On March 4, 2020, my husband and I boarded a plane for an eleven-day trip to Israel. While the Coronavirus was making the news when we left, it had not become a factor within the United States. By the time our trip was over, schools and churches were going digital and the President had declared a National state of emergency. We had entered the “new normal.” The entire world has been affected from the new virus. Schools started meeting online. The unemployment rate crept up as people remained homebound. Even the best doctors, scientists, and economists could not predict what might happen in the future.
This has me asking: as we turn to our faith and look to Scripture, does God make any promises through His Word that everything will be alright?
A Time of Uncertainty in Scripture
The night before Jesus was crucified, he offered words of encouragement to his disciples. The atmosphere was one of uncertainty and fear. Jesus knew his upcoming fate. He had disclosed his impending persecution and death to his followers. Several days before, His followers expected Jesus to come into Jerusalem to inaugurate His Messianic rule. Now He was telling them that a picturesque future was not what God ordained. Even so, in John 14-16, Jesus left His disciples with several key truths:
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1. There is Purpose in Pain.
Jesus first declared to His disciples that they would experience pain in the days to come. Judas will betray Jesus and Peter will deny Christ three times. Yet, even with what was about to take place, Jesus encouraged the disciples to not let their hearts be troubled (John 14:1-2). It is by His leaving that Jesus was preparing a place for the disciples. Therefore, the cross is necessary for what is to come.
2. There is Promise in the Spirit
As Jesus’ death loomed, He did not leave His disciples empty-handed. Rather, He promised them the coming of the Holy Spirit who will advocate, help, and enable them to accomplish the work He commissioned (John 14:16-21, 26). Through the Spirit, the disciples would complete the work Christ began in them.
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3. Jesus Provides His Peace
One of the gifts Jesus left with the disciples was His peace (John 14:27-28). Peace was an attribute valued in both Roman and Jewish society. Jesus’ peace represented the eternal status men would enjoy with God. When He told them of the peace He gives them, He noted that He does not give as the world does. The temporary peace the Romans experienced only existed at the threat of war.
We can learn from the message Jesus gave to His disciples before He faced the cross. The disciples had an expectation of the Messiah that Jesus did not meet. They thought he would establish an earthly kingdom and that they would rule alongside Him as ambassadors. When Jesus predicted His death and their persecution, He foretold an ending contrary to the disciples’ expectations. But this did not mean that God was not still sovereign in His plan. Rather, the disciples were yet to understand God’s greater plan.
When we struggle in difficult seasons, we sometimes cannot see the greater picture. We might think that God has gone “off-script.” But we must trust that there is more to the story.
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The Effect of Christ on Believers Today
After Jesus’ resurrection, our status changes as believers. We no longer live according to the flesh. Rather, we live a life in the Spirit. We often underestimate our condition in Christ. Romans 8 describes the difference between life in the flesh and life in the Spirit. The former represents all that belongs to this world, including our physical bodies and sinful nature. The Spirit includes the divine power we receive through Christ.
According to Romans 8:5, those who live according to the flesh set their minds according to the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. As believers, we have a different and renewed goal in mind. For someone who is focused on this present world, their minds only see what is in this world. Their goals and achievements are measured from what the world deems worthy. When the world disappoints, oftentimes hope fades.
The life of a believer is not governed by the pattern of the world. We are led by the Spirit as children of God (Romans 8:14). It is by that Spirit that we are no longer slaves to fear. The temptation however is to live in the present moment, without regard to our spiritual condition. We forget to allow the Spirit of God to lead us when the world around us collapses. Yet, when we recognize our position in Christ, we can claim our inheritance in Him and face our fears with certainty.
Not Yet Made Perfect
Christ assured his disciples of coming sufferings. His reassurance came with the coming of the Spirit. Paul also speaks of the present sufferings of believers. Yet he contrasts them with the future glory that is to come (Romans 8:18). We can look forward to a time when God will restore all things (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 21:22-22:5). Until that time, the Spirit helps us in our weakness.
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3 Ways to Respond in Times of Suffering
Knowing that trials and difficulties will come, what are some practical ways we can look to the Spirit to help us in times of weakness.
1. Experience His Presence through God’s Word – The primary way the Spirit directs our lives is through Scripture. It is through the Bible that we learn God’s command and the character of Christ (Romans 8:29; 12:1-2). Through Scripture, the Spirit speaks life into our lives that gives us the strength to move forward in difficult times.
2. Engage in His work through the Church – Throughout the book of Acts, the Spirit moves through the Body of Christ in miraculous ways. This was not simply a time of growth for the church, it was also a time of persecution. Believers met together, prayed together, and united together for the cause of Christ and God’s Spirit empowered them to greatness. When difficulties arise, let us strive for unity so we can allow God to move within us.
3, Express your heart to God through the Spirit – When circumstances seem so bleak, words sometimes do not do justice to the longings of our hearts. God gives us the Spirit to intercede for us on our behalf (Romans 8:26-27). In these moments, intimacy with the Father does not have to be interrupted due to our limitations. Even in our deepest grief, our fellowship can remain unbroken.
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Peace through Trial and Greater Purpose
James, the brother of Jesus encouraged his readers to consider it pure joy whenever they faced trials of many kinds, because the testing of their faith eventually led to maturity (James 1:2-4). We may not receive the outcome we were expecting or hoping for, but as believers, we must realize there is a greater purpose taking place. When we recognize our identities in Christ and focus on the hope we have through the Spirit, we will understand that ultimately, everything will be alright.
Cortney Whiting is a wife and mother of two wonderfully energetic children. She received her Masters of Theology Degree from Dallas Theological Seminary. After serving in the church for nearly 15 years, Cortney currently serves as a lay-leader and writes for various Christian ministries. You can find her at her blog, Unveiled Graces.
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Originally published Friday, 22 May 2020.
