Tough times can become a slippery slope. When life throws a curve ball at us there is a tendency to turn cynical. We begin to distrust even the things we have taken for granted and relied on all our lives. Institutions that have served us well in the past, have now come under scrutiny. Right or wrong – we have begun to question the integrity of doctors and medical science, journalists and the media, national leaders and politics, religious leaders and the church. Phrases like these have become common everyday jargon today – “fake news”, “new world order”, “conspiracy theories”, “going down a rabbit hole”. Social media has added fuel to the fire by enabling these conversations to reach the heights they have attained.

Cynicism however is nothing new. Psalm 73 may just as well be written by a Christian living today. The words of a modern-day psalmist comes to mind –

Ophelia, she’s ‘neath the window for her I feel so afraid

On her twenty-second birthday she already is an old maid

To her, death is quite romantic she wears an iron vest

Her profession’s her religion, her sin is her lifelessness

And though her eyes are fixed upon Noah’s great rainbow

She spends her time peeking into Desolation Row

There is of course a vast difference between Psalm 73 and Dylan’s “Desolation Row”. The psalmist gives us a way out of our conundrum. The psalmist takes an honest look at himself and shares with us how he became overwhelmed by the turbulence of his times and began spiralling down a rabbit hole of cynicism and negative thought.

Psalms 73:1-3 (NKJV) Truly God is good to Israel, To such as are pure in heart. But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; My steps had nearly slipped.

“…my feet had almost stumbled” he confesses. “My steps had nearly slipped”.  Almost, nearly – these are valuable spaces to cherish. We seldom appreciate the subtle voice of reason that stops us dead on our tracks before we begin sliding down into the abyss. That voice, His voice is what preserved the psalmist from slipping into a crevasse of mistrust, envy, resentment, and bitter disappointment. After unpacking the state of mind he was in, the psalmist gives us the secret to living in turbulent times. Before we peer into his enlightened mind, let us capture two insights the psalmist gives us on what causes the downward spiral when we face hard times.

 

1. Your view of God

The psalmist went into his turbulent experience with a valuable mindset. He learnt the secret of living life in the valleys of despair – “God is good…to such as are pure in heart”. In other words, to the one who’s heart is pure; the one who continuously filters their heart from sediments that make them see God in a negative way. That person who is able to say always in all circumstances – God is good.

How you view God determines how you relate to God. In times of trouble we need to know all the players – who is good?, who is evil?

 

Know who is evil

John 10:10 (NKJV) The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

The Bible is very clear on the two extreme players in everyone’s life. One is good and only good, the other is evil and only evil. Whenever you experience being robbed of your dreams, your health, your relationships, your finances – when things fall apart – I’m not saying that the devil is the cause of it – however you can be rest assured the devil will be seeking to manipulate that situation or circumstance to steal, kill and destroy. At the same time, God is ever present during those times seeking to lead us into life and life in abundance.

 

Know who is good

James 1:17 (NKJV) Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

The apostle James is convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that not only is God good, God is “only good” – there is no variation in His personhood. His nature is only good and nothing else. Not only is God “only good”, He is also “always good” – there is no shadow of turning. God doesn’t change in His goodness ever. He is consistently good, always good. God is Good, God is “only good”, God is “always good”.

This is the all-important mindset we need whenever we find ourselves in turbulent times.

How you view God determines how you relate to God

 

2. Your view of the world around you

But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; My steps had nearly slipped. For I was envious of the boastful, I saw the prosperity of the wicked

Fixing our attention on what is going wrong, seeing through negative lenses, engrossed at the wicked and what they are up to – or just obsessing over the troubles we are in – that is a sure recipe to stumble into desperation or slip into envy. I’m not suggesting that we naively ignore what is going on around us. Neither am I in anyway minimising the pain and anguish one goes through during trying times. I’m merely highlighting the psalmist’s personal observation that when he focused on the wicked and boastful, how they seemingly are insulated from troubled times, he found himself on “stumble street” leading to “slippery avenue”.

Focusing on the negative circumstances around us make it hard to believe God will come through for us. Our sight gets affected. We see the problem disproportionately larger than God. Peter’s experience of walking on water is a good example of how focusing on the turbulence affects our faith. The moment he shifted his focus from Jesus to the raging winds and the swelling waves, fear got a hold of him and he began to sink. Keep focusing on all the negative all around you it will cause you to sink into despair.

What you see is what you will believe.

So here are the two important lessons from the psalmist we need to remember as we enter turbulent times. Your view of God, your view of your circumstances – both will affect you. Let us be quick like the psalmist to discern when things are going wrong internally. “I almost stumbled”; “I nearly slipped”.

 

The secret to getting through tough times

Psalms 73:28 (NKJV) But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, That I may declare all Your works.

After an honest conversation with God, where he shares his struggles, sparing no emotions, the Psalmist returns to the posture that will take him through his troubles. Three things he intentionally practices.

1. DRAW NEAR TO GOD

Stay close to God especially during troubled times. We need to learn from little children. Children run to parents when they feel they are in danger. Make it your default setting – when faced with challenging moments, run to Jesus. Stay very close to him. Draw near to Him.

James 4:8 (NKJV) Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.

2. PUT YOUR TRUST IN THE LORD

 One of the best prayers you can pray in times of trouble is the prayer Jesus prayed at the garden of Gethsemane. “Nevertheless not my will but yours be done”.  During turbulent times we lose our bearings, but He remains a firm anchor.

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV) Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.

3. DECLARE HIS WORKS

Drawing near to God, Trusting in His promises, you now can declare confidently that God is at work even though the circumstances around you say otherwise.

Psalms 118:16-17 (NKJV) The right hand of the LORD is exalted; The right hand of the LORD does valiantly. I shall not die, but live, And declare the works of the LORD.

Look for the Divine in everything – where is God in this?

Look for the biblical promises in everything – what has God promised me?

Separate the players in everything – make this clear distinction: evil is from the devil, hurt and offense from people (self or others), good and only good is from god.

• evil is from the devil (Put on the Armour of God)
• hurt and offense from man (forgiveness prayer)
• good and only good that’s from God (praise and thanksgiving prayers)

When you pray the Lord’s prayer, remember this:

• forgive us as we forgive others (healing from what others do)
• lead us not into temptation (deliverance from my tendency to mess up my life)
• deliver us from evil (protection from the devil)

Like seatbelts on an airplane during turbulence, we need to train our minds to live within the constraints of these boundaries during hard times:

DRAW NEAR TO GOD

PUT YOUR TRUST IN THE LORD

DECLARE HIS WORKS

I’m not a doomsday prophet. But I’m sensing some turbulence ahead. Our Captain has turned on the seatbelt sign. BUCKLE UP!