Peace and Comfort During Difficult Times

Let’s face it, we are all living at a very stressful time! Just listening to the evening news at night is discouraging. We hear about wars and rumors of war, as well as weird weather conditions, such as famines and earthquakes. The Lord Jesus Christ prophesied all of these would occur (Matthew 24:6-7) in the years preceding His return to earth. But upsetting events are not limited to media headlines. Each of us has our own private collection of miseries as well. And suddenly your normal routine of life takes on a depressing slippery slide into an emotional abyss. Life is hard! How do you pick up the pieces when your home is destroyed by a tornado? Or when your baby gets sick or injured? Or your loved one is missing and you don’t know whether they are alive or dead? Such events not only cause emotional turmoil, they can also result in physical pain as well. We all know what stress does to the human body. And have you noticed how many new sleeping drugs there are on the market? Worry filled sleepless nights can result in a domino effect that affects work productivity, our relationships with others, and even our financial stability.

So, where do you go when the crisis becomes more than you can bear? Some people will take their troubles to the bottle and become drunk. Others will pig out on food. And, unfortunately, we have too many people who think they can bury their troubles in illegal drugs. But is there any other alternative? This book says there is! It is filled with true life anecdotes about real people who suffered conflicts of immeasurable grief and rose above them with a peace and inner joy that seems unfathomable to the normal human mind. The chapter entitled “When Death Strikes The One You Love” deals with subjects such as the death of an only child, a mother, and a spouse. “Why Do Christians Have To Suffer” talks about unyielding physical and emotional pain. Chapter Three is “Dealing With Discouragement.” It answers the question “If God is love, why is He allowing so much sadness in this world?” The chapter entitled “The Fear Of Death” discusses a diagnosis of terminal cancer. And “Protection In Christ” is about fear for personal safety.

Yet this book is not limited to the big disasters of life. It also deals with the little problems that can ruin your day. They may seem unimportant to others compared to the more serious group, but even a number of small events sometimes seem to blow up out of all proportion. For example, finding a doctor with dedication and compassion, instead of one who blames you for your troubles. Or dealing with an irritating “know it all” who thinks he or she has the answers to all your problems. These subjects are covered in the “Job’s Comforters” chapter. And the last two chapters, “The Mattress Etc.” and “The Joy of Trusting Jesus Christ” provide real life examples from the author’s personal experiences of how, when we put out trust in the Lord, He will turn even the annoyances of life into blessings that bring great joy. For, “...we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28 KJV).