“Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” Jeremiah 33:3
I know better than to start my day watching or reading about the news. When I do, a myriad of emotions swirl within me ranging from anger to sadness to astonishment to fear. Even when I go to social media to see the recent pictures of my family and friends, I am bombarded by the plethora of unwanted political ads that are inserted between the pictures of my friends’ vacations and the updates from family members. Rarely do I find joy and happiness when I am “informed” regarding current events. Instead, the steady downward trend of the society upsets me greatly.
There are a few things I can do about this problem. Since isolating myself completely from the world to keep myself from being affected by the news is impractical, I have to institute parameters.
First, I must remember it is best to begin each day reading the Bible. If I want peace in my heart, God’s Word is the source. “Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.” (Psalm 119:165) The Scriptures repeatedly tell me that God is the One who bestows peace, and I can depend on that. I do not need to be afraid of what is happening in the world because God is completely in control. “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (John 14:27)
The second thing I can do is pray. Pouring out my heart’s concerns to God is not a futile effort. In today’s verse, I am told that if I pray, God will do “great and mighty things.” Things I cannot even imagine! When I read about the political and cultural climate of America, I am fearful. When I see the atrocities happening in our country and the world toward Christians, I find myself shocked speechless. I cannot comprehend the hatred and violence toward the Lord Jesus Christ, His Word, and His followers. When I see the lack of respect, kindness, and general civility toward others in every corner of the world, I am stunned in disbelief. But when fear threatens to overwhelm me, and I cannot see a light at the end of the proverbial tunnel, God tells me in Jeremiah 33:3 to pray, because when I do, He will answer and “shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.”
I must never forget that God continues to omniscient and omnipotent. No matter how bleak things appear, God is in control of them all, and He uses humanity, both good and evil, to accomplish His purpose and plan. That means that for me and other Christians, God will take care of us through all of the turmoil. Deuteronomy 31:6 says, “Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.” When the Creator of all things, my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, says He will take care of me, I can trust Him to do so, and so can you.
Lastly, I need to keep myself focused on the Lord. I can start my day with Bible reading, and I can pray, but if I immediately return my attention to the world, it becomes easy to be overwhelmed by the evil and wickedness in this world. As a Christian, I do have a responsibility to know what is happening around me. Ignoring the problems doesn’t make them go away, but I do not need to immerse myself in them continually. In fact, quite the opposite is true. I need to dwell on the things of God. Philippians 4:8 reminds me, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” How do I do this? I listen to Christian podcasts, which give me information about current events, but from a Biblical worldview and godly perspectives. I have Christian music playing in my home and car that soothes my spirit and uplifts me. I read inspiring Christian works that both challenge and motivate me. I attend church where I get to fellowship with other Christians. Even on the worldwide web, there are good Christian blogs I can follow. I have found that reading the blogs of missionaries or certain Christian writers encourages me in my walk with the Lord.
When my focus is on Jesus, the world’s problems no longer trouble me because I am filled with the peace of God that truly passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7).
Peace, peace! wonderful peace,
Coming down from the Father above,
Sweep over my spirit forever, I pray,
In fathomless billows of love.
(from “Wonderful Peace” by W.D. Cornell)
“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
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“To get nations back on their feet, we must first get down on our knees.” – Billy Graham