2015 made “ISIS,” “radicalized,” and “terror” into all too familiar terms.
American journalist, James Foley, was one of the Westerners who was murdered by ISIS. Foley had been kidnapped while filming the war in Syria in November 2012.
“A world of troubles” was Foley’s aptly named blogsite.
A troubled world forces you to think about your future or that of your grandchildren.
What kind of future awaits them?
Where is the hope for a world of troubles?
6 Ways To Cope
1. Refuse the ostrich syndrome. Putting your head in the sand and hoping everything will be magically better when you take it out won’t work.
2. Resist the prophetic shoulder shrug. “It can’t be helped. Its the End Times and the world is going to hell.”
In 1942 Christians believed the Apocalypse was upon them because of the evil of Facism and Japanese Imperialism. The world has seen a lot of trouble since. Its still under God’s control.
3. Remember that God is sovereign. God has a purpose and a timeline for our world and each person in it – its His world. God is in the details.
“Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Yours is the dominion, O LORD, and You exalt Yourself as head over all.” (1 Chronicles 29:11)
4. Realign your confidence. Jesus said, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)
Do you trust the One who overcame the world?
“Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, ‘My purpose will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure…” (Isaiah 46:10)
5. Renew your view. When the outlook is troubling, settle yourself down and look up. Jesus told his disciples that when things looked bad, “…stand and look up because your redemption is drawing near.” (Luke 21:28)
No matter what happens around you, there can be peace within you. Jesus said,”Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you; I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27)
6. Take the initiative to bring hope. Pray – intercede for the troubled areas of the world. Give – there is and will be ongoing, concerted efforts to help.
The old time song is right – God does have “the whole world in His hands.”
I’m going to remind myself…and my grandchildren of that over and over again.
APPLICATION: Please leave a comment below.
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But GOD” ps.30: weeping may endure for a night; but joy cometh comes in the morning.
Good thought from Psalm 30.
As each manifestation of Islamic Jihad is progressively more brutal and evil than its predecessor, it’s hard to believe that the world will get better rather than worse.
Question: Does saying that God is in control not suggest that God is the cause of all the chaos in the world? Certainly God has authority and can exercise it at anytime, but I don’t believe He does. To suggest that He does, in my opinion, makes God out to be the author of evil. I’m a little uncomfortable with that.
Anything related to explaining God, evil, and terror like we fully understand, should make us all feel uncomfortable to some degree. That being said, control doesn’t equal cause. My confidence is that God gifted each of us with choice – for good or evil – and that freedom allows us to chose or reject God’s love and authority – which is the greatest freedom of all.
Keep up your good work at
http://northwoodssaveachild.blogspot.ca/
Thanks, Bob. I’ll accept that control doesn’t equal causality because you said it, but will have to mull on it for awhile. God bless.