Responding to Unrest

Do you feel the weight of anxiety or uncertainty when you watch the news these days? How should we respond to unrest? Is there a biblical way to respond to unrest? In today’s episode, Jeff Cavins points to different examples in scripture and reminds us that the Bible is rich in ideas and rich in responses when it comes to living in difficult times.

Snippet from the Show
The same God that split the Red Sea, the same God that defeated Goliath and the Philistines with Samson, the same God that David served, is the one that we serve.

1) Our response doesn't have to do with physical power or cleverness.

“Not by our own might, or by our own power, but by His Spirit.” Zechariah 4:6

2) Our happiness and peace is not dependent on what is happening in the news, but it is found in Jesus Christ.

3) It was with 300 men and not the cleverness of Gideon, but the cleverness of God, that Gideon was victorious.

You may recall in Judges 7 how Gideon (the man of valor) was about to take on the Midianites, Amalekites, and other eastern peoples with 32,000 men. What did God say? That's too many. Twenty thousand left (Vs. 2), still too many. Three hundred left (Vs. 7). It was with 300 men and the cleverness of God that Gideon was victorious. (See Judges 7:1-7)

We need to fight in such a way that no man, group, or organization gets the credit, but God Himself gets the credit.

4) Let Judah Go Up First

The people of Israel fell prey to a cycle: Silence, sin, servitude, supplication, and salvation.

In the midst of that cycle, God speaks.

Judges 1:1-3: Who will go up first in battle? Judah.
Judges 20:18: Who will go up first in battle? Judah.

Judah: "Yehudah", which means praise, and it comes from the root word "yadah", meaning "to throw or to cast".

Psalm 79:8-9

Do not remember against us the iniquities of our forefathers;
let thy compassion come speedily to meet us,
for we are brought very low.
Help us, O God of our salvation,
for the glory of thy name;
deliver us, and forgive our sins,
for thy name’s sake!

From the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Paragraph 236:

"The Fathers of the Church distinguish between theology (theologia) and economy (oikonomia). “Theology” refers to the mystery of God’s inmost life within the Blessed Trinity and “economy” to all the works by which God reveals himself and communicates his life. Through the oikonomia the theologia is revealed to us; but conversely, the theologia illuminates the whole oikonomia. God’s works reveal who he is in himself; the mystery of his inmost being enlightens our understanding of all his works. So it is, analogously, among human persons. A person discloses himself in his actions, and the better we know a person, the better we understand his actions."

2 Chronicles 20:1-20

An alliance of three powerful armies had converged on the little kingdom of Judah. When news of the attack reached King Jehoshaphat, he trembled with fear. Then, in desperation, he turned his attention to God and prayed for deliverance, saturating his prayer with praise. He began extolling God as exalted and invincible (vs. 6).

Vs. 12 He admitted, “We are powerless, but our eyes are on thee.”

The next day, by faith in God and His promises, Jehoshaphat’s army marched to the battlefield in an unusual battle formation. The choir, robes, and all led the attack! And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord caused the three armies to fight among themselves until they annihilated each other. Not one enemy soldier survived.

Where is Your Discouragement?

• Don't rehearse it.
• Don't curse it.
• Don't nurse it.

---