WHEN GOD SPEAKS … based on Ecclesiastes 5:1-2

 

WHEN GOD SPEAKS

… based on Ecclesiastes 5:1-2

For much of my life, I have kept a journal.  Let me share a couple of entries.  On this day back in 1960 …  “Tuesday.  I went to school.  Today people are voting for the U.S. President.  Come on NIXON.  I also had play practice.  I love Linda & I think she likes me.  The weather was cool.”

How about 1978 …  “Wednesday.  Went for my morning run.  Continued working on my paper for my O.T. Poets class.  Had lunch with Professor Scholar.  We talked about the Gospel of John.  It was rainy & cold.”

Here’s last years …  “Saturday.  Morning devotions & then worked on my sermon until about 11:00.  I spent the rest of the day outside.  

Gathered the leaves into 2 huge piles.  Then filled 11 garden bags.  

Put winter fertilizer on the yard.  Came in about 5:00.  

Tired, but glad it’s all done.  It was a sunny day.”

(Today’s entry is going to begin with … 

“I love Kathy, & I’m hoping she loves me!”)

Now those are secular entries, a kind of a diary thing.

But every now & then I will keep a spiritual journal for my daily devotions.  

I’ve done a # of them over the years.  Ken Boa, Bruce & Stan, & Beth Moore are good ones to use.  Journals are helpful for me because I need to write things down in order to fully grasp & understand truths & concepts.

The book of Ecclesiastes, in some ways, could be called a spiritual journal.  

It’s made up of thoughts & understandings of a man who was struggling to find the purpose of life.  The writer, who tradition identifies as Solomon, experimented with philosophies & secular wisdom & lifestyles in an attempt to gain meaning for his existence.

So, with that as an introduction, listen now to Good News, as written by Solomon, & recorded in Ecclesiastes, to us who have gathered for worship.  Within our hearing now comes the Word of the Lord …

Be careful about going to the Temple.  It is better to go there to learn than to offer sacrifices like foolish people who don’t know right from wrong.  Think before you speak, and don’t make any rash promises to God.  He is in heaven and you are on earth, so don’t say any more than you have to. 

(Ecclesiastes 5:1-2)

May my words & my thoughts be acceptable to you, 

O LORD, my refuge & my redeemer! (The Psalms 19:14)

May the Lord grant that we may engage in contemplating the mysteries of His Heavenly wisdom with really increasing devotion, to His glory and to our edification.  Amen 

I was talking to some of you a couple weeks ago about the problems we were having with Direct TV.  And the fact that we have 4 TVs in our home makes it appear that we watch a lot of television, which just isn’t the case.  

In fact, I would go so far as to say, 

there’s no current programs that we watch regularly.

But, having said that, I do like Masterpiece Theatre on public television.  And I have DVD collections of some of the series I particularly enjoyed.  And I’ve been watching, in the early morning hours, one of them, “I Claudius.”  It’s the story of the Caesars, 

from Augustus to Nero through the eyes of Claudius.

And one of the recurring themes in the series is as immoral as the Caesars were, they desperately wanted to have a relationship with the gods.  

They wanted “religion” in their lives.

That’s something that hasn’t changed in 2,000 years,

& people continue to look to “religion” to find meaning & answers to life.

The Today Show had a segment a month or so ago on the renewed interest in religion among young people today.  Asbury, Texas A&M, & Auburn are but a few of the universities that have reported a turn to Christianity within the past couple of years.  And “Time” & “The Week” magazines have had more than just a few stories on the subject recently. 

Our Scripture lesson today implies that Solomon also had looked at religion to give him some answers about life.  And what interests me is that it appears that he got burnt-out in his “religious” pilgrimage.  It sounds as if he had gone & participated in the Temple activities, with all the regalia … 

but it didn’t do much for him.  It became an empty kind of ritual.

Solomon found that “religion” consisted of making lots of noise to God, 

but had forgotten that one of the necessary acts of genuine worship is to listen to God.

Now most of us know how to communicate.  Some of us have even studied in this area.  But if we think about it … not many of us have been trained to listen.  Only once in graduate school did I have a course, (actually it was just a small segment of a counseling course), that taught me how to listen to people; what they’re saying & what they’re not saying. 

Most of us, unfortunately, don’t take the time to listen.  

Let me give you an example.  Someone comes up to you & introduces themselves … & what happens?  Most of us become so concerned about what we’re going to say that we miss the person’s name entirely.

