Practical Tips for Difficult Days

In the past month, life has changed dramatically. Many people find themselves facing challenges and frustrations they did not anticipate. I've compiled a list of ideas to help in these difficult days. Perhaps this list is weeks late, but maybe there are a few tips that can help through the weeks that remain.

1) Acknowledge the reality of the situation. There is a sense of national tragedy and world impact. There is legitimate loss in the lives of individuals. Many plans have been dashed and many disappointments introduced within a short space of time. It is normal to feel those losses. The body, mind, and spirit are interdependent; when one is weak or particularly challenged, the others are also affected. Some people are physically afflicted with illness or increased work demands, some mentally afflicted by information and decisions, and some spiritually/emotionally afflicted by isolation and separation from normal support such as church. All of these have impact, and it is unrealistic to expect no effect from what really are difficult days.

2) Limit the junk. There is already a continual impact on life. 24/7 news coverage and analysis does not help. It is necessary to get enough information to be informed about expectations and proper procedures, but it isn't healthy to be immersed in coronavirus coverage. Turn off the news. Stop reading and spreading Facebook rants. Don't read every possible article and story.

3) Do something calming. Read, cook, play games, sing, work on a project, do art, write poetry, decorate. Give yourself time and opportunities to lower your stress level through helpful activities.

4) Do something to release energy and frustration. If you have increased work pressures, if home schooling is a challenge, or if staying at home is making you crazy, you need to release that in safe ways. Seek physical activity that releases those frustrations. (There are scientific terms for this.) Do yard work, clean the house, do repairs, exercise, play an active game, develop back yard sports.

5) Sleep. Our bodies need sleep, especially in trying times. This isn't the time to stay up all night talking, reading, or watching TV. Don't oversleep, but give your body proper rest.

6) Laugh. Laughter is a gift from God and helps to alleviate tension and negative feelings. See the humor in situations that are currently out of proportion. Remember humorous times from the past. Share humor with family. Take in light-hearted input to counteract all the negativity; this might not be the time for a steady diet of war movies, but maybe Lucille Ball or Dick Van Dyke would be appropriate.

7) Connect with others as best as you can. Make this a special family time, doing activities together, talking with your spouse, teaching your children. Don't forget those outside your immediate family. Reach out to others. If you are alone, pick up the phone. Call people. Do video chats if possible so that you see faces.

8) Love. In difficult days, we especially need love. Hugs, touching, and even verbal expressions have much benefit. Cuddle extra with your kids. Hold hands. Do something special, maybe something creative for others in your house. Encourage others. If you are alone, this is harder, but seek ways to share love with others. Make cards, make phone calls, pray together, really talk and really listen. Be thoughtful and especially kind in the words you are able to share by phone or mail. And if you have to substitute hugs with a pet or stuffed animal temporarily, imagine who you want it to be.

9) Seek to learn and grow. God doesn't waste anything. He has purposes for you beyond simply enduring until it is over. Trials are intended to bring maturity. Don't stagnate. Don't drift away from God, even though you can't be in church. God can do His work in your heart, helping you to think and evaluate correctly, helping you to become more stabilized in your spirit, helping you to understand His truth more deeply.

10) Look for the bigger picture. There is life beyond coronavirus, both currently and when life returns to normal. Look for God's plan. Does He have work to do in your heart? Is this an opportunity for family adjustments that should be made? Can this draw your church closer together? Can this provide opportunities for the gospel? Can this open hearts of people around the world to turn to God? Is God using this as a wakeup call to Christians and to the lost, a time to re-evaluate and re-focus?

11) Choose verses to remember. Biblical input can and should be more than a single verse, but it can be helpful to have a few special verses that can be focused on and easily remembered throughout the day. Morning devotions can wear off, and frequent reminders are needed. Write a verse down to carry with you. Post verses in prominent places. Memorize. Meditate.

12) Pray for help. It's not wrong to ask for help, especially from God. He wants to help you. He honors humility and responds with grace. Pray for physical needs, social needs, practical needs, emotional needs, spiritual needs. Often change and help will come just because you ask.

13) Don't forget music. With churches closed or online, music may be limited or non-existent. Sing. If you play an instrument, get it out. Focus on special and meaningful songs, and play them over and over, allowing their truth to minister to you. Pay attention to the words.

