From Category: anxiety
It’s sometimes easy to feel as though God is far away from us; as though He doesn’t hear us when we call. It’s easy to see the suffering around us and wonder where God is. Some days it seems like our prayers aren’t being heard.
I don’t think it’s necessarily a lack of faith that causes this. Of course, we often drift far away from God, particularly when we don’t make an active effort to invest in our relationship with Him. But sometimes we can find ourselves in circumstances where it just feels difficult. We feel stuck; we feel like our prayers are bouncing off the ceiling and hopelessness isn’t far away.
In times like that, Psalm 22 might be a comfort. The psalmist offers three pieces of practical advice to those of us who cry out the same words as he does in the first two verses:
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry by day but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest.”
He is faithful to His promises. He does not change; He is the same God today, yesterday, and tomorrow (Hebrews 13:8). And therefore we can draw encouragement from the fact that we serve the same God who rescued a shepherd boy facing down a giant with five pebbles, the same God who rained down bread in the desert and who blinded an entire army.
He has shown His power and love in the past, and He will do so again.
It is by God’s will that we were formed; it is His will that we are alive. He created each of us for a reason, and He has a purpose for our lives. Therefore, we can, each of us, approach Him in prayer and ask: “Be not far from me” (v 19).
I had a recent airport mishap trying to get a flight home due to the coronavirus, and the whole time my mind was repeating: “For God’s glory, for God’s glory, for God’s glory.”
And He did deliver a hundredfold, and I knew at the end as I had recognized at the start that this obstacle too was for His glory, a reminder for me, maybe, to remember what I had learned in my loneliness abroad before I returned to my comfortable home.
When obstacles and suffering occur over a longer time period, it can be difficult to trust that any good can come out at the end. But though we are weak, God is strong, and He says to us: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).
So we can boast in our weaknesses because they serve to illuminate God’s strength. We find comfort in our troubles because we know that He holds us and will be faithful to the end.
James 1:2-3 tells us that sufferings and trials will result in the testing of our faith, and this, in turn, produces steadfastness. When we have gone through trials and seen over and over again that God is faithful and powerful and active and just, our faith is strengthened. And this steadfastness, this clinging to faith, will be an encouragement to those around us.
There is purpose in our sufferings. We are not alone. Even when you can’t see the sun on a cloudy day, it is still shining.
I don’t think it’s necessarily a lack of faith that causes this. Of course, we often drift far away from God, particularly when we don’t make an active effort to invest in our relationship with Him. But sometimes we can find ourselves in circumstances where it just feels difficult. We feel stuck; we feel like our prayers are bouncing off the ceiling and hopelessness isn’t far away.
In times like that, Psalm 22 might be a comfort. The psalmist offers three pieces of practical advice to those of us who cry out the same words as he does in the first two verses:
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry by day but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest.”
1. Remember what God has already done.
Firstly, he urges us to remember what God has already done, as recorded in the Bible and throughout history (v 4-8).“In You our fathers trusted,” he tells the Lord in verse 4, “they trusted and you delivered them.”God has shown us that He cares for us, that He is all-powerful and all-knowing, that He hears His people when they cry out to Him. Start with Adam and trace through all the Bible characters who trusted in God, even in the bleakest of circumstances, and found salvation in Him.
He is faithful to His promises. He does not change; He is the same God today, yesterday, and tomorrow (Hebrews 13:8). And therefore we can draw encouragement from the fact that we serve the same God who rescued a shepherd boy facing down a giant with five pebbles, the same God who rained down bread in the desert and who blinded an entire army.
He has shown His power and love in the past, and He will do so again.
2. Remember what God has done for you personally.
Next, the psalmist tells us to remember what God has already done for each of us in our own lives (v 9-21).
Verse 9 says: “Yet You are He who took me from the womb; You made me trust You at my mother’s breasts.”Since our births, God has been faithful to us in our own lives in a personal way that transcends blanket promises or an impersonal power.
It is by God’s will that we were formed; it is His will that we are alive. He created each of us for a reason, and He has a purpose for our lives. Therefore, we can, each of us, approach Him in prayer and ask: “Be not far from me” (v 19).
