Conversations With The Pastor Trying Times

Question:

What does the Bible say about "trying times"?

Pastor:

A passage that gives reassurance in times of anxiety, turmoil and fear is Psalms 91.

Let the Lord be your fortress and shelter. He is your refuge. Do not get paralyzed with anxiety and fear. You should not be so filled with fear and worry that it becomes your tormenter and becomes a catalyst for extreme negativity. God will see you through.

Psalm 91

1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.[a] 2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

3 Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. 4 He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. 5 You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, 6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. 7 A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. 8 You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.

9 If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling, 10 no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. 11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; 12 they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. 13 You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

14 “Because he[b] loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. 15 He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. 16 With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”

Question:

Pastor, What about all this civil unrest in the country. Do you have advice for the protestors and people concerned?

Pastor:

Yes, people feel wronged when societal injustices and political or religious differences occur. First, we must love one another as Christ loves us and as you love yourself. This is sentiment is persistent throughout scripture. As found in the scripture Mark 12:30. If you are holdfast in the sacred word of God as your foundation, then loving and respecting others is firmly marked in your spirit. In "Trying Times", when we have differences or hardships, even the most reverent may be challenged. Put your faith first.

Mark 12:30-3

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these."

(Romans 13:1–2).

Anger, especially when motivated by vengeance or spread by self-seeking rabble-rousers, is never a trustworthy guide

(James 1:20).

Those who allow themselves to be controlled by it may become foolish participants in ungodly riots.

1 John 3:17-18 (NIV)

“If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”