We are all subject to enduring times of great troubles.  These crises can be brought on by many things.  Thankfully, just as in any other area of our lives, God has given us Biblical instruction on how to respond to such difficulties.

The Bible tells us that:

• Our life will not be free of trouble.
• We are to trust in the power of the Lord.
• We are to trust in the power of prayer.
• We are to trust that the Scriptures can help.
• We are to trust in the promise of eternal life.
• We are to trust that God provides comfort.

Worldly Troubles

It is guaranteed that we will face crises.  It is something from which we cannot escape because it is part and parcel to life.  Part of it stems from the original sin committed in the Garden of Eden.  When Adam and Eve disobeyed God, He responded by saying that the rest of mankind will pay the price.  He said that our lives will never be problem or pain free.

Trouble also finds us because of the sins of our fathers.

Num. 14:18 The LORD is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.

Perhaps one of the most obvious reasons we suffer at times is due to our own wrongdoings.  We fail to live the way God commands us, and so we are punished.  It’s no different than having to punish your own children to help correct their behavior.  If we do something wrong, God will chastise us.

There is one reason we are persecuted and suffer, though, that may not always be quite so obvious.  The Bible tells us that we are going to encounter trials simply because we choose to follow God.

Matt 5:10-12

10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

There have been many who have had hard lives or have died in the name of the Lord.  Remember, the world even hated Jesus.  It comes down to one simple truth.  You can’t serve two masters.  It is impossible to always make the world happy while also making God happy.  Therefore, crises are inescapable, and are sometimes even out of our control.

Trust God

Though we can‘t stop crises occurring, we can control how we handle our problems. We can learn to handle troubles like Jesus by trusting in God.

Whether you believe it or not, you are always on God’s radar screen.  He knows every hair on your head.  So, yes, he definitely knows your every trouble.  We have to trust Him.  We have to know in our hearts and minds that He knows what we are going through and that He will take care of us.

Psa 37:3, 5

3  Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.

5  Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

Psa 115:11  Ye that fear the LORD, trust in the LORD: he is their help and their shield.

Psa 118:8  It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.

Psa 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Prov 29:25  The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe.

Don’t be misled into doing what you or others think is right.  Be patient and wait upon the Lord.  Do what He wants.  If you try to solve things yourself, you may go down the wrong path.  His ways may not always make sense to us, but we also don’t know the big picture.  We can’t see the future.  God can.  Remember, He is in charge.

Prov 3:5-6

5  Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

6  In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Prov 16:25  There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

Psa 27:14  Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.

Prov 20:22  Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the LORD, and he shall save thee.

The Power of Prayer

So, we see that God is the one in charge.  He will help us in times of trouble, but we have to ask.  How do we ask?  We pray.

Psa 50:15  And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.

Psa 86:5-7

5  For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.

6  Give ear, O LORD, unto my prayer; and attend to the voice of my supplications.

7  In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for thou wilt answer me.

Heb 4:14-16

14  Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.

15  For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

16  Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

These last few verses can be a little wordy and confusing.  However, they are saying that Jesus is our great high priest, talking to God on our behalf.  It also says He knows our problems and feels our pain.  If we would just call upon the Lord for help, we may obtain mercy and grace in our time of need.

Prayer is powerful, and God is always faithful to answer.  Some people do not believe this.  They say that if God always answers prayer, then why didn’t I get this?  Or why didn’t he do that?  God always answers prayer.  However, sometimes that answer is “no”.  We don’t always get the answer we want.  But the key to prayer is to pray according to what His word says about our situation.

Sometimes we are like little children, asking for the wrong things.  Sometimes we ask at the wrong time or for the wrong reasons.  In those times, we should be told no, just like we sometimes have to tell our children no.  We don’t always know what is best for us.  God does.

Furthermore, you have to pray for the right reasons.  Sometimes we ask out of fear, not out of faith.  We don’t truly believe God will help us.  We just pray because we don’t know what else to do.  We are so afraid that praying is just a knee-jerk reaction.  When you pray, you must do it out of true faith and belief that God is powerful enough to help and to do what is right for you.  God wants to be first in our lives, not a safety net of last resort.

