Have you ever felt as though not even God understands what you are going through? Are you going through a crisis presently, but it seems as though God has turned His back on you? Perhaps you reckon He is not interested in assisting you with the trauma you have experienced. Maybe you reckon that your sinful responses to your trauma are so grave that not even God is willing to forgive your sins, though biblical evidence states that He is “faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
I believe at some point in our lives all of us have had situations where we have found ourselves with a negative outlook, even if it was only on a temporary basis. It may have involved an illness, a wayward child, a spouse with an addiction, mental health challenges or some other issue. Some issues can be quite challenging, and seem almost impossible to bear. So, how can you encourage yourself in difficult times?
In 1844 the Millerites in the United States were resolute about the prophetic calculations of Daniel 8:14 that they believed predicted the second coming of Jesus. They were right about the 2300 years that the text alludes to, starting in 457 BC and ending in 1844, but wrong about the event. Evidently, Jesus did not come as was expected. And didn’t the disciples go through a similar disappointing experience when they saw Jesus on the cross instead of on the throne where they had expected him to be? Imagine how diametrically opposed these circumstances were for these disciples! Also, didn’t David find himself in a precarious position when the people who were with him threatened to stone him because the Amalekites had invaded Ziklag where he and his people were, and had burned it with fire, and taken the women and their children captive. In fact, David’s two wives were also taken captive. These are three circumstances that were hard to bear.
The Bible explicitly states that David encouraged himself in the Lord after his ordeal. This is something we can learn to do with the help of Jesus. We can be sure that David considered the promises of God to help him through his difficulties for he himself has written many a psalm with wonderful promises of God.
In addition to dwelling on God’s promises, having a basis for your faith through a correct understanding of Bible prophecies is crucial. Something higher and bigger than self must help us to persevere. When Jesus joined the company of the two men on the road to Emmaus who were disheartened after his crucifixion, and were oblivious to the fact that he had been resurrected, He expounded on the prophecies to reveal His effort to save people from their sins and His power to transform lives. Speaking of prophecies, It is because some of those who suffered the Great Disappointment continued to study the prophecies that they realized their mistake, and their bitterness turned into joy as they realized that there were actually prophecies that also summed up their bitter experience and gave them hope in Jesus’ sure return.
God’s thoughts and ways are higher than ours. Though He doesn’t delight in the pain and suffering we endure, He doesn’t always bring immediate relief. He has given us prophecies and promises, however, to help us to stay the course. Which ones do you find helpful today?
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