Finding Peace and Community in Life's Challenges

Devotional

Day 1: Nothing is New Under the Sun—God is Never Surprised

Life’s challenges often feel overwhelming and unique, but Scripture reminds us that nothing we face is truly new to God. Just as a newborn experiences everything for the first time and depends entirely on their parent, we too are invited to depend on our Heavenly Father, who has seen it all before. No matter how novel or crushing your situation feels, God’s wisdom and experience far surpass our own, and He is never caught off guard by what we encounter. You can rest in the assurance that your struggles are not a surprise to Him, and He is ready to guide you through every season. [13:39]

Ecclesiastes 1:9 (NIV)
What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.

Reflection: What is one situation in your life right now that feels overwhelming or brand new? How might it change your perspective to remember that God has seen it all before and is not surprised by what you’re facing?

Day 2: Like a Newborn Needs Their Parent, You Need God Daily

Just as a newborn cannot survive without their parent’s constant care, we are utterly dependent on God for every aspect of our lives. Jesus teaches that apart from Him, we can do nothing—not just the big things, but every single thing. This dependence is not a sign of weakness but a recognition of our true relationship with our Creator. Each day, we are invited to lean into God, seeking Him not only in crisis but in the ordinary moments, trusting that He provides what we need to truly live. [14:46]

John 15:5 (NIV)
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

Reflection: In what practical ways can you intentionally depend on God today, rather than trying to handle things on your own?

Day 3: Like a Toddler Trusting Their Parent, You Can Have Peace

When life’s frustrations mount and you feel like you’re forcing the wrong block into the wrong hole, remember that peace is possible even in the midst of trouble. Jesus promises that while we will face difficulties, we can take heart because He has overcome the world. True peace doesn’t mean the absence of fear or hardship, but the presence of a loving Father who kneels down, wipes our tears, and guides us through what He has already seen before. [20:12]

John 16:33 (NIV)
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you need to stop striving and instead trust God to bring you peace, even if the situation doesn’t immediately change?

Day 4: Be Still and Know—Let God Carry What You Cannot

When the weight of your circumstances feels too heavy, God invites you to be still and know that He is God. He is not shocked or overwhelmed by your pain, your questions, or your burdens. Instead, He calls you to lay them down, to let Him take them from your hands, and to experience the freedom and rest that comes from surrender. Even when the pain remains, you can have peace knowing that your Heavenly Father is carrying you through. [27:14]

Psalm 46:10a (NIV)
He says, “Be still, and know that I am God…”

Reflection: What is one burden you are carrying that you need to lay down before God today? How can you practice being still and trusting Him with it?

Day 5: Like a Teenager Needs Wisdom from Their Parent, You Need People

No matter how unique your struggles feel, you are not alone—others have walked similar paths and can offer wisdom, encouragement, and support. God designed us to live in community, to be vulnerable, and to help one another up when we fall. Sharing your story and your struggles may feel risky, but it opens the door for healing and connection. Don’t let the fear of being exposed keep you from the blessing of being known and supported by others who have been there before. [34:27]

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (NIV)
Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.

Reflection: Who is one person you can reach out to this week to share honestly about what you’re going through, or to ask for wisdom or support?

Sermon Summary

Ecclesiastes 1:9 tells us, “What has been will be again, there is nothing new under the sun.” At first glance, this can sound discouraging, as if our struggles and experiences are insignificant or repetitive. But when we look deeper, we find profound encouragement and hope. Life often feels overwhelming, especially when we face new challenges, pain, or uncertainty. Like a newborn experiencing the world for the first time, every hardship can feel unique and insurmountable. Yet, just as a newborn depends on their parent for everything, we are invited to depend on God, who has seen it all before and is never surprised by our circumstances.

Our attempts to handle life on our own can be as futile as a toddler trying to force the wrong block into the wrong hole. Frustration, fear, and sadness are real, but God, our loving Father, kneels beside us, wipes our tears, and gently guides us. The assurance that nothing is new under the sun means that God is never caught off guard. He has the wisdom, patience, and power to help us through every situation, no matter how new or daunting it feels to us.

As we grow, we may begin to realize, like teenagers do with their parents, that we are not as alone or unique in our struggles as we think. Others have walked similar paths, and God has placed people around us to offer wisdom, support, and encouragement. Vulnerability—sharing our burdens and experiences with others—is not a sign of weakness but a step toward healing and community. The church is meant to be a place where we can be honest about our struggles and find help from those who have been there before.