3. Remember that there is meaning in our suffering.
Finally, we are reminded that there is purpose in our sufferings, even if we cannot see it (v 22-31).“I will tell of Your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you.” (v 22)Verse 24 promises us that God hears us when we cry out to Him, and the rest of the psalm reminds us that God is glorified in our tribulations. This legacy serves to encourage our fellow believers.
I had a recent airport mishap trying to get a flight home due to the coronavirus, and the whole time my mind was repeating: “For God’s glory, for God’s glory, for God’s glory.”
And He did deliver a hundredfold, and I knew at the end as I had recognized at the start that this obstacle too was for His glory, a reminder for me, maybe, to remember what I had learned in my loneliness abroad before I returned to my comfortable home.
When obstacles and suffering occur over a longer time period, it can be difficult to trust that any good can come out at the end. But though we are weak, God is strong, and He says to us: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).
So we can boast in our weaknesses because they serve to illuminate God’s strength. We find comfort in our troubles because we know that He holds us and will be faithful to the end.
James 1:2-3 tells us that sufferings and trials will result in the testing of our faith, and this, in turn, produces steadfastness. When we have gone through trials and seen over and over again that God is faithful and powerful and active and just, our faith is strengthened. And this steadfastness, this clinging to faith, will be an encouragement to those around us.
There is purpose in our sufferings. We are not alone. Even when you can’t see the sun on a cloudy day, it is still shining.
(This article was originally published on Thought Catalog.)
17 January 2022
The story goes something like this: Israel was in a 3-year-long drought. Elijah accused the people of Israel of “limping between two options” of worship; at that time, between God and Baal. It doesn’t sound too different from our society today. It’s frighteningly easy to pick and choose aspects of different gods or idols (which can be anything).
To determine whose god was real, Elijah and the prophets of Baal gathered at Mount Carmel. The god who lit their altar on fire would be proclaimed as true. Baal’s prophets prayed to their god for hours and hours. They cut themselves and walked around their altar and cried out to Baal. But he did not answer.
Elijah dug a moat around his altar and poured twelve jars of water over it until it was soaking wet. Then he prayed to the God of Israel - the true God, the only God. God sent fire from heaven to burn up the whole altar - the wood and the water and the offering and even the stones.
Elijah poured twelve jars of water on his altar. Sometimes it feels as if there are a never-ending series of water jars being poured out on our lives. One trouble comes, and then another, and they’re all compounded to cause much stress and suffering.
Sometimes it feels like we’re stuck waiting for God to show up. Sometimes it seems as though He’s late. Surely I’ve learnt whatever lesson it is You wanted me to learn by now? Surely You’ve taught me dependence through this trial? Surely we can move on to the easier part, to the bit that I’m yearning for? I know I should learn patience and trust but I think I’ve got that figured out. I’m ready to move on out of this valley.
But instead of the trees clearing, another jar of water is poured out, and we’re sent sprawling back. At first, those knocks can leave us reeling, but it’s easy to become bitter and cynical. I guess this is my life now. Forgive me for wanting something so mundane. Everyone else is obviously in on some blessing that I’m not. Have you forgotten about me, Lord?
But the ending is sure: our God is mighty and powerful. He can send down fire from heaven to burn up every trench of water. He is in control. There is nothing too big for Him. He sees all things and knows all things. He is slow to anger, and abounding in love. He loves us more than we can know. He will save His people.
25 October 2020
God sent Elijah to live by a brook in the wilderness, and everyday He would send ravens to bring him food. What faith that musthave required from Elijah. It reminds me of the Israelites in the desert, who depended on God day by day to provide manna for them to eat. To a lesser extent, I experienced this financially last year, and it was both terrifying and freeing. Elijah had no backup plan or extra food in case the ravens didn’t show up the next day; he relied fully on God to provide for him.
