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A Biblical Perspective for Times of Anguish & Apprehension

The world we live in today is full of division, hatred, heartbreak, and tragedy. This brings great anguish to the hearts of most people. Threats of war have unsettled many lives, and global uncertainties have left nations and households with a sense of apprehension. Saints of old experienced similar distress in their lives. They even lamented about a desire to flee to some isolated refuge where troubles could not reach them. “My heart is severely pained within me, and the terrors of death have fallen upon me. Fearfulness and trembling have come upon me, and horror has overwhelmed me. So I said, ‘Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest. Indeed, I would wander far off, and remain in the wilderness’ ” (Psalm 55:4-7). Of course, in this fallen, imperfect world, there is no location on earth that is fully secure from the perils of life.

Nevertheless, comfort, hope, and refuge are available. They are found by, remembering who God is, and desiring to respond in all things as He has instructed us.

God is Aware of Every Situation

First, in remembering who God is, it is comforting to know that He is aware of every situation. “Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God” (Luke 12:6). Whether sparrows, people, individual rulers, or vast nations are in question, God knows every situation. “Lift up your eyes on high, and see who has created these things [that is, the stars], who brings out their host by number; He calls them all by name, by the greatness of His might and the strength of His power; not one is missing” (Isaiah 40:26). Even in the midst of tragedy or impossibility beyond our understanding, we can know for sure that the Lord, who has not lost track of even one star, is aware of our plight.

God is in Control

Further, in remembering who God is, it is reassuring to know that He is in control. “The Lord has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom (that is, His sovereignty) rules over all” (Psalm 103:19). The Lord’s sovereign rule extends over everyone and everything. This includes both situations that He directly causes to occur, as well as the ones He indirectly allows to take place.

God is Wise and Understanding

From the very beginning, the Lord has always exercised His sovereignty with wisdom and understanding. “The Lord by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding He established the heavens” (Proverbs 3:19). Furthermore, the wise ways of God have a unique depth, far beyond man’s capacity to fully understand. “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways are past finding out!” (Romans 11:33). God understands everything, and He exercises unlimited wisdom in all circumstances.

God is Able to Bring Good out of Bad Situations

In light of God’s comprehensive awareness, His complete sovereignty, and His infinite wisdom, it is not surprising that He is able to bring good things out of bad situations. “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). For vulnerable and inadequate human beings, it is difficult to cause even one matter to result in a good outcome. On the other hand, God can cause every single issue of life to work in combination with every other situation, in order to guarantee that good things can result from anything!

This does not mean that everything which happens is innately good. Nor does it mean that every person automatically experiences good consequences from every issue of their lives. Yet, this does mean that for “those who love God, those who are the called according to His purpose,” God is going to bring good things out of every situation. When we are loving the Lord, when we are answering His call to seek after Him and be available to Him working in us, spiritually good consequences flow out of everything that comes into our lives. The Lord can use tragedies to cause multitudes to seek Him in earnest prayer. He can use threats of war to stir many to a renewed pursuit of the living God. He can use global uncertainties to focus lives once again upon Him as the only “hiding place” in a dangerous world.

God is Our Rock of Stability and Strength

When times change like shifting sand, when events unfold that leave us overwhelmed within, how wonderful it is to remember that God is our rock of stability and strength. “My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be moved. In God is my salvation and my glory; the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God” (Psalm 62:5-7). When we don’t know what to say or to do, we can quietly look to God alone to work. When our hope seems to diminish, we can set our expectations upon the Lord. He will be our stability. He will come to our rescue. He will be our defender. He will keep us from being blown away by impossible circumstances. He will bring His glorious grace to bear upon our situation. He will be our strength. He Himself will become the place where we find refuge and safety in the storms of life. All we must be willing to do is to cry out to Him. “Hear my cry, O God; attend to my prayer. From the end of the earth I will cry to You, when my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I” (Psalm 61:1-2).

Praying in All Things

Such prayers are examples of responding as the Lord has instructed us, for He has called us to be praying in all things. “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7). Although many things tend to provoke anxiety within us, we actually do not need to remain in worry about anything. The effective alternative is to take everything to the Lord in prayer. As we address our requests to God, He will begin to bring His peace into our present turmoil. This supernatural peace of God is beyond what our minds could ever fully understand. This peace actually builds a spiritual fortress of protection around our inner man and around our developing thoughts.

Jesus taught His disciples about this heavenly peace. “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you many have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Although troubles are guaranteed in this fallen world, peace is always available to followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is victorious over all that the world can throw at us. We can trust in Him to establish His victory in our lives.

Praying for All Men

Another response that God desires for us is to be praying for all men. “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:1-4). Any time that any person is on our minds, it is good to pray for them. This is especially true in stressful times. Every leader needs wisdom and direction daily, particularly in stressful times. Every unsaved person needs to be convicted of their lack or salvation, of which many are especially sensitive in times of stress.

Comforting Those in Any Trouble

Another response that God has for us is to be comforting those in any affliction. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). The tragedies, threats, and uncertainties that abound these days provide distinctive opportunities to bring God’s comfort to troubled souls. Our means to comforting them is to recount for them the times that the Lord comforted us. The Lord here reveals that it matters not whether our times of trouble are the same as theirs. The Lord will assure them that His comfort can prevail in their affliction, just as it did in ours.

Glorifying God in All Things

The highest response the Lord has for us is to be glorifying Him in all things. “If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever” (1 Peter 4:11). This powerful verse offers insight for all ministry, whether our basic gifts are those of speaking or of action. The application for ministering to people in stress is clear. Whether words of hope are being spoken or an act of kindness is being offered, the Lord wants both to point to the glories of His mercy and grace for needy lives.

Doing All Things in Jesus’ Name

Our last response to consider is doing all things in Jesus’ name. Most Christians know that we are to pray in Jesus’ name, addressing the Father on the basis of who Jesus is and all that Jesus has done for us. “Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you”  (John 16:23). Many of us have perhaps not noticed that we are to live every day and face every issue of life in Jesus’ name. “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” (Colossians 3:17). Thus, in all things, we are to look to the Lord Jesus Christ to be our comfort, our hope, and our refuge – working His will in and through our lives – using us to minister His love to others, especially in times of anguish and apprehension.

(This article was first published back in 2003.)