Double Trouble

 Now then, stand still and see this great thing the Lord is about to do before your eyes!

– 1 Samuel 12:16

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

It’s been about 2,000 years since Jesus’ first disciples heard these great words of wisdom found in Matthew’s gospel. And aren’t they just as relevant and reassuring to his followers today? Surf the Web or turn on the TV, and just try to avoid the never-ending news coverage of COVID-19, social unrest, politics and the economy. And that’s not to mention the turmoil found in every other nation of the world. 

The point is that there’s trouble everywhere. And there’s no escape — even when your TV is off and you’ve turned away from YouTube. For some people, trouble comes in the form of a job loss or furlough. For others, it’s an illness or the prospect of major surgery. Or maybe your problem involves family or relationship issues such as a divorce or the loss of a loved one. Everyone faces trouble, and their obstacles are significant.

Under such gloomy circumstances, it’s good to know that we worship a God who’s much greater than any pandemic, economic difficulty or international dispute. Ours is a loving Creator who literally spoke the universe into existence, formed great mountain ranges with his hands and parted the seas with a breath.

“Is anything too hard for the Lord?” asks the writer of Genesis, the first book of the Bible.

Let’s take God at his Word when he tells us that through all things in life, he works for the good of those who love him and who have been called according to his purpose. We’re not immune from trouble once we turn our lives over to Jesus and become Christ-followers. But we do gain access to a Power that helps us endure any difficulty — great or small. Likewise, we also become the beneficiaries of an eternal inheritance of a magnitude that will make our current troubles fade into oblivion. The barriers and sorrows that seem so great today will become laughably insignificant tomorrow.

With that in mind, let’s consider these timeless words of assurance from Jesus:

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Trouble may be all around us, but there's no need to be anxious about it. Let’s remember that when everything seems to be falling to pieces, the truth is that the pieces are falling into place.