It’s so easy to be lured into the world of smart personal finance and investment portfolios, and to compare salaries and savings and interest rates. To an extent, I suppose these things can be good; we are called to steward our money well. But when we have so much money that we can afford to save and invest, I think it can be easy to forget where it came from, and how dependent we are on the Giver. He sustains and cares and provides for us. One day and then another, step for step, He is there, guiding us through whatever obstacles come our way.
I used to think Elijah was quite rude to ask the widow to first make food for him when there was so little left. How difficult must that be, especially as a mother, to give up the last bit of food for a stranger? But her willingness to oblige is a testament to her faith, which is rewarded. Again, God provides, and again, his provision is day by day. He doesn’t send a great shipment of flour, but promises that what little she has won’t run out. I wonder if she was worried, those first few days, when she returned to the jar for more flour, and then the next day for more again. Was she worried this phenomenon would end?
Sometimes I feel like I’m at the end of my rope, and I just want to give up. My energy is low, my motivation is an inch from the floor, and I don’t know how I’ll get through the next day, let alone the one after that. But God sustains. On those days, I have just enough to get through the first day, and then just enough to get through the next. And before long He is leading me out of the valley again.
Elijah doesn’t answer the widow’s question, which is one we've surely all asked before; “Is this calamity judgment for my sin?” The book of Job provides insight, but I was also reminded of a lesson from the Equip Project podcast; by the power of the cross, we will never face the judgment for our sin, but we do face the consequences of sin. I’ve found this an important distinction to remember.
Returning to Elijah’s story, although he doesn’t comment on whether her son’s illness is brought on by the widow’s sin, he does clearly acknowledge God’s sovereign power in the matter. The happy ending demonstrates God’s total control over everything - even death itself.
Returning to Elijah’s story, although he doesn’t comment on whether her son’s illness is brought on by the widow’s sin, he does clearly acknowledge God’s sovereign power in the matter. The happy ending demonstrates God’s total control over everything - even death itself.
17 October 2020
The search for purpose in suffering - and learning to live through the troughs of life - is not new. Our response should not be new either. In a pandemic, when suffering is acute and valleys seem deep, the Christian response should still be to seek first God’s kingdom.
Pandemics remind us how sin has broken our world. Sin wreaks havoc in relationships between people, but also within creation itself. The creation of Eden has been disrupted, perturbed, twisted by sin. We are no longer in balance with nature. Earthquakes and predators and viruses - these are dangers to us now. Nature is a glorious display of God’s power, but it - like us - has been stained by sin.
We are reminded, therefore, of the first commission given to Adam in Genesis 1:28. We are stewards and subduers of the Earth. This is not a straight-forward role; subduing the Earth entails far more than cultivating one field - it is a call to care for our planet. Environmental activism is not a recent trend; it is a Biblical commission. Our world is broken, and the harmony between man and nature will not be perfect in this present age, but we know that one day the balance will be returned. There will be restoration on God’s holy mountain, where “the wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat” (Isaiah 11:6).
Recognising the fallen state of the world should also restrain us from assigning false blame to others. Suffering is a phenomenon that no human can truly comprehend. We do not know the cause or purpose. But it is clear from the Bible - and particularly from the book of Job - that suffering is not punishment for sin. Pointing fingers and shifting blame is not a Christian response at any time, and even less so in times of crisis.
Rather, this is a time to fiercly love our neighbours and to encourage one another. In whatever circumstances we find ourselves in, we are called to witness to God; to shine His light before those around us and to remind them of His great love.
Jonathon Merritt writes of the insensitivity that that has been exposed in some Christians by this pandemic. Such actions are not a Christian response. It is love that should characterise us as God’s children. We must recognise our duty to serve others in times of trial.
The shortest and yet amongst the most profound verses: “Jesus wept.” It is a very mortal reaction to mourn the loss of a loved one. We do not yet live in eternity; we do not understand the coming together of all things. But Jesus is God and Jesus is also man, so Jesus understands the harrowing pain of losing a loved one. He knows the anxiety that plagues us when those we love are ill. We are called to live as a testament to that faith and peace.
