With all of this uncertainty surrounding the current state of the world, it’s easy to feel like everything is spinning out of control. You’re not alone in that feeling. In part 3 of the “Encouragement” series, Dr. Stanley directs our attention on a tough predicament in King David’s life. His family had been abducted, and his army had turned on him. But David didn’t give into feelings of despair and hopelessness. First Samuel Chapter 30 is the setting for a lesson on encouraging ourselves.
best sermons, Christ Jesus, Christian, Christians, Christmas, Christmas message, Christmas sermon, Christmas story, Christmas teaching, cross, encouraging sermons, faith, family, forgiveness, God, gospel, heaven, hell, HolySpirit, hope, inspirational sermons, Jesus, love, marriage, messages, powerful sermon, prayer, preaching, reason for the season, relationships, sermons, teaching, Tony Evans, Tony Evans sermons, trusting, victory, youth
[Music]
all of us have gone through situations
and circumstances in our life that we
didn’t like and often times we became
maybe despondent
maybe even depressed all feeling the
distress of the situation and this is a
world we live in and we can’t change all
the circumstances and we it’s no fun
majoring on that so what we have to do
is decide how am I going to respond when
I go through these difficult times I
think most of us would agree that if we
have a close friend that we can share
things with as someone that would be
honest with us someone that would be
confidential someone who would be an
encourager that if we had that that sort
of takes away a little of the pain but
then there are those situations that you
can’t tell anybody about their
distressful things that happen to you
personally in your life that you would
be too embarrassed to tell somebody else
their heartaches their burdens that
things are gone in the family that
things that you are the person’s
finances and their relationships in
their plans you can’t tell anybody else
about so how do you respond to these
distressing situations and you feel like
I just can’t tell anybody
you can oftentimes see that in
somebody’s face if you’re close to them
or you watch them or you work with them
close by you can tell when they’re sort
of down something is different and if
you say well can I help you in some way
they would say no I’m fine well you know
they’re not fine but at this point of
their life they don’t feel free to share
that with anybody what do you do in
times like that well we’ve been talking
about how great an encouraging God is
and also we talked about how we have the
privilege of encouraging one another all
of us have been encouraged by many
people prophet down through the years
but what about those times when you
don’t feel like you can tell anybody and
it’s just you and the situation the
circle
fences it’s just you and maybe you feel
like what God’s up yonder somewhere but
it’s just you how do you deal with that
well that’s what this message is all
about encouraging ourselves and that is
indeed a biblical principle that God
intends for us to encourage ourselves
and we want to talk about how we do that
and I want to use David who was a
perfect example of encouraging himself
and they think about this about writing
the Psalms and his very life he’s
encouraged you and me for many many
years and when I think about how many
years ago those Psalms were written over
2,000 years ago we’re still being
encouraged how could we ever repay God
for how he used some people in those
days some other not the best in the
world
some of them fantastic characters and
yet we’ve been encouraged so what I want
to do is I want to give you a little
background so this will all fit together
and I want you to turn the first samuel
chapter 30 and here’s what’s happening
david has been running from King Saul
for years and King Saul at first he just
thought David was it and he killed
Goliath and that was a fantastic thing
and next thing you know his whole
attitudes changed because all these
ladies came out singing about to David
that Saul killed his thousands and David
his ten thousands and all of a sudden
jealousy hits King Saul and he set up
from that moment to destroy him and once
when twice really when David was of
playing the heart for him to sort of
settle his nerves the Saul’s nerves
he threw a javelin at him twice to kill
him
he said depending to the wall and you
know how long they are how heavy they
are has sharp they are and if someone
thrusts one at you it would go through
you easily when he talked about marriage
he said he wanted to give him a certain
daughter of a hurt of his because she’d
bring him down has that for a gift
father-in-law
and so everywhere you turned he did his
best to kill him and then he chased him
year after year trying to find him had
he’d have three thousand soldiers trying
to find David and his band and twice
Sawbuck was so close to David David cut
off a piece of his garment he showed him
that he could have killed him but that
he would not kill this servant of Gallic
you think maybe that that would stop it
no it did and David made this statement
about Sol one day he’ll come to the end
and probably be killed in battle and
that is exactly what happened both Saul
