In Jesus’ last recorded sermon, he gave us this insight.

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (emphasis added).

John 16:33 (NIV)

Jesus delivered this sermon to his disciples who would be facing the darkest part of their lives as Christians where most would be executed for their faith in Jesus. However, instead of focusing on this fact, Jesus told them to “be of good cheer” because he has “overcome the world” (John 16:33, KJV).

As Jesus’ disciples, we, too, will face trouble in the world, but how do we respond to it when it comes? Do we “take heart” and respond to trouble with “pure joy” per James 1:2 or do we face it with fear and trembling?

Consider these three incidents from the Old Testament and how these folks faced trouble when it came.

In 2 Kings 6, we read about how the king of Aram sent his army to capture Elisha because Elisha had been warning Joram, the king of Israel, about Aramean troop movements. After discovering that Elisha was in Dothan, Ben-Hadad’s army surrounded the city.

When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?” the servant asked.

“Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”

And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

2 Kings 6:15-17 (NIV)

In this case, Elisha’s servant responded to trouble with fear and dismay. However, Elisha responded with compassion and prayer. Compassion for his servant who didn’t have his faith and prayer that God would open his servant’s eyes to see that God was with them. Indeed, God was (and is) greater than their trouble.

Later in 2 Kings 6, we read about the siege of Samaria by the Arameans. During this siege, we read about King Joram and how he seemingly gives up on waiting on the Lord for deliverance.

The king said, “This disaster is from the Lord. Why should I wait for the Lord any longer?”

2 Kings 6:33 (NIV)

However, despite Joram’s faithlessness, God delivered the Israelites.

Elisha replied, “Hear the word of the Lord. This is what the Lord says: About this time tomorrow, a seah of the finest flour will sell for a shekel and two seahs of barley for a shekel at the gate of Samaria.”

2 Kings 7:1 (NIV)

Still, the king’s officer didn’t believe Elisha’s prophetic word and was killed because of his unbelief (2 Kings 7:19-20).

Yet, the most curious aspect of this deliverance from trouble was how it came about.

Now there were four men with leprosy at the entrance of the city gate. They said to each other, “Why stay here until we die? If we say, ‘We’ll go into the city’—the famine is there, and we will die. And if we stay here, we will die. So let’s go over to the camp of the Arameans and surrender. If they spare us, we live; if they kill us, then we die.”

At dusk they got up and went to the camp of the Arameans. When they reached the edge of the camp, no one was there, for the Lord had caused the Arameans to hear the sound of chariots and horses and a great army, so that they said to one another, “Look, the king of Israel has hired the Hittite and Egyptian kings to attack us!” So they got up and fled in the dusk and abandoned their tents and their horses and donkeys. They left the camp as it was and ran for their lives (emphasis added).

2 Kings 7:3-7 (NIV)

Although Samaria had been surrounded by an army, that army left and those living in Samaria were none the wiser! Had it not been for those four men with leprosy, how long would it have been before those in Samaria realized their deliverance? Indeed, even after notifying the city they were free, they were not believed.

The king got up in the night and said to his officers, “I will tell you what the Arameans have done to us. They know we are starving; so they have left the camp to hide in the countryside, thinking, ‘They will surely come out, and then we will take them alive and get into the city.’ ”

2 Kings 7:12 (NIV)

However, Joram wasn’t so foolish as to not send someone to verify the report, so he sent someone to check on the Aramean army. Indeed, it was only after it was verified that the Aramean army had fled that the king believed the report.

In this second case, we see fear, doubt, impatience, and unbelief in the face of trouble. Moreover, what stands out to me is that their enemy had fled and they had been delivered yet they were still responding in fear to a “trouble” that was no longer there!

Our final case deals with Jehoshaphat and the armies of Moab and Ammon from 2 Chronicles 20.

Some people came and told Jehoshaphat, “A vast army is coming against you from Edom, from the other side of the Dead Sea. It is already in Hazezon Tamar” (that is, En Gedi). Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah. The people of Judah came together to seek help from the Lord; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him (emphasis added).

2 Chronicles 20:1-4 (NIV)

Although Jehoshaphat was alarmed at the news, his first response was to ask God for help. Then, he called a fast for all of Judah and everyone came together to entreat God for help. Jehoshaphat’s attitude can be summed up in verse 12.

Our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”

2 Chronicles 20:12 (NIV)

Jehoshaphat responded to this threat with humility. He didn’t send out the army to defend Judah, nor did he do anything else before humbling himself and all of Judah before the Lord. How does God respond?

He said: “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.

2 Chronicles 20:15 (NIV)

The Lord encouraged the king and all of Judah to trust him and not be afraid. Indeed, God assured them that he, not their army, would fight the battle. Then, the Lord told Jehoshaphat what to do. After doing what the Lord said, Judas was delivered (2 Chronicles 20:16-24).

In this case, we see how humility and faith in the face of trouble brought peace to Judah.

The fear of God came on all the surrounding kingdoms when they heard how the Lord had fought against the enemies of Israel. And the kingdom of Jehoshaphat was at peace, for his God had given him rest on every side.

2 Chronicles 20:29-30 (NIV)

Today we have seen three different cases where trouble reared its ugly head and we see three different responses. In every case, the Lord delivered his people from their troubles. Just as Jesus will deliver us from our trouble. Therefore, how will we respond when trouble comes? We will be like Elisha or his servant? Perhaps we are more like Joram who ran out of patience but was delivered anyway? Maybe, we can be Jehoshaphat and Judah who responded with humility and faith, knowing that only God can deliver them from their trouble?

I don’t know about you, but I pray that I will respond to all the trouble that comes with humility, hope, faith, and grace knowing that I am an overcomer in Christ Jesus who had already “overcome the world” (John 16:33).