When Trouble Comes Calling
(Bible verses to help in various areas of life)
The Bible is our roadmap for living and it can perform “spiritual surgery” in our life! Read it when you are having trouble and need guidance.
God’s word provides a “push” for us to overcome physical, emotional, relational, behavioral, and spiritual problems that depress us or fill us with anxiety.
Under any circumstance, Philippians 4:8-9 is very important in the middle of a crisis. It says:
“Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”
This tells us we can rely on our roadmap (the Bible) for guidance in all areas of life.
Biblical Guidance for:
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Upset |
John 14 |
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Struggling with Loss/Death |
Revelation 21:4, Psalm 34:18, Psalm 147:3 |
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Weak |
Psalm 18:1-29 |
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Lonely |
Psalm 23 |
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Sinned |
Psalm 51 |
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Worried |
Matthew 8:19-31 |
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Struggling Financially |
1 Timothy 6:7-10 |
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Anxious |
Philippians 4:4-9 |
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Unhappy |
Colossians 3:12-17 |
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In Danger |
Psalm 91, Psalm 56 |
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Depressed |
Psalm 27 |
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Discouraged with work |
Psalm 126 |
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Lack of Faith |
Exodus 14 |
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Need Courage |
Joshua 1 |
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Need Direction |
Psalm 73:21-26 |
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Seeking Peace |
Matthew 11:25-30 |
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Leaving on a Trip |
Psalm 121 |
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Problems |
Psalm 4:1-8 |
UPSET
John 14 covers 3 ways of being comforted during life’s upsets:
1/ How Jesus comforted His Disciples
“Do not let your hearts be troubled; if you believe in God, believe also in me.” (John 14:1). Jesus tells us in John 14:2 that he goes to His Father’s house (Heaven) to prepare a place for you, as He did for His Disciples. They were comforted knowing their salvation was secure and Jesus would make all things right in the end.
2/ Jesus as the way to the Father
Jesus said in John 14:6 “I am the way and the truth and the life – No one comes to the Father except through me.” This confirms Jesus is, in fact, the Savior of the world! Christianity is the right path to eternal salvation and life with Him. This gives us faith as Christians that we are saved because we follow the correct God of the Universe—the only one who lived a sinless life, was unfairly judged, crucified, and rose from the dead. The resurrection was proof that Jesus IS the son of God. This comforts us in times of upset because Jesus understands our problems and upsets. Pray to Him and tell Him what is on your mind.
3/ Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit
Jesus said in John 14:15-17 “If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another advocate (the Holy Spirit) to help you and be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you know Him, for He lives with you and will be in you.” Keeping God’s commandments is the way to let the Holy Spirit dwell within you. This is very helpful in times of upset—go to John 14 in the Bible, which is your roadmap for living, and see what Jesus has to say about your upset.
When we face trouble, wemay think that, if only Jesus were here with us in person, that we could talk face to face with Him and get through our trials. We think we could trust Him more if He were here in the flesh.
We can be comforted by 2 facts:
· 1/ Jesus has done everything that needs to be done for us as children of God
· 2/ The Holy Spirit lives in us to help us.
Yield yourself to His leading. When we rest in the salvation that Jesus provided and we rely on the Holy Spirit to help us navigate the dangerous world around us, we can keep from being troubled in our minds and hearts.
STRUGGLING WITH LOSS/DEATH
Death always catches us off-guard. It is so deeply personal and stunningly final, nothing can emotionally prepare us for its arrival. With every death, there is loss and grief.
Grief is a painful season but a necessary part of our healing. Our grief has purpose when we use Bible verses and prayer for healing. The grief process can be the most difficult time for people. Give yourself space and time and don’t lose hope.
3 verses for finding comfort in Jesus when facing loss through death:
· Revelation 21:4 – He will wipe every tear from their eyes
· Psalm 34:18 – The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit
· Psalm 147:3 – He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds
When we grieve, we transform. There is hope and strength in God (Philippians 4:13). If we embrace Christianity, we can see our loved ones again (John 16:22).
WEAKNESS
Psalm 18: 1-29 helps us understand weakness and how to stay strong:
· 1/ Consider the Lord your rock and strength when you are overwhelmed by people or situations.
· 2/ The Lord saves us from our enemies.
· 3/ He hears our cries for help.
· 4/ He scatters the enemy, draws us out of deep waters, and takes us in His loving arms.
· 5/ He rescues us and delights in us because He loves us and we love Him.
· 6/ He helps us according to our righteousness and rewards those who are blameless.