We walk away wondering … now what was his/her name?

And the same thing can be said about us when it comes to listening to God.  

And that’s too bad … because one of the fundamental truths about the God of Scripture is that He’s a speaking God.

Francis Schaeffer, a terrific theologian of a generation ago, 

wrote a book that really made an impression on me.  It was entitled, 

“He Is There & He Is Not Silent.”  And, if God … our God … is not silent, 

isn’t it tragic that few of us hear Him speak very often.

I remember as a child, if I didn’t hear something, my Mom would say, 

“your ears are dirty.”  As I got older, & didn’t hear, I was accused of “daydreaming.”  When I became an adult, it was because I was overworked or preoccupied.  There’s always some excuse as to why we don’t hear.

My goal today is to help us become more attentive as we listen to God.

So, let me suggest some ways that He speaks.

1st, we have a God who speaks in creation about His glory.  

We just sang a few moments ago, “This is my Father’s world.  

And to my listening ears.”  The theologian calls this “general revelation.”  Probably the clearest Scriptural passage for this is the 19th Psalm.

“How clearly the sky reveals God’s glory!

How plainly it shows what he has done!

Each day announces it to the following day; 

each night repeats it to the next.

No speech or words are used, no sound is heard;

yet their message goes out to all the world

& is heard to the ends of the earth.” (The Psalms 19:1-4)

Okay, what’s the psalmist referring to?  He’s suggesting that at times God “speaks” without using words … but everyone who wants to “hear” … can.  

God speaks by revealing His glory in creation. (Romans 1:20)

What do we see as we walk through this world?  

Many people see nothing because they’re so preoccupied with themselves, 

& their cellphones.  We’re living in a time where most people want to be entertained or amused when they look at things.

I remember, & this happened more than once, when I was pastoring in Niagara Falls.  We’d go down to the Falls & gaze on this amazing wonder of the world, & as we were staring at it, I’d inevitably overhear someone say … “is that all there is?”  Here we were appreciating this wonderful creation of God, & they wanted to go & play video games.  

Sadly, most people don’t see God’s glory in the world.  We become so busy 

& preoccupied with ourselves that we miss Him.  Job wrote …

“Although God speaks again & again no one pays attention to what he says.” 

(Job 33:14)

So, what do we see in creation?  … The colors tell us that God is a God who loves to balance & to match & to mix things.  Form, shape, size, 

& structure tells us that God loves to create.  The consistency of nature tells us about God’s dependability.  And the order of it all leaves no mistake of His sovereign purposes & plans.  All of this combines to tell us who He is.

It reflects the glorious nature of His being.  God speaks in creation to reveal His glory & to cause awe within us.  On the news recently there were pictures that had been taken from the New Horizon spacecraft from out past Pluto.  This was a rocket that was launched back in 2006!  

Incredible pictures of galaxies … God’s glory being revealed.

A 2nd way in which God “speaks” is almost as obvious as the 1st.  

God speaks in redemptive love.  The theologian calls this the “special revelation” of God.  God has entered history & “spoke” … 

not as the Father of creation … but as the Son in love. (John 1:14)

“God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

When God “speaks” the 2nd thing we “hear” is that He loves us.  

And this isn’t simply the general love shown in the created world, 

but the special love of giving His Son for us on the cross.

“God has shown us how much he loves us – 

it was while we were still sinners that Christ died for us!” (Romans 5:8)

When Jesus died on the cross almost 2,000 years ago, 

God was speaking to you & me.  He was saying … “_____, _____, _____, _____, _____, _____, _____, _____, you’re extremely special to me.

I love you in a way that you’ll never be loved by anyone else.”

The writer of Hebrews puts it this way …

“In the past God spoke to our ancestors many times & in many ways through the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us through his Son.” 

(Hebrews 1:1-2)

Jesus loved to tell parables/stories to help His listeners understand spiritual concepts.  One of those parables deals with a landowner who sent some of his servants to collect “his share of the harvest.”  But the tenants beat those servants & sent them back without a thing.  That happened several times.  Finally, the landowner states, (& this gives us insight into the mind of God).  “I will send my own dear son; surely they will respect him!” 

(Luke 20:9-10,13)

Our God is not silent.  He didn’t speak just through His servants.

He didn’t send angels to tell us His purposes & plans.  

