By Elvira Bujanda

We find ourselves today in the chaotic world of the last days. As Christians, we will face strong opposition against our biblical beliefs, but we rest in the knowledge that we are where God has intended us to be, for such a time as this.

This culture gives us more opportunity to call upon Jesus, who said, “Come unto Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I shall give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and let Me teach you because I am humble and gentle and you will find rest for your souls, for My yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give is light” (Matthew 11:28-30, NLT).

Just take one step at a time, live patiently one moment at a time, and stay focused on Jesus, that He may guide you along your pathway.

The presence and promises of God will bring peace into your spiritual life as you walk in the Spirit: “For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace” (Romans 8:6).

God says, “You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all of your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13).

If our desire is to live a righteous lifestyle in God, it is vital that we spend time in God’s presence, because we can’t do it in our own strength. Psalm 105:4 says, “Look to the Lord and His strength; seek His face always.”

It is a good habit to develop to seek the presence of God daily by praying, reading the Bible, and meditating on His promises. Psalm 112:4, 7 says, “Even in darkness, light dawns for the upright; for the gracious and compassionate man. He will have no fear of bad news, for his heart is steadfast, trusting the Lord.”

It is God’s gift to us that we can trust Him in the midst of life’s storms – amid the chaos of this evil world – because our trials are wrapped up in spiritual blessings from above, and His promises give us peace.

In John 16:33, Jesus said, “I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have tribulation. But be of good cheer: I have overcome the world.”

This is a steadfast promise. The peace of God comes from the assurance that He has overcome, and as we trust in Him, we have that same supernatural power to overcome.

Finding this hope in Jesus will also protect us from depression and self-pity as we focus on Him and not on ourselves. Romans 12:13 tells us to “be joyful, patient in afflictions, faithful in prayer.”

When we pray, every part of our being unites with God. Prayer is like a golden cord that connects you to Heaven. It will enlighten you as you cling in hope to Jesus; His light will shine about you as He carries you through the darkness in the midst of those trials of life.

In His peace you will find holiness for each moment to prepare you for these last days to come: “And may the God of peace make you holy in every way and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until that day when our Lord Jesus Christ comes again” (1 Thessalonians 5:23).

Placing our faith in God no matter what the circumstance is the main key to overcoming, “Because we know that the testing of our faith develops perseverance; but perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1:2-3).

Trusting your life daily into God’s hands, living in His presence, is the best security when you begin to feel lonely or afraid. David declares in Psalm 28:7: “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to Him in song.”

When we learn to lean on the Lord with confidence, with all our heart, mind, and soul, then we draw nearer to His life plan for us.

We begin to find inner strength to walk in His knowledge and wisdom for our lives.

Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.”

God has created us in His image and His plan for us is perfect. As He allows us to go through difficulties, our faith is being strengthened.

Our faith must be tested and purified through trials so that we come to know that God’s will is good and perfect, even in the last days of this chaotic world.

Romans 12:2 tells us to not be conformed to the patterns of the world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. If we see the world through God’s eyes, it will give us perspective to commit our lives to serving His purpose on this earth.

To discover God’s will for a righteous lifestyle, we must unconditionally surrender our lives to God’s control. As we trust His promises and present our lives as a living sacrifice to Him, we are recognizing that as Christian believers, we now belong to God because Christ paid for our sis when He died on the cross in our place.

“Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself; God bought you with a high price, so you must honor god with your body and spirit, which belong to God” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20, NLT).

This means we are to put aside our own will and choose to follow God’s will, preparing our minds and hearts for his Word to flow through us and reach the unsaved world.

In Jesus we are now a new and different person, putting to death our selfish desires to saturate our minds and hearts with His promises and His strength that will build in us a strong spiritual inner man.

To do this, Philippians 4:8 says to “fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right; think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”

Being able to discern the will of God more accurately for our lives comes from the clarity that is revealed through the Holy Spirit, our Comforter and Helper.

Ephesians 5:15-18 says to be careful not to live as fools but as wise, making the most of every opportunity to do good in these evil days – not being thoughtless, but trying to understand what the Lord wants us to do as we allow His Spirit to fill us and lead us.

“But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22). The fact that the Holy Spirit is our Helper  what makes it possible to live a life pleasing to God – making it a joy rather than a duty to follow Jesus.

With an attitude of gratitude, we recognize that God is in control of all the circumstances that surround us and that He has promised to work all things together for good in the life of the believer.

Romans 5:1-5 says that we have been justified through faith, not works, and that’s why we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, and have gained access through Him to the grace in which we stand. This is why we rejoice in hope, because God has poured out His love on our hearts by the Holy Spirit. This is a beautiful promise!

Our faithful God has given amazing promises to His children. For example, He promised Abraham, “I will certainly bless you richly, and I will multiply your descendants into countless millions.”

The book of Hebrews tells us that Abraham waited patiently and so he received what God had promised. It also tells us that God has bound Himself with an oath so that those who receive those promises can be sure He will never change His mind, and that it is impossible for Him to lie.

“This confidence we have as an anchor of the soul, strong and trustworthy. It leads us through the inner veil of Heaven, into God’s inner sanctuary, where Jesus has already gone for us to become our eternal High Priest” (Hebrew 6:19-20, NLT).

In this world where everything that can be shaken will be shaken and only truth will stand… we can always rely on God to keep His promises!