FInding hope in troubling times
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“Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”
Isaiah 41:10 KJV
Feeling a little scared mama? I know I have been from time to time. There is a lot to be afraid of in this day and age we live in.
- The CRT
- Covid 19
- WW III
- downward spiraling economy
- inflation
- gas prices
- security threats
- government mandates
- and so on
Everything in our world and country feels a little shaky right now. Fear and uncertainty are plaguing many people. Will we be able to afford gas for work? How long will our electricity last? Will toilet paper be a thing of the past? What about our medication and food staples? We know the Bible says in the last days that things will get worse before they get better.
A saying I say often when things are going rough, is “God still has ravens”. I love the story of Elijah’s experience with solely depending of God in 1 Kings 17. He gave a depressing message to Ahab, King of Israel- no rain for 3 years.
That meant…….
Rivers would dry up
No crops for food
cattle and herds will die
people will die
God knew Jezebel would be seeking his life, so He led Elijah out to a little brook in Cherith. There Elijah stayed for many days, and God sent ravens to feed him meat and bread.
(Could it be that the ravens swooped into Ahab’s dining hall, snatched his steak dinner, and dropped it off to Elijah? Haha!)
When the brook dried up, God led him to a widow woman who was preparing her last meal for her and son. When she agreed to prepare the meal for Elijah, God rewarded her sacrifice by always having enough oil and flour to feed her and her son until the drought was past.
We, who are on the other side of experiences of these awesome, faith in the face of fear, courageous men and women, look on in awe and admiration. When their faith falters, we are quick to voice our opinions…
WHY ARE THEY DOUBTING THE GOODNESS OF GOD?
I mean, they are only feeling the pains of thirst and starvation, experiencing Incurable diseases, and watching the awful results of countries at war…..
WHEN THE SHOE IS ON OUR FOOT, IT FEELS A LITTLE DIFFERENT, DOES IT NOT?
At times I fret when it is me that is looking at impossible situations.
And stress
and get all emotional and panicky
And try to see how I can fix the impossible
When I realize that negative thought patterns are trying to occupy my mind, I remember that there are little eyes watching me. We, sweet mama, set the emotional tone in our homes. If we feeling exuberant about the new school day, our children respond with joy and excitement. If we are sour and cross, our children also exhibit a negative mindset. If we are fretful and worrisome, our children will feel the same anxiety.
We as moms bear the responsibility to equip our children with the means to face fear, and embrace courage. But we ourselves must first tap into the powerful resources for courage:
What are they? So glad you asked!
- The Bible, which is the Word of God, is filled with powerful promises, guidance through difficulties, and many examples of those who’s lives have proven it’s credibility.
- Prayer connects us to the power of the One who controls the affairs of not only our lives, but this whole beautiful world
- Singing lifts the spirits, focusing on our minds on the hope and strength of the only One who cannot fail us!
- Christian friendships in the lives of our children and ourselves, is vital to our spiritual health. This is why communist countries don’t allow christian fellowship… there is power in numbers!
- Stories of Great Christians, such as John Bunyan, Gladys Alward, George Muller, Amy Carmicle, are great ways of building a child’s faith in God, and help them to see how they can be courageous in adversity.
Do you notice a common denominator in the heroes of the faith stories in Biblical and modern history? They are a testimony of God’s grace and ability to see His children through times of difficulty, and to teach us that when all else fails, He never will.
Hard times are GOOD for us.
WHY???? When God is all we have, we then realize that God is all we need.
Hard times have….
- Have given birth to many great revivals
- Aroused Christians from their materialistic slumber
- Awakened sinners to the shortness and uncertainty of life
- made all realize that eternity is a heartbeat away
- Stopped the church from it’s splits and squabbles
- Made mankind more thoughtful and compassionate towards one another
- Helped Christians to learn to be willing to suffer, others to save
In the midst of your fiery furnace, remember: God has not forgotten His children, that good will come out of bad, and that “good” may be in the form of spiritual things instead of the physical.
Also remember God is always readily listening to His children. Our concerns are His concerns.
“For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; Neither hath he hid his face from him; But when he cried unto him, he heard.”
Psalm 22:24 KJV
Our humanness tends to focus on our earthly needs. We know the basics needs of humanity- food, water, shelter, love. Hopefully this summer I will have some posts about teaching our children survival skills. But the spiritual necessities are of most importance, and are easy to forget and overlook during times of crisis.
WHAT CAN WE DO AS CHRISTIAN MOMS TO PROVIDE YOUNG MINDS WITH THE TOOLS FOR A FAITH AND HOPE IN A NEVER FAILING HEAVENLY FATHER?
- Memorize Scripture with your children (click here for scripture ideas!)
- Teach your children how to pray, and create a prayer journal
- Do a unit study about modern heroes of the faith
- Have a monthly Bible club with other christian families
- Memorize a hymn monthly (have them write it in cursive to practice handwriting)!
Keep encouraged mama. I know it’s hard when we have littles, but God will never, never fail you! Not now. Not tomorrow. NOT EVER!
God is our refuge and strength, a ever-present help in time of trouble.
Psalm 46:1
