Holding On to God
Thank you for joining me today. I pray when you feel unable, discouraged, or sad that you will remember to keep your eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Nothing will lift and strengthen you better than the Word of God. Eric
When we go through times of grief, and the sorrows of life seem like they are more than we can bear, we have one rock solid source of comfort and help.
My wife and I have reached that age where the generation before us is almost gone and we find that many of our contemporaries are passing away and entering their eternal home.
Without the proper perspective, the grief and sorrow would be overwhelming. Many who have been close to us have died in the past few years and at times, we feel there have been far too many over a short period of time. I am sure some of you have been experiencing something similar.
In addition to losing loved ones, we have been witnessing and experiencing grief causing changes in our world that have been difficult to see. The massive societal decline in morals, ethics, and truth saddens us. Then, attacks on our children i.e. forcing gender choices and exposure to sexual material in elementary school libraries to as young as kindergarten aged children, and molestations taking place in middle schools has been very distressing. We see signs of a total collapse of the economic system in our country, the government attempting to control the banking system, and a loss of Biblical truth being presented in the church. This includes a lack of teaching regarding how to be reconciled to the Father and teaching about the sins, attitudes, and behaviors which cause broken fellowship between us and God.
We sense a great darkness coming and that the powers that be in the world around us are attempting to lead the people in a path away from the Lord.
Sounds awfully dismal, right? Yet, in the midst of it all, there is great hope! God, through His Word reveals that not only can we survive going through those things happening now, but we can be overcomers even through those things which are yet to come! Praise God!
The Lord has our back! He is for us!
Romans 8:31-39, “What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? 32 Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won't he also give us everything else? 33 Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one--for God himself has given us right standing with himself. 34 Who then will condemn us? No one--for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God's right hand, pleading for us. 35 Can anything ever separate us from Christ's love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 36 (As the Scriptures say, "For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.") 37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. 38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow--not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below--indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Psalm 61:1-4, “O God, listen to my cry! Hear my prayer! 2 From the ends of the earth, I cry to you for help when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the towering rock of safety, 3 for you are my safe refuge, a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me. 4 Let me live forever in your sanctuary, safe beneath the shelter of your wings!”
John 16:33 (ESV), “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world."
I discovered this quote by Max Lucado on biblestudytools.com, “God never said that the journey would be easy, but He did say that the arrival would be worthwhile!”
Look at 2 Corinthians 4:7,8 and 16-18 (ESV), “But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; ... 16 So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”
The Lord has blessed us with many Scriptures related to our needed help in this fallen world. Today, we will focus on a few of the trials and circumstances we face wherein we need to hear faith and life filled verses which will enable us to keep our eyes on the truth of God’s Word and on our Source of help.
Death of Believers
I am aware that when someone close to us dies, we don’t always want to hear the usual things that are spoken during those times. However, even if we don’t want to hear it, if what is spoken is God’s Word, it will help when the truth of His Word settles in us.
Psalm 116:15 (NKJV), “Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His saints.”
Isaiah 57:1 (NIV), “The righteous perish, and no one takes it to heart; the devout are taken away, and no one understands that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil.”
1 Thessalonians 4:13 and 14, “And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died.”
John 14:1-3 (NIV), “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2 My Father's house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”
When We Come to the End of Our Strength
Philippians 4:13 (NKJV), “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
Ephesians 6:10 (ESV), “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.”
Isaiah 40:29 (ESV), “He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.”
Colossians 1:11 (ESV), “being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy”
Hebrews 10:23 (ESV), “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.”
2 Corinthians 12:9 and 10, “Each time he said, "My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness." So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. 10 That's why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
Trusting, Resting in God
Proverbs 3:5 and 6, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. 6 Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”
Isaiah 26: 3 and 4 (ESV), “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. 4 Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock.”
John 14:1 (Berean Standard Bible), “ Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe in Me as well.”
Psalm 91:1-4, “Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 This I declare about the LORD: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him. 3 For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease. 4 He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection.”
Comfort
2 Corinthians 1:3 and 4, “All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. 4 He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.”
Psalm 119:76, “Now let your unfailing love comfort me, just as you promised me,”
your servant.”
John 14:27, “I am leaving you with a gift--peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don't be troubled or afraid.”
Matthew 11:28, “Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”
When You Feel Alone
Isaiah 41:10, “Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Don't be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.”
Matthew 28:20, “Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
John 14: 16-18 (ESV),And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. 18 "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”
Deuteronomy 31:6 (ESV), “Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you."
Psalm 46: 1-3, “God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. 2 So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea. 3 Let the oceans roar and foam. Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge!”
Know that God is always present and ready to help, comfort, and encourage you. When you have nothing left and are at the end of your rope, God’s ability has just begun!
Psalm 73:26 (ESV), “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”
Romans 15:13, “I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Psalm 62:5, “Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him.”
Praise God for this verse: Psalm 63:8, “I cling to you; your strong right hand holds me securely.”
Hallelujah!
Unless otherwise indicated scriptures are from the New Living Translation
ESV English Standard Version
NKJV New King James Version
NIV New International Version