Prov 1:27-30

27 When your terror comes like a storm, And your destruction comes like a whirlwind, When distress and anguish come upon you.
28 “Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me.
29 Because they hated knowledge And did not choose the fear of the LORD,
30 They would have none of my counsel And despised my every rebuke.

Psa 145:17-20

17 The LORD is righteous in all His ways, Gracious in all His works.
18 The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth.
19 He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them.
20 The LORD preserves all who love Him, But all the wicked He will destroy.

Jer 29:11-13

11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
12 Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.
13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.

Trust in the Bible

Trusting the Bible can help us during crises.  Many people complain that these are such different times compared to when the Bible was written.  It doesn’t matter.  God tells us that the Word never changes.  We can trust the Scripture to always be consistent and dependable.  The help and guidance offered in the Bible is just as applicable to our lives today as it has always been.

John 1:1  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Mal 3:6  For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.

Psa 102:11-12

11  My days are like a shadow that declineth; and I am withered like grass.

12  But thou, O LORD, shalt endure for ever; and thy remembrance unto all generations.

Psa 102:26-27

26  They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed:

27  But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end.

Mat 24:35  Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

Isa 40:8  The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.

Therefore, when we face a crisis, we are to study the Bible.  Its words are God’s words and inspiration.  It’s His instruction booklet.  Learn what God wants you to do.  Read its verses for guidance and advice on how to deal with your troubles.  Search its pages for peace and comfort.

Trust in Eternal Life

Remember that God offers eternal life in Heaven.  If you are saved, you must trust in that salvation.  After all, what are a few years of trouble here on Earth compared to an eternity of never-ending happiness in Heaven?  Once you see it from this perspective, the problems of this life don’t seem so unsurmountable.

Of course, that’s easier said than done when you are in the throes of a huge crisis.  I know.  I’ve been there.  Sometimes you get so low that it’s almost impossible to see the light at the end of the tunnel.  However, try to always remember that God promises our troubles in this life will end.

In 2 Corinthians 4:17, the Bible says that, “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.”  There are numerous other passages I could recite that all echo this same sentiment.  God promises if we’re patient here on Earth, he will give us a great, eternal reward in Heaven.

Also, trust that once you are saved, it can never be taken away from you.  It is a done deal.  You do not have to hope that if you live a good life you might, at some point, receive eternal life.  It’s already happened.  You are saved for all time and are a protected child of God.  When you are going through hard times, knowing that you are going to Heaven no matter what offers an indescribable sense of peace.  You already know you won the game.

Trust in the Holy Spirit

God also promises peace through a great Comforter known as the Holy Spirit.  He doesn’t expect us to suffer alone and defenseless.  The Holy Spirit not only consoles us and gives us peace when we need it most, but also reminds us of the joy and hope we can have if we look to God – even during hard times.

We are provided all of those things we need in times of trouble.

John 14:16,18

16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

John 14:26-27

26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Gal 5:22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

This same Spirit not only helps with our problems, but also helps us to talk to God.  We’re not perfect and all-knowing.  We don’t always know exactly how to pray or exactly what to ask for.  We don’t even always know exactly what it is we want or need.  The Holy Spirit helps with these shortcomings.

Rom 8:26-27

26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

And This Too Shall Pass

Last, but certainly not least, God will not give us more than our soul can take. He promises us this in the Bible.

1 Cor 10:13  There is no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that you may be able to bear it.

We will be able to spiritually bear whatever may befall us.  It is a given that we will face troubles in our lives.  However, God gives us the tools to face any crisis.  Trust in the power of God and His promise of eternal life.  Read and trust the Bible.  Know that prayer is a powerful tool as long as you use it properly.  Also know that God knows our limits and provides us comfort so that we don’t have to endure it alone.

~ Written by Aundrea Richardson

Living By Faith – free eBook Faithworks Centre, Prince Edward Island is a church where people from all walks of life join to grow in faith. It’s not easy to live a life of faith in today’s fast-paced world. That’s why we’ve created a 17-page, 3-part guide to Living By Faith. Learn about how to strengthen your faith, follow Jesus’ command to love and serve others, and understand how love casts out fear. Get your free guide by just entering your email address below!