Hope and confidence in the face of crisis

Jeremiah 17:7 (NLT)

Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD and has made the LORD his hope and confidence.

Perhaps you have heard this story before.  Apparently there exists a 1970 United States Peace Corps manual that contains instructions/guidance for how to deal with crisis situations for volunteers working in the Amazon jungle.  One of the crisis situations is when you might be attacked by an anaconda snake!  Here are the instructions:

1.     If you’re attacked by an anaconda, do not run. The snake is faster than you are.

2.     Lie flat on the ground. Put your arms tight against your sides, your legs tight against one another.

3.     Tuck your chin in.

4.     The snake will come and begin to nudge and climb over your body.

5.     Do not panic.

6.     After the snake has examined you, it will begin to swallow you from the feet end-always the feet end. Permit the snake to swallow your feet and ankles. Do not panic.

7.     The snake will now begin to suck your legs into its body. You must lie perfectly still. This will take a long time.

8.     When the snake has reached your knees, slowly, and with as little movement as possible, reach down, take your knife and very gently slide it into the side of the snake’s mouth between the edge of its mouth and your leg. Then suddenly rip upwards, severing the snake’s head.

9.     Be sure you have your knife.

10.    Be sure your knife is sharp.

How “creeped out” do you feel?  Do you think that you could really stay calm while a 25 foot 300 pound giant snake is swallowing you up to your knees?  Actually, this story is false as anacondas will squeeze you to death first, then swallow you from head to toe.  Yet, I share this story because the anaconda attack represents any and all kinds of crises that can and will happen in your life and your response to these crises should be grounded on God’s promises in facing and overcoming them.

The Bible repeatedly promises that you must never fear (Psalm 23:4, Psalm 27:1, Isa 41:10, I Cor 16:13, I Peter 3:14, I John 4:18), always have hope (Jer 29:11, Mark 9:23, Phil 4:13), and always trust in the Lord to help you overcome any crisis you face (Deut 31:6, Prov 3:5-6, Isa 40:31, Matt 17:20, Rom 8:31).   I would suggest that you keep these verses (and there are others if you wish to find them or you may have your own favorites) readily available to remind you about how to respond the next time you face a crisis in your life.  

Psalm 77 describes a man (Asaph) expressing his feelings during a crisis he is experiencing.  He cries out to God, he implores God to hear him, he searches for God, he prays with his hands lifted toward heaven, yet he does not feel comforted.  He writes that even his soul cannot be comforted.  He cannot sleep, too distressed to pray, asks if God has rejected him, wonders if God has forgotten him, and candidly questions if God’s promises have failed or if God has no compassion on him or even that God has turned away from him.   Does this not describe how you feel when you are facing a crisis?

Yet, in the depths of despair Asaph recalled what God has done for him in his past.   He remembers God’s miracles in his life.  His thought process turns from all the negative thoughts of his crisis to all the positive thoughts of the blessings God has given him.   We tend to forget all the positive aspects of our lives and focus on the one negative—the current crisis in your life—and allow that negativity to dominate your thinking.  Let’s say you are dealing with the loss of a loved one, or the loss of a relationship, or a loss of a job, or a huge disappointment.  Oh, indeed, you are dealing with a significant crisis in your life and your soul is not comforted.  Yet, you tend to forget all of God’s blessings and provisions throughout your life, e.g. health, home, family, freedom, job, career, friends, vacations, and/or all other kinds of good experiences.  Indeed, the Psalms repeatedly instruct us to remember the blessings and miracles of the Lord while enduring distressful times.   Also I Cor 10:13 is a wonderful promise to us when facing life’s crises. 

Like the fictitious snake story above, while you initially face a crisis with all kinds of stress, anxiety, and negativity, being grounded in the Word of God will enable you to be reminded God’s blessings and provisions (mighty deeds) in your life and He is still there to help and to accomplish His purposes for your life through the crisis you are experiencing.