He sent His own dear Son.  That means … when Jesus Christ speaks … 

it’s God speaking!  And He speaks to you & to me, most profoundly, 

most intimately, most specifically, at the cross.

Now there’s a 3rd way in which God speaks.  As Father, He has spoken in creation.  As Son,  He has spoken in redemption.  And now, God speaks to our everyday experiences through The Holy Spirit.  The theologian calls this “the doctrine of illumination.”  This is the process where the 3rd Person of the Trinity, The Holy Spirit, “awakens” our minds to the things that God is doing & saying.  Paul explains this in his letter to the Church in Corinth …

“‘What no one ever saw or heard, what no one ever thought could happen,

is the very thing God prepared for those who love him.’

But it was to us that God made known his secret by means of his Spirit.” 

(1 Corinthians 2:9-10)

God the Spirit “speaks” in the everyday experiences of life, in order that we might become more like Jesus.  And that’s the objective of our Christianity … maturity in the faith.  But unless we hear the words of God, 

we will not be able to grow spiritually.  We will be stunted & stagnant.

Solomon was obviously concerned about this sort of thing.  He had been doing all the religious exercises … but had never heard the voice of God.

Well, Paul indicates that it’s possible to hear God’s voice through the work of The Holy Spirit in our life.  We just need to listen.  Quickly, 

let me give you 3 conditions in which God “speaks” through His Spirit.

The 1st is in times of silence.

I can’t imagine how anyone can grow spiritually until they understand this. Think about how much of our day is surrounded by noise.  

Our clock radios wake us in the morning.  We turn on the TV to hear the news.  We listen to the radio in the car.  There’s music in the office, in the store, wherever we are.  I have my headphones on when I walk, or work in the yard.  We have cell phones.  In fact, as I’m working on this message, 

I’m playing CDs in the background.  It’s noise morning until night.

And all that noise can drown out The Holy Spirit.

Early in my ministry I used to take a week every August & go out to this old farm.  A good friend had purchased the land & was keeping it for a long-term investment.  (Actually, that’s when I grew my beard.)  There was an old camper that I slept in.  No TV, no radio.  And I would spend the whole week praying, studying, & being quiet before the Lord.  

Looking back on that … it was a wonderful spiritual experience.

Incredible as it seems, Almighty God often speaks in a whisper.  The great theologian C.S. Lewis explains, “God whispers to us in our pleasure.”  

I wonder, when was the last time you took time just to listen to Him?

The 2nd way The Holy Spirit speaks is through stress.  Stress!

That’s an interesting thought.  Paul writes, “But to keep me from being puffed up with pride because of the many wonderful things I saw, I was given a painful physical ailment.”  (No one is exactly sure just what that was.)

He goes on.  “3 times I prayed to the Lord about this & asked him to take 

it away.  But his answer was: ‘My grace is all you need.’”

So, Paul concludes, “I am most happy, then, to be proud of my weaknesses … for when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:7-10)

Paul is teaching us that God has spoken to him in his stress.

Paul hears God more in pain than he would otherwise.  What about you?

I was pondering this week about this concept in my own life …

& I believe that it’s true.  It’s often been in the stressful moments,

when I really needed Him … that I’ve heard God speak.

It’s interesting that our culture not only surrounds us with noise, but it also tells us to avoid stress.  Yet it’s stress that tests us, & creates within us the ability to believe that God can take us past our natural limitations.

There’s 1 more condition in which we can hear God’s Spirit speak.  

It’s in the acts of servanthood.  Again, Paul writes, 

“The attitude you should have is the one that Christ Jesus had …

Of his own free will he gave up all he had, & took the nature of a servant. …

He was humble & walked the path of obedience all the way to death – 

his death on the cross.” (Philippians 2:5,7-9)

Do you want to hear God speak?  Then develop a servant’s heart & attitude.

Solomon understood this.  He writes … 

“Be careful about going to the Temple.  It is better to go there to learn than to offer sacrifices like foolish people who don’t know right from wrong.  Think before you speak, & don’t make any rash promises to God.  He is in heaven & you are on earth, so don’t say any more than you have to.”

Sadly, some churches have adopted this “entertainment mindset.”  

And for me, there’s so much activity going on, that my attention is directed at the “performers” rather than the God I’ve come to worship.

