Finding Strength and Faith in Times of Despair
Devotional
Sermon Summary
Bible Study Guide
Sermon Clips
### Quotes for Outreach
1. "When we're scared about something, when we feel helpless or we can't put our confidence or trust in something, it can be truly terrifying. We don't know how to act in those situations. We don't know what to do with ourselves. Yes. And as I said, over the next couple of weeks, we'll be looking at the story of David in 1 Samuel and thinking how just like David in some of the situations that he finds himself in, we need reminding of God's truth in those dark and isolated times and moments in our lives." [38:37]
2. "It's good to be reminded, isn't it, of God's goodness. I know for me, you know, I struggle sometimes. To look past what's going on in my life. If I've got a situation that's right in front of me that is taking up all of my mental energy, that is causing me to be consumed almost by this thing, and maybe, you know, things aren't going the way that I hoped that they would go, I sometimes start to spiral, if I'm absolutely honest. And it's good to be surrounded by people who can help us when we're feeling like this." [39:54]
3. "We need to be surrounded by people who care for us, who love us, who we can care for, who we can love. But it's good for us to remind ourselves, as well, of God's faithfulness when we're feeling abandoned, when we're feeling lost. It's why reading the Bible is so important, even when we don't feel like it. You know, in our darkest times, as we pick up the Bible, we can read story after story after story. Story of God helping his people in times of need. And when we read those stories, when we see God's faithfulness, it's our faith that can be built up." [41:50]
4. "David chose to take solace in God and find his strength in the Lord. See, the fact of the matter is this, that no matter what we face, just like David, we can find strength in God. It's in David's weakest moment that he chooses to rely on God's strength. You know, if we look in the New Testament in 1 Corinthians chapter 12, we find the apostle Paul there talking about this thorn in his flesh that's keeping him from going to visit the church in Corinth. And so instead of visiting them, he writes to them." [47:40]
5. "We live in a world that celebrates, you know, being able to look after yourself and to be self-sufficient and, you know, to everything that you do. It kind of revolves around you, doesn't it? If I'm in a problem, I need to solve that problem. But, you know, we were never meant to be like that. We're never meant to do all of this alone. We should live. In fact, life is designed to live in communion with God. The Bible says that we're created in God's image and God himself lives in community as the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit." [49:23]
### Quotes for Members
1. "It's our souls that need reminding of God's truth. There are times, aren't there, if we're absolutely honest. That our souls are weary. And we have to preach to ourselves sometimes and remind ourselves of God's truth. You know, we're not alone in that. There are so many incidences in God's word in the Bible where we find people who love God, but yet life is tough. One of the Psalms, Psalm 42, verses 5 and 6, say this. Why, my soul, are you down? Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Sometimes we feel like that, don't we? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. My soul is downcast within me. Therefore, I'm going to give up and run away. No, that's not what the Psalmist says, is it?" [39:54]
2. "You know, this story of David, as we read, we find that David consults with God. He talks to God. And that's in direct contrast with what's just happened a couple of chapters earlier. If you read that in 1 Samuel, you'll read the story of King Saul. And King Saul was not a man after God's own heart. He's desperate. He's turned his back on God and he's looking for answers anywhere, anywhere but with God. What does he do? He's consulting with witches and trying to defeat his enemies, including David, in his own strength. And it's precisely this reason why God has put Saul to one side and why he's chosen David to be the next king. He was the man after God's own heart. And even in the toughest of circumstances, he finds his strength in God." [50:29]
3. "We can live like King Saul. We can rely on our own strength, on our own wisdom, on our own power. We can look anywhere. Anywhere but to God for answers in our times of need. Or we can be like David. What does David do? Well, in desperate times, he recognises his own weaknesses. He recognises God's strength. And just like David, as I said, we have that freedom, that power, that privilege of being able to talk to God through prayer. And we can find peace in that, can't we? We can find peace. And by peace, I don't mean that everything will be hunky-dory and always full of good times and bad things will never happen to you. You know, we live in a broken world. Bad things will happen to you, no matter who you are, no matter whether you trust in God or not. Good things happen and bad things happen." [52:20]
4. "You know, if we carry on reading in 1 Samuel chapter 30, we read that David inquired of the Lord and God answers his prayer. He's told by God that when they go on the rescue mission, when they go to get their wives and their children back from the Amalekites, God says, you will certainly overtake them and succeed in the rescue. And that's exactly what happens. You see, when God makes a promise, he never breaks it. If God says, something is going to happen, it happens. Again, another reason for us to have peace in times of trouble. So David and his men go with the strength that only comes from God and they go and rescue their families." [53:15]
5. "So we're left with a choice this morning in our weakness. And we are weak, aren't we? Let's be honest. Even the strongest of us are weak. In whatever situation we find ourselves, when things happen, when things are going on that we don't hope to go on, when things don't go as we hope that they would, do we rely on our own strength? Or are we going to be people that trust God in every circumstance? You know, David, as we read later on in Samuel, David ends up being crowned king. Again, just as God has promised. But he's not just a king that sits on a throne. David is somebody who loves God. Somebody who actually, because of his love, I think flows out through him in song and in poems." [54:10]
