By: Juliet Constantine

“Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour.” (John 12:27 NKJV)
 

My soul is troubled. Our world has truly changed. People have become less important. Survival of the fittest is the watchword and it’s a ‘dog eat dog’ interaction in our societies. The vulnerable are being passed, they are seen as a burden on the State, and many are ‘dumped’ like trash in ‘landfills’. Where has all the decency gone? Evil reigns without restraint. There is no respect for man or laws. Corruption is everywhere – even among Christians and Christian institutions. Chaos is the order of the day. Is any of this true about the society in which you live?

We are not alone. King David too was greatly troubled as he beheld the great distress facing him. In Psalm 6, he cried out to God to save and deliver him from his enemies: and God did. But what if God was using those distresses as chastisement? To whom would David call? Jeremiah lamented the destruction of Israel in Lamentations 2. His soul was so troubled that he imagined that his intestines were coming out of him. He saw God as the enemy of Israel who permitted their destruction. And so, he cried out to the same God who allowed it all to happen. Why? God is in the business of saving souls, of relieving oppression. Even though He permits certain things to happen, we can still go to Him for relief. His anger will not last forever.

Prior to His death, Jesus echoed the same words: “My soul is troubled.” Admitting that the reason for His coming to Earth would shortly be fulfilled; and in the festivities that surrounded Him, He was troubled. This was a happy moment, but His soul was troubled. Was it the upcoming events that troubled Him, or was it the eventual rejection of the people He came to save? What caused Jesus’ soul to be troubled? Could it be that He was troubled because His people did not sense the need of a savior?

Like Jesus, my soul is troubled about the things I see happening in my society; but more so at things that are happening among God’s people. We seem to have become so careless about our salvation and the eternal consequences of our actions that we are almost oblivious to the destruction that will fall at any time now. Holy things don’t seem holy anymore. Truths we once embraced and practiced are now being cast aside—sinful practices are being embraced. My soul is troubled as many of our bright stars are dimming and/or being put out. My soul is troubled that we continue to allow temporary things to supersede things of eternal weight. I am worried.

But the promise to us all today is: “Let not your hearts be troubled.” God has a way of fixing things that seem irreparable. He has a way of giving us peace in the midst of the storm. He assured us that the gates of hell will not prevail against His church. There’s no need to be worried over things that we cannot change. God will fix all the kinks in His church and make it a glorious church. In this time of hurricane shaking, many ‘big trees’ will be uprooted. It may seem catastrophic, but God has a plan. He is purging and refining His church. Let not your soul be troubled. Just pray. Pray that when all is over, you will remain standing on the Rock.

Eternal Father and our God, there are many things happening to cause us worry and distress. Please help us to keep our eyes on You always so that we will be fortified to stand in these perilous times. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

Copyrighted by Juliet Constantine 2014 (for “Alone With God – Finding Jesus In The Scriptures” Daily Devotional)