Ultimately, the truth that “there is nothing new under the sun” is not meant to diminish our experiences but to remind us that God is sovereign, trustworthy, and intimately involved in our lives. We need Him daily, we can have peace in Him, and we need each other. When we lay our burdens down before God and open ourselves up to others, we discover that we are not alone, and that God’s peace and wisdom are available to us in every season.

Key Takeaways

1. Like a newborn needs their parent, we need God every day. Our experiences may feel brand new and overwhelming, but God has seen it all before. He is never surprised by our circumstances, and His wisdom and care are available to us if we will depend on Him rather than trying to handle life on our own. [13:39]
2. The assurance that “there is nothing new under the sun” can bring us peace, even in the midst of fear and uncertainty. God’s familiarity with every human experience means He knows exactly what we need and how to guide us through. Peace is not the absence of fear, but the presence of trust in a God who has overcome the world. [20:12]
3. Vulnerability is essential for spiritual growth and healing. We often believe our struggles are unique and that no one else could understand, but Ecclesiastes reminds us that others have walked similar paths. Sharing our burdens with others opens the door for support, wisdom, and genuine community. [33:22]
4. The church is called to be a place of honesty and support, not pretense. When we hide our struggles, we miss out on the help and encouragement God intends for us through His people. Taking the risk to be vulnerable allows others to walk with us, lift us up, and remind us that we are not alone. [35:09]
5. Surrendering our burdens to God is a daily practice, not a one-time event. Even after laying our struggles at the altar, the temptation to pick them back up remains. We must continually choose to trust God, seek Him first, and let Him carry what we cannot. This is how we experience His peace and freedom. [53:29]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:15] - Honoring Children’s Ministry Volunteers
[00:49] - Introduction to Ecclesiastes and Wisdom Literature
[03:16] - The Three Voices of Wisdom: Proverbs, Job, Ecclesiastes
[05:04] - Who is the Teacher? Koheleth’s Perspective
[06:16] - Childhood Experiences and the End of the World
[09:29] - Round Pegs, Square Holes, and the God Who Knows Why
[10:30] - Like a Newborn Needs Their Parent, You Need God
[13:39] - Depending on God in New Seasons
[17:08] - The Toddler’s Toy: Trusting God with Our Frustrations
[19:14] - Like a Toddler Trusting Their Parent, You Can Have Peace
[22:37] - Daniel in the Lion’s Den: Peace in the Midst of Fear
[27:34] - The Teenager’s Realization: We Need People
[33:22] - Vulnerability and the Power of Community
[35:09] - The Church as a Place of Honesty and Support
[40:43] - Trusting God Through Pain and Uncertainty
[43:12] - Invitation to Relationship with God
[46:13] - Prayer for Peace and Surrender
[53:29] - Don’t Pick It Back Up: Daily Surrender
[54:16] - Closing and Blessing

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Ecclesiastes 1:9 (ESV) — > What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.

John 15:5 (ESV) — > I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (ESV) — > Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!

Observation Questions

In Ecclesiastes 1:9, what does the Teacher mean when he says, “there is nothing new under the sun”? How does the sermon describe the feeling we get when we face something new or overwhelming? [[13:11]]
According to John 15:5, what happens when we try to do life apart from God? How does the sermon compare this to a newborn trying to live without their parent? [[14:13]]
What does Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 say about the importance of having others in our lives? How did the sermon illustrate this with the story about teenagers and their parents? [[30:30]]
The sermon uses the example of a toddler trying to force the wrong block into the wrong hole. What does this illustration teach us about our own efforts to handle life’s challenges? [[17:49]]

Interpretation Questions

The Teacher in Ecclesiastes says there is “nothing new under the sun.” How might this truth change the way someone views their own struggles or pain? [[09:29]]
The sermon says, “Like a newborn needs their parent, you need God every day.” What does it look like in real life to depend on God daily, not just in big moments but in everyday situations? [[13:39]]
The message talks about vulnerability and sharing our burdens with others. Why is it so hard for people to be honest about their struggles, especially in church? [[35:09]]
The pastor said, “Surrendering our burdens to God is a daily practice, not a one-time event.” What are some reasons people might pick their burdens back up after laying them down before God? [[53:29]]

