Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Bible Instructions on Facing Troublesome Times



How to Face the Future in Times Like These
Barbara Henderson

It is a dark and stormy night in America and in the entire world.  Evil is called good, and good is called evil. Families are dissolving right before our eyes.  Financial structures are wobbly at best.  There are rumors that the food supply is growing increasingly limited.  Water is not even guaranteed in the land of the free and the home of the brave.  And hard work gets you less and less.  The global threat of terror is spreading to the United States.  Godless individuals attack innocent people based on religion and race. The world is going downhill at an alarming rate. It would be cause for great despair except for the Bible.  Because of the Bible we have a somewhat detailed explanation of what to expect.  Best of all, Christians know the final outcome.  The meek shall inherit the earth and delight themselves in the abundance of peace.  We can’t know the exact details of our personal path ahead or even the details of the evil that will come to pass before we depart this earth.  But, we do have instructions on how to live our lives, and we know the final outcome.

Psalm 37 is the Psalm by which can successfully pattern our thoughts and our lives.  The entire chapter is at the end of this article.  Let’s start by looking at verses one and two.
Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.
For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.’

‘Fret not’ means don’t worry. ‘Exactly how does one not worry?’ you may wonder.  The formula for skipping worry as a part of your daily life is fairly simple.  You determine not to worry to begin with.  The next step is to fill your mind with the good things of God.  Remember the story from the New Testament where Jesus cast out the demon.  The demon found no place of rest, so he returned to the man who was his home to begin with.  He did not return alone.  He took more of devils with him, so the man was worse off than before the demon had been cast out to begin with. The reason the demon and his cohorts were able to come back was that the man had swept the place clean but left it empty.  He had not filled his mind and heart with anything good so evil was able to return.

In order to stop worrying on a constant basis you have to put good things in your thoughts.  The things are continually and totally good are the teachings of Christ.  All of your daily blessings are worthy of thankfulness to God, but thinking on the good things of God that do not seem directly related to you at the moment is going to bless you.  So first, you determine that you will not fret or worry.  Don’t fret about evildoers.  Don’t be envious against the workers of iniquity.  To me that means don’t be ‘jealous’ of their seeming success.  Whatever the wickedness of others happens to be at the moment, their victory is temporary.  Their end is clearly foretold here.  They are going to get run over by the lawn mower, or something sort of like that. 

In determining to think on the things of Christ you will face the usual three enemies.  The first enemy is yourself.  We all must fight our sin nature all the time.  The second enemy is the devil and his demons.  They are real.  They hate you. They want to destroy you.  The third enemy is the world, or more exactly the world system. The world system is corrupt at its very best.  You have to consistently fight against becoming fonder of the things of the world than you are of the things of Christ.  There isn’t any way out of this world except death or the rapture.  So, yes, we do have to live in it.  We do not have to assimilate into the population of the world.  Do the things Christ says to do and you will not fit into the world today. 

Then Psalm 37 moves on to how to live and prosper in this world.
Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.’

This is the three step program that transforms lives for the better.  These three steps are complete with promises from God.

Trust in the Lord and do good is the command.  The promise is that you will live in the land and have food to eat

Delight is command number two.  Get to know the Lord better.  He is delightful.  In knowing Him better He personally puts good desires in your heart.  He gives you a calling to do things He calls good.  Your personal calling may or may not call for a big change in your life.  It may be that you are doing what God wants you to do already.  He may want you to put more effort into whatever it is that you are doing.  He may want you to put less into one area of your life and more into a different area of your life. He may give you a desire to do something totally different.   As you read and study the Bible you will find delight in the Lord.  Pleasing Him becomes worthy of your best efforts.  Don’t approach getting to know the Lord better as something unpleasant.  It is work that is delightful. Look for the Lord’s leading as you study.  Remember that God will never lead you to do anything outside the boundaries of righteous behavior that are set down in the Bible.  God never tells anyone to ‘make their mind a blank’ when they meditate. He says to meditate on His word all the time.  Follow His instructions and you will not be sorry.

Commitment is the third step in this three step program.  It is up to the Lord to bring things to pass.  You have no need to manipulate or struggle to ‘make’ things come out like you want them too.  Let the Lord bring it to pass. If you struggle and bully to make things go the way you think they should go then you haven’t actually accomplished anything except sinning.

Verse seven instructs clearly that we are not to manipulate or begin to worry about the outcome of anything.
 Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.’
When you have done all you can do it is time to rest.  Rest from worry.  There may still be physical work to do.  Maybe you can manage your time, efforts, and money better.  Of course you need to consider these things.  But when you have done all that is possible in the situation you are not responsible for the actual outcome.  That battle belongs to the Lord.  If it is good for His glory you may see a victory today.  If God chooses to be merciful to sinners, then that is His business.  You can always trust God to do what is right. 

While you are resting in the Lord evil will try to overcome your peace.  These verses tell you what to expect, how to handle the stress, and the ultimate outcome.
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.
For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.
10 For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.
11 But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.’

