How to overcome in a season of crisis.

Psalms 105:16-22.  

Moreover he called for a famine upon the land: he brake the whole staff of bread.  He sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold for a servant:   Whose feet they hurt with fetters: he was laid in iron: Until the time that his word came: the word of the LORD tried him.  The king sent and loosed him; even the ruler of the people, and let him go free.  He made him lord of his house, and ruler of all his substance:  To bind his princes at his pleasure; and teach his senators wisdom. 

Those of us living in this part of the world know that there is a major crisis going at hand.  In the UK, we have see banks nationalized by the government and others bailed out by the taxpayers. Something is happening around us, the property market has experienced an average of 120k knocked down on prices. Interest rates are kept at its lowest for 130yrs. Manufacturing  gone down as demand for goods are so low. There’s  been massive of job losses and claimants of benefits have risen to a level not known ever since records begun.

Two friends were exchanging pleasantries and one talked about the credit crunch. The other  denied there was any crises supposedly in faith. As believers, whilst we refuse the influence of a crises, we should not deny or recognize its presence. God does not deny the presence of a situation that is affecting your life but gives you a solution to the situation (Romans 4:17). We must be aware that it cannot be business as usual. You cannot wish a present crisis away, we must overcome in it.

This is the revelation, while this crisis may not be meant for the believer it is God who initiated it. Verse 16 of our text states “Moreover He called for the famine in the land”. God has major things to teach a believer in the crises

There are many ways crisis can be an advantage to the believer. Firstly, it reveals to us what our foundations in life have been, because you do not build your foundations in the time of crisis but before it. The crisis is a test of foundations. Jesus in the parable of the wise man who built on the rock and the foolish man who built in the sand, related that both were subjected to the winds and rain which test their foundations. We have to live our lives in wisdom for a good foundation.

Secondly crises  reveals what your trust is in. Has your trust been in your salary or your job, your money or your savings? If it is, despair, discouragement and disillusionment could be your companions. One of the things God uses our crises to do is to align us to the right things so that he can bring to pass what he has purposed for our lives.  Alignment is what you do to a car for it to move and stay in a straight line when your hands ore off the steering wheel.  We are prone to trust in many things other than our Maker. Our trust must be in the living God. We can be aligned to God. Our trust has to be in God our creator in him alone. It is easy for your trust to be shaken.

Your faith is as strong as the crisis you manage. Your crisis also tests the level of your faith.  Crisis is where the people of God flourish the most. God magnifies His power in us. No crisis is here to stay. The famine was for a season God had to use it to teach Joseph some things. In Daniel 2:21 He is the master of the times and seasons. He changes the times and seasons He changes them to fulfill His purposes.

Jehovah has something great to give you even in your difficult moments. It is therefore very important in how you respond in your crises. Some have migrated as Elimelech and Naomi did, they moved from Bethlehem to Moab, others tightened their pockets and purses. Are we responding in the right way? Do not respond in resignation. When in fear or despair we just get frozen in our faith and say “…. whatever happens should happen”. There are many that have resigned that way. It is a time to do such thing. It may seem religious to act as though nothing is wrong but that is not the right thing to do in crises.

How to respond in a crises?

1. Increase your attention and commitment to God.

In the season of crisis God is still speaking. What is happening draws our attention from God.  Increase your devotion on the word of God. It is when his word will come to us. It is the word of God that delivered Samaria from crisis. God was speaking but no one was hearing. As we increase our dependence on his word we will hear his voice. It is the words of God that will deliver you form this crisis. All the nations of the world were saved because Egypt had obeyed the word of God. Isaac’s initial reaction in the famine was to move on but the word of the Lord God said to him “stay in Gerar and sow in the land”. It was not the thing to do in a famine as the land would be dry and unproductive. He obeyed and in that land and the same season God prospered him.

2. Determine your needs and only acquire what you need.

In the time of crisis you do not live anyhow. Sometimes in our religious attitude we live as though everything is fine. In economic crisis that is foolishness. The essence of the 14 year plan God gave to Joseph was, be careful how you use what you have. It is no time to live anyhow but live wisely. God is a God of abundance but not a God of waste. He even asked for crumbs to be collected after he had miraculously fed 5000 men with five loaves and two fishes. That shoe can wait. Determine your needs from your wants. Please acquire your needs and not beyond your needs.

3. Value your possessions.

Value what you have. Value the money and everything else you have. Cultivate the attitude of gratitude of thanksgiving in this season. When you value what you have it motivates to live in a resourceful way.

Remember no crisis is permanent. God is the only one that is permanent and those who trust in Him would be unmovable as He is.

Be blessed.