· 7/ Let us not be guilty of turning away from God by living sinful lives.
· 8/ He is faithful to His followers and devious to the shrewd.
· 9/ He turns our darkness into light.
· 10/ With His help we can overcome!
If we depend upon our own wisdom and strength to defeat our enemies, we will fail, but if we depend on the Lord for victory, we will succeed. King David committed himself to the praise and worship of the Lord because he remembered times when God rescued him.
· Think of times when things turned around for you, and consider it could be God guiding and helping you like He helped David.
David also credited God with rewarding his obedience (God made him a powerful and successful military leader).
· Are there areas in your life where you felt weak and then God assisted you in some way?
Commit to God and watch your life change. Prayer can be a powerful tool in overcoming weakness.
LONELINESS
Loneliness is natural—we all experience it. Psalm 23 is a psalm of King David and is comfort to all who are lonely, knowing God is always with us! David honors God as his shepherd and he sees Him as the One who can lead him in the right direction in life with joy, hope, justice, guidance, and comfort.
The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
He leads me beside quiet waters,
He refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths for His name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil,
For you are with me;
Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies,
You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life.
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
The psalms are a unique way to pray. They are the Word of God, directed to God. So when we pray them, we are like little children being guided by a parent. We can develop a deeper relationship with God by turning to the psalms. They help us understand how God is speaking to us.
Active steps you can take:
· 1/ Acknowledge your feelings of loneliness (be honest)
· 2/ Make an attempt to conquer loneliness
o Look at the past year and consider what has happened to cause your loneliness (is it related to your self-image or any selfishness?)
o Reach out to other people and be a friend (friendship is essential to our well-being)
o Try meeting the needs of others (it will give you a boost!)
o Make friends at church (you need the church and they need you)
· 3/ Cultivate your relationship with God (pray, read the Bible, ask God for forgiveness and to guide your life)
Pursue God through His word to avoid allowing loneliness to take over every part of your life. The combination of pursuing God and finding friends will keep loneliness at bay.
SIN
Psalm 51 is also a psalm of King David, expressing regret at his sin with Bathsheba and the killing of her husband so that David could have her. It is a plea for mercy and forgiveness:
· 1/ He asks for mercy according to God’s unfailing love.
· 2/ He asks God to blot out his transgressions and to cleanse him of his sin.
· 3/ He acknowledges he has sinned against the mighty God and he knows God will justly judge him.
· 4/ He then asks God to give him a pure heart and to renew a steadfast spirit of obedience within him.
· 5/ He requests that God restore him with the joy of His salvation and a willing spirit to sustain himself for the remainder of his life.
· 6/ He promises to teach other transgressors about God’s ways (commandments) so that other sinners will seek Him.
· 7/ He gives testimony to his sin and wrongdoing, acknowledging God owes him nothing, and decrees that his spirit is broken and his heart is broken and contrite.
· 8/ His offering to God is to restore Zion and to build up the walls of Jerusalem so that God may receive sacrifices of the sinful.
Everyone sins every day of their life. And of course David knows, just as we know, that we cannot ever repay what has been done for us through the death of Jesus on the cross. We have all been bought at a price.
David is on the right track in begging for mercy and forgiveness. Today, we ask God for these same things when we sin, because we cannot pay our debt. God and His word never change, and seeking Him for forgiveness is something we should continually do in gratitude for all He has done for us.
WORRY
Matthew 8:19-31 – Jesus performs miracles and in doing so alleviates the worry of the bystanders/witnesses in two scenarios:
· 1/ He is in a boat, awakened by worried disciples about a storm. He then calms the storm with a single command.
· 2/ He casts demons out of two violently possessed men, in front of worried bystanders. They all realize that a miracle has just taken place.
Jesus performed miracles to help worried people but also to prove who He was.
He asks us not to worry. He wants us to give our burden to Him and to be confident that He will handle situations on our behalf. Prayer during times of worry can be very comforting.
STRUGGLING FINANCIALLY
· 1 Timothy 6:7-10 explains:
o Thank God for what you do have – know that everything comes from God; have gratitude for your current financial position, whatever that may be.
o Recognize the dangers of materialism – you can spend too quickly, which leads to financial ruin and too much independence from God.
o Remember the temporary nature of money – we enter and leave this world with nothing.
· Additional helpful verses:
o Matthew 6:31-32 – don’t worry
o Philippians 4:6 – don’t be anxious
o Proverbs 10:15 – use money, but don’t trust in it for contentment
o Matthew 7:9-11 – Find solace in God, who gives us good things
o Isaiah 41:10 – don’t be dismayed; He will strengthen you and uphold you with His righteousness.
