Good morning, and a most blessed Thursday to you.

This side of heaven, No one gets through life without experiencing distress. It comes in many forms—fear, anxiety, grief, and outside pressures that bring stress into our lives. None of us escape unpleasant circumstances, and none of us enjoy them.

But distress is part of life—for the Christian, the non-Christian, for everyone. As Christians, however, we are called to respond to it in a very specific way.

A couple of weeks ago, I was reading in 2 Chronicles, and a verse jumped right out at me. I’ll share it with you in a moment, but first, let me give you a bit of context.

King Ahaz was ruling in Jerusalem, and he was not a good king—he did not follow the Lord’s commands. He failed to lead the people in the way God had instructed His rulers to lead. As a result, they were under attack. The Edomites and the Philistines were pressing in. Ahaz reached out to the king of Assyria for help, but he received none.

He was distressed—deeply distressed—but he was not a man of deep faith. So, did he take this as a sign to turn to the Lord in repentance? Let’s find out.

In 2 Chronicles 28:22, it says:

"In the time of his distress, he became yet more faithless to the Lord."

Rather than repenting and turning to God, King Ahaz became even more faithless in his distress. It’s a sad verse, but there’s beauty in the warning it gives us. God, through His Word, shows us the danger of turning further away from Him in our suffering.

You and I, though—we are called to a different life and a different response. When we try to run from God or become more faithless because of the distress we face, we risk making idols out of our pain, letting it consume our thoughts, our actions, and our moments.

But as Christians, we are called to fix our eyes elsewhere—on the One in whom our faith rests: Jesus Christ.

You’ll notice Jesus no longer hangs on the cross. He died for your sins. He died for my sins. He died for all the darkness and distress we will ever face this side of heaven. And though He was buried, He is no longer in the tomb. He lives, glorified, at the right hand of the Father.

We are called to that life—a life of eternal peace with God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

So we don’t have to hide. We don’t have to run. We are invited to turn our eyes to Jesus—the One who redeemed us, forgave us, loves us, and calls us His own. That is the life to which we’ve been called. And in that life, we have complete peace, hope, and joy.

Let me share with you a few verses that offer strength and encouragement—reminders of the faithful life we are called to live in Christ:

• 2 Corinthians 12:9 – “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, Paul says, “I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.”

• Psalm 73:26 – “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”

• Nehemiah 8:10 – “Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

• Isaiah 41:10 – “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with My victorious right hand.”

• 1 Chronicles 16:11 – “Seek the Lord and His strength; seek His presence continually.”

My brothers and sisters, you will not escape distress this side of heaven. But remember: distress, grief, anxiety, and fear—they all belong to this side of heaven. You are promised something far greater: eternal peace, joy, comfort, grace, and mercy in Jesus Christ.

Let this be what you turn to. Let this promise be what you cling to—at all times, but especially in the moments when distress tempts you to look away from Christ. In those times, repent, turn back to Him, and cling even more tightly to Jesus and who He is in your life.

Let us pray:

Heavenly Lord, we thank You so much. We thank You for the empty cross. We thank You for the empty tomb. Lord, we thank You that victory over sin, death, and the devil is ours through You.

Thank You for carrying us in our times of distress, in the strength of Your Spirit. Help us to cling to You ever more tightly. Help us when we’re tempted to take our eyes off You—when we’re tempted to make idols of our distress. Lord, turn our hearts once again to You.

Remind us that in You we have all love, all mercy, and all forgiveness. Let us never forget this. Let us never take our eyes from this promise. And let us always praise You for being the faithful God You are.

We lift all this to You in the holy, precious, saving name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Have an amazing rest of your week, and I look forward to praising our almighty, gracious, and wonderful God with you this Sunday. God bless.

Pastor Malinak