Solomon must have felt the same way.  He looked upon his worship experiences & realized that he’d been spending a lot of time doing all the right liturgical stuff, reciting all the correct prayers, presenting all the proper offerings, but he wasn’t connecting with God.  

It was all a big show.  He was doing everything but listening to God.  

And he gives a warning to those of us who tend to do the same thing.

When we come into Bear Creek Church, when we enter God’s presence,

we need to be careful that we don’t let words & noise, 

or activity crowd out our opportunity to listen.

One of the plaques that I have hanging over my desk in my office has the injunction from the Psalms … “Be still, & know that I am God.” (The Psalms 46:10)

I attended a Quaker meeting once.

They spend a considerable amount of their worship time being quiet … 

just listening.  The goal is to make themselves more receptive to hearing God & increasing the opportunity to connect with Him.

I know that silence is uncomfortable.  I know that most of the time we have 5,280 things on my mind.  And I’m not suggesting that we sit around  & practice some type of meditation.  But you need to know … we have a speaking God, & He is not silent.  Have you listened to Him lately?  He tells of His glory, His love, & how we can serve Him.  Be still … & listen to Him.

MARANA THA

GETTING NEAR TO GOD WHEN WE NEED HIM … based on The Psalms 22:1-2

GETTING NEAR TO GOD WHEN WE NEED HIM


… based on The Psalms 22:1-2




This morning we’re going to be talking about getting near to God when we need Him. And when is it that we especially need Him? … Usually during difficulties, hard times, suffering, & when we’re hurting in some way.




Now I’m not going to be discussing the theological causes or purposes of pain & suffering … I’ve done that before. What I want to focus in on this morning is how to feel near to God during our hard times.




Our Scripture passage is going to sound very familiar; at least the

1st sentence. Even though it’s from The Psalms it seems like something Jesus said, as Matthew & Mark record His words from the cross.

(Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34) But the words we’ll be reading come from David,

written some 1,000 years before Jesus came to live on this earth.




Let me set the scene for you.

David has had a deep personal relationship with God.

That’s clearly apparent from reading some of his other Psalms. He pours out his heart to the Lord; being completely honest with his feelings.




LORD, you have examined me & you know me.

You know everything I do; from far away you understand all my thoughts.

You see me, whether I am working or resting; you know all my actions.

Even before I speak, you already know what I will say.

You are all around me on every side; you protect me with your power.

Your knowledge of me is too deep; it is beyond my understanding.

Where could I go to escape from you?

Where could I get away from your presence? …

If I flew away beyond the east or lived in the farthest place in the west,

you would be there to lead me, you would be there to help me.

(The Psalms 139:1-7,9-10)

And how about the 23rd Psalm? …




The LORD is my shepherd; I have everything I need. …

I know that your goodness & love will be with me all my life. (The Psalms 23:1,6)




He’s confident of God’s faithful care for him.




Listen now to Good News, written by David, to us who have gathered here for worship. Within our hearing comes the Word of the Lord.




My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?

Why are you so far away?

I have cried desperately for help, but still it does not come.

O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer,

and by night, but I find no rest. (The Psalms 22:1-2




May my words & my thoughts be acceptable to you,

O LORD, my refuge & my redeemer! (The Psalms 19:14)




May the Lord grant that we may engage in contemplating the mysteries of His Heavenly wisdom with really increasing devotion, to His glory and to our edification. Amen




David begins his Psalm with some of the same questions that you & I throw up to God when we’re dealing with tough things. “God, where are you?

Why have you deserted me? Why have you abandoned me?

Why do I feel like I’m dealing with this all by myself?

God, I’m alone down here. Hello? Anybody listening?”




Now, honestly, those are questions that I’ve asked, & I wouldn’t be surprised if you have too.

David was struggling with some things in his life …

& we’ve got some struggles in ours.




Of course, we’re not completely transparent with one another,

concerning financial issues, health issues, emotional issues, relational issues,

but I think it’s fair to say that each one of us is dealing with something right now. So, just like David, we understand what it’s like to deal with hard things. And when they hit us, we often lose our spiritual compass,

& so, the 1st question that rolls out of our mouth is … God, where are you?




“Why have you abandoned me?”

David is hurting …

“I have cried desperately for help, but still it does not come.”




Now do you understand what he’s really asking?

“God, why haven’t you fixed my problem yet?”




He goes on …

“O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer,

& by night, but I find no rest.”




“God, why does it seem like my prayers are falling on deaf ears?”




