Anxious Forebodings – Something Bad Coming?

Anxious Forebodings
Something Bad Coming? 05/20/2008

Q. I can’t shake the feeling that something bad is coming. I feel like I need to do something to prepare, but I’m not sure what. Sometimes I think that God is warning me I won’t live very long. Do you have any advice for people like me? (J.M., Mt. Vernon, WA)

Answer:

You’re not alone. I know many people, for example, who sensed something going wrong before 9/11 (including ourselves). Several moved into the Southern Oregon area because they felt that the big cities from which they came would become death traps.

In fact, one man is a famous physicist who even looked into the geologic tectonic plates to find an area less prone to earthquakes. Some became almost hysterical over the impending Y2K crisis.

Others felt we are moving into the end times which would include earthquakes, famines, pandemics, and other earth changes prophesied in Matthew 24, Luke 21, and Revelation 6. Two friends who had feelings they would not live long did die young within the last five years – one from brain cancer and the other from an aneurism.

So how should a Christian respond to forebodings of future problems?

The Good Shepherd

First, our Father is the Good Shepherd (John 10:11) who will provide for our needs assuming we seek His kingdom first (Matthew 6:31-33). Matthew 6:25 says,

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on” (ESV).

Verse 33 ends with, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”

These are wonderful verses to memorize. We need to store them in our hearts.

No Escaping Trials

Christians are not promised they will escape bad times. In fact, we are told again and again that God uses trials to mold our character into the kind of people He wants us to become. Nevertheless, we can trust that God will turn everything that happens to us into good. Romans 8:28 assures us,

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (ESV).

This, too, is an excellent verse to commit to memory.

Escaping Wrath?

God does promise that we will be rescued from His coming wrath (1 Thessalonians 1:10). However, the coming “wrath” encompasses the last three and one-half years of the seven-year tribulation period. It does not necessarily include the first three years which may involve an escalation of earthquakes, pandemics, floods, and other “natural” disasters.

Escaping Fear

However, God does tell us repeatedly throughout the Bible not to be fearful. The Lord repeatedly told Joshua to “fear not” (Joshua 8:1, 10:8, 10:25). Psalm 34:4 says, “I sought the Lord, and He answered me, He delivered me from all my fears.”

In Part 2 of his article about fear, Kurt Krowel says, “Where our will goes, our feelings follow. If we try to seek the Lord with all our heart, obey the Lord with all our will, dwell in the Lord with our whole mind by meditating on His Word, we’ll find our feelings – including our feelings of fear – gradually following behind. Too many people try to get rid of fear without recognizing it and confessing it as sin. What God has forgiven and removed will not have dominion over you. Therefore, learn to confess fear for what it is.”

Perfect Love Casts Out Fear

1 John 4:18 says, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.” When children are little they run to their parents when they are fearful. They know that their parents can conquer whatever it is they fear. In the same way we know that God can handle whatever comes our way. He is bigger than the monsters in our lives.

Faith is Opposite of Fear

In fact, we understand that the opposite of faith is fear! To be fearful is to be untrusting that God will take care of us and provide for our needs and the needs of our families.

Remember this: “For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, of love, and of self control” (2 Timothy 1:7).

Worry is a Sin

To worry and be anxious about things is a sin because it violates a biblical command not to be anxious or to worry (Matt. 6:25, 31, 34). When we allow daily problems to worry us our thoughts become obsessed with changing the future instead of doing our very best to handle present tasks. These are unproductive thoughts which do not change a thing in our lives.

Cease & Desist Worrying

When the Lord tells us to quit worrying He is giving us a “cease-and-desist” order against anxiety.

Worry, fear, and anxiety is thinking, “I know you mean well, Father, but I don’t really believe you are big enough or well-meaning enough to take care of all my problems.”

What an insult to God!

Wise Planning

Wise planning is prudent and takes care of our responsibility to our families. We are told to be financially wise and provide for our household’s needs (1 Timothy 5:8). The Dept. of Homeland Security advises Americans to prepare a three-week disaster kit – that is prudent. We are to store up provisions for “winter” like the ant (Prov. 6:6). This could refer to retirement planning. But, beyond this we are not to worry, fret, and obsess over our futures.

No such things as Premature Death

We will not die one minute before we are supposed to! No one can “shorten” our lives apart from God’s will. Job 14:5 says, “His days are determined, the number of his months is with Thee, and his limits Thou hast set so that he cannot pass.”

We can’t even force God to lengthen our lives by cutting out fat, running three miles, and taking expensive supplements every day! Those things may improve the quality of our lives. But, they won’t lengthen our lives beyond what God has determined.

Jay Adams states:

“Tomorrow always belongs to God…Whenever we try to take hold of it, we try to steal what belongs to Him. Sinners want what is not theirs to have, and thereby destroy themselves. God has given us only today. He strongly forbids us to become concerned about what might happen…Worriers not only want what has been forbidden, but also fail to use what has been given to them.”

Cast our Cares on Him

We are supposed to pray and cast all our cares on God because He cares for us (1 Peter 5:5-7).

Faith & Trust

We are to live a life of faith and trust and go through life like a race without being loaded down with encumbrances (Hebrews 12:1).

He Provides for Us

We are to remember that God will supply for all of our needs (Phil. 4:19).

Angels

We are never alone. God has even assigned angels to us. These are “ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation” (Hebrews 1:14).

Ignoring Forebodings?

Does this mean we should always ignore “forebodings” and inside hunches? Should we avoid a feeling that we should move, not speak to a certain person, remain in an area, change jobs, and other intuitive thoughts?

No.

Holy Spirit

Sometimes the Holy Spirit guides the believer to do certain things. We can mistake the Holy Spirit’s guidance for intuition at times.

As the evangelist Philip spoke to crowds in Samaria, “an angel of the Lord spoke to him saying, ‘Arise and go south to the road that descends from Jerusalem to Gaza’… (Acts 8:26-27). Because Philip obeyed he was able to give a powerful witness to an Ethiopian eunuch.

There were many such instances in the early church when the Holy Spirit prompted men to do or say certain things. We are not sure exactly how it is that the Holy Spirit directed many of them.

But, to accurately receive guidance from the Holy Spirit we should take all thoughts and feelings to the Lord in prayer (Phil. 4:6-7).

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Be in the Word Daily

We must be “in the Word” daily so that He can speak to us if need be. We must stay attuned to hearing from Him at church, from hearing Him through other committed Christians, or from hearing Him even on the radio or Christian television. God is able to get a message to you if He needs to!

Keep a Prayer Journal

Write down your prayers and thoughts to God. Keep track through your prayer journal and write down verses or messages as they apply to your feelings and requests. His answers will become apparent to you as time goes on.

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