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Introduction
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27
Peace has eluded the nations of the world and homes are not spared of crisis. It would seem as if man is back to the Stone Age, when human lives are not valued. The world appears to have returned to age when killing, maiming and sacrifices of human lives was the order of the day.
Did the Bible not foresee this? It did, for it said in Matthew 24:6,7: “You will hear of wars and rumours of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.” Only God can restore lasting peace to this world.
A world in perpetual crisis
Types of Crisis
Crisis can come in any form but God has solutions to all of them. These can be grouped into two broad categories: those that are universal or common to all; and the second category are storms that are individual or family-specific.
Global Crisis
Epidemic and pandemic such as Covid-19 that is currently ravaging the entire globe with thousands of deaths recorded within a short time frame. Siege from internal and external enemies There are terrorist groups all over. They create storms in all the countries where they operate and seek to take over territories that do not belong to them. Families and resources as a result are wiped off from the surface of the earth.
National Crisis
In many nations of the world there are crisis of unimaginable proportions. Conflicts and crisis have engulfed the entire world. If it’s not the war that involves guns and bullets, we see all over the world, political crisis precipitated by the desire to conquer people and nations. There is crisis brought about by the desire of extremists and religionists to impose their ideologies and religious idiosyncrasies on unwilling audience.
Israel and Unceasing Crisis
Throughout their history, Israel and Judah contended with enemies committed to their destruction, finding refuge only in their covenant-keeping God. (i)The Egyptians (Ex 1: 18-21) (ii) Amalekites (Ex 17: 8) (iii) Edomites (Nu 20:18), (iv) Cannaities (Jos 11:1-5) (v) Syrians (Jdg 3:8) (vi) Moabites (Jdg 3:12), etc were the common enemies.
Crisis in the Home
Because of what is happening in the larger society, many homes are not enjoying peace. Problems in the home include: financial difficulties arising from lack of full employment or a disguised unemployment. There are also the extreme cases of infidelity from either of the couple. Children on their own can bring crisis to the home. Some young adults may find themselves in the company of wayward people and get corrupted. They may bring reproach to the homes. There can be crisis between ‘wicked’ landlord or ‘wicked’ tenant. Either way, the house may not experience peace if the landlord and tenants are not friendly.
Crisis in the Workplace
Some individuals may experience crisis in the workplace. Inability to meet the required targets as set by management could create instability to the worker. Crisis may come when the company is tending toward insolvency. Bad relationship between the boss and a subordinate could create conflict and crisis in the workplace.
Crisis in the Church
There could be disputes or crisis in a church organisation arising from misinterpretation of doctrines or policies of the Church. Like in the early church, crisis may ensue because of the neglect of widows and orphans or simply the poor. The spiritual lives of the congregants can suffer where the management or pastorate spends all the time to settle disputes. Time that could have been used to plan evangelism programmes are wasted on mundane matters.
The early Church in the book of Acts sought the face of God to resolve a problem that started to rear its ugly head. The Apostles sought divine guidance and a perfect solution was found. So, if your church is engulfed in crisis, seek the face of God for solution, so that you all can experience peace and face the main business of the Church.
Crisis in The Polity
Politicians thrive in the midst of chaos. In fact, politicians believe that politics is about the resolution of conflicts. This theory presupposes that there is sure footed mechanism for resolving inter and intra party crisis. The way the parties and governments are run will often affect or influence the pace of development. Unresolved political crisis may result into inter and intra communal crisis.
In 1 Samuel 18, the Bible records that Saul hated and was jealous of the popularity of David. He did all that he could to eliminate David. The discord between them created divisions in the polity, which produced its own crisis. God used Saul’s son, Jonathan, to save the life of David. Keep your cool if anyone is pursuing your life. God will use someone or anything to preserve your life.
Conclusion
God can and He will indeed bring peace to our land. We must all be steadfast in prayer and fasting. We must pray for justice to run like a river in this country and elsewhere. Most importantly, Christ must be preached to the unsaved souls because He is the Prince of Peace.
A Call to take a Decision
Beloved, have you entered into personal relationship with Jesus Christ by accepting Him as your Lord and Saviour? If you have not, you need to do so without delay. Inviting and accepting Jesus Christ into your life is the beginning of a glorious and eternally rewarding relationship with God, your Creator. It is a decision you can never regret as you walk with Him faithfully and consistently for the rest of your life. Surrender your life to Jesus Christ today by acknowledging that you are a sinner. God sent Jesus Christ to die for you and as you confess your sins to Him, He will forgive you so that you will not have to be punished for the same. Ask Jesus Christ to cleanse your heart with His precious blood, deliver you from sin and Satan and empower you by the Holy Spirit to henceforth live above sin and live totally for God. You can write and share your testimony via [email protected].