ANXIETY
Is there a cure for worry, stress and anxiety? The Apostle Paul says “be anxious for nothing.”
Our world is changing quickly and provides a lot of bad news to us each and every day. We can learn to cope with the fears that result from bad news overload.
In times of trouble, our faith can and will sustain us. We can live in peace when we have a close relationship with Jesus.
Philippians 4:4-9 tells us to always rejoice in the Lord, which will bring peace into our lives because the Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. The peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds. Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard or seen in Jesus, put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
What you can do:
· 1/ Get rid of any known sin in your life. Ask God to forgive it. Begin new behaviors.
· 2/ Remove unnecessary fear in your life. If you fear illness, see a doctor. If you fear an IRS audit, get your taxes done right and on time. Don’t procrastinate.
· 3/ Give your fears up to God. Manage your thoughts and pray daily.
· 4/ Reflect on God’s faithfulness and blessings in your life. Be grateful and focus on your blessings rather than your fears.
· 5/ Strengthen your faith. Pray persistently, think truthfully, and live obediently. Meditate on good things. The God of peace will be with you and you will watch your anxiety subside. God loves you. Talk to Him and ask Him for what you need!
· 6/ Improve decision-making. Don’t allow yourself to make decisions you will regret when you are under the influence of anxiety.
UNHAPPINESS
Colossians 3:12-17 – These verses offer wisdom to combat unhappiness:
· 1/ Use compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience in bearing with one another.
· 2/ If you have a grievance against someone, forgive as the Lord forgave you.
· 3/ Love is the most important virtue, which binds people together in perfect unity.
· 4/ Let God’s peace rule in your heart – every person is called to peace.
· 5/ Be thankful to God through Jesus Christ.
· 6/ Teach and admonish one another with wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.
· 7/ All words and behaviors should be for the sole purpose of praising God’s goodness and worshipping His holy nature.
Sin brings unhappiness. The power of temptation makes you think you will be happier during or after the sin. Attitudes like anger and jealousy make a person hostile to everyone, including God. Jesus asks us to fight unhappiness and sin by trusting Him. It’s actually a fight of faith. John 6:35 tells us our thirst for joy and meaning in life are satisfied by the promises of Christ. With Him, the power of sin is broken. And then peace and happiness follow.
Desire what God says because He is good.
IF YOU ARE IN DANGER
Psalm 91 teaches us to rely on Jesus as our Savior:
· The person who trusts in God will be genuinely safe and will find security in God. The psalm promises protection.
· There is no possible danger that can threaten the security of a trusting believer.
· It’s a remarkable picture of total protection and final victory – all given to the one who trusts in God.
· In a world of danger, a promise of total safety is being made in this psalm.
· Because Jesus suffered immensely, how can we count on the promise of safety? Jesus experienced suffering in order to gain salvation on our behalf, so all who follow and trust Jesus will be saved from eternal death.
· This promise is not for total security and prosperity in this life—it wasn’t that way for Jesus and it doesn’t mean that for us. We are not guaranteed freedom from pain, illness or suffering in this life. But in the final analysis, we are genuinely safe and can count on a final rescue from danger. When we die, we will be eternally safe.
· So we must face risks sensibly, with both courage and calm, in prayer, and being practical. Knowing we have eternal security helps us live wisely now, in the midst of a dangerous world.
Psalm 56 may offer additional comfort. Life gets complicated when people let us down or hurt us intentionally.
· If you are worried about what might happen next or afraid of what people will say or do, know that God is gracious, merciful, loving, and kind.
· God wants to hear from you, so pray with a true heart and be faithful and steady.
DEPRESSION
Depression cannot be covered with a Band-aid. There are tangible physical reasons for mental health struggles. But we can use scripture as a resource for wisdom and hope in this area.
· 1/ We have hope in God – He encourages us to “call upon Him in the day of trouble.”
· 2/ We have joy in salvation – We live in a fallen world, one in which good things may come to an end. When Jesus returns, the tragic dimensions of this life end.
· 3/ We should show active love for God and others. When we love God, ourselves, and others, we fulfill God’s prescription for depression.
o When we begin to love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength, we find true hope in God and we demonstrate love to others and ultimately to Him.
Psalm 27 says:
· I fear no one, knowing the Lord is my light and my salvation.
· The Lord is the stronghold of my life.
· My enemies and my foes will stumble and fall. My heart will not fear and I will be confident in the face of adversity.