Finally, the Christian response to pandemics should be to recognise that God is still in control. Over and over the Bible tells us stories of people in despair and desperation - sold into slavery, close to starvation, betrayed by friends - where God’s sovereignty is displayed.
The battle still belongs to the Lord. He is in control. He sees all things and knows all things and understands all things. He is not confined to our linear understanding of time. He is not surprised to find us where we are, in a global pandemic in 2020.
The God who accomplished such miracles in the Old Testament, who gave us the greatest love story in the New Testament; the God of the time since and the time before; this is the God who watches over us in the COVID-19 pandemic.
In truth, the Christian response to pandemics should be no different from the Christian response in the ‘vie quotidienne’; humility, servanthood and faith. The idea of compound interest is emphasised in this observation; faithful daily following prepares us for unseen trials ahead.
East of Eden, we still live with suffering. This world is not how it is meant to be, and pandemics serve as an all-too-clear reminder of its brokenness. The ancient curse which binds us all binds our planet too. But we have hope: we know that in the new creation, viruses and pandemics will be no more. At that time there will be no pain, death or suffering (Revelation 21:4).
Our hope is beyond this world, anchored to the One who is in control. We keep stepping forward in trust, one day at a time. After all: “I know that my Redeemer lives, and in the end He will stand upon the earth” (Job 19:25).
We are reminded, therefore, of the first commission given to Adam in Genesis 1:28. We are stewards and subduers of the Earth. This is not a straight-forward role; subduing the Earth entails far more than cultivating one field - it is a call to care for our planet. Environmental activism is not a recent trend; it is a Biblical commission. Our world is broken, and the harmony between man and nature will not be perfect in this present age, but we know that one day the balance will be returned. There will be restoration on God’s holy mountain, where “the wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat” (Isaiah 11:6).
Recognising the fallen state of the world should also restrain us from assigning false blame to others. Suffering is a phenomenon that no human can truly comprehend. We do not know the cause or purpose. But it is clear from the Bible - and particularly from the book of Job - that suffering is not punishment for sin. Pointing fingers and shifting blame is not a Christian response at any time, and even less so in times of crisis.
Rather, this is a time to fiercly love our neighbours and to encourage one another. In whatever circumstances we find ourselves in, we are called to witness to God; to shine His light before those around us and to remind them of His great love.
Jonathon Merritt writes of the insensitivity that that has been exposed in some Christians by this pandemic. Such actions are not a Christian response. It is love that should characterise us as God’s children. We must recognise our duty to serve others in times of trial.
The shortest and yet amongst the most profound verses: “Jesus wept.” It is a very mortal reaction to mourn the loss of a loved one. We do not yet live in eternity; we do not understand the coming together of all things. But Jesus is God and Jesus is also man, so Jesus understands the harrowing pain of losing a loved one. He knows the anxiety that plagues us when those we love are ill. We are called to live as a testament to that faith and peace.
Finally, the Christian response to pandemics should be to recognise that God is still in control. Over and over the Bible tells us stories of people in despair and desperation - sold into slavery, close to starvation, betrayed by friends - where God’s sovereignty is displayed.
The battle still belongs to the Lord. He is in control. He sees all things and knows all things and understands all things. He is not confined to our linear understanding of time. He is not surprised to find us where we are, in a global pandemic in 2020.
The God who accomplished such miracles in the Old Testament, who gave us the greatest love story in the New Testament; the God of the time since and the time before; this is the God who watches over us in the COVID-19 pandemic.
In truth, the Christian response to pandemics should be no different from the Christian response in the ‘vie quotidienne’; humility, servanthood and faith. The idea of compound interest is emphasised in this observation; faithful daily following prepares us for unseen trials ahead.
East of Eden, we still live with suffering. This world is not how it is meant to be, and pandemics serve as an all-too-clear reminder of its brokenness. The ancient curse which binds us all binds our planet too. But we have hope: we know that in the new creation, viruses and pandemics will be no more. At that time there will be no pain, death or suffering (Revelation 21:4).
Our hope is beyond this world, anchored to the One who is in control. We keep stepping forward in trust, one day at a time. After all: “I know that my Redeemer lives, and in the end He will stand upon the earth” (Job 19:25).