and his son Jonathan who was David’s
best friend were both killed in battle
in fact they were killed in the battle
right after what we are talking about
took place so since he was chased by and
finally David had six hundred fellow
soldiers and so they joined up with the
Philistines which was the army that was
in opposition to Israel and you think
well David would never have done that
but he was chased everywhere they tried
to kill him so he had six hundred men
and he went over to the Philistine side
so now the Philistines and Israel are
getting at the battle and so david has
his 600 and that the listings get all
lined up and then the king of the
Philistines as you know he David’s been
a fantastic warrior for me the
Philistine soldiers said wait a minute
isn’t this the David that killed Goliath
isn’t this the David that the women came
out singing about him isn’t this the
David who is a great warrior we don’t
want him in this battle because if he’s
in this battle in the middle of the
battle he may turn against us and so
finally a Koosh called David and said to
him as the Lord lives you’ve been
upright and you’re going out and you’re
coming in with me in the army are
pleasing in my sight for I have not
found
villain from you or from this day or the
days come no it’s nevertheless you’re
not pleasing to in the side of the lords
that is you’ve been everything I’ve
expected you to be but my commanders
don’t want you and your 600 men in this
battle because they don’t trust you so
finally I said okay and he told David he
said sunrise tomorrow when the sun’s get
when the light gets up you all had to
leave so here he is pretty disappointed
that he can’t get in the middle of this
battle and so if you’ll start with me in
the 30th chapter and here’s what happens
so they’ve left and it’s about a 60 mile
trip back to Ziklag
and they’re about 20 miles a day then it
happened when David and his men came to
sick Lake where they had been camping on
the third day that the Amalekites had
made a raid on the Negev and on Ziklag
and had overthrown Ziklag
and burned it with fire that’s burnt
everything to the ground and they took
captive their women and all who were in
it both small and great without killing
anyone and carried them all off their
own way when David and his men came to
the city behold it was burned with fire
their wives and their sons and their
daughters had been taken captive then
David and the people who were with him
lifted their voices and look at this and
they wept until there was no more
strength in them to weep now David’s two
wives had been taken captive a Hanna the
jezreelite and Abigail the widow of
Mabel the Carmelite moreover now this is
the verse watch this moreover David was
greatly distressed because the people
spoke of stoning him for all the people
were embittered each one because of his
sons and his daughters but David’s
strengthened our encouraged himself same
word encouraged himself in the Lord his
God now think about this he’s lost
everything
that’s enough they said they wept and
wept and wept these not let these men
we’ve been weeping weeping till they
just couldn’t weep in the mall they were
totally exhausted till a disappointed
distressed tell a depressed and so David
was one of them and then the more they
thought about it
their hurt became anger and bitterness
and they thought well we’ll just deal
with this and they’ll thought they would
maybe just stone David to death and they
were talking about it so we heard it so
think about this what would he do he
couldn’t run he couldn’t outrun 600 men
secondly he had already lost all of his
family and everything there is not
anything good going on for David at this
particular point there was no one to
turn to
he didn’t have half his army saying well
we’re for David and half not no they
were all bitter because of what had
happened he had nobody to turn to what
do you do when you hit one of those
times and whatever’s going on in your
life you can’t tell anybody about or you
don’t have a friend that’s confidential
enough to share with so it’s just you
what do you do with those heavy heavy
weighty heartaches depressions they come
into your life and there’s nobody there
turn to well listen to see what David
did here and I want to show you how he
did it
listen to what he says moreover in verse
six David was greatly distressed because
the people spoke of stoning him for all
the people were embittered this they
turned bitter each one because of his
sons they’d lost their families and his
daughters but David strengthened himself
in the Lord thou strengthen himself
means he encouraged himself how do you
encourage yourself we know we talk to
have friends and they encouraged us had
it but how do you encourage yourself
what do you do how do you go about that
so I want you to listen carefully and I
want you to think about this
that times when you have situations you
can’t tell anybody about what do you do
do you get depressed they depressed get
so distressed you don’t know what to do
next and you do something that’s foolish
probably or do you do what he did so
here’s what he did and that is he paused
and got quiet before God that’s all he
could do no words he couldn’t run he got
to give up and quit he paused that the