· I will always seek Him in His temple so that He will keep me safe.
· I will be exalted, with shouts of joy, and songs to the Lord.
· The Lord will receive me and lead me in a straight path.
· I will see the goodness of the Lord and remain confident.
· I will be strong and wait for the Lord.
DISCOURAGED WITH WORK
Psalm 126 is a powerful message of hope and tells us that times of trouble will not last.
Take comfort—your time of sowing will end and comfort will come. We were made to work and to find joy in all that we do.
· Verses 1-3 encourage us to think about how God has helped us in the past.
· Verses 4-6 are about trusting God to help us again, like He has in the past. Commit to the Lord and do good work during your trials. Prove to yourself that you can commit to both your job and God.
Actions you can take:
· 1/ Find encouragement in your family – and if you have a dysfunctional family, find encouragement in your church family or your network of friends. Any of these groups provide a safe place and unconditional love.
· 2/ Remember that God is on your side –Our problems compared to God’s greatness need to be put into perspective. We must do the work God has given us to do. Start the work now—don’t wait for discouragement to enter your life.
· 3/ Always do the right thing – try not to act on your feelings, because this can delay your action in doing right. We cannot “feel” ourselves into action. When you do right, you will start to feel right (Genesis 4:6).
· 4/ Enlist the help of others – never try to fight your battles alone. Isolated people are defeated (Ecclesiastes 4:12 tells us 2 are better than 1, and 3 are better than 2).
· 5/ Serve another person in need – we can encourage others even if we don’t feel qualified to do so. It doesn’t cost us anything. We also need to consider that in life, everyone has rough times and needs encouragement sometimes.
If we understand the spiritual progression of events, trials come before blessings and although difficult, our victory is certain. Struggles are preludes to a new season of blessings.
LACK OF FAITH
Exodus 14 tells the story of Moses parting the red sea so that the Israelites could escape from the Egyptians. It took great faith for them to follow Moses and then to cross the sea when it was parted, not knowing how long Moses could keep it parted for their safe crossing.
Exodus 14 also tells us that God displayed His power to the Israelites when the Egyptians were waging war on them, and the Israelites learned the meaning of faith when their lives were protected:
· Do not be afraid; stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still. (Exodus 14: 13-14)
· As the Egyptians chased the Israelites while waging war on them, Moses followed the instructions of the Lord and the red sea parted, so that the Israelites could cross; then as the Egyptians tried to cross, and knowing God was on the side of the Israelites, the sea flooded over and drowned the Egyptians.
· When the Israelites saw the mighty hand of the Lord displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and put their trust in Him and in Moses, his servant.
Know that the Lord will fight for you. The place of desperation can become for us the place of dependence on Him. It is that place that we come to where we can see absolutely no way out, and then in utter desperation we cast ourselves totally upon Jesus. And He knows when to look for us (he will never force us; we come to Him of our own free will).
· Psalm 55:22 – “cast your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.”
3 Practical ways to deal with doubts:
· Don’t deny your doubts – acknowledge them
o Secret fear that our doubts are bigger than God’s answers – God is big enough! Philosophies come and go but God’s word stands forever (Isaiah 48).
o God still believes in you even if you don’t believe in Him.
· Don’t dread your doubts - analyze them
o We fear our doubts will destroy our faith. Do you have questions? Unanswered prayer? Suffering? Disobedience in your life?
· Don’t disguise your doubts – articulate them
o Thomas verbalized exactly what he needed – doubt grows in the darkness.
o Find someone in your life to encourage and mentor you like Paul, Timothy, and Barnabus did in their time.
o When doubting, go to a mature Christian rather than a new Christian you are mentoring.
o Go to God with your questions – Turn your doubts into questions, then questions into prayers, then turn them to God.
NEED FOR COURAGE
· Joshua 1 explains to us to be strong and courageous, for God is with you.
· Without risk, there is no need for courage.
· After Moses died, Joshua needed strength and encouragement as the new leader of Israel.
You can move from fear and discouragement to courage:
· Determine obstacles and the effort needed by you to change the situation.
o Don’t let fear and discouragement replace God’s spirit resting on you or living within you.
o Fear and discouragement can have us struggling to take even the smallest action to fulfill God’s hopes and dreams for our lives.
o God is available and offers to remove obstacles so you can experience faith rather than fear.
· Consider the power of God and how He can enable you.
o Faith is the antidote to fear.
o Having a conviction on what you should do creates confidence as well as an action plan. At God’s direction, Adam and Eve cultivated their garden, Noah built the ark, Rahab risked her life hiding spies, and the Israelites strategized to fight for their land.