14) Don't underestimate God. When the human spirit is struggling, and even when there seems to be no help from normal sources, God can be all the help you need. God can't give physical hugs, but intense time with Him can unusually replace what is normally considered a need to be met by others. If you are cut off from church and friends, separated from family, and even completely alone, God can be all that you need.

Psalm 124

I wrote this poem several years ago, and it seems like a good message for today.

Reflection on Psalm 124 (Altered Outcome)

Without God on my side,
I'd have nowhere to hide.
Angry men marching hard, drawing near,
Would have swallowed me up with a cheer.

Without God on my side,
All my hope would have died.
Raging streams swirling fast, mounting tall,
Would have covered my head, ending all.

Without God on my side,
I in vain would have cried.
Cunning nets lying 'round, circling tight,
Would have snared me and finished the fight.

But with God on my side -
My Creator and Guide -
Loving help rushes in, standing strong,
And delivers my soul from all wrong.

"Had it not been the LORD who was on our side..." (v. 1&2) - absolute disaster and ruin would have happened.

But ... "Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth" (v. 8). Nothing is too hard for Him. He can do what no one else can, and He can save when no one else is capable.

Who's In Control?

Individual lives sometimes spin out of control. Families, churches, businesses, cities, or governments can lose control. Sometimes the whole world seems out of control. When no one seems capable of reining in the chaos, is the world under random chance, left to fate and coincidence, or is there someone in control?

The book of Daniel powerfully reveals the answer as to Who is in control. The book leaves no doubt that there is an ultimate controlling power, that the power is God, and that God uses all things to accomplish His plans.

When Daniel praised God for revealing King Nebuchadnezzar's dream to him, he stated, "Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to Him. It is He who changes the times and the epochs; He removes kings and establishes kings" (2:20-21). Daniel knew that God was in charge of bestowing wisdom and power, of causing transitions in world systems and eras, and of changing governments. That's a lot of control.

When Daniel prepared to relay God's answer to Nebuchadnezzar about what his dream meant, he told the king this truth: "You, O king, are the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, the strength and the glory ... He has given them into your hand and has caused you to rule over them all" (2:37-38). Daniel made clear that this powerful king was established and victorious only because of God's intervention. That's a lot of control.

As Daniel described the final world kingdom, he again stated that God would both establish, maintain, and preserve that kingdom. "The God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed" (2:44). God will make that kingdom last forever, and He will conquer every power on earth to do so. That's a lot of control.

In a subsequent dream, Nebuchadnezzar heard a voice declaring, "The Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind, and bestows it on whom He wishes" (4:17). When Daniel explained the dream, he confirmed the message, stating, "The Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever He wishes" (4:25). "It is Heaven that rules" (4:26). Every king and ruler rules at the pleasure of God. That's a lot of control.

A year later, Nebuchadnezzar proudly touted his own efforts in establishing himself and his great kingdom. God responded, "Sovereignty has been removed from you" (4:31). "The Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever He wishes" (4:32). God wanted to make it very clear to Nebuchadnezzar what the source of his power was and where his success came from. The most powerful king on earth actually had no power at all. God reduced him to the state of a beast, living in the wild, and eating grass for seven years. That's a lot of control.

Nebuchadnezzar learned his lesson. He humbled himself before God and recognized, "He does according to His will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and no one can ward off His hand or say to Him, 'What have You done?'" (4:35). Not a single person on earth, nor the whole earth together, can stop God's hand. That's a lot of control.

When Nebuchadnezzar's son Belshazzar arrogantly used the temple treasures for his drunken feast, God intervened with the frightening experience of writing on the wall. Daniel was called, and he recounted the stories and lessons of Nebuchadnezzar. He reminded, "The Most High God granted sovereignty, grandeur, glory and majesty to Nebuchadnezzar your father" (5:18). "Because of the grandeur which He bestowed on him" (5:19). "But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit became so proud that he behaved arrogantly, he was deposed from his royal throne" (5:20). Daniel instructed Belshazzar that God had both established Nebuchadnezzar to great power and had also humbled him to the lowest level. That's a lot of control.

