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Q: What can we do in our day and time when there is so much instability in our nation and the world? There are times I feel insecure and frightened because of all that is going on, from rioting to political unrest to religious bickering.

A: We read in, Isaiah 33:5-6 KJV, “The LORD is exalted; for he dwelleth on high: he hath filled Zion with judgment and righteousness. And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation: the fear of the LORD is his treasure.

When Isaiah wrote the previous, the kingdom of Judah was facing perilous times. Assyria was advancing towards them conquering kingdom after kingdom; even the northern kingdom of Israel was taken into captivity. Some in that time wanted to align with Egypt while others just wanted to give in to the Assyrians. Through Isaiah God warned the people to do neither. God reminded them that the key to their salvation was to trust in the Lord, not men. The previous verse is one of many exhortations for them to put their trust in God for he would be their stability in their times. They would need to exercise some wisdom and have knowledge of God and His desire to secure them.

Today we are removed from the days of Isaiah by thousands of years, yet the counsel given to the Hebrews by God still rings true in our present time and culture!

It is true that we face many unstable conditions today. What we should remember is that many of those conditions have been common in every age of human existence (Job 14:1). There is sickness, death, natural disaster as there has always been. Peculiar to our age there are threats of a nuclear holocaust, environmental pollution, inflation, recession, unemployment, Aids, Cancer, Heart disease. Socially, there are events involving road rage and drive-by shootings and so on. These things no doubt can bring about for some anxiety, fear, and depression. Even Christians can be affected by the current conditions in our world as many of them murmur or complain and live in a state of “despair and joylessness”.

On the other hand, many seem to not be affected by such things in life (financial crises, diseases, uncertainties). How can it be that what destroys the lives of some, never affects the joy that others find in life? It is evident that in the lives of those who seem to be less affected there is a great strength that they have found which comes from God. He is their joy and stability in life. However, we must recognize that this joy is a result of wisdom and knowledge of God’s Word. We should note that in the lives of Christians there is a great amount of strength in their knowledge of salvation. Knowing they have salvation and eternity, helps the Child of God to face death and every uncertainty that the world throws at us. 

There are many examples in the scriptures that we can gain strength from to help us better face the adverse circumstances of this life:

We can gain strength from the life of Job, who nearly lost everything in life. Yet he remained faithful to God knowing the certainty of his eternity with God. We can lean on the example of the Apostle Paul who had a strong hope regardless of the adverse condition in which he lived. Paul said, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:13 KJV). In the end wisdom and knowledge provide stability in facing life while knowledge of salvation provides stability to face death. Together they provide great amount of wealth in the lives of men. See also (Heb. 13:6, Pro. 1:7, 9:10, 14:27).

It is necessary to be accepted by God (Acts 10:34-35), however, to be accepted of God we must accept Him. For peace and comfort in times of distress seek God and His Word (Matt. 6:33). In doing so, those who genuinely love God will obey His Word including His plan for mankind’s redemption through Christ. The New Testament teaches us to believe in Jesus as the Son of God, to repent of our sins, to confess His name before men, to be baptized for the remission of sins and then to walk in the light in our daily lives (1 John 1).

(Questions/Answers is provided by Tony Hoss, minister of Centerview Church of Christ, Elizabethton.)