· Planning is not unbiblical
o It allows us to have confidence in how to move forward.
o It allows us to be able to focus on God’s presence and direction.
o It allows us to be diligent in executing our plan.
o It allows us to seek encouragement from others.
· Encouragement is empowering!
o We should be both willing to accept and willing to give encouragement to others.
o Both fear and faith are contagious – with encouragement, you can choose faith over fear.
How did Joshua succeed Moses as leader of the Israelites?
· God told Joshua that as with Moses, He would never leave or forsake Him. This gave Joshua the strength to carry on.
· God told Joshua to be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them.
· Additionally, God told Joshua to “be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it so that you may be successful wherever you go. Meditate on the law day and night—then you will be prosperous and successful. Do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
o Joshua followed this instruction and the people allowed him to lead them, correctly believing that Joshua followed God’s instruction as Moses had.
o Joshua was encouraged when the Israelite people told Joshua him they would defend him.
This is a clear vision of God’s instruction for courage for all of us. Pray for courage and God will answer your prayers.
NEED FOR DIRECTION
Psalm 73:21-26 says that when we make the Lord our sovereign refuge, we are closer to Him than ever before. God calls us to find our satisfaction in Him. So we evaluate our desires so that we can focus on our only lasting treasure (God Himself).
When it seems evil is prevailing, remember the guidance provided in this psalm for when your life is not on track:
· God is good to those who are pure in heart and innocent.
· Do not envy the arrogant; their lives seem perfect but they clothe themselves with violence, with callous hearts, and with no limitations.
o They speak with malice, and with arrogance they threaten oppression. They are not godly people and keep amassing wealth.
o We understand we cannot be like the arrogant and have salvation; there are levels of wickedness in this attitude and lifestyle.
· God finds it deeply troubling when people don’t know Him and rely on their own self-sufficiency to gather money and increase their arrogance. God places them on slippery ground.
· God views us this way when our hearts are grieved, our spirits embittered, and we seem senseless and ignorant.
· Yet He is always with us; he holds our hands and guides us with His counsel. Afterward He will take us into glory.
· We have no one on earth besides God and we desire nothing but God.
· Our heart and flesh may fail, but God is our strength.
SEEKING PEACE
When we’re empty inside, the culture tells us we need “more.” We need to do more, go more, and be more. But Jesus says something different.
The antidote to our overloaded soul isn’t time management or philosophies about finding peace. The antidote is a person. That person is Jesus Christ.
Matthew 11:25-30 explains the strong bond between the Father and the Son (God and Jesus) and how they together bring peace to humanity.
· He will give rest to the weary and burdened.
· Take His yoke upon yourselves and learn from Him; He is gentle and humble in heart.
· In this way, you will find rest for your souls, because His yoke is easy and His burden is light.
3 ways to find God’s peace:
· 1/ Come to Jesus every day. Bring all your problems and hurts to Him.
· 2/ Connect with Jesus so He can help carry your burden. He wants to share it with you.
· 3/ Let Jesus change you. He wants you to learn from Him. He will change you in the process. He wants to make all of us more humble and gentle. It isn’t really about endurance and stamina. God knows humility and gentleness are the antidotes to arrogance and aggression. Allow Him to change you.
LEAVING ON A TRIP
Psalm 121 explains how God watches over us.
· My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of Heaven and Earth, as I lift my eyes to the mountains.
· He will not slumber as He watches over you; He does not slumber as He watches over Israel.
· The sun will not harm you by day nor the moon by night.
· The Lord will keep you from all harm and He will watch over your life.
· The Lord will watch over your coming and going, both now and forever.
PROBLEMS
Psalm 4:1-8 tells us we can find calm, safety, and security in the Lord.
· Psalm 4:1-7 says that we can find relief in a righteous God, a God that will hear and answer our prayers and give us relief from our distress.
· Psalm 4:8 - In exchange we depart from our sin, seek righteousness in our own hearts and lives, and let the light of God shine in our new behaviors. This is how we find true joy in life, despite any problems we may be facing.
Trust in Him for everything, pray for everything you need, and be grateful for everything that you have in your life.
God can help you!
The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.
Isaiah 40:8
Resources
Desiringgod.org
Crosswalk.com
PastorRick.com
BibleStudyTools.com
Biblegateway.com
Christianity.com
BibleRef.com
Lordsguidance.com
Gotquestions.org
Ptv.org