I am pleased to welcome back Bud Hancock with another thought provoking article about the current state of the world. When will humans change their behaviour? The Bible indicates that this will happen at the return of Jesus Christ, It also teaches that His Millenium reign will right all wrongs.

Gibber! Gibber!

Chugley

Seeking Comfort in an Uncomfortable World

By Bud Hancock

Seeking True Comfort

In the Scriptures, the Jewish people, and to a certain extent, Christians, are compared to sheep several times. Sheep are often thought to be rather stupid animals but scientists have proven the opposite to be true. They are intelligent, docile and loving animals but seldom know what is best for them so they often tend to stray from the path of safety. Unless they are guarded and “kept” by a shepherd they can easily become lost and worse, they become easy prey for wild animals. The shepherd is charged with making sure they remain on the safe path and when they stray, he must find them and bring them back to the fold.

Regarding the true shepherd, in the 23^rd Psalm, we are told: “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me”(Psalm 23:1-4).

Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. How is it that two simple items like the shepherd’s rod and staff can bring comfort? The rod was the long, straight and very strong stick that the shepherd used to defend the sheep and ward off attackers. He would use that stick to make sure no predators could successfully attack one of His sheep. The staff was a long stick with a curved end, just the right size to slip around the neck of a sheep and retrieve it from any imminent danger, such as drowning or being stuck in a thicket. These two “shepherd tools” certainly comforted the sheep who truly depended on the shepherd for their very lives.

One of the most important statements in this psalm is: “he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness forhis name’s sake. Notice that, even though the true shepherd loves His sheep, he does all His shepherd duties that are needed to keep the sheep safe and healthy “for His name’s sake”. When the word says something is done “for His name’s sake”, it is an indication of the value God places on His name, and the value He places on His word. As much as the shepherd loves and values His sheep, He values His holy name MUCH more. His covenant duties to keep the sheep are based solely on the value, the strength and the power of His name. When it comes to His sheep, if they fail and are lost, it is because of willful decisions made by the sheep, their refusal to accept the comfort and help the shepherd provides; it is not due to any failure of the part of the shepherd. Sheep are inherently dependent on the shepherd, whereas, “people sheep” have their own will that can lead them to resist the shepherd’s help and comfort.

United States is Now an Uncomfortable Place

At one time, the United States was the place where being a Christian, and expressing that status freely, was very popular, easy and comfortable. Little was demanded of Christians except to show up to church regularly on Sunday morning, with their checkbook at the ready. Many bragged about their regular attendance “at church”, but the days are coming, and are nearly here, when more than just regular attendance will be required in order for others to know who and what you really are. Those days will bring much anguish to the casual Christian who has long floundered about, not truly knowing what it meant to “be Christian”. I may be wrong but I am beginning to reach the conclusion that many of those now floundering only dipped their toes into the pool of Christianity as a means to an end, whether cultural, political or commercial. The practice of “commercial religion” is now a multi-billion dollar business, as the opulent lifestyles of so many “megachurch” leaders testify. But the words of Jesus and later, His disciples (especially Paul) will, if heard and heeded, open the human mind to what it really means to be Christian.

There appear to still be many Christians, or people who CALL themselves Christians, especially in the United States, who question the need to hear, understand and obey the words of the person for whom Christianity is named, and whom it is supposed to emulate: Jesus Christ. Hint: Being a Christian is more than just attending a church (even regularly), and paying a tithe to the pastor…oops, I mean to the Church. It involves a complete submission to the Head of the Church, the Body of Christ on this Earth, and no, I am NOT speaking of the pope in Rome. The true (and ONLY) Head of the Church is Jesus Himself (Colossians 1:18). If the words spoken by Him and recorded by His loyal and faithful disciples are not worthy of our attention and obedience, then we are no more than empty, pathetic vessels who are only pretending to be Christians.

Stress, Anxiety and Fear, Deadly Problems

Whether they admit it or not, almost every person in the United States experiences some level of stress, anxiety, or frustration with the current conditions we are all facing. There are dozens of conflicts raging in nearly every nation on the planet, with thousands of people dying on a daily basis. Here in the United States, we are seeing cultural upheaval, political instability and violent protests against one ideology or another that threatens the very thread of civility in our nation.

These conditions cause much discomfort, especially for those who remember what the United States was like 50-75 years ago. It is only reasonable that many of those so affected will seek something to restore some level of comfort to their lives. I believe that we are seeing a large number of people, especially among the younger generations, who seek their comfort in ways that are more damaging than they could possibly be beneficial. For them, especially those who find their comfort in alcohol, illegal drugs, legal drugs or possibly even sex, their “comfort” actually results in a state of being oblivious to their surroundings, thus producing a false reality preventing them from being truly comforted.

Are there any solutions to these discomforting problems? In the world, where these problems originated, it seems no solution can be found anywhere. But is that true?

We all know (or should know) that we have a very powerful enemy, our adversary the devil who is intent on destroying every person, especially Christians, on the planet, causing us to live a life of stress, fear and misery, all of which bring discomfort. For the Christian to be comforted in the midst of such discomfort, requires much obedience to God’s word, as well as submission to his will. This is reinforced by the words of James, the half-brother of Jesus, and recorded in the Book of James: “But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you”(James 4:6-7). If James is correct, being submitted to God will cause the being responsible for your discomfort to flee from you.

YOUR ADVERSARY THE DEVIL

It would be interesting to see the results of polling that asked participants how comfortable they feel in today’s messed up World. Of course, some might answer one way just to avoid the seeming consequences of answering the other way. Then, some might not experience any discomfort at all from the multiple wars raging around the planet, the totally insane political battles over seemingly insignificant events, or the rapidly deteriorating cultural norms that are now anything BUT normal. Even more interesting would be the same polling results if only Christians were asked those questions.

Of all the people on this shaking planet, those who are experiencing the most stress, trepidation and discomfort should NOT be Christians. If your life is miserable due to the problems surrounding us, then you are seeking your comfort in the wrong place. Give heed to the words of James and first of all, submit yourselves to God. A very good place to start on the road to submission to God is found in Romans 12. Make this a starting point of every day you live here on Earth, and over time, your submission to God will yield the comfort you seek.

Read Psalm 119:76, Isaiah 49:13, Isaiah 51:11-13 for additional comforting words.

Maranatha!

budaroo@twc.com

Born and raised in a small textile town in North Carolina, Bud’s family moved to Michigan in the hope of finding better employment with General Motors.  After graduating from high school, Bud began an apprenticeship with General Motors to become a Metal Modelmaker.  Retiring after a 30 year career, which included an eight year stint as a Metrologist (Science of high precision measurement), he and his wife moved back to North Carolina to be near his elderly parents.  Shortly thereafter, with both of his parents having passed, he began a new career in the bank security/ATM business, advancing from an entry level technician to one of two North Carolina customer service managers for his employer.  Retiring again after 13 years, he and his wife of 51 years relocated to Tennessee where Bud began writing articles emphasizing Biblical teaching and geopolitical issues.  At age 75, he and his wife relocated to South Carolina with their Miniature Schnauzer, Baxter.  Bud continues to study God’s word and write articles on Christian living and geopolitical issues from the Biblical end times  perspective.