Ask a question about this sermon
1. "When we're scared about something, when we feel helpless or we can't put our confidence or trust in something, it can be truly terrifying. We don't know how to act in those situations. We don't know what to do with ourselves. Yes. And as I said, over the next couple of weeks, we'll be looking at the story of David in 1 Samuel and thinking how just like David in some of the situations that he finds himself in, we need reminding of God's truth in those dark and isolated times and moments in our lives." [38:37]
2. "It's good to be reminded, isn't it, of God's goodness. I know for me, you know, I struggle sometimes. To look past what's going on in my life. If I've got a situation that's right in front of me that is taking up all of my mental energy, that is causing me to be consumed almost by this thing, and maybe, you know, things aren't going the way that I hoped that they would go, I sometimes start to spiral, if I'm absolutely honest. And it's good to be surrounded by people who can help us when we're feeling like this." [39:54]
3. "We need to be surrounded by people who care for us, who love us, who we can care for, who we can love. But it's good for us to remind ourselves, as well, of God's faithfulness when we're feeling abandoned, when we're feeling lost. It's why reading the Bible is so important, even when we don't feel like it. You know, in our darkest times, as we pick up the Bible, we can read story after story after story. Story of God helping his people in times of need. And when we read those stories, when we see God's faithfulness, it's our faith that can be built up." [41:50]
4. "David chose to take solace in God and find his strength in the Lord. See, the fact of the matter is this, that no matter what we face, just like David, we can find strength in God. It's in David's weakest moment that he chooses to rely on God's strength. You know, if we look in the New Testament in 1 Corinthians chapter 12, we find the apostle Paul there talking about this thorn in his flesh that's keeping him from going to visit the church in Corinth. And so instead of visiting them, he writes to them." [47:40]
5. "We live in a world that celebrates, you know, being able to look after yourself and to be self-sufficient and, you know, to everything that you do. It kind of revolves around you, doesn't it? If I'm in a problem, I need to solve that problem. But, you know, we were never meant to be like that. We're never meant to do all of this alone. We should live. In fact, life is designed to live in communion with God. The Bible says that we're created in God's image and God himself lives in community as the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit." [49:23]
### Quotes for Members
1. "It's our souls that need reminding of God's truth. There are times, aren't there, if we're absolutely honest. That our souls are weary. And we have to preach to ourselves sometimes and remind ourselves of God's truth. You know, we're not alone in that. There are so many incidences in God's word in the Bible where we find people who love God, but yet life is tough. One of the Psalms, Psalm 42, verses 5 and 6, say this. Why, my soul, are you down? Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Sometimes we feel like that, don't we? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. My soul is downcast within me. Therefore, I'm going to give up and run away. No, that's not what the Psalmist says, is it?" [39:54]
2. "You know, this story of David, as we read, we find that David consults with God. He talks to God. And that's in direct contrast with what's just happened a couple of chapters earlier. If you read that in 1 Samuel, you'll read the story of King Saul. And King Saul was not a man after God's own heart. He's desperate. He's turned his back on God and he's looking for answers anywhere, anywhere but with God. What does he do? He's consulting with witches and trying to defeat his enemies, including David, in his own strength. And it's precisely this reason why God has put Saul to one side and why he's chosen David to be the next king. He was the man after God's own heart. And even in the toughest of circumstances, he finds his strength in God." [50:29]
3. "We can live like King Saul. We can rely on our own strength, on our own wisdom, on our own power. We can look anywhere. Anywhere but to God for answers in our times of need. Or we can be like David. What does David do? Well, in desperate times, he recognises his own weaknesses. He recognises God's strength. And just like David, as I said, we have that freedom, that power, that privilege of being able to talk to God through prayer. And we can find peace in that, can't we? We can find peace. And by peace, I don't mean that everything will be hunky-dory and always full of good times and bad things will never happen to you. You know, we live in a broken world. Bad things will happen to you, no matter who you are, no matter whether you trust in God or not. Good things happen and bad things happen." [52:20]
4. "You know, if we carry on reading in 1 Samuel chapter 30, we read that David inquired of the Lord and God answers his prayer. He's told by God that when they go on the rescue mission, when they go to get their wives and their children back from the Amalekites, God says, you will certainly overtake them and succeed in the rescue. And that's exactly what happens. You see, when God makes a promise, he never breaks it. If God says, something is going to happen, it happens. Again, another reason for us to have peace in times of trouble. So David and his men go with the strength that only comes from God and they go and rescue their families." [53:15]
5. "So we're left with a choice this morning in our weakness. And we are weak, aren't we? Let's be honest. Even the strongest of us are weak. In whatever situation we find ourselves, when things happen, when things are going on that we don't hope to go on, when things don't go as we hope that they would, do we rely on our own strength? Or are we going to be people that trust God in every circumstance? You know, David, as we read later on in Samuel, David ends up being crowned king. Again, just as God has promised. But he's not just a king that sits on a throne. David is somebody who loves God. Somebody who actually, because of his love, I think flows out through him in song and in poems." [54:10]
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