Moses, Job, and Elijah all suffered debilitating stress. Jesus endured overwhelming stress, sweating blood, but trusting His Father's sovereign purpose.

We dare not equate can-do enthusiasm with genuine faith, as Peter did as he attempted to walk on water. Human faith or zeal is not godly, saving faith.

Paul's admonition to Timothy to stir up God's Holy Spirit applies just as much today when we sometimes become blindsided by fears about the future.

Acts 27 teaches that we must distinguish among several types of suffering. Regardless of the type of suffering, we must remember that God will deliver us.

It sometimes appears that people outside the church have fewer problems and anxieties, having been spared Satan's onslaught of temptation and deception.

If we trust God, we do not have to worry about the future. Having abundance and having need both have their unique problems and difficulties.

What appeared to be a series of judicial set-backs for Paul was actually the outworking of God to place him before even higher levels of secular leadership.

Faith from God will be required to endure and profit from trials, bringing about character and genuineness of faith, as well as patience and trust in God.

Under the best of times, God's people are not immune to persecution. Persecution for righteousness' sake is evidence that God's people have Christ's Spirit.

Paradoxically, when God seems to be silent, He is feverishly at work micro-managing what otherwise appears as insignificant details.

We face the same kind of pressures and stress that Timothy faced, with perilous times ahead of us, threatening the existence of the nation and the church.

Luke 21:36 is a memory scripture, but do we apply it too narrowly? In reality, we can apply it generally anytime we face trials and crises in our lives.

Those caught in the throes of chronic depression, unable to cope with the stress of horrendous events, need the sympathetic understanding of brethren.

Even before COVID-19, Americans were gripped by anxiety, fear, and depression, pointing to an unrecognized but quickly spreading mental health pandemic.

As we prepare for the coming disasters resulting from cracks in our national character, it behooves us to get our physical and spiritual families in order.

The modern Israelitish nations have difficulty remembering God, His providence, and His mercy. Ingratitude has been one of the worst traits of our culture.

God deliberately places change in our lives to bring about spiritual growth toward perfection.

Daniel foretells of a leader who will 'wear out the saints of the Most High.' Though we may feel worn out now, we will prevail in the end if we stay the course.

Creating a sense of humor will make it easier to escape the satanic lies of Babylon, or at least make it more endurable.

The end-time proclivity of 'running to and fro' like so many ants is not something of God. He did not intend for us to live in such a fast-paced world.

The inability to solve mounting cultural and social problems despite advances in technology puts a strain on anyone who cares about the consequences.

People are now battling sleep difficulty, anxiety, depression, and loneliness as never before in history.

The book of Hebrews provides reasons to recapture flagging zeal, focusing on the reason for our hope and faith, establishing Christ's credentials.

Jacob Collier defines a hero as a person who reveals to us the things that are possible for us to accomplish, including enduring the most difficult hardships.

Mainstream media has perfected the technique of keeping people in perpetual fear, with the objective of scaring gullible viewers into conforming to their will.

Our focus should be to seek God's kingdom, reciprocating God's love, committing ourselves to a life of service, fulfilling His purpose without complaining.

To wage spiritual warfare, we must endure hardship, not entangling ourselves in the affairs of the world, being single-minded in pleasing our Captain.

Even with Christ's sacrifice, God does not owe us salvation. We are called to walk, actively putting to death our carnal natures, resisting the complacency.

The key to overcoming the fear of loss of control is to admit that God is in control. If we have our priorities straight, God will take care of our anxieties.

The antidote to double-mindedness and distractions is single-minded focus on God's law through meditating God's word, thus guarding our hearts.

Fear and anxiety are normal human emotions. But through changing our focus from earthly to heavenly things, we can rise above the concerns, remembering Who is with us.

Some of us, facing the stress of the times, may simply be going through the motions but losing every vestige of faith. We must strengthen our convictions.

Like the Ephesians, the weary veterans in Hebrews were becoming apathetic through outside pressures, losing their former zeal and devotion to Christ.

Alvin Toffler described a phenomenon known as Future Shock, a stressful malady caused by an inability to adjust to rapid change and over-stimulation.

Peace is almost impossible to achieve, much less to find, in hectic times. We must come out of that confused, pulsating lifestyle before we can have real peace.

We must not allow ideological differences to overshadow our shared faith, far greater than the lesser issues which currently divide us.

Although many have gone through sore trials, virtually no one has gone through the nightmarish persecutions suffered by the early Christians in Imperial Rome.

Without the right relationship with God, we cannot have the evidence of things not seen. But with it, we can focus on what cannot be seen by most of mankind.

We cannot assume that we are going to be immune from tough times and persecution, but we need to ask God for the strength to endure what He gives us to endure.

Here are biblical strategies to cultivate the fruit of peace, including controlling our thoughts and emotions, submitting to God's will, and embracing His law.

Even loyal servants of God have had to contend with depression and discouragement. Antidotes include rest, refocus, right expectations, and obedient actions.

Worry is a wired-in proclivity of carnal human nature, a response that Satan has programmed in a perpetual state of discontent and distrust in God.

There are striking and insightful parallels between the physical benefits of sunshine, fresh air, and cleanliness and the yet unseen spiritual dimensions.

The Feast of Tabernacles gives us hope that all the perversions will be destroyed, making way for God's righteousness to prevail upon the earth.

Patience in the face of trying events is a clear indication that we are developing genuine godliness. We can learn to turn trials into positive growth opportunities.