What do you do at crisis times? How do you respond? Thankfully as believers we can always depend on our heavenly Father, who is always gracious to lend His helping hand. A crisis time can be anything from facing persecution, financial despondency to Satan’s relentless bothering, the hatred and jealousy of men to a particular situation looming on us to overwhelm us. At times as humans we face great difficulties in life whose magnitude cannot be put in words. They are hard to overcome and some in time can seem impossible to overcome. Yet, there is no difficulty too big to solve for our Father and neither is an impossibility that can stand before Him. He turns every crisis into relief and benefit. Jesus showed this during His time on earth. “It was at this time that He went off to the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer to God” (Luke 6:12).
Jesus had just finished accomplishing a work of God. He healed a man with a withered right hand on the Sabbath. The Jews were indignant with Him, for He not only performed a work on the Sabbath, but also proved He was the Lord of it. They were making plans as to what they could do with Him. It is at this time that the Son of Man chose to seek God the Father. Jesus knew in advance their reaction to His work and since He was in the flesh with soul, He sought God. That He spent the entire night with God is evidence to the magnitude of crisis He faced. He gave everything in prayer to seek God’s counsel. God gave it to Him. He added more purpose to His work. He gave Him new dimensions and most of all, great strength and courage to do His work. When Jesus came off the mountain, He immediately appointed the twelve including the one that would betray Him. He then went on to preach the gospel while healing and curing all who came to Him. The Scripture says “for power was coming from Him and healing them all.”
Crisis times will come no matter what, but they can bring out the utmost benefit to us when handled wisely. In other words, if we follow the principle Jesus did, a crisis time will always bring a great solution, an advantage and a profit besides helping God accomplish His purpose through us. To put this in a better perspective see the words of Jesus. “…I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life’” (John 8:12). Christ is the Light. His life, words and actions are the Light. Everything He did and said are the way to freedom and life. One thing is true of any crisis. It brings darkness, emptiness and pain. On the other hand, it can be overturned. The first and foremost outcome in following Jesus to overcome any crisis is the thwarting of the sorrow causing darkness. It is then immediately replaced by the Light of life. This life is of Christ, not earthly. It comes with a certain aura that contains God’s ways, plans and thoughts that lead to freedom. They are the Light. You and I have a purpose from God and crisis times come to derail us from fulfilling it. But if we choose to seek the Father of all creation, through crisis times come great effects. The more we put before Him our concerns, impossibilities and fears the mightier He becomes toward us. David found it to be true and said, “He rode upon a cherub and flew; and He sped upon the wings of the wind” (Ps. 18:1-19).
God allows crisis times in our life and uses us to the maximum. Our thoughts and passion for Him increase through the benefits that come out of a crisis situation, since our soul yearned for His interference. He has power and control over all crisis situations. In fact, He allows only those that we can bear, those from which we can learn and rectify ourselves, those that will cause great effect for His kingdom to touch us; but He will never let a crisis destroy us. Although it must be noticed that some crisis situations can also be our doing, but even they are not without Him noticing and letting us beget them. By them also, when we turn to Him, He brings great outcomes. For His foreknowledge is too profound. Every crisis time tests us. It brings out the best and the worst from us. Our weaknesses are laid bare. Our hidden faults are known as well as being cleared of them. In a true sense it is good that crisis times appear. Though one may see it as untrue, they will come regardless. So, to know we have a heavenly Father for help is more assuring than to worry of what or if crisis falls upon us.
A crisis time will surely profit us, if it is coupled with the mind of God. The apostle Paul faced crisis times in his ministry. Yet, not once did they overwhelm him. He faced them as he was a Christian and was performing God’s work, and God always had plans for prevailing over them. Paul made more out of them than he otherwise would have. “Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, believed in the Lord with all his household, and many of the Corinthians when they heard were believing and being baptized” (Acts 18:8). It may take more time than we like to overcome a crisis owing to its degree, but we eventually do. One thing we must not neglect during that time is seeking God’s presence, help and counsel. The crisis we face appear by the purpose God appointed to us. The devil chooses them specifically for us, but the God of all wisdom walks us through them for good results. In fact, He uses our crisis to produce His desired outcome; He does whatever necessary for this. Paul said, “There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons” (1 Cor. 12:6). Each one will produce an effect through the God who empowers us.
And there are factors we must always consider, believe and acknowledge.
- We are begotten for spreading grace. “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men” (Tit. 2:11). It has appeared and is now in us for those who are in need of it. The crisis we face may foil us for some time, but it is only for grace to be received more abundantly. It is already working in those that are ministering to Christ and will also work in us through the tough times we face. Grace spreads from those whom God has chosen into those whom He wills to choose so that it works abundantly in all. This we must consider.
- God hears us. “FOR THE EYES OF THE LORD ARE TOWARD THE RIGHTEOUS, AND HIS EARS ATTEND TO THEIR PRAYER, BUT THE FACE OF THE LORD IS AGAINST THOSE WHO DO EVIL” (1 Pet. 3:12). We know that there is none righteous. Yet, He hears us. It is by our penitent prayers in faith. God does not hear the prayers of men who are not under grace and do evil. They do evil not considering that there is a God who judges. So, each time we pray surrendering ourselves to Him, He hears. This we must believe.
- We should prosper. We, as God’s children, must prosper and not the other way around. So, we must first acknowledge this: “Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers” (3 John 1:2). Unless our soul prospers, nothing concerning us will prosper. Our soul must be fed by the strength, power and counsel of God. Especially in crisis times, if we choose God’s mind, it prospers immensely.