Trusting God Through Life's Trials and Transitions
Summary
The sermon emphasizes the importance of praising God in all circumstances, recognizing His worthiness regardless of personal feelings or situations. The pastor encourages the congregation to pray for the peace of Israel, mourn with those who have lost, and draw closer to Christ in these troubled times. The sermon then transitions to a series on the prophet Elijah, highlighting the significance of "sometime later" moments in our lives where God moves us from our current perspective to see what He is doing. The pastor uses Elijah's obedience to God's command to proclaim a drought and his time of waiting by the brook, where he learned to trust the Lord for his daily needs, as an example.
The pastor then addresses the importance of having a personal and intimate relationship with God, using Elijah as an example. He warns that many churches are in trouble because their members lack this kind of relationship with God, relying on others such as preachers, board members, or Sunday school teachers instead of turning to God first in times of crisis. The pastor encourages the congregation to be honest with God and to develop a deep friendship and relationship with Him before a crisis hits.
The pastor shares a personal story about receiving a phone call from someone who was worried about a pimple. He uses this story to illustrate the importance of showing compassion and responding with calmness and trust in God during challenging times. He then relates this to the biblical account of Elijah living with a woman and her son for two years, emphasizing the importance of having a personal relationship with God.
The pastor reflects on the story of Elijah and the Widow from the Bible, recounting how the Widow trusted Elijah and his God by preparing a meal for him first, resulting in God providing for her and her son. However, when the Widow's son becomes sick and eventually dies, the pastor imagines the grief and anguish that Elijah must have felt. He shares a personal anecdote about his own experience as a youth pastor, highlighting the difficulty of saying goodbye to the young people he worked with.
The pastor shares another personal story about a man who goes into a wave pool with his daughter, using this experience to illustrate the ups and downs of life. He relates this to the biblical account of Elijah, who teaches us how to stand in the midst of life's trials and disasters. The pastor references a specific passage from 1 Kings 17 where Elijah encounters a widow whose son becomes ill and eventually dies, emphasizing the importance of trusting in God during challenging times.
Key Takeaways:
- The importance of praising God in all circumstances is emphasized, recognizing His worthiness regardless of personal feelings or situations. This is a reminder that God deserves honor and praise at all times, not just when things are going well ([12:45]).
- The pastor highlights the significance of "sometime later" moments in our lives where God moves us from our current perspective to see what He is doing. These moments can often lead to some of the greatest breakthroughs and revelations in our spiritual journey ([22:30]).
- The importance of having a personal and intimate relationship with God is stressed. This relationship should be developed and nurtured through daily communication and walking with Him, not just turned to in times of crisis ([34:15]).
- The pastor uses the story of Elijah and the Widow to illustrate the importance of trusting in God during challenging times. Even when faced with the death of the Widow's son, Elijah continues to trust in God and His plan ([45:50]).
- The pastor shares a personal story about a man who goes into a wave pool with his daughter, using this experience to illustrate the ups and downs of life. This serves as a reminder that life can sometimes hit us from every side, but through it all, we must learn to stand firm in our faith and trust in God ([58:20]).
Study Guide
Bible Reading:
1. Psalms 122:6 - "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee."
2. Luke 21:28 - "And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh."
3. 1 Kings 17:17-21 - "And it came to pass after these things, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick; and his sickness was so sore, that there was no breath left in him. And she said unto Elijah, What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son? And he said unto her, Give me thy son. And he took him out of her bosom, and carried him up into a loft, where he abode, and laid him upon his own bed. And he cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, hast thou also brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son? And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, I pray thee, let this child's soul come into him again."
Observation Questions:
1. What is the significance of praying for the peace of Jerusalem as mentioned in Psalms 122:6?
2. In Luke 21:28, what events are being referred to that should cause us to look up and lift our heads?
3. In 1 Kings 17:17-21, what is the reaction of the widow when her son falls sick and dies? How does Elijah respond to this situation?
Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the command to pray for the peace of Jerusalem relate to our current circumstances and the importance of praising God in all situations?
2. What does the phrase "your redemption draweth nigh" in Luke 21:28 mean in the context of facing trials and tribulations?
3. How does the story of Elijah and the widow in 1 Kings 17:17-21 illustrate the importance of trusting in God during challenging times?
