The Christian in the crises

"But you, my soul, rest peacefully on God ; because my waiting is in him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my high retreat : I will not be shaken." Psalm 62: 5, 6

If there is a recurring word in the news, it is that of "crises" : the media speak of financial crises, economic, ecological or social. These crises and their consequences worry as much as they fascinate. They remind us of the fragility of our environment as well as our personal fragility. They shake all areas of human life. They challenge the idea that we can control everything. But if crises bring changes and breaks, they can also be fruitful. They lead us to ask real questions : what is really essential ? Who can I count on ? How can I adapt ?

For the Christian, crises are revealing moments of his faith. This is how they experienced so many men of God in the Bible.

Let us think of Abraham going up to Moriah to sacrifice his son (Gen. 22) or Jacob, shaken in his daily life, fleeing his brother's anger and met by God at Bethel (Gen. 28) ; or to Jacob, but twenty years later, distressed at the approach of the meeting with his brother Esau (Gen. 32).

We could evoke the trauma of Joseph, sold by his brothers and become a slave in Egypt (Gen. 37), the bitter disappointment of Moses in the face of the failure of his mission (Exodus 5. 22, 23), the desperation of Elijah at the threat of Jezebel (1 Kings 19) or Jeremiah's dismay at the calamities of Jerusalem (Jeremiah 32: 17-25) ; we could still mention the worry of Joseph and Mary fleeing to Egypt with the little child Jesus in front of Herod's wrath (Matt 2:13, 14), or the pain of Paul urging the removal of the thorn ( 2 Cor 12. 8) ...

All of these and many others have had to deal with totally uncontrollable events ; but more or less quickly, their faith in God overcame these crises to carry them forward. Undoubtedly, these occasions remained strong moments in the history of their relationship with God.

Yes, periods of crises can be fruitful, when I remain assured of the faithfulness of my God. I know that with the crises it will strengthen my faith, my love, my hope.

Source (Pleasing the Lord)