In Matthew 10 Jesus is sending the disciples out and they are to do great works and preach “the Kingdom of God is near”. They are not too prepare themselves; either with things, or places to stay, or with weapons of self-defense. Their mission is noble and great, yet they will encounter persecution and rejection.
In the midst of this rejection they are to remember and hold on to what God has taught them. Certainly, if they are to hold on during prosecutions, jailing, beatings; then we can hold on during our short bouts of doubt or the oppression or uncertainty. God has told us there will be dark times and we are to hold on. We must remember: our hairs are numbered; we are worth more than many sparrows.
They were to go out, yet they would experience these hard things. God intended that the they should experience the hard things. It should not be a surprise to us when difficulty comes our way. We can only trust God will not allow us to be buried so deep in them that we despair there will never be any relief.
In times of trouble we can ask for advice and comfort from other Christians. The body of Christ is good place to seek counsel. But even with Christians we must be discerning of which people we seek, for some are so opinionated they cannot provide a balanced solution. Such people can sometimes be a part of the problem. You may feel so oppressed by their opinions that you cannot talk freely. You must seek a competent believer who listens and can add a good perspective to yours - - as long as both perspectives are formed on the word of God. You can know who has good advice if you read your Bible.