Now be honest … haven’t you felt this way at times? Haven’t you asked God these kinds of questions when the hard times have come your way?




“God, where are you? Yoo!

In case you haven’t noticed, I’m dealing with a pretty big problem down here. And I’m praying to you, but you’re not answering me.”




Now, of course, implied in all these questions is our assumption that God should fix our problems & answer us when we pray. And isn’t that what we’re most interested in … at the end of the day … isn’t that what we want?

We just want God to take away the pain, the hurt, the issue, the hardship … whatever it is. We want relief from our troubles.




That’s what we see in Scripture, right? Over & over again, especially in the O.T. we find God intervening in the lives of His people. We see Him answering when they cry out to Him. He fixes problems. He steps in.

And that continues on in the N.T.




This world will bring trouble, but there’s a God who knows us & loves us & hears us, & we’re told to pray to Him … & He’ll intervene. And not only does Scripture teach God’s intervention in the lives of His people, but most of us have experienced that as well. In fact, let me ask you, by a show of hands, how many of you would say that God has intervened in your life in a real enough way that you could actually tell somebody else about it? …




So, we have faith in a God who does in fact care about His people.

And it’s been our experience to see that happen, personally.

And David had experienced God’s care as well … many, many times.

As a shepherd boy, the Lord had saved him from lions & bears. (1 Samuel 17:37)

And as David reminds himself of those moments, he begins to turn the corner & starts remembering some things that he knows are true about God.




“You sit as the Holy One, the praises of Israel are your throne.” (The Psalms 22:3)




It’s like David’s doing a balancing act. “Okay God, I feel like you’re not fixing my problem, & it doesn’t seem like you’re hearing me, so I need to start reminding myself of some things about you that I know are true.”




And this is the key for us. And it’s the point we’ve got to learn this morning.

When we feel like God has turned a deaf ear to whatever problem we’re dealing with, we need to stop & do a little remembering those specific times God has intervened in our lives. But having said that, I understand that when I’m struggling with some problem, when I’m dealing with some issue,

it’s not always easy to stop thinking about me, & start thinking about God.




This is why a knowledge of the Scriptures is so helpful as we try to navigate through life … especially the Psalms, because they deal with real life issues.




And we see that this morning with the 22nd Psalm.

David was thinking only about himself as he began it … he’s hurting,

& he feels like no one cares … & even God has abandoned him, or so he thinks.




You know, there was a time when even Jesus Himself felt that way.

Scripture records for us 7 specific statements that Jesus made when He was dying on the cross.

And interestingly, 1 of those comments is a direct quotation from Psalm 22.




Jesus would certainly have been familiar with the Psalms because they were used regularly in Jewish worship. So, as He becomes almost overwhelmed with His problem … the cross … He cries out:

“My God, my God, why did you abandon me?”




So, what’s going on here? We all understand, especially while we’re sitting here on Sunday mornings, that we live in a fallen world.

Bad things happen. Life is tough. Problems exist. And on this level,

we agree with God,& God agrees with us … something is wrong.

But on another level, our diagnosis of this world is not God’s diagnosis.

We look around & say,

“Something is very wrong. I’m experiencing pain, & loneliness, & weakness,

& anxiety. I’m worried, & frustrated, & hurting,

& weary.”




And as we’re dealing with our struggles & problems, we look at God & think, “God, there’s something wrong with you because you’re not fixing

my situation.” “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”




But at the same time, God looks down on humanity & says,

“Hey, the problem is not with me.” God’s diagnosis is that there’s something wrong with us … it’s our sin. We’re the ones who have created this mess that we’re living in. We’ve created the problem.




So, what can be done about our sin-filled lives?

Well God, praise His holy name, provides the solution. Scripture records ...

“The Lord made the punishment fall on Jesus,

the punishment all of us deserved.” (Isaiah 53:6)




We’ve all heard this before, many times … yes, Jesus died for my sins.

(1 Corinthians 15:3) All my sins were put on Jesus on the cross,

so I will not be sent to Hell, but will live with Him in Heaven for all eternity. … But it’s more than that.




We’re talking about our sinful actions & attitudes, & all the negative consequences that come with it. All of the brokenness, all of the hurt,

all of the pain, all of the suffering, all of the junk, all of the repercussions, all the garbage that comes with our sins … is put in one nasty gross package

… & it has wrecked this world. And all of that sin & all of the consequences that come with it were placed on the cross with Jesus.




