Good News in a Bad News World
They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord.
Psalm 112:7
I am a cancer survivor. I had prostate surgery in March of 2017 and just marked the milestone of being 7 years cancer-free. While I celebrate that, it’s not something I take for granted. Up to 40% of men who had that surgery will experience a recurrence.
That’s why every six months, I have blood work done to see if my PSA has risen. And every six months I face a nerve-wracking time waiting for the report.
I just went through that again a few weeks ago. I had the blood work done and received the report the next day. The result? Once again, my PSA number was in the “undetectable” range. No recurrence.
While Gwen and I celebrated that good news and murmured, “Thank You, Lord. You are so good” another thought came to me. Would God have still been “good” if I’d received bad news?
The fact is, while all of us will have our good news moments in 2024, we will also experience our bad news moments. Bad news on both a macro and micro scale is part and parcel of living in a broken world.
Perhaps it’s just me, but it seems that the bad news is increasing exponentially in the early weeks of this year.
War in the Middle East and Ukraine.
Tensions with China. Iran, and North Korea.
Increasing political upheaval in an election year.
Climate change.
Earthquakes, wildfires, and tsunamis.
Mass shootings.
The refugee crisis.
Economic uncertainty.
The bad news list can go on and on. And that’s not counting things people I know are facing, such as:
A dire diagnosis.
Job loss.
The death of a loved one.
The rebellion of a child.
Financial difficulties.
Constant exposure to bad news creates worry and anxiety and takes a toll on our physical, mental, and spiritual health. We become gripped by fear, insecurity, paranoia, and mistrust about our future.
So should believers, then, stop watching the news altogether? Should we bury our heads in the sand and ignore all unpleasant information? That may provide a bit of relief but in the end, denial of reality is no answer.
Whenever I am afraid...
I came across a great verse recently that speaks to this. It’s Psalm 112:7 and it reads, “They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord.”
Notice that the psalmist does not deny the fact that we live in a bad-news world. Rather, he offers an antidote. To stand strong and trust in the One who is still in control.
So how might you lean into that?
One thought would be to unplug from the bad news regularly and plug into God’s Good News. Regain your confidence and renew your hope by spending time every day in Scripture and prayer.
Cast all your anxieties upon the One who can shoulder them. And hold tight to His promises that He is in control, working all things out for good, and ultimately will fix this broken, bad news world.
Another would be to embrace some calming practices. When you feel the pressure rising and the fear building, close your eyes, take a deep breath in, then blow the air out and quote a verse like this one: “Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You…” (Ps. 56:3). You can almost feel the tension leave your body.
Besides engaging in these practices personally, there’s also that which you can do in community.
Here’s where corporate worship plays a key role. Worship allows you to lift your eyes above that which causes fear to focus on the One who has all things under control. And doing so in the presence of other believers reminds you that you are not alone. Worshiping together encourages and instructs us, restoring peace and hope.
Beyond that, simply fellowshipping with others can be a way to regain your perspective and receive their prayer support when the bad news seems overwhelming.
Dear friends, let’s not deny the fact that bad news abounds. But let us also remember that, in the end, Good News will prevail. And that’s something worth celebrating.
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