key figure from the New Testament (making his first appearance on the podcast!).

Stay tuned 😊

In the post below, I talk about where I personally stand when it comes to faith.
(There’s also an English translation included.)

Mimi