Issues – we all have them. Problems – we seem to face them every day. Sadly, when mounting issues such as anxiety, loneliness, fear, and stress become too much for us many turn to a host of bad solutions. Some turn to drugs and alcohol, others to psychiatrists, many to false religions, and a few to even suicide to try to cope. As a Christian for almost forty years, I have found that the best and only place to go for answers to these issues is to the ”good book” – The Bible.
You see the Bible is God’s instruction manual on how we can function at peak efficiency in every area of life. Since God created and designed our complex make-up, He knows better then anyone how we can best face those difficult situations in life. You know if you have a problem with your car you need to see a mechanic. But if you have issues concerning life you need to turn to your Creator – and rest assured He has all the answers you will ever need.
My friends God loves us so much that He has left us with the ultimate answer book to every difficult situation in life – the Bible. But before we can find the solutions we are looking for we need to know God personally and intimately. And the only way we can do this is to invite Jesus into out hearts and make Him our Lord and Savior. Once we do this we can be confident that the answers to all of our problems will be revealed to us, God’s children, through the pages of the Scriptures. Since our main problem, a broken relationship with God, is now fixed through our relationship with Jesus, we can now use the Bible and its timeless wisdom to address all of life’s difficult issues.
At the start of this devotion, we mentioned four major problems that millions of Americans confront almost on a daily basis: anxiety, loneliness, fear, and stress. Fortunately, the Bible has solid answers on how to deal with these issues; that if adopted can radically improve your life. Let’s see how the Bible addresses these four major areas.
Anxiety
In order to cope with this issue, we need to turn to God and let His word calm all of our anxious thoughts. May the following verses serve as soothing medicine for the anxious heart: (Psalm 46:1): “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” (Philippians 4:6-7): “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Matthew 6:31, 33): “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”
Loneliness
We all get lonely on occasion but the good news is when Jesus is in your heart you never have to be lonely again. Just take a few minutes to meditate on these wonderful verses and watch loneliness vanish. (Psalm 27:10): “When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take care of me.” (Psalm 143:8): “Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning, for in You do I trust; cause me to know the way in which I should walk, for I lift up my soul to You.” (Hebrews 13:5): “…For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’” And of course, there is the ultimate Psalm of comfort when you feel all alone – Psalm 23.
Fear
Fear can come in many forms from fear of the unknown, to fear of death, and even fear of losing one’s job or losing one’s health. Fortunately, the Bible excels in helping us cope with all of these fears as the following verses demonstrate. (2 Timothy 1:7): “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” (Psalm 91:10): “No evil shall befall you, Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling.” (Psalm 31:24): “Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.” (Psalm 121:1-2): “I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” When you focus on Jesus and cast your cares on Him, He will give you the peace you need to face all of your fears.
Stress
The medical profession now acknowledges that stress is the number one killer of Americans today. Stress causes heart attacks, cancer, ulcers, and a host of other medical conditions. In our fast-paced and ultra-stress culture I consider the Bible our number one book for stress management. Just read the following verses and watch your stress vanish away. (Matthew 11:28): “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Psalm 9:9): “The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.” (Psalm 27:5): “For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock.” (Psalm 56:3): “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.” (Psalm 34:4): “I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.” (Philippians 4:11-13): “Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
The Bible, down through the centuries, has proven to not only be the great medicine chest for humanity, but the only book that can calm mankind’s restless soul. Cherish your Bible and Jesus – they will never let you down.
The bottom-line antidote to all of these emotions is trust. Whether stressed, lonely, fearful or anxious, the one thing that is being tested is our trust in the Lord. We know we can cope with any or all of these feelings if we can echo Job’s declaration of faith, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him” Job 13:15. There can be no doubt that Job experienced the depths of anxiety as his family and fortune were torn from him. His physical health being taken away must have caused him fear. His wife and friends turning against him in his darkest hour left him in despair and loneliness. And all together they were a daily stress that broke his spirit. It’s when he saw God as Creator that he realized that no matter what God allowed him to go through, he would trust him. Would you pass this test?
This verse in Job also conjures up the vision of Abraham kneeling over the body of his beloved son, seconds away from plunging the knife into his chest to slay him but both Father and son trusting God to provide the sacrifice.
No matter how bleak our circumstances, it’s all about trust. The next crisis you face, tell the Creator God, “I trust you no matter what.”
Are you fearful? Trust! Are you lonely? Trust! Are you anxious? Trust! Are you stressed? Trust! Do you see a pattern here?