Daniel declared a similar message to Belshazzar as he had given to his father. Daniel told him, "The Most High God is ruler over the realm of mankind" (5:21). Earthly kings may reign at His pleasure, but they are not really in control. They have no control. When God determines that their time is up, He stops them and removes them. "God has numbered your kingdom and put an end to it. ... Your kingdom has been divided and given over to the Medes and Persians" (5:26&28). God can bring powerful empires to an end. That's a lot of control.

The world still thinks it is in control. Powerful leaders exert themselves. They control their people. They abuse their citizens. They kill their enemies. They build up power and armies, and they think that they cannot be stopped. God gave Daniel a dream that revealed the final kingdom that will come. As Daniel saw the future play out, He observed the reigning Messiah. "To Him was given dominion, glory and a kingdom" (7:14). The world powers waged war, thinking they could overpower the King and His subjects "Until the Ancient of Days came and judgment was passed" (7:22). The Anti-Christ "will even oppose the Prince of princes, but he will be broken without human agency" (8:25). God will supernaturally destroy this powerful leader and his vast army. God will achieve what no human leader has ever accomplished. He will vanquish every enemy, and He will bring world peace. That's a lot of control.

When things seem to be out of control, the Mighty God, the Most High, is in fact in control. He can stop every power. He can harness and restrain every force. No person or nation or power can go any further than God allows it to go. Under God's mighty hand, the world is never out of control. Instead, it is securely under the control of the One who uses all things to accomplish His purposes.

Hopeful Prayer

Jeremiah had a long ministry. He started in the thirteenth year of Josiah's reign, then served under Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah. He accompanied the people into captivity and was there with them for many years. The final event recorded in Jeremiah's book is the release of Jehoiachin from prison, something that happened 68 years after Jeremiah first started prophesying.

Jeremiah also had a sad ministry. He saw a few years of great revival, but he saw many years of great wickedness. He saw the first, second, and third exiles, as well as an ill-advised and disastrous trip to Egypt, and the siege and fall of Jerusalem. Jeremiah faced overwhelming rejection of his message. He was rejected by his neighbors, by his own family, by the priests and prophets, by his friends, by all the people, and by the king.

Over his long ministry, Jeremiah had plenty of opportunities to see the faithfulness of God. He lived long enough to see many results of what he prophesied. He saw God give instructions to him and then observed the completed out-workings of those instructions just as God had said.

Observing God's faithfulness and completion of His word gave Jeremiah courage to pray. One of his prayers comes in the final verses of Lamentations. The setting of Lamentations was not pleasant. Jeremiah mourned over the fall of Jerusalem and destruction of the temple. He mourned over the loss, the devastation, and the resulting affliction of God's people.

He did not want that sad condition to be the end, however, and he prayed accordingly in Lamentations 5:21-22. "Restore us to You, O LORD, that we may be restored; renew our days as of old, unless You have utterly rejected us and are exceedingly angry with us." Jeremiah did not believe that God's judgment was final and irreversible. He believed God would someday restore His people.

Sadly, there are times that God's people walk away from Him. There are unexpected and shocking rejections. There are even obstinate refusals to come back to God. Only God knows when someone has gone so far that he will not come back. In such cases, God sometimes has to remove that person from this world for the sake of His name and work.

Thankfully, however, God allows for people to return to Him. He welcomes those who have wandered and receives those who have rejected. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (I John 1:9). Like the father of the prodigal son, God waits and watches, ready to receive those who will humbly return.

Was it too late for Israel? Was Jeremiah's prayer in vain? No. Jeremiah did not live long enough to see the answer, but God did answer his prayer. More than once, God has shown that His rejection of Israel was not final. Throughout history, He has brought His people back to their land. He has always protected a remnant and has offered them renewed hope.

Has the final answer to Jeremiah's prayer happened? I don't believe so. There is a day coming when God will restore Israel to a position of immense blessing and global admiration. There is a day coming when all the Jews remaining alive will turn to God and fully follow Him. The answer to Jeremiah's prayer will be incredible.

This prayer of Jeremiah, unfulfilled in his lifetime, offers two aspects of hope. First, God extends the opportunity for those who have wandered to return to Him and be restored. Second, God answers prayer; some answers will take so long that those who pray will not see the answers, but they can still pray in faith to the God who is able to do His work.