Matthew 24:26
You will hear of wars and rumours of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.
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.
Remember Corporal Jones in Dad's Army - a comedy program based in WW2? He was always over reacting when some shocking news arrived, saying "Don't panic, don't panic".
Yet by his hysterical behaviour he demonstrated that in fact he WAS panicking!
It looked and sounded very funny, a black humour to survive a crisis..
Yet the happenings right now are not a joke, but a hard reality for many.
Jesus' instructions are very clear. The onus is on us to "see to it" that we don't panic, get frightened or be troubled.
My question is how "practically" can we, as believers in Jesus, be calm in the face of worldwide turmoil?
If Jesus commands it, there MUST be a way to overcome and maintain our peace in troubled times
Our number one resource is God's Word:
Psalm 94:11-14 AMPC
The Lord knows the thoughts of man, that they are vain (empty and futile-only a breath). [12] Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man whom You discipline and instruct, O Lord, and teach out of Your law, [13] That You may give him power to keep himself calm in the days of adversity, until the [inevitable] pit of corruption is dug for the wicked. [14] For the Lord will not cast off nor spurn His people, neither will He abandon His heritage.
No matter how hard it gets, we still have the promise that we will not be abandoned by God.
Know the Word, soak in it, roll it around in your mind when bad news comes.
This Psalm links the power to keep calm in adversity with God instructing and disciplining us with His Law (His Way of Living and Being).
The temptation is to feed on scraps of the Word, but feast on social media and the news.
We should do the reverse: only looking at the news through the filter of God's Word.
That takes dedication, discipline and time.
I say again: "look up, be ready, Jesus is coming soon."
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