31 August 2020
A lot of people struggle to reconcile the idea of a loving God with a God who allows suffering.
As Christians, I think it is paramount that we make it very clear that we do not nullify or downplay suffering. We do not deny that there is so much pain and hurt and wrongness in this world. Our faith does not call us to say it’s not so.
Suffering is at the heart of what we believe because if it weren’t for sin and the pain that it wreaks, Jesus wouldn’t have needed to die to save us.
We do not deny suffering. We cry with those who cry.
Suffering does not disprove God, if anything suffering points out that we know in our hearts that there is a better way to life. Suffering reveals our yearning for the perfect peace of God.
This world is broken. It is not what it is meant to be. We long for the perfect world, the new heaven and earth when restoration will be complete and there will finally be justice.
18 July 2020
I remind myself daily that God is in control. He created the world and it is His. He cares about the lilies and the sparrows; He cares about me. He knows me better than I know myself, and He knows the path my life will take.
He cares deeply about His world and He is working in all things. He is with the broken-hearted and with the exuberant. He loves us and holds us and can do all things.
The Overwhelming World is no match for my God. When chaos and hurt and hate surround me, He is my still point and my refuge. I find rest in Him.
This changing life, with its revolving door of seasons—now it is good, now it is bad, your life is going up, your life is going down—cannot be paused. But when it revolves around God, it finds purpose. We are not alone on good or bad days.
The Old Testament is filled with ancient heroes whose lives display God’s control in all things.
Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery, but he worked himself up to second-in-command of his master’s house. It all came crashing down again, though, when he was thrown into prison on false accusations. But God was in control, working all things for good, and in the end, Joseph saved Ancient Egypt from famine.
David was a shepherd whose rise to kingship was marked by complicated relationships. His predecessor, Saul, established a heart-breaking pattern of welcoming and then seeking to kill David. When David did become king, first Saul’s son and then David’s own son opposed him. But amidst the betrayal, God was in control, establishing David’s throne forever.
God was working in Esther’s life, the heroic queen who saved the Jews of ancient Persia. “Perhaps you were born for such a time as this,” Mordecai tells her (Esther 4:14), recognising God’s hand in his cousin’s life as God led her to the position where she could rescue her people.
In the dark and the hurt and the fear, God is in control. He knows all things, sees all things, and understands all things. We can trust our lives to Him.
I lift up my hands in surrender. I will not fear; the Lord is my light and my salvation and the battle belongs to Him.
He cares deeply about His world and He is working in all things. He is with the broken-hearted and with the exuberant. He loves us and holds us and can do all things.
The Overwhelming World is no match for my God. When chaos and hurt and hate surround me, He is my still point and my refuge. I find rest in Him.
This changing life, with its revolving door of seasons—now it is good, now it is bad, your life is going up, your life is going down—cannot be paused. But when it revolves around God, it finds purpose. We are not alone on good or bad days.
The Old Testament is filled with ancient heroes whose lives display God’s control in all things.
Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery, but he worked himself up to second-in-command of his master’s house. It all came crashing down again, though, when he was thrown into prison on false accusations. But God was in control, working all things for good, and in the end, Joseph saved Ancient Egypt from famine.
David was a shepherd whose rise to kingship was marked by complicated relationships. His predecessor, Saul, established a heart-breaking pattern of welcoming and then seeking to kill David. When David did become king, first Saul’s son and then David’s own son opposed him. But amidst the betrayal, God was in control, establishing David’s throne forever.
God was working in Esther’s life, the heroic queen who saved the Jews of ancient Persia. “Perhaps you were born for such a time as this,” Mordecai tells her (Esther 4:14), recognising God’s hand in his cousin’s life as God led her to the position where she could rescue her people.
In the dark and the hurt and the fear, God is in control. He knows all things, sees all things, and understands all things. We can trust our lives to Him.
I lift up my hands in surrender. I will not fear; the Lord is my light and my salvation and the battle belongs to Him.
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