He didn’t deserve any of it. He lived in perfect obedience to the Father.

“Christ was without sin, but for our sake God made him share our sin in order that in union with him we might share the righteousness of God.”

(2 Corinthians 5:21)




God takes our sin & puts it on Jesus …

& in exchange what is offered to us is righteousness.

Righteousness means simply that we have been put in good standing with God.

(Romans 5:1)

That’s the best exchange we’ll ever, ever be offered.

Our sin, & all the consequences of it, including death & separation from God, was placed upon Jesus. And in return we are offered righteousness.

That’s incredibly humbling. And what’s required of us is that we respond appropriately to the cross of Jesus Christ.




David cried out … “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”




Jesus cried out … “My God, my God, why did you abandon me?”




So, my question this morning is, during those moments when we have struggled, during our most difficult times …

have we been able to say that? “My God, my God ….”

In other words, when you cry out to God … is He your God?




Let me be really honest in the next few moments … maybe one of the reasons some people feel distant from God is because they’ve never drawn near to Him through the cross. God is God, but He’s never become my God.




So, the 1st thing we need to ask ourselves is … has Jesus become the Lord & Savior of my life? Have I truly come to faith in Him? I’m not talking about believing that there’s a God, like I believe there was an Abraham Lincoln … I’m talking about being “born again.”




Jesus said, “I am telling you the truth:

no one can see the Kingdom of God without being born again.” (John 3:3)

So, getting near to God when we need Him begins with our coming into a personal relationship with Jesus.




But having said that, there are times when I’ve visited someone who’s going through a bad situation, & they look at me & ask, “Why’s God punishing me?”




In Luke 13 we read an interesting conversation about a cause for problems & troubles. Some people came & “told Jesus about the Galileans whom Pilate had killed while they were offering sacrifices to God.” (Luke 12:1)




This is the only place in Scripture that we read about Pilate, aside from Jesus’ crucifixion. Pilate had been appointed by Rome to govern Judea.

And apparently, he ordered the execution of some Galileans; & what makes that worse is that he had them killed while they were at Church worshiping.

Let’s try to grasp this. We’re here this morning worshiping, & someone comes in & murders a ½ dozen of us. What would be our 1st question? …

(why?)




Well, that’s what the people who came to Jesus were wondering.

They were trying to make some sense of it, & the best they could do was suggest that these specific Galileans were killed because they had sinned in a really bad way, & as a result, deserved to die.




Now before we dismiss that suggestion, more often than I care to count, I’ve had people tell me, “Well, I’m sick, I’m suffering …

so I must have done something really bad & God is punishing me.”




Jesus responds, “Do you think those Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they died that way? … What about those 18 people in Siloam who were killed when the tower fell on them?

Do you suppose this proves that they were worse than all the other people living in Jerusalem? No indeed!” (Luke 13:4)

His implication is … maybe the tower just fell.




Sometimes bad things happen.

But no matter what life throws at us, we’ve got to be focused on what’s the most important thing, on what’s most significant … & that’s eternity.




Jesus says, “I tell you that if you do not turn from your sins, you will all die as they did.” (Luke 13:5) Unless we repent, unless we acknowledge our sin … we’re going to face more than physical death;

there’s spiritual death to contend with.




We get so caught up with our problems in the here & now,

that we totally forget about what awaits us. The day is coming when Jesus will return & establish His Kingdom … & then things will be perfect again.

(Genesis 1:31)




“I heard a loud voice speaking from the throne: ‘Now God’s home is with people! He will live with them, & they shall be his people. God himself will be with them, & he will be their God. He will wipe away all tears from their eyes. There will be no more death, no more grief or crying or pain.

The old things have disappeared.” (The Revelation 21:3-4)

I need to say something difficult here, but we all need to hear it.

Maybe one of the reasons God seems so distant during our difficult moments is because we’re too busy looking for solutions to our problems.




Please don’t misunderstand me … but I’ve known some people who’ve had cancer … & have become obsessed with getting healed from it. And I wonder if being healed of cancer becomes more important than God Himself? And if so, then that healing could actually become an idol in their life. And any idol we worship separates us from God. (Exodus 20:3)




I’m uncomfortable saying that, but we all need to hear it, because we get so consumed thinking about ourselves … that we start “to worship” what we want to happen in our life instead of worshipping Almighty God.




