Stay faithful, even in this season

Pastor and counsellor, the Reverend Teddy Jones, is encouraging those who may be crippled by anxiety and uncertainty about this new season, having survived what many describe as the worst year of their lives, to take refuge in the Word of God and what it says about His faithful character.

Using scripture to convey this belief that Christians can stay focused and mentally and spiritually healthy by becoming even more grounded in what the Bible reveals about God, Jones referenced Psalms 116.

“It begins by saying ‘I love the Lord because He has heard my cry, because He turned His ear to me, I will call on Him as long as I live.’ Here’s a Psalm that was written by a person in the throes of pain and distress, at the height of anxiety, and the writer opens with an emphatic declaration – I love the Lord. Can we say that we have not lost our love for God? The passion and the fire for God in the midst of all the adversities and calamities of this year? We need to reignite our love for God and ensure it’s not wavering or dependent on all rosy circumstances.

“The Word reveals God to us as the God who hears. The Bible tells us that His ears are open to our cries, that even before we utter a word He knows what’s on our heart. This is a time where the Word of God should be more than what we read, but what we see clearly in our minds and choose to hold on to,” he said.

lifelike terminology

The good Psalm goes on to describe death in a lifelike terminology, with the writer sharing the anguish of the grave which came up on him and the cords of death entangling him.

“Death is so present and the morbidity of it is so real, we can almost feel it – just like we experienced in 2020, and who knows what lies ahead? But in the midst of all of that the writer says, ‘Now be at rest once more, oh my soul. Return to your state of rest, my soul. For the Lord has been good to you.’

“Again, it’s about being conscious in the reality of God’s goodness. Knowing that God has been good and we can count on His faithfulness going forward,” Jones said, adding that despite how dark the future may look to some, God is revealed through the scripture as a Light.

By taking this perspective of hope, having a clear understanding of who God is, according to the counsellor, Christians will be better able to stay faithful amid the unprecedented nature of this new season.