Application Questions:
1. How can you actively pray for the peace of Jerusalem in your daily prayer routine this week?
2. Can you identify a recent situation where you faced a trial or tribulation? How can you apply the principle of "looking up and lifting your head" in anticipation of redemption the next time you face such a situation?
3. Think of a time when you faced a crisis similar to the widow in 1 Kings 17. How did you respond and what can you do differently in the future to demonstrate trust in God?
4. Reflect on your relationship with God. What is one specific step you can take this week to deepen this relationship and make it more personal and intimate?
5. Can you think of a person in your life who is going through a challenging time? How can you show them compassion and trust in God this week?
Devotional
Day 1: Honoring God in Every Season
Regardless of personal feelings or situations, God's worthiness is constant and He deserves honor and praise at all times. This is a reminder that our circumstances do not dictate God's worthiness of praise. Instead, they provide an opportunity for us to demonstrate our faith and trust in Him ([12:45](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EO8qR3S27Uo&t=750s)).
Psalm 34:1 - "I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth."
Reflection: How can you practice praising God in your current circumstances? What is one way you can remind yourself of God's worthiness throughout your day?
Day 2: Embracing God's Perspective Shifts
God often moves us from our current perspective to see what He is doing. These "sometime later" moments can lead to some of the greatest breakthroughs and revelations in our spiritual journey ([22:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EO8qR3S27Uo&t=1335s)).
Isaiah 55:8-9 - "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."
Reflection: Can you recall a recent "sometime later" moment where God shifted your perspective? How did this change impact your relationship with Him?
Day 3: Cultivating Intimacy with God
A personal and intimate relationship with God should be developed and nurtured through daily communication and walking with Him, not just turned to in times of crisis ([34:15](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EO8qR3S27Uo&t=2040s)).
Jeremiah 29:13 - "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."
Reflection: What is one step you can take today to deepen your relationship with God? How can you make this a daily habit?
Day 4: Trusting God in the Midst of Trials
Even in the face of great challenges, like the death of the Widow's son, we are called to trust in God and His plan ([45:50](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EO8qR3S27Uo&t=2735s)).
Psalm 56:3 - "When I am afraid, I put my trust in you."
Reflection: What current challenge in your life requires you to trust God more deeply? How can you actively choose to trust Him in this situation?
Day 5: Standing Firm Amidst Life's Waves
Life can sometimes hit us from every side, but through it all, we must learn to stand firm in our faith and trust in God ([58:20](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EO8qR3S27Uo&t=3485s)).
1 Corinthians 16:13 - "Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong."
Reflection: What does standing firm in your faith look like in your current circumstances? What is one practical way you can demonstrate this today?
Quotes
1. "Worthy is the Lamb, yes Lord You Are worthy, worthy in all things. Lord, when we are in the Mountaintop we will praise you, God. When we are in the depth of the valley we will praise you harder because it doesn't matter on our circumstances father or how we feel, you're deserving of our praise and our honor." [19:30]
2. "Sometimes you and I need something that will move us from our particular perspective so that we can see what God's up to... some of the greatest moments in our lives can happen in a sometime later." [32:52]
3. "He risked his life to proclaim to King Ahab that the Lord, the God of Israel, says that there'll be no rain, no water until he says it's going to happen... he learned to trust the Lord to meet his daily needs." [33:35]
4. "Our churches are in trouble because we're full of people who don't have that kind of relationship with God. When theum hits the fan, we call the preacher, we call the board member, we call the Sunday school teacher, we call the Deacon. The first call we should make is to God on high." [41:38]
5. "If we're going to glean these truths this morning, we have to understand that it starts by having a personal intimate relationship with God, walking with Him every single day. It starts by having a friendship and a relationship that happens before the crisis because if we wait till the crisis hits, we're screwed." [42:20]
6. "Sometimes life can seem like it's hitting us from every side so fast and so hard that we don't have a chance to get up." [29:57]
7. "I want to continue talking about a man who taught us by his example how to stand in the midst of life's trials and disasters." [31:27]
8. "It was there that Elijah asked her to trust him and to trust his God by preparing him a meal and serving him first and you remember the Widow obeyed and God met her needs." [34:58]
9. "Sometime later after life has done what life is going to do after the ups and the downs and the ins and the outs and all of this stuff happens life throws this Widow and life throws Elijah a major curve." [35:44]
10. "I can only imagine that Elijah was up in the upper room and he heard this blood curdling scream of this Widow and he runs out to see what's going on and this Widow lashes out at him." [36:28]
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