reason he paused was this because
oftentimes when we get in a situation
that’s very difficult and hard to handle
people want to make a snap decision and
they’re motivated by get me out of this
right now I don’t deserve this I don’t
want this whatever it might be and
oftentimes he can’t get out of it he
didn’t do that he paused and thought he
didn’t run he didn’t make a decision he
paused and thought about where he was
and what the situation was what do you
do when you get in that side of a
situation do you stop and thank your
Lord what shall I do or do you just make
a decision and oftentimes the decision
we make is motivated by on the basis of
what we think I can handle this and
sometimes you can’t and my will be as
good as anybody else no a godly person
is going to stop and think pause and
think what should I do
how shall I handle this and I want you
to turn to the 46th Psalm and you
remember David wrote so many Psalms and
I want you to look at this 46 song and
listen to what it says verse 1 God is
our refuge and strength they were
exhausted to the end of their rope God
is our refuge and strength a very
present help in trouble
that word prisons very important a very
present help in trouble
therefore because he is we will not fear
the earth should change the mountains
slip into the heart of the sea though
its waters roar and foam and though the
mountains quake at its swelling that is
everything is clouded nothing’s clear
what shall we do and he writes this
Psalm and it comes down to the tenth
verse if you will and here’s what he
says see striving and know that I am God
would you agree that oftentimes we
strive with God Lord what about this
what about that list it in other words
the God will show you something I don’t
believe that said God
we strive with him that is we argue with
him we we have difficulty in just
accepting what he wants to say to us and
the wonderful thing about pausing and
being quiet it gives you an opportunity
to let the pure or in your heart the
anger in your heart or the greed of the
bitterness or resentment of hostility or
whatever it might be it gives it an
opportunity to just settle a moment what
shall I do Lord not move too fast not
moving some foolish direction for
example where would he go he didn’t know
where his family was he didn’t know
where the enemy was and besides that he
had 600 soldiers who Wonderstone him to
death
what what alternative did he had though
why is this thing he could do to
encourage himself was first of all get
quiet before God and many people don’t
know how to do that
they just think I gotta act no you don’t
have to act listen if you’re in a
position that it’s difficult you know
what to do next whatever the situation
may be you just stop and think Lord you
said stop don’t strive with you just
wait upon you and many people when you
talk about waiting upon God they have no
earthly idea what you mean it means that
you don’t do anything for a moment
somebody says alive I have to do this no
you don’t and oftentimes when people
want to push is to make a decision
we should make it because the times not
right it says my times better than God’s
timing am i my mine’s better than his no
first thing he did he just stopped and
when I think about this verse right here
the power of it
I think about Martin Luther who wrote
the 95 theses put him on a church deal
that started the great Reformation and
listen to what he wrote you know this
song but listen to these words mighty
fortress is our God a bulwark never
failing our helper he amid the flood of
mortal ills prevailing for still our
ancient foes we him Satan the seek to
workers whoa his power when craft a
great and armed with a cruel hate on
earth is not his equal speaking of the
devil
listen did we in our own strength
confide Elm or striving would be losing
we’re not the right men on our side the
man of God’s own choosing do you ask who
that may be Christ Jesus it is he Lord
Sabbath is his name from age to age the
same he must win the battle and I think
you and I need to stuff and think if I’m
facing one of these things what do I do
first of all I stop and ask myself the
question Lord what what would you have
me to do at this point and you don’t act
first we have to ask for a forgotten
it’s God what would you have me to do
and the scripture gives us illustration
of the illustration verse after verse
about asking God asking that she’ll be
given you seek and ye shall find knock
and it shall be opened unto you but the
Lord wants us to ask him he wants us to
stop and seek his wisdom and his
guidance listen think about this you
can’t get in any kind of predicament
that God doesn’t have the right answer
for in fact he knew all about that you
were going to get into it he knew all
about how to get you out of it
he knew exactly what it was going to
take to encourage your heart in the
situation so you wouldn’t give up and
you wouldn’t make a decision that you
would regret later on and many people
make decisions when they come to those
tough times that they regret for the
rest of their life and so by encouraging
himself he got real quiet and then he
made the wise decision and the Lord what
would you have me to do and say think
about this God God doesn’t have to come