Personally, I am watching the global scene.  I have to admit that sheer stupidity and wicked behavior of world leaders does make me very angry.  I know this is sin.  I don’t want to do that.  What I try to remember is that the vast majority of these people are lost people.  They are headed for hell.  They work for the devil himself, whether they acknowledge this fact or not.  I am supposed to be praying for them.  I am not supposed to hate them.  I would like all humanity to turn to Jesus and be saved from hell.  In the mean time, as we watch evil advancing around the world, we should not be cast down or fear the worst.  Ultimately we do not have the mental capacity to grasp the temporary nature of this world and the timelessness of heaven.  According to God’s word we can be at peace knowing that the wicked of this world will not always win.  Their final defeat will be permanent.  They will be finally and totally defeated on God’s time frame.  Just think.  If those living hundreds of years ago had had their wish that God end evil immediately, then you and I would have never been born.  God has a plan, and it does include the birth and lives of many people.  It appears that the end of this age will soon be here, but God is the one who knows.  In the mean time we can trust God to do what is right, to care for His children, and call the lost to repentance.

Read the rest of the Psalm at the end of this article.  The Lord repeats that He will help His children and that we have a wonderful future. He repeats that the wicked will not triumph over His goodness.  Transgressors will be cut off.  God has wonderful blessings for His children.

Let us all begin to work at following the instructions in this Psalm. 
Fret not.
Trust, delight, commit.
The wicked are facing a judgment that the children of God will never face.
The children of God are assured of a wonderful eternal future in heaven with Jesus Crist and all other believers.
We that wait on the Lord to bring about His kingdom in His time will not be ashamed.  Let us have enough mercy on the wicked to pray for them.  Evangelism is the way to have a good effect on this world now.  Tell the world that Jesus saves. Everyone will face their eternal destiny when their earthly life is over.  Believers in Jesus Christ will face a life of wonder and joy in heaven. The wicked will face an eternity without hope or joy.  Let us have enough mercy to sincerely pray for the lost. 

Remember that there really is a better world coming.  Fellow believers will meet us there.  Do your duty today and tell the world that Jesus saves.  Even better, tell your family, friends, co-workers, and everyone you meet.

‘Will the Circle be Unbroken?’

That was supposed to be the end of this article, but it seems like I must add one more thing.  Whatever we must face in the future, or whatever we are facing today, it is no worse than what some people faced in the past.  For an example of right actions under extreme conditions the Bible gives us the example of the three Hebrew brothers. They were taken from their home and placed in a pagan environment.  From the very beginning of their captivity they determined to follow God at all costs.  Eventually, the king commanded that they bow down to a golden image of him or be thrown into a fiery furnace. The brothers did not bend in their determination to serve God.  They said that God could protect them if He chose, but if God chose not to protect them – well – so what?  They still would not bow to the king, so the king had them tossed into the fire.  I know a lot of people today face dreadful tests of their faith.  Some are life threatening, and some Christians are martyred every single day for refusing to bow down to someone demanding they turn from their faith in God.  The Bible is correct when it says there is nothing new under the sun.  Evil hates good.  It will be like that until God Himself changes things.  In the meantime, Christians are to be like these Hebrew brothers.  We are to stay faithful to God.  We know that in any circumstance that God is able to deliver us if He chooses to do so. He may choose to take us directly to heaven instead of delivering us.  He may allow us to go through lengthy trials.  Our duty is to stay faithful to God no matter what the difficulties we face.  We know it may mean death or persecution.  But we also know that it might mean a miracle, which is what happened with the three Hebrew brothers. One like the Son of God walked with them in the fire and kept them safe.  This is a literal record of actual events.  However, it seems to have application to some trials that are not quite so fierce.  Sometimes it seems like we are facing a furnace of fire. Sometimes it seems like life is just too hard to continue.   Here is a song that sings of the story of the brothers, and how their faithfulness was rewarded in a mighty way.  We don’t know what God’s particular plan is four our lives, or how He will resolve our trials.  However, we can be certain that the Fourth Man in the fire will be with us through whatever trials we face.  Enjoy ‘The Fourth Man in the Fire



Psalm 37 King James Version (KJV)
 Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.
For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.
Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.
Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.
For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth.
10 For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.
11 But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
12 The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth.
13 The Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming.
14 The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as be of upright conversation.
15 Their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.
16 A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.
17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the Lord upholdeth the righteous.
18 The Lord knoweth the days of the upright: and their inheritance shall be for ever.
19 They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.
20 But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the Lord shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away.
21 The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous sheweth mercy, and giveth.
22 For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth; and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off.
23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way.
24 Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand.
25 I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.
26 He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed.
27 Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore.
28 For the Lord loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.
29 The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever.
30 The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment.
31 The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide.
32 The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him.
33 The Lord will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged.
34 Wait on the Lord, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.
35 I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree.
36 Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not: yea, I sought him, but he could not be found.
37 Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.
38 But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off.
39 But the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord: he is their strength in the time of trouble.
40 And the Lord shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him.