Place your trust in the LORD

 

“Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?” Matthew 6:27 NLT.

“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in Me [Jesus].” John 14:1 NLT.

In this day and age, it is quite difficult not to be concerned, especially when things don’t make sense. We are surrounded by so much sadness it’s difficult to accept that such things are happening in our world. My thoughts and prayers are with everyone who has been affected by war, whether in Ukraine, Yemen, Ethiopia, Afghanistan, Myanmar, or anywhere else there is unrest. My heart breaks for everyone directly impacted. Families are being torn apart. Residents are becoming refugees. It’s utterly pointless and makes no sense! Our world is in desperate need of prayers right now. For anyone who does not recognise that our world is broken, it is clear that, we need a Saviour.

“They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator Himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen.” Romans 1:25 NLT.

“Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.” Ephesians 6:18 NLT.

Life is precious, and I sympathise with those who have been forced to take the life of another. The fact that so many people are in such difficult and unfair situations is heart-breaking. Many are protesting in solidarity of the victims, which isn’t enough for those suffering. While writing this, I feel helpless, because I am unable to physically assist those in need. We should not let our feelings lead to blaming God. ‘Why won’t God intervene at a time like this’, is a prevalent thought. Not many will like the answer…none of this is His fault. When we don’t have the Holy Spirit within us, the devastating current situations, are evidence of our wicked nature. Instead of blaming God, we should come to Him as we are, broken-hearted, and place our trust in Him. He will give us rest through Jesus Christ, our Lord [Matthew 11:28-30].  

“But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in Heaven. For He gives His sunlight to both the evil and the good, and He sends rain on the just and the unjust alike.” Matthew 5:44-45 NLT.

“And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.” Romans 8:26 NLT.

It is vital that we draw near to God through these trying times. When we trust in the Lord, we don’t have to go through it alone. Our heavenly Father is aware of what each of us will encounter. It may come as a shock to us, but God knew each of our encounters beforehand. We should pray for our world. When praying for world peace, it also means praying for the aggressors. Jesus tells us to pray for those who persecute us. From a human perspective, that doesn’t sound right, and it never will. Only by remaining in the Lord can we receive the Holy Spirit, who will help us in loving and praying for our enemies. On the cross, Jesus prayed to God to forgive His persecutors as they didn’t know what they were doing. That is the example we must follow as followers of Christ. Humanly speaking, it’s hard for us to pray for the aggressors. Our world is broken. Our world is in desperate need of a Saviour. Thank God, for Jesus Christ!

Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God.” Mark 10:27 NLT.

“And you will hear of wars and threats of wars but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately. Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in many parts of the world, as well as famines. But this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come.” Mark 13:7-8 NLT.

When reading the Bible, we see that Jesus told us all of this, so we are prepared. Jesus told us all this, so we depend on Him during these trying times. Prayer is so important right now more than ever. Our Saviour, overcame the world. He knows how to do it, and made sure that we, as His followers, do as well. The Bible tells us to pray rather than worry. For many, it may not feel like much but, prayer is a powerful tool. We must trust in the Lord at all times, especially when we feel helpless. Jesus Christ is the ONE and ONLY way, the truth and the life. Jesus loves us so much, He forewarned that we would face such hardships. Remaining in Him is how we overcome. It won’t be easy, but knowing that the same Holy Spirit who raised Jesus is working within us, should give us courage. Remember that as Christians, we may be the only Bible people in need will ever read. So, how we conduct ourselves is crucial, especially during trying times. As devout followers of Jesus Christ, we have a responsibility to tell the world about our Lord and Saviour. We should never tire of thanking God for Jesus Christ, because of Him, we have eternity to look forward to.

“Never stop praying.” 1 Thessalonians 5:17 NLT.

“And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgement, so also Christ was offered once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for Him.” Hebrews 9:27-28 NLT.