Application Questions

Think about a time when you felt like you were facing something totally new or overwhelming. Did you try to handle it on your own, or did you turn to God? What would it look like to depend on God first the next time? [[13:39]]
The sermon compared us to toddlers trying to solve problems our own way. Are there areas in your life right now where you’re trying to “force the wrong block into the wrong hole”? What would it look like to let God guide you instead? [[17:49]]
The message said that “peace is not the absence of fear, but the presence of trust in a God who has overcome the world.” Is there a situation in your life where you need to trust God for peace, even if you still feel afraid? [[20:12]]
Vulnerability was described as a step toward healing and community. Is there something you’ve been carrying alone that you could share with someone in this group or another trusted believer? What’s holding you back? [[33:22]]
The pastor mentioned that church can sometimes feel like “the fakest place on the planet” because people hide their struggles. How can our group become a place where honesty and support are normal, not the exception? [[35:09]]
The sermon challenged us to surrender our burdens to God daily. What is one practical way you can remind yourself to lay your worries before God each day this week? [[53:29]]
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 says “two are better than one.” Who is someone in your life you can reach out to for support, or who might need your encouragement right now? How can you take a step toward deeper community this week? [[34:27]]

Sermon Clips

There is no situation that he has not faced, no relationship that is too far from being mended, no hardship that he has not watched himself. There is nothing new under the sun for Him. It just goes beyond just hard situations. Just like a newborn, we need our Father every single day. [00:13:49] (23 seconds) #TrustGodNotSelf

If my two week old baby girl gets up and I try to feed her and she goes, nah, I got this. No worries, dad, I'm all good. Can you imagine how insane that is that I'm even saying that? Some of you are in chuckling I know it sounds insane, but it sounds just as insane. And us trying to do these things in life without God. [00:14:54] (20 seconds) #GodSeesAllStruggles

You are experiencing all new things in life. God is never surprised by it. So why are we not going to him every single day? Why are we not diving into this book daily? Why are we not trusting our Father? [00:15:32] (20 seconds) #NewExperiencesOldGod

As crazy as it sounds, the fact that there is nothing new under the sun should bring us a sense of calm and peace. Yes, you are experiencing the world for the first time as a 17 year old and as a 30 year old, as a 55 year old, as a 70 year old, you are experiencing those things for the first time. Yes, you definitely are. That is the thing. But God is not. [00:19:28] (24 seconds) #PeaceAmidFear

As we face situations in which we try to accomplish everything ourselves with our very limited knowledge, we keep trying to force the wrong block in the wrong hole and try to solve the problem. But we can rest in peace knowing our heavenly Father. He's seen this before. He knows the solution. [00:19:52] (21 seconds) #LeanOnHeavenlyParent

The presence of peace does not always equal the absence of fear. The presence of peace does not always equal the absence of fear. Now, is there a directive from the Lord to not fear? Absolutely. We want to get to that point. But the world feels like right now, every single day, there is something on the news cycle that has never happened before. I am opening every headline that says that every single One, there are situations in our life that look like mountains that are looming over us. But I am encouraging you. Stop trying to fit the wrong block into the wrong hole. Lean into our loving, heavenly parent that comes behind us in our frustration, in our sadness, in our grief. And he wipes our tears. He calms our nerves and shows us that he isn't surprised. [00:25:33] (60 seconds) #YouAreNotAlone

We convince ourselves that we're always the exception, we are always living a unique experience. We're always going through something that no one would ever believe if we ever shared it outside of our mouths, that no one has ever dealt with before. No one knows how to walk through this. And the verse that the teacher is telling us, listen, there are no unique experiences. What has been, will be again is what he says. You are not alone. You are not on an island. You are not experiencing life. Uniquely. [00:32:41] (46 seconds) #HolySpiritConnections

The experiences in this life, this newness, this pain, this issue that I've never dealt with before, it is simply too overwhelming. It's too painful. But through tears and my pain, I trust my parent. I don't know how to get the stickers out, how to make the pain stop, but my parent does. And even though there is still pain, there is still hurt. There's still redness and swelling. They still have to pick the stickers out one by one. I still have peace knowing that they know what they're doing. They've seen this before. Maybe not exactly with me, but they've seen this and they know what to do. Even though there's still pain and frustration, I can feel peace. And ultimately, I know that I need them. I know I need them to figure out how to move forward, what lotion and cream I need to put on the wounds, the wisdom of maybe not sitting down for a few hours, the advice of taking care of me so that I might not have more pain. [00:41:02] (72 seconds)

``If nothing new is under the sun, then like a newborn needs their parent. You need God. Like a toddler trusting their parent, you can have peace. And like a teenager needs wisdom from their parent, you need people. [00:42:19] (19 seconds)

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