If I want to feel near to God when I need Him,

I’ve got to put Him on the throne.

“Be concerned above everything else with the Kingdom of God & with what he requires of you, & he will provide you with all these other things.”

(Matthew 6:33)




Maybe God seems distant during our painful moments … because He is.

In other words, maybe some people need to be honest about the source of their hard times. Maybe some people are going through some bad things because they’re regularly ignoring God. They’re pushing Him away. They’re going their own way … & then they begin thinking about God & wonder why He’s not fixing their problems. Maybe they feel distant from God because in fact … they are. So, to feel close to God we need to get close to God.




There’s something else about “feeling” close to God.

Feelings can often be misleading. I recognize that because I’m a very touchy, feely person. I feel happy. I feel sad. I feel excited.

These emotions are visibly evident in my life.




But when I don’t feel the emotions, does that mean that those truths don’t exist? There are times when I really “feel” love for Kathy,

& her love for me. But in other moments, when the “feeling” isn’t as strong,

does that mean we’re not in love? Of course not.




So, feelings aren’t always the best indicators.

We’re all familiar with the “Footprints In The Sand” poem.

(There are some who think it’s actually in the Bible.)

Remember the man’s comment when he noticed that during the most troublesome times of his life only 1 set of footprints we’re seen on the sand?




“I don’t understand why when I needed you most you would leave me?”

In other words, “Lord, I don’t ‘feel’ your presence with me.”




The LORD replied, ‘My precious, precious child,

I love you & would never leave you. During your times of trial & suffering, when you see only 1 set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.’”




Finally, maybe God is working out a plan that’s different than ours.

There’s a novel thought! (Isaiah 55:8-9) But this is where faith & trust come into the picture. “We know that in all things God works for good with those who love him, those whom he has called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)




A # of years ago now, a Pastor, Rick Warren, wrote a best-selling book,

“The Purpose Driving Life.” (It’s a terrific book, & if you haven’t read it,

it’s worth your time.) Here’s how he begins …

“It’s not about you.” Okay, who is it about? …

God … we’re here for God’s glory.




Last evening I was looking for a way to end this message,

& just then I saw what a friend posted on Facebook.

(I love it when God provides my sermons.)




I used to believe that God would never give me more than I could handle. But the older I get, the more I realize something … sometimes life WILL give you more than you can handle. But that doesn’t mean God will leave you to handle it alone. Because I’ve had seasons that absolutely broke me. Seasons where I cried myself to sleep. Seasons where my anxiety felt bigger than my faith. Seasons where I questioned how I was supposed to keep going. Seasons where I prayed & prayed, but nothing seemed to change. I’ve had moments where I wasn’t strong. I wasn’t positive.




I wasn’t handling things gracefully. I was barely holding on. And for the longest time, I thought that meant I wasn’t trusting God enough.




But here’s what I’ve learned.

God never asked me to be strong enough to carry everything on my own.

He asked me to trust the One who could carry me. Sometimes He doesn’t immediately remove the storm. Sometimes He walks with us through it. Sometimes the situation doesn’t change overnight, but He gives us enough grace to make it through another day. And sometimes the greatest testimony isn’t that God kept us from experiencing something painful. It’s that He never abandoned us in the middle of it. So, if you’re in a season right now where everything feels like too much. If you’re exhausted.




If you’re overwhelmed. If you’re questioning how much more you can take. If you’re trying to keep it together for everyone around you while silently falling apart. Please hear me. You don’t have to pretend you’re okay

to have strong faith. You don’t have to have all the answers.

You don’t have to understand what God is doing.

And you certainly don’t have to carry every burden by yourself.




And that’s the reminder I’m holding on to. Not that I’m strong enough for everything life throws at me. But that even when I’m not strong enough, I serve a God who is. I’ve survived things I never thought I would make it through. Not because I had it all together, but because God never let me walk through them alone. And if you’re still in the middle of your hardest season, I pray you feel His presence right where you are.

Because sometimes faith looks less like standing strong & more like falling

to your knees & whispering … “Lord, I can’t do this without You.”




Someone once said, “God’s will is exactly

what you would desire if you knew all the facts.”




May all of us echo the thoughts of the Apostle Paul.

“We never become discouraged. Our physical body is becoming older

& weaker, but our spirit inside us is made new every day.” (2 Corinthians 4:16




MARANA THA