up with a plan because he’s omniscient
look he’s already seen all the message
get into in the very beginning he
already has the right plan to bring you
through them difficulties hardships to
other people bring on you difficulties
in our chips we bring upon ourselves
things that we can’t control he already
has the answer he doesn’t have to say
alright now let’s figure this out God
the Father God the Son God the Holy
Spirit let’s get together no he already
knows because you see he has a will for
your life when you’re out of his will
something’s gonna happen in his will
something’s going to happen anytime we
are willing to acknowledge our
inadequacy and ask him to give us
guidance and direction for our life he
will and that’s exactly what he did
so in stopping and asking the Lord what
to do here’s what he did the scripture
says he went to a by otha who was the
priest and seeking at his make a
decision now the priest had this vest
that came down to about right here the
sleeve list came down to about right
here and it was sort of in a square and
there were 12 stones in that and each
one represented one of the one of the
tribes of Israel and we don’t know
anything else about that ephod except of
few references to it and nobody nobody
has an answer that except David knew and
felt responsible for getting to the
priest and he asked God what he should
do and if you’ll turn to verse 7 of the
30th chapter then David said Tabitha the
priest the son of a Himalaya please
bring me the ephod so about her brought
the fr to David
David inquired of the Lord so he’s
talking to God now saying she’ll I
pursued the band this band
shall I overtake them and he said to him
pursue for you will surely overtake them
and you will surely rescue all so he
sought the Lord and God made it clear to
him what he should do now think about
this though why is this thing he could
possibly do is to say Lord I’m in an
impossible situation I don’t know
there’s no place to turn what would you
have me to do
now they already getting a dystonic to
death and for God to say to him you
pursue them what did that mean God had
to speak to 600 soldiers to agree with a
man they were just about ready to stone
to death he couldn’t arrange that
that was the awesome miracle of God now
listen carefully when you get in a tough
situation
just ask him what to do does he have an
answer yes you say well it will pursue
them well yeah well that doesn’t sound
right you don’t argue with God you just
do what he says somebody says well I
don’t know whether I’m well you know I
don’t know but asking God let me ask you
something who’s smarter than wiser than
he is well you said I don’t know that
God would answer my prayer so watch this
carefully if you’re living in sin right
if you’re living in sin you expecting
God to give you some out and make
everything just right no you living if
you’re living in sin you living in
disobedience to God you’re not listening
to him about your life but if your life
is clean or if you say well Lord I get
on your knees and ask God to clean you
up and get things right and so when you
do and when you come to him genuinely
now watch this also I’ve seen people do
this oh dear God I’m tell you if you’ll
just please help me into this I promise
you I won’t ever do that again you know
what God knows better than that we’re
talking about genuine confession genuine
repentance a genuine cleansing of your
heart and asking Lord what shall I do
and so it seemed to be the most unlikely
thing to do now watch this pursue them
they’re getting to stone me to death
secondly we don’t we don’t know where
they are which way did we go and so
everything was sort of questionable but
he asked God and God spoke to him now
watch this carefully somebody says well
you keep saying that because it’s very
important when you’re asking God about
something and you don’t quite get it
clear and you’re saying Lord could that
possibly be true his
what you do you open the Word of God you
ask him to show you how to read
you may read something you’ve never read
before in your life it’s been there the
whole time but you just hadn’t read it
you’d be amazed at the times God will
speak to you clearly through his word
very very clearly God is committed to
showing you and me what to do and where
to go no matter what and sometimes when
we don’t have anybody else to ask
and notice what he said that David
strengthened himself that is he
encouraged himself he encouraged himself
to do what to seek the Lord he
encouraged himself to be obedient to God
whatever God told him he encouraged
himself there are times when you and I
have to encourage ourselves we don’t
have anybody else as we said there’s
some things you don’t want to share with
anybody else some things you can’t tell
anybody else and so you discourage you
depress you down you’re out we say well
how can i how can I encourage myself
when you stop and pause and think okay
here’s where I am what does the Word of
God tell me am I gonna listen together
am I not and you see many times God will
tell us what to do and we won’t do it
you said what that couldn’t be right
that that’s not right well he told him
that would you head out in this
direction that’s what he did listen God
will never tell you chapter 1 if chapter
2 is not gonna be there he’s gonna show
us what to do and when to do it I may
not understand it I may not understand
it at all that’s not the issue the issue
is I’m to do whatever he says do I’m to
obey Him so when there are times you can
ask anybody else and maybe you’ve never
been in that kind of a situation that
you had no one to ask but when you don’t
have anyone and you have to encourage
yourself it’s you and God and you and
His Word and this is why his word is so
very important for the simple reason
that in his word we’re gonna find out
what we need to know and I look back
over the years and think about times
when I have been in this
situation that I didn’t feel like I had
anybody to give me some real wise advice
or counsel and I know what I learned to
devour they just go getting a prayer
room somewhere and talk to God and be
quiet and Lord you show me the next step
and I’ve been in some situations that
were pretty tough and I’m here to tell
you God’s never said to me I don’t have
anything to say that’s not who he is
when you and I stop and recognize that
he’s that he has an answer he has an
answer to anything and everything you
and I face and you think about this God
is pleased and honored when you are not
used to go to him and say Lord I don’t
know what to do I don’t know which way
to turn I’m gonna trust you God always
answers our petition and sometimes he’ll
tell us to do something that doesn’t
seem the right
in other words it doesn’t look right but
if he tells you what to do you have to
do it or you disobey him in his
situation he had little or no choice at
all now one of it he says he encouraged
himself so stuffing and pausing and
listening and and getting a message from
God but one other thing it’s very
important that is to encourage myself
which I’m sure he did he recalled listen
he recalled past times in his life when
God came through for some situation some
har they he recalled the God’s help in
previous times and I want you to think
about something watch this carefully as
soon as you get through writing I want
you to look this way and listen it’s
it’s that important you are making
history in your life look back over your
life how God has worked times when you
thought you had to give up and quit and
just walk away or when you just want to
give up and quit in a way you’re making
history in your life that is God has
come through in the past he’s helped you
in this situation that situation this
situation you say but never anything
like that well let’s just add the
history there is not anything God can’t
do
to help you through whatever you may be
going through and sometimes sometimes we
just forget how good he’s been in the
past and what he’s done and so when I
see what happened here think back think
back how I’ve rescued you and he had to
think back I rescued him from Seoul and
the difficulties and heartaches and
Goliath and all the other things he went
through and this is a powerful powerful
means of getting us through
discouragement and that is what has God
done in the past in my life and I
remember had a big battle when I first
came the first Baptist and when the
second battle came first battle was I
said over under the balcony in it quite
nobody knew I was there second battle I
set up on the front right beside the
pulpit and looked everybody in the eye
you know why because I remembered and
recall the gods victory before and I
believe he gave me victory again so if
you don’t make note of what God is doing
in your life it’s like you’re racing
your history you’re forgetting it this
is why I think we should teach our
children early in life to just make
little notes about what God is doing in
their life things that they like of
things they don’t like or what whatever
is going on because they’re building
their history and the truth is all of us
are building one whether we acknowledge
it or not and it’s and here’s what
happens watch this carefully this is a
principle when people forget their
history they repeat the same mistakes
over and over and over again and so
you’re building a history it’s a part of
your life it’s something that you have
walked through already in your life and
because David knew how God had worked
before in his life here he was as a
teenager coming up against Goliath and
God gave him that victory can you
imagine the kind of faith that built
into him and so all of his warfare he
was victorious over and over and over
again
and he’d built this history into his
life and now he’s 600 men against all
these Medicaid’s and it was a lot
smaller than he says when they spread
out around their camp at night they just
covered everything and they were
outnumbered many times to one but God
told him what to do sneak up on him at
nighttime and just hit him from every
side and that would cause confusion and
you’ll defeat him God never leads us
into a trap remember that he doesn’t
lead isn’t it traps he leads us into
situations in circumstances that are
very dangerous maybe or it looks like
there’s no way to win
and yet when God tells you to do
something you do it now you say well
suppose I don’t believe it the first
time with you but I ask him again and
listen he listened the work of the Holy
Spirit is to confirm within your heart
and spirit business of God as part of
his work to confirm in your heart that
God has said through this and so this is
exactly what he did he began to recall
how God had worked in his life before
and if you think for just a moment give
us a give you about 10 seconds think
about this think about when you have
been in a tough spot really discouraged
what could you have thought about that
happened before if you’d have thought
about that well God got me out of that
you got to help me through that and some
of us is but I’m not sure he’s gonna
help me this that one let me take God
doesn’t change now you know we sing all
about go mighty God and and we believe
that he’s does not change and he’s the
same yesterday today forever and he
loves us his love doesn’t change and so
whatever situation we are in he is going
to be there to give us direction and
guidance and encourage our hearts and
when I look how God worked in David’s
life he said he encouraged himself had
he encouraged himself same way you an
hour to we’re to pause when something
happens don’t make a fast decision
we’re to ask for God’s guidance we were
to get in his word we’re to recall what
he’s done for us in the past God you
brought me through that you’ll bring me
through this
you took me through this situation
you’ll take me through this you were
faithful then you’ll be faithful today
I’m gonna trust you then of course we
are to obey Him he said here’s what I
want you to do pursue them suppose he
said well you know I don’t know how many
they are and that we were only six
hundred I don’t know where their words
when he said pursue that’s exactly what
he meant
now watch this if I’m gonna encourage
myself I’ve got to be willing to do what
he says
even though I may be fearful but the
very thought of it so what encouraged
David in an impossible situation lost
all his family they grieved they
couldn’t grieve anymore getting ready to
get stoned to death and all of a sudden
God says challenge your men to follow
you and I will show you what to do and
that is exactly what he did that’s
interesting what he did in this
situation because even after they
decided for example all right we’re
gonna follow him and where are we going
look how God works so they head out in a
direction not knowing where to go and
they found this one Egyptian soldier
that the Amalekites had cast him aside
because he got sick and he couldn’t
fight in battle so they just tell him to
get out then died and had in a water or
food in three days so when David found
him looks like one of the enemy he asked
him where he been what happened so he
told him that that the commander had
said you can’t fight so you just stay
here and die then David said to him will
you bring me down to this band he said
you swear to me by God and you worried
that you’ll not kill me and I’ll tell
you so he did and as a result what
happened his six hundred men
they head in that direction but watch
this Godin wants to be in control and
get all the glory when they got to a
certain River 200 of them said I’m too
tired I can’t go any longer so that’s
one third of his army has checked out
we just came fighting them all they were
dead tired and worn out and morally
destroyed because of their families and
so forth and so they said we can’t go
anymore so what did David do watch this
you listen carefully because God said
pursue them
he believes exactly what God said
knowing that God knew that two hundred
one-third of his army won’t even be able
to fight the mellow kites were there
hundreds and hundreds and hundreds and
in fact the scripture says when they
found them they were scattered out
everywhere camping he was so many they
were just everywhere he only has four
hundred men so what happens they attack
and kill him got all their wives back
all their children back because they
didn’t kill anybody they just took them
got their wives back got that children
back and got all of their loot back all
their belongings again they got
everything back look how I got off rated
David got quiet he listened to God he
did exactly what God told him to do and
if you’ll notice from that point on he
was encouraged about everything because
he listened and he obeyed God and as he
see here’s one Egyptian at the end the
desert dying but God had him out there
to give David exactly where he needed to
go and so they found him asleep and when
they found him asleep they killed the
whole crowd now he went from absolute
total discouragement facing the loss of
his family and death facing all of that
and now he God has led him to be
victorious over his enemy
when I read this I think Lord and here’s
what it says David slaughtered them from
the Twilight until the evening they
thought all day long they said while ago
they just couldn’t do anything
David slaughtered them from the Twilight
until the evening of the next day and
not a man of them escaped except for
hundred young men who wrote on camels
and fled so the guys who didn’t stay to
fight they took off
so David recovered all the Amalekites
had taken and rescued his two wives but
nothing of theirs was missing with a
smaller great sons or daughters spoil or
anything that they had taken for
themselves David brought it all back so
David had captured all the sheep cattle
in which the people drove ahead of the
livestock and they said this is David’s
spoil look what David did when he came
to the two hundred men back here he said
why don’t think we just can’t handle it
we can’t fight and so the men who fought
said they don’t get anything they didn’t
fight David said yes they do
we’re gonna give them as much as we gave
the fighters because somebody had to
stay but the stuff back here and so I
value them and he knew that those 200
back here had done their best they were
worn out they couldn’t do anything else
if you’ve got soldiers who can’t fight
there they’re not a help they’re a
hindrance somebody got back he gave them
everything that they lost
and so David experienced an awesome
deliverance by Almighty God now when you
think about the situation’s that you
face in life honestly what do you do
when you when you get real disturbed
about something or depressed about
something and you just stressed out I
wouldn’t dare have you raise your hand
but if I were should to say how many of
you your first response called the
doctor first response go to a medicine
cabinet first response I got to take
something first response I got to talk
to somebody you know what
is the great position and he’s the one
who heals our hurt hearts I don’t think
any doctor has got anything in a bottle
they can do what God Almighty can do I’m
not opposed to medicine I’m just simply
saying many times we resort to man
rather than Almighty God listen to him
be quiet
don’t jump just wait and whatever he
says do do it and listen when somebody
says if I were you here’s what I would
do let this be your first thought you
are not me and you do not know what you
would do I want to know what God wants
me to do not what somebody else wants me
to do now that doesn’t mean you should
never ask for advice or counsel but
we’re talking about when you’ve got
things that you don’t want to share with
anybody else we’ve talked about it we’ve
talked about helping each other and
encouraging each other what about when
it’s just you and you have nowhere to go
but to God can you trust him yes you can
and he says you go this way or that way
that’s what you must do and to listen to
people rather than to God only gets you
in trouble and when I when I look at
this passage and see how God worked in
his life he he encouraged David and
listen he encouraged him to do what not
just to sit he encouraged him to go
fight a war outnumbered many times to
one but they won why because God was on
their side and oftentimes he will tell
you something to do that just think mmm
there’s no way I could do that let me
ask you a question what is it that you
can’t do when God tells you to do it
when God is on your side when he’s
working in your behalf and oh you know
I’ve lived long enough to see things and
watch things in my own life that I think
the Lord that appears to be foolish I’m
not saying it is God but I’ll do
whatever you say
I’ve never obeyed God in a difficult
situation that he
did not bring it to pass this and there
are no favorites God doesn’t play
favorites
and God has intimates not favorites
intimates of people had a relationship
when you have a relationship with God
he’s gonna speak to you clearly and
instead of staying discouraged and
giving up and probably getting stoned to
death what did he did he pause to think
he sought the Lord ask God to show him
what to do and when you think back how
he worked everything out perfectly
who is this lone Egyptian out here he
was God’s compass that’s who he was he
looked like some poor soldier that was
just about gone but God had him out
there for David he led him to the enemy
to destroy the enemy got every single
thing back don’t you know they came back
with dosing and praising God I got my
wife I got my children I got everything
that I had he got it all back how did
that happen
David didn’t react he’s got quiet he
listened he sought the Lord’s mind about
it he heard it he obeyed God and God did
exactly what he promised that simple
illustration is the key to your life
you’re right in the history you’ve what
you’ve already written many years of it
some of you written more than others and
some of you haven’t written much but you
know what watch this
you can’t change history so what you
want to do listen you want your
grandchildren to read your history you
want your children you want your friends
and their words you want the people
you’ve related to all these you want
their their remembrance of you to be
something that is good well he stayed in
trouble half the time where he stayed
and dead all the time well you know on
and on and on we go but you write in
your history nobody can write it for you
but if you will obey Him obey Him obey
Him obey Him trust him trust
him trust him do what he says not
because you understand it or because
it’s profitable because of this because
then no just trust him and do what he
says you cannot fail
God is not a failure he doesn’t create
failures we brained on ourselves so when
I think about how God worked in his life
and how he obeyed the Lord is just
awesome and we could talk about a long
time but naturally what ultimately
encouraged them is he came home with his
