God is our protection and our strength. He always helps in times of trouble. So, we will not be afraid even if the earth shakes, or the mountains fall into the sea. God says, “Be still and know that I am God. I will be praised in all the nations; I will be praised throughout the earth.” The Lord All-Powerful is with us; the God of Jacob is our defender. Psalm 46: 1-2, 10-11 (NCV)
With the holiday season upon us, we find ourselves amidst a whirlwind of commercialized chaos, a stark contrast to the tranquility and joy this time of year is meant to evoke. The relentless pace, coupled with the gloomy winter weather, can easily dampen our spirits, transforming the season of cheer into a maelstrom of stress and anxiety. It´s enough to bring out the Scrooge in anyone.
Oh, and let´s not forget, illegal immigrants are stealing our money and raping our women. And our governor is signing a bill to allow assisted suicide. And people are still dying whilst trying to drive in the snow. Pick your headline; they´re all bad. These times of trouble are enough to make anybody depressed.
Yet through all of this, God is still God. He remains our unwavering anchor. It may be hard to find evidence in these times of trouble that He is still on His throne, but where else would He be? He does not change, no matter what happens down here. When we say that the world is “out of control,” we mean that it’s out of our control. It is never out of His.
However difficult this truth can be to hold onto in the turmoil of our lives, we must persevere in doing so. Whenever our way of life is threatened because of what’s going on in the world around us, we must remember that this way of life was never meant to last anyway. We are looking forward to life eternal that will not pass away. For this reason, we fix our eyes and our faith on the things that don’t move.
Overcoming Doubt with Faith
Bad days are going to happen. Sometimes we will have times of trouble that could last months or years when we don’t feel God’s presence. We may doubt His goodness, or even His existence.
However, whenever I find myself in such a spiritual funk, during the holidays or whenever, I always come back to Peter’s declaration to Jesus in John 6:68, after Jesus asked the Twelve if they were going to desert Him, as many other disciples were doing:
“Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” (DLNT)
I couldn’t go back to my old life if I wanted to, and there have been days where I wanted to. There are days when it just doesn’t seem worth the effort or the sacrifice that it takes to live the Christian life, because I can’t see the reward from here. When my fear outweighs my faith, I forget what God has already done, throughout history, and in my personal life. Some days I just want to chuck it all and give in to the despair, but then I always have to confront the question, “OK, then what?”
A Practical Tool for Times of Trouble
One thing that I have done for myself, and that I highly recommend for others, is to keep a journal of some sort listing every answer to prayer, every unexpected blessing, any time you have seen scripture fulfilled, any change in your life that can only be attributed to the power of the Holy Spirit. Keep this in an easily accessible place. I have mine as a document on the desktop of my computer.
During times of trouble or doubt, revisit this journal. Satan can’t gain a foothold in your mind if you keep your memories of God’s goodness fresh. Daily scripture reading is a good weapon against doubt, but it becomes even more effective when combined with regular reflections on where you’ve seen God at work in your life and the lives of your loved ones.
If you do this, expect a few gaps in this journal. You are not likely to experience a bona fide miraculous intervention every day. This doesn’t mean that God has abandoned you. It means that we must learn to trust His timing. A day will come when things fall neatly into place, and you can look back and see the progress that led to that point. Such progress is imperceptible as it’s happening, though. So, when it does happen, put that in your journal with a note of thanksgiving and praise that God was in control of the situation from the very beginning. Remember, unlike us, He can see the end of things from the beginning.
It is also critical to remember that God doesn’t always ride in and rescue us whenever we think we need rescuing. Sometimes, He lets us face times of trouble for reasons that we can’t comprehend. Sometimes our questions remain unanswered in this life. We can find solace in the faith that all our questions will be answered in heaven. God doesn’t come around to our way of thinking; therefore, we must do our best to align our thinking with His.
Overcoming Fear with Faith
Faith requires exercise to remain strong, just like our bodies do. If you are one of the many who has bought a health club membership but not lost any weight or inches off your midsection, then you already know that your situation might improve if you actually went to the health club. Owning the membership doesn’t create actual change. Owning a Bible without reading it has the same effect–bupkus. Knowing about the power of prayer without actually praying—ditto.
Similarly, we must continue renewing our minds and reinforcing our faith by reminding ourselves constantly of God’s unchanging nature. His presence is unwavering. He is with us, and He is for us. And He always will be.
So, if you are one who is prone to getting stressy and depressy during the holidays, take heart. Jesus has overcome the world. By placing our faith, trust, and complete reliance on Him, we can do the same.
Be still and know that.
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