This is absolutely true great thread brother and good to see you again.
While I was reading your words I was reminded of (Job 1:13-20) and how quickly calamity came upon Job all at once.
So I was thinking about calamity or trials in today's world and how when these things come to us how quickly it all unfolds not just in one area but in so many other regions of our daily lives to almost effect everything that is going at the time. Needless to say that trials such as financial struggle damages not only our pockets but also our relationships as we argue over money and at the same time our emotional well being becoming depressed or strained and full of anxiety, these things will eventually take us away from worship and we find ourselves spiritually choked out by them.
For these things we have the promises of God and the reassuring words of Jesus, these words came at a time of not only Pharisee oppression but the even greater detriment of Roman rule.
In those days the people living in the provinces not only had to support the occupying Roman army with all their provisions (ie livestock, grains, fruits, veges, dairy) but they also had to supply man power on demand to build Roman infrastructure (roads etc), it didn't matter who you were if you were told to do something by a Roman soldier you dropped what you were doing and you complied (Matt 27:32) or you would face severe punishment. And not only that but you had to pay an exorbitant Tax to the Roman empire. It was common for farmers to go in to great debt to pay these taxes, and then they had to eventually sell their farms and homes to pay the debts they owed. If you you had the sort of trial where you didn't produce a crop at harvest time, you then had the added trial of still having to pay your taxes and support your family.
Tax collectors beat family members to death trying to extract owed moneys from people. if that person fled, their entire family woman and children would be systematically tutored and killed until they either confessed the whereabouts of the one who fled (They generally never knew) or payed the tax they owed. So its no wonder Jewish tax collectors were so despised by their own people! (puts the whole calling of Levi in perspective).
It was at this time Jesus gave the people (Matt 6:25-34)
Try putting yourself in that fearful predicament and hearing these words from Jesus for the first time.
The truth is all these bad things may happen to us and we may think God cant hear our cries, but we must remember that God has already given to us the greatest mercy we could ever in all eternity hope to receive, and we should look at anything extra as a bonus.
We are told that we will suffer in this world, but we are left with a promise that everything will be made right and that we are not left alone to struggle. We need to remember that God can indeed hear our cries and that he has answered every prayer. God has created for us a new heavens and earth and Jesus has prepared a place for us to live in it. This is where we set our sights.
When we are tempted we cry out and we are rescued every time, I personally can attest to that, its not my will to do evil and my heart abhors the sin that tempts me, God knows my heart and so he is quick to my rescue every time, taking away an urge to do wrong or providing a way out. The problem is in ourselves to recognize that we have been given a spirit of strength and so we do have it within us to walk away. We also have freedom of choice so if we choose we can shun the spirit and do as we please regardless of Gods intervention. (ie how often have we cried out but eventually sinned anyway)
God is certainly quick to rescue because when calamity comes it comes in spades.
No matter what happens we have Gods Word.
