“Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken” (Psalm 55:22).
I read that on January 25, 1978, the temperature in Columbus, Ohio, was in the 40s and it was sprinkling rain. The possibility of snow the next day was mentioned on the late news, but not with any real concern. At 4:00 am, everything changed with no time to warn anyone. The ensuing storm would be called by some the “White Hurricane,” but its official name became the “Great Blizzard of 1978,” the worst in the history of the state of Ohio. Fifty-one people died. Thousands were without power. Snowfall was so heavy that it created whiteout conditions. Wind-chill factors reached 60 below zero, winds gusted more than 100 miles per hour with sustained winds at nearly 60 mph. The snow reached depths of 3 feet with drifts as high as 25 feet. People in the city and surrounding area were caught off-guard, and the entire state became frozen in place for more than three days (https://www.sermonsuite.com/free-access/caught-guard).
Friends, we open ourselves up to great suffering, when we do not prepare ourselves, as much as possible, for what is ahead of us. Sharon Cook writes about an incident that occurred at work saying, “I punched the button the counter to let someone know that I needed help at the fabric counter of the big-box store. Soon, I heard someone coming—banging and clanging. When she rounded the corner, I saw why: she had numerous tools and electronic devices attached around her waist, all bouncing against each other. When I commented on them, she replied, ‘Yes, I want to be prepared for anything. I walk across this store many times a day, and I never know exactly what I’ll need. This is a big building, and I have what I need for almost any situation’” (https://sermonillustrator.org/2022/12/25/prepared-2/). Well, if for somewhere as common as a workplace, why not for this big world in which we live, where surprises and unexpected challenges occur so often?
At the end of Jesus’ earthly ministry, knowing that He would soon go back to heaven, He expended great effort to prepare His disciples for what they would face while taking the gospel to the world. According to John 16:1-4, Jesus said, “These things I have spoken to you so that you may be kept from stumbling. They will make you outcasts from the synagogue, but an hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think that he is offering service to God. These things they will do because they have not known the Father or Me. But these things I have spoken to you, so that when their hour comes, you may remember that I told you of them. These things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you.” Beloved, the Bible is Jesus’ way of preparing us for whatever comes on this side of heaven and for what comes on the other side of heaven.
Consider several reasons for being ready for whatever comes. First, spiritual readiness is essential. God’s word tells us definitively that we will face difficult and trying situations. From James 1:2-4, we are advised, “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” So, trials and hardships are God’s way of building spiritual toughness and endurance in us. Moreover, we have to suffer the temptations of Satan aimed at causing us to sin and, thereby, weakening our faith in Christ. Remember 1 Peter 5:8, where we are warned to “be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” In addition, our own sin nature will deceive us, and lead us into sin; therefore, we must be ready as Jesus said in Matthew 26:41: “Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Second, preparing for difficult times is necessary. The prophet Isaiah recorded God’s encouragement to His people: “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” We prepare for challenges by nurturing the awareness of God’s constant presence with us and depending upon Him. We pray, study the Bible, worship, fellowship, and serve Jesus individually and with God’s family. We discipline ourselves to obey God’s will and follow through. Then, because of our careful and steady practice of the spiritual disciplines, we more easily turn to God first for His wisdom, protection, guidance, and provision. Proverbs 16:3 reminds us: “Commit your works to the LORD and your plans will be established.”
Finally, keeping our eyes on the ultimate goal will help us endure the trials we face here on earth. Therefore, expecting Christ’s imminent return is necessary. In Luke 12:40, Jesus said, “You too, be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not expect.” The great goal of our faith is to see Jesus face-to-face and spend eternity with Him. Keeping this high ambition before us gives us strength and fortitude to overcome life’s struggles. Paul steers us in the right direction in Philippians 4:6-7 saying, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” In addition, remember the counsel of Psalm 55:22: “Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.”
Friends, trying times are promised. However, God’s presence, power, protection, and provision are also promised. We need only trust in Christ with all our hearts, seek His will always, and commit our way in obedience to Him. Benjamin Franklin, one of America’s wisest forefathers, said, “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail” (https://www.azquotes.com/quotes/topics/preparation.html). So, go now, and spend some time in recommitment and rededication to Jesus. Then get up and get cracking with spiritual preparation that includes the spiritual disciplines, and keep your eyes heavenward expecting the return of Jesus. You must, because, until He returns, trouble is ahead.