Words of Comfort in Troubled Times

Comfort in Times of Trouble

Trouble comes in many forms. We certainly cannot cover every kind of hardship here, but let us take a closer look at the four examples that we have already mentioned. Notice how people facing very different problems have found genuine comfort from God. 

WHEN FACING UNEMPLOYMENT

"My wife and I lost our jobs at the same time," recalls Seth.  For two years we had to survive on family handouts and a few odd jobs. As a result, my wife Priscilla became depressed, and  I felt worthless.

"How did we cope?  Priscilla constantly reminded herself of Jesus' words at Matthew 6:34. He said that we should not become anxious about tomorrow, since each day has its own anxieties.  And her heartfelt prayers gave her the strength to keep going.  In my case, Psalm  55:22 comforted me. Like the psalmist, I threw my burden on Jehovah, and I found that he did sustain me. Although I now have a job, we keep our lifestyle simple in line with Jesus' advice at Matthew 6:20-22.  Above all, we have drawn closer to God and closer to each other." 

"I was frightened about the future when our small family business went bankrupt," confesses Jonathan.   "Because of an economic crisis, 20 years of hard work came to nothing. My wife and I started arguing about money. We couldn't even buy with a credit card, for fear it would not be honored. 

"But God's Word and his spirit helped us to make good decisions.  I learned  to accept any sort of work, and we down on all unnecessary expenses.  As Jehovah's  Witnesses, we also got support from fellow believers.  They bolstered our self-esteem and lent us a helping hand when times were really tough." 

Next time: Words of Comfort in Troubled Times/ WHEN A MARRIAGE BREAKS UP

From the Watchtower magazine