Trusting God in Difficult Times. Pastor’s Bible Reading Schedule: 1 Samuel 21-25 . After Joseph passed these character tests, God promoted him to second in command in Egypt. But what do you do when the hard times come? Sometimes there are no sheep in the pen. 37 provides God-given wisdom, a plan of action for experiencingthe peace that passeth understanding, a supernatural peace that transcends circumstances. God already wrote them down for us, and we can turn back to Psalm 37 any time we need to. Step one: Pray. Biblical Commentary God gave us two ears and one mouth. The devil made me do it. It’s not my fault. Although Joseph may have been a little arrogant, he certainly didn’t deserve to be sold by his own brothers into slavery and then end up in prison, accused of something he didn’t do. Love always, Rose. by Sr. Faustina Maria Pia, S.V. 1. Sometimes the olive crop fails. (Click left for an example). There will be periods when our faith in God is tested. And Galatians 6:10 reminds us, “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.”. Saying we trust God is one thing, but when we really trust Him and lean on Him, we enter His rest. Amen. But the wicked reject God and God’s ways. (KJV) In an ever changing world, we need confidence. Most of us, including me, could listen to God more, and if we did, our lives would be better! Today we’re starting a special series of meditations by Tim Keller — "Trusting God in Difficult Times." Christ has come to reconcile us to God, to each other, and to our true human nature. Put God first. A response to the Newtown, Connecticut school shooting. Vaughan Smith Several Psalms and many Proverbs divide all of humanity into two groups:the righteous and the wicked. Joseph was able to save the country and his own people (the Hebrews) from famine. As we practice these seven steps, we can survive the spin cycle… and come out clean. The enemy army came in great force to capture Elisha, but Elisha knew that the army of heaven was greater and stronger, so he didn’t fear; he trusted God. God is bigger than your circumstances. I didn’t deserve this. Psalm 37 Trusting God in Troubled Times (Smith), “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you… Don’t let your heart be troubled, neither let it be fearful.”, All Rights Reserved | © 1997-2020 Richard Niell Donovan. Litany of Trust. Remember God’s Love “Don’t be deceived, my beloved brothers” (v. 16). Remember God and Spend Time With Him. The cashier said to the boy, “It’s nice of you to run errands for your parents. The next time the boy came to the store, the casher asked him, “How’s your cat?”, The boy hung his head in sadness. When your work-load is overwhelming, worship more to proclaim that God is strong and loving enough to sustain you. “‘In your anger do not sin’ “Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry…” (Ephesians 4:26) Don’t allow anger to lead us to do or say harmful things… and… let go of each day’s anger,before going to bed at night. When I experience worry, I try to turn my worries into prayers. In this psalm, we are given four steps up and out of despair, fueled by Hope For Hard Times. If this is the case, we must choose to “watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong” no matter what (1 Corinthians 16:13). We solve one problem and another comes along.… This is where the church community stepped in. After telling God about the enemies who wanted to take his life, David declared, “But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, my glory and the One who lifts up my head. From the fear that trusting You will leave me more destitute, Top 10 Bible Verses for Trusting God in Difficult Times. These steps are not a one-time thing. Many times we place these specifics on God. Faithworks Centre, Prince Edward Island is a church where people from all walks of life join to grow in faith. God’s Word reminds us that He is a rescuer who never leaves us nor forsakes us, whose mercy and love endure forever, and who hears the cries of His people. I can hardly remember walking through a trial when I didn’t have my faith anchored in one of God’s promises. You started it. There will be financial crisis where we find ourselves out of work but not out of debt. If YOU have ever been punished for doing the right thing, if you’re a good guy who seems to always finish last… then Psalm 37 is for you. From the belief that I have to earn your love, — Deliver me, Jesus. And when we do worry, we can repent… and try to better. And the wicked reject God’s ways because the wicked want to do things their own way. He said, “My cat died.”, The cashier said, “I’m sorry to hear that your cat died. We too can expect God to use the difficulties in our lives to bring about good for us and others as well as glory to God. The path of His choosing is the only one that leads to true happiness, Isn't this a wonderful promise "...those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. Look at those who are honest and good, for a wonderful future awaits those who love peace. If knowing God is not our highest joy and delight, then we do not know God very well. Certainly in Psalms and Proverbs, and I think in the entire Bible, righteousness is a matter of relationship. It’s a sin because God commands us not to do it. Learn about how to strengthen your faith, follow Jesus’ command to love and serve others, and understand how love casts out fear. It’s a special kind of rest that you can have even in the middle of difficult circumstances. If God is good, then why do we go through bad times? A wonderful illustration of this unseen presence is described in ( … That’s why we’ve created a 17-page, 3-part guide to Living By Faith. Faith and trust are VERBS; faith and trust are a lifestyle, and they involve action. Trusting God in difficult times. The scriptures below are some of my favorites, my go-tos when life gets hard. Hymn Lists. I have witnessed God’s power many times, simply by putting him first! Again, please trust me when I say that the original Hebrew includes the idea of sitting still with God in silence. We have been investing in this body of believers for 3 years, tithing, praying, serving, and ministering, so rather than struggling alone, we reached out to our church family in humility, and they were more than happy to come alongside us and help us. Sometimes we go through difficult things because we’ve made poor decisions. That’s what the Body of Christ is for; we are instructed to “rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15). When we delight in God,the desires of our hearts are in line with God’s will… and when our desires are in line with God’s will,God can safely give us the desires of our hearts. Because if all you have is a God of the good times, you don’t have the God of the Bible. Also remember that our enemy, Satan, loves to pick on people who are faithfully serving God. God’s Help for Hard Times 10 I sometimes refer to personal events in my life. Home / Sermons / Trusting God in Tough Times. There is a tension that happens when we are in the midst of change. Our commitment to God is important… but, here in Psalm 37.5, being committed to God is not the point. When we invite others to help us, they enjoy the blessings of giving. God’s got this! I’m blessed if I have a kid by 30, I’m blessed is I make 6 figures by 35, I’m blessed if I’m married by 25. This may seem so basic, but in hard times we forget it…or don’t feel it. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” God doesn’t make bad things to happen to us to teach us a lesson. Fretting—or worrying—is a sin. Like Adam in the Garden of Eden, we are experts at passing the buck. Now therefore, O Lord our God, I beseech thee, save thou us out of his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the Lord God, even thou only. We must remember what the writer of Romans taught: “If God is for us, who can be against us?” If we can truly grasp the meaning of this scripture, it will encourage us to not give up during hard times. King David wrote many of the Psalms and often cried out to God to help him as he was being chased by people who wanted to kill him. What do you delight in?What is your greatest source of pleasure? So, be ready. Mark 4:35-4:41. We believe that God is good, kind and faithful, yet we seemed to be encountering one trial after another. Living in the middle of what was and the hope of what is yet to come is challenging. And if we do not know God very well,it is only because we have not invested enough time in developing our relationship with God. Get your free guide by just entering your email address below! But Jesus said in John 10:10, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. We have looked at building relationships, the intimacy and sanctity of marriage and this morning look at trusting God when you are in difficult times. Certainly in Psalms and Proverbs, and I think in the entire Bible, righteousness is a matter of relationship. The wicked reject God because the wicked want to be their own gods. We have to learn to trust God with change.. I don’t think the Tide killed my cat. 2 Kings 19:15-19 King James Version (KJV) A wonderful story of Trusting God in the difficult times. Elisha was obeying God and doing His will, and the enemy wasn’t happy about it. An example of this is Joseph. When life is like a “spin cycle”or when a specific, major crisis strikes, Ps. Raise your hand if you know what I am talking about. Learn more | Create PowerClip! These two steps are inseparable; neither can exist without the other. Trusting God through these uncharted waters takes faith and courage, but is worth every effort. Many Christians regard Charles Haddon Spurgeon to be the “Prince of Preachers.” He often preached to crowds of more than 5,000, and his sermons sold nearly 20,000 copies a week and were translated into 20 different languages. Prepare in advance for those hard times, because they will come. 2) commonly called, “The Antichrist.”. Sometimes there are no grapes on the vine. It’s natural to try to understand why we are going through a tough time. The righteous try to live God’s way.The wicked reject God and live their own way. FOR YE HAVE NEED OF PATIENCE, THAT AFTER YE HAVE DONE THE WILL OF GOD, YE MIGHT RECEIVE THE PROMISE. When we get bombarded with problems… when stress comes in waves… life can feel like a spin cycle. The righteous relate rightly to God by seeking to know God and to obey God. Several Psalms and many Proverbs divide all of humanity into two groups:the righteous and the wicked. That’s it! Some days we need to go through these steps several times. The truth is, sometimes we suffer because of our own poor choices. It’s easy to trust God when everything is going great, but when things aren’t going well, we can struggle to keep our faith. In Acts 20:35 Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Don’t allow pride to keep you from reaching out for assistance. We tried to remain hopeful, but the burden became too much for us. Trusting God Strategy #2: Run To The Throne of Grace Hebrews 4:16 says, “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and … David is telling us to tell God about our problems… and then to sit quietly with God. Christ said, “Set them apart in the truth; your word is truth” (John 17:17). Introduction-This morning we continue our series “Nuts and Bolts of life”. Either way… Christians have nothing to fear! If we doubt this, trusting God in hard times will be difficult. Sermons; Topics Apologetics 45; Book Study 349; Christmas 4; Communicating the Bible Clearly 23; Divine Direction: Learning and Living God's Will for Your Life 6; Doctrine 42; Easter 4; Fretting, or worrying, is a choice. Some people believe that God allows bad things to happen to them because He wants to teach them something. After telling God about the enemies who wanted to take his life, David declared, “But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, my glory and the One who lifts up my head. When it is difficult to trust God, secure a promise from God’s Word and confess it! Our God is a very practical God. 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