Devotional Guide, Today’s Reading – Thursday, October 28, 2021

Theme: OVERCOMING THE STRESSES OF THE AGE

Texts: “And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.” Luke 21:25, 26.

Comment: Stress has been defined as “an unpleasant state of emotional and physiological arousal that people experience in situations that they perceive as dangerous or threatening to their well-being”. Events or situations that make people to feel tension, pressure, anxiety and anger include constant fear of losing one’s job, of getting accidents while at work, fear for the safety of one’s children in schools or of the infants in the hands of caregivers, etc. One must constantly be vigilant, be studious and be discreet. Being discreet means taking all precautionary measures and avoiding unnecessary risks as much as possible. (1 Peter 5:8,9; Psalm 112:5) The demands of their jobs mean that some officers are not able to rest even after office hours because of the constant calls they have to be receiving from clients. There are cases where downsizing means that one person is doing the work of three or four people! And it would be hard to refuse any call because therein may lie the high prospect one may have been waiting for. Our Saviour has warned us to be “wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.” (Matthew 10:16) We continue to look to God for strength until he turns the tide for us. “He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. … they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” – Isaiah 40:29-31.