Being Troubled – Jealousy – Laziness – Loneliness
INTRODUCTION
Regardless of the needs or problems of anyone, anywhere and at any time, the answer lies within the Holy Bible. For this the Lord Jesus Christ said: ―Search the scripture.‖ John 5:35.
Whatever our feelings, pain or hopes are: the Bible holds the word of life for the benefit of everyone. Unfortunately, quite often we search for solutions concerning our problems outside the Holy Bible. This document, my dear friend, is a humble attempt to gather some of the verses of the Holy Bible to help you if you encounter one of the following circumstances:
Being Troubled.
Jealousy.
Laziness.
Loneliness.
First: BEING TROUBLED
―But the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; He is their strength in the time of trouble.‖ Psalm 37:39.
―The Lord opens the eyes of the blind; the Lord raises those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous.‖ Psalm 146:8.
―Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the Lord upholds him with His hand.‖ Psalm 37:24.
―You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance.‖ Psalm 32:7.
―You who have shown me great and severe troubles, shall revive me again from the depths of the earth.‖ Psalm 71:20.
―Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God.‖ Psalm 42:11.
―My flesh and my heart fail; but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.‖ Psalm 73:26.
―No evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; for He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways.‖
Psalm 91:10-11.
―Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy. He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtlessly come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.‖ Psalm 126:5-6.
―Oh, love the Lord, all you His saints! For the Lord preserves the faithful, and fully repays the proud person.‖ Psalm 31:23.
―For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; nor has He hidden His face from Him; But when He cried to Him, He heard.‖ Psalm 22:24.
―The Lord also will be a refuge for oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.‖
Psalm 9:9.
―For you will light my lamp The Lord my God will enlighten my darkness.‖
Psalm 18:28.
―Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.‖ Psalm 34:19.
―Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you will revive me; You will stretch out Your hand against the wrath of my enemies, And Your right hand will save me.‖ Psalm 138:7.
―The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.‖ Psalm 18:2.
―Do not rejoice over me, my enemy; when I fall, I will arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord will be a light to me. I will bear the indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned against Him, until He pleads my case and executes justice for me. He will bring me forth to the light; I will see His righteousness.‖ Micah 7:8-9.
―These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.‖ John 16:33.
―He shall deliver you in six troubles, yes, in seven no evil shall touch you.‖
Job 5:19.
―For the Lord will not cast off forever. Though He causes grief, yet He will show compassion according to the multitude of His mercies. For He does not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men.‖ Lamentations 3:31-33.
―The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knows those who trust in Him.‖ Nahum 1:7.
Second: JEALOUSY
―Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.‖ Psalm 37:7.
―You shall not covet your neighbor‘s wife; and you shall not desire your neighbor‘s house, his field, his male servant, his female servant, his ox, his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor‘s .‖ Deuteronomy 5:21.
―But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth.‖ James 3:14.
―Do not envy the oppressor, and choose none of his ways.‖ Proverbs 3:31.
―A sound heart is life to the body, but envy is rottenness to the bones.‖
Proverbs 14:30.
―Wrath is cruel and anger a torrent, but who is able to stand before jealousy?‖ Proverbs 27:4.
―Do not be envious of evil men, nor desire to be with them.‖ Proverbs 24:1.
―Do not let your heart envy sinners, but be zealous for the fear of the Lord all the day.‖ Proverbs 23:17.
―Do not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.‖
Galatians 5:26.
―For where envy and self-seeking exists, confusion and every evil thing are there.‖ James 3:16.
―Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well-being.‖ 1 Corinthians 10:24.
Third: LAZINESS
―That you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing.‖ 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12.
―Not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.‖ Romans 12:11.
―He who tills his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows frivolity will have poverty enough!‖ Proverbs 28:19.
―He who has a slack hand becomes poor, but the hand of the diligent makes rich. He who gathers in summer is a wise son; but who sleeps in harvest is a son who causes shame.‖ Proverbs 10:4-5.
―I went by the field of lazy man, and by the vineyard of the man devoid covered with nettles; its stone wall was broken down. When I saw it, I considered it well; I looked on it and received instruction: A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest; so shall your poverty come like a prowler and your need like an armed man.‖ Proverbs 24:30-34.
―Do not love sleep, lest you come to poverty; open your eyes, and you will be satisfied with bread.‖ Proverbs 20:13.
―The way of the lazy son is like a hedge of thorns, but the way of the upright is a highway.‖ Proverbs 15:19.
―The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty, but those of everyone who is hasty, surely to poverty.‖ Proverbs 21:5.
―The hand of the diligent will rule, but the lazy man will be put to forced labour.‖ Proverbs 12:24.
―He who tills his land will be satisfied with bread, but he who follows frivolity is devoid of understanding‖ Proverbs 12:11.
―Be diligent to know the state of your flocks, and attend to your herds.‖
Proverbs 27:23.
―For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat. For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies. Now those who are such we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus
Chris that they work in quietness and eat their own bread.‖ 2 Thessalonians 3:10-12.
―The hardworking farmer must be first to partake of the crops.‖ 2 Timothy 2:6.
―Here is what I have seen: It is good and fitting for one to eat and drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour in which he toils under the sun all the days of his life which God gives him; for it is his heritage. As for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, and given him power to eat of it, to receive his heritage and rejoice in his labour-this is the give of God.‖
Ecclesiastics 5:18-19.
Forth: LONELINESS
―Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am’ if you take away the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness.‖ Isaiah 58:9.
―Since you were precious in My sight, you have been honored and I have loved you; therefore I will give men for you, and people for your life.‖
Isaiah 43:4.
―Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you.‖ Genesis 28:15.
―But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinks upon me. You are my help and my deliverer; do not delay, O my God.‖ Psalm 40:17.
―I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.‖ John 14:18.
―I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.‖ 2 Corinthians 6:18.
―And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, ‘It is a ghost!’ And they cried out for fear. But immediately Jesus spoken to them, saying, ‘Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.‖ Matt 14:26-27.
Father Rueiss Awad, CONTEMPORARY ISSUES (Toronto, ON: St. George and St. Rueiss Coptic Orthodox Church, 2019).