It seems like the whole world today is suffering from economic crisis. Are Christians exempted from this? If you are a Christian, and you are already affected and suffering from the economic crisis of today, do you believe that God is answering your prayers? Or would you say, what kind of a God you have that makes you suffer? Or can you still trust God?
Somehow, trusting God may be hard to fathom for the common mind. But trusting God takes a great amount of faith. Somehow, if you are really a believer in God the Almighty, this is the time by which your faith may be tested.
Allow me to go back to the Holy Bible and feature some examples how God's people have gone through the worst crisis in their lives. Were they spared? Or were they simply willing to accept their fate and put their complete trust in God?
Joseph
Do you remember Joseph the dreamer in the book of Genesis? He was hated by all of his brothers, was thrown into a well and was sold to some nomad traders by his very own brothers! The traders in turn sold him as a slave. He was bought as a slave by an Egyptian official, was falsely accused of attempted rape, and was thrown to prison were he languished for several years. But somehow, he was taken out of prison and was promoted to be a high ranking government official in Egypt and with God's leading, Jospeh spared the land of Egypt and his parents from famine.
It is quite easy to read the story from the book, but put yourself in the life of Joseph, would you think there is a God who is looking after you when you experience all the misfortunes or "bad luck" that Joseph had undergone?
Imagine being taken away from your family and to suffer as a slave? That is certainly worse than what we are undergoing today! How about being falsely accused of a crime you did not commit and to be imprisoned for several wasted years? How does it feel to be completely secluded from society? How does it feel to be in bondage and deprived of freedom? Certainly, that is worse than what we are going through today! Yet, you will not read a single line in the Holy Scriptures that Joseph blamed God for all his sufferings.
When Joseph finally met his brothers, he did not even bother to blame them for all his "misfortunes". He could have taken revenge against them, but he did not. He understood that God had a plan for him and his family. He understood that it was God's plan to send him to Egypt, as God's instrument to spare his family and the Egyptians from famine.
If God had taken cared of Joseph, God will also take care of you even in crisis.
Esther
Do you remember the story of a humble Jewish lady who was chosen to become a queen? This lady is Esther as recorded in The Book of Esther is in the Old Testament. During the time of Esther, the land of Israel was under a foreign rule under King Ahasuerus.
When Esther was chosen as a queen from among the many candidates, the King did not know that Esther was Jewish. Yet one of the high ranking government officials hated the Jewish people so much that he was prepared to annihilate all the Jews in their dominion. Gallows were already erected for the execution of the Jews!
Imagine when your life is at stake, is that worse than the economic crisis we are going through today? If you were one of the Jews during the time of Queen Esther, won't you feel the stress that you could be executed anytime soon? Would there be a possibility that you would even question the existence of God when your life is at stake?
Going back to the story of Queen Esther, God had a plan for her. God had placed Esther into a right position to plead for the safety for herself and her own people to the King. It was God's plan to promote Queen Esther to the right place and at the right time. God has a plan even indirectly for His own people!
If God had taken cared of Esther and her people, God will also take care of you even in crisis.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
These three characters are featured in the Book of Daniel in the Old Testament. These three men had become captives into the Kingdom of Babylon during the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar.
Even as captives, they remained faithful to God despite all odds that had befallen them. Yet they were also chosen to be one of the wise men in Babylon.
When the King had decided to build a huge statue of himself, he declared that everyone should bow down to the statue and worship him otherwise, those who would refuse would be thrown into a fiery furnace to be killed.
Again, just like the story of Queen Esther, the lives of these three characters were also at stake. It may be easy to read this story in the book of Daniel. But put yourself into the shoes of these three characters. Would you be willing to betray your own God just to save your own life? Is loosing your own life a major crisis or simply a minor one?
Yet, as the Bible had recorded, these Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego could not afford to betray God. In fact, they even told the King that if they be thrown into the fire, God might save them! What a faith! On the other hand, even if God would not save them, they declared that they will not worship the statue that was constructed.
To continue with the story, these three characters stood strong on their faith and did not bow down or worship the statue of King Nebuchadnezzar. Thus they, were thrown into the fiery furnace. As they were thrown into the fiery furnace, the soldiers who threw them were the once who died of the heat!
To the surprise of the King, instead of seeing three people in the fiery furnace, he saw four people who were simply walking unhurt in the fiery furnace! The fourth guy looked like the Son of God! Thus, the king called them out and came out Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego who were not burned, not even the garments that they wore.
Even with the crisis of loosing their own lives, these three figures simply trusted God. They showed strong faith in a God whom they could not even see. Could you do that too?
If God had taken cared of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, God will also take care of you even in crisis!
There are many other Biblical true to life stories that God has taken cared of His very own children. But I cannot simply feature all of them here, otherwise I will not be simply writing an article but a whole book.
Whatever your situation is today, simply trust Him, pray to Him, and serve Him, and He will take care of you. He can provide elderly care for his aging children, food for the hungry, homes for the homeless, and give love to the loveless.
You may have to undergo all the difficulties in life, but God will take care of you. And He will walk with you through all these trials. He has the power to spare you and He can spare you; but if not, be prepared and just simply accept the plan He has for you. This may not be easy, but most of God's people even in Biblical times had to undergo difficult and tragic trials in their lives too.
How Christians can be spared in crisis is simply by faith and prayer in our living God.
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VMT Singuillo is a freelance writer. Some of his subjects are about long term care, fun games, camping gear, and more.