family can’t you imagine for 600 men
coming back
ahead back toward their home with their
wife and children those kids were never
more precious than they were at that
moment wife was never more loveable than
she was that day she may have been in
rags but she was free and she was with
her they were with their husbands it was
an awesome encouraging glorious time
even if they had lost all their stuff it
has still been the same thing why what’s
this one man encouraged himself before
God and watch what happened one man he
was all by himself
don’t stone him to death lost everything
nothing positive about it one man got
quiet listen to God salt the Lord heard
from God did exactly what God tell him
to do that is a principle that is
absolutely unchangeable now we are
talking about encouraging ourselves
watch this what I share with you is the
most important part but there are other
ways to encourage yourself not when you
have some major issue but there ways to
encourage yourself if you get a little
down about something or even if you’re
going through a tough time
there are other ways to encourage
yourself for example achievement and
accomplishment and something you like
that you love to do is a wonderful way
to encourage yourself you say well
that’s not very spiritual yes it is
because we’re to be joyous Christians
and when things get tough on us and
we’re doing what the watch this when you
do what the Lord tells you to do that
doesn’t mean there’s not gonna be any
pain no heartache and there’s I mean but
she’s gonna bring you through it and you
have the privilege and the right and the
blessing of being able to do what you
love to do for example you’re one of the
most encouraging things in my life is to
sit down with the Word of God
and prepare a message it’s challenging
very challenging sometimes he gets
stressful in fact the only thing that
raises my blood pressure is preparing a
message not delivering it preparing it I
think it’s so intense that’s okay but
I’m saying I love doing that and I love
photography so if I got a little
heaviness in my heart about something
I’m gonna I’m gonna do something that I
want to do that brings me pleasure and
you have the same privilege if your
person says I don’t have anything it
brings me pleasure you need to start
from scratch because surely there’s
something that brings you pleasure
that’s holy and it’s not godly or
ungodly it’s just something you’d like
to do because god intends listen God
intends for us to be joyous he intends
for us to be happy that’s mean you’re
gonna be happy all the time he intends
for us to have peace and in our heart
and so when are we the best witness when
we’re talking about what God is doing in
our life and how great he is and what
he’s doing in your life
that’s when you’re the head that’s when
your testimony is the most effective so
think about this now because many of you
sitting here probably in one of those
situations you stop pause God what do
you want me to do you’re asking him you
get in his word say Lord if you need
some confirmation and gas him to confirm
it when he makes it clear to you you
obey Him and what happens you will be
encouraged it is the will and the
purpose and plan of God that his
children live a purposeful life in a
life that has joy it doesn’t mean that
we won’t hurt no have
Payne but it’s a life that beneath that
has awesome joy because for his children
well if you’re one of those persons
who’s never been saved and you think
well now how does all that fit me let’s
put it this way if you’ve never trusted
Jesus as your Savior this is not an
opinion this is not an attitude this is
the divine gospel biblical truth it is
the truth of Almighty God that you will
reap what you sow
more than you so later than you sow and
you can’t change that
no you can’t change it you say that’s
not going to happen to me it happens you
can’t change your principle that’s true
morning noon and night it was true in
that Garden of Eden it’s true today
without Christ in your life
you’re gonna make a miserable mess of it
you don’t have enough money as a
substitute enough prestige enough Fame
or anything else the wages of sin is
death it’s not just physical death it’s
spiritual death we reap what we sow more
than we sow later than we sow what you
need is to ask the Lord Jesus Christ to
forgive you of your sins not based on
how good you are or what you can do for
him because you can’t do anything for
him based on the fact that he died at
Calvary shed his blood as payment for
your sin you need him as your Savior you
need him as your helper you think you
have it all together but you don’t you
think you could buy your way into
anything and everything no you can’t
there will come a time when your money
won’t count your fame won’t count they
come a time when your influence and
testament none of that’s going to count
you’re going to stand face to face with
God you may be lying in a hospital bed
somewhere on your way to dying then what
are you going to depend on and if you’ll
think about that your history will have
condemned you that’s the way you lived I
pray to God that right now whoever you
are and wherever you are you ask the
Lord Jesus Christ
to forgive you of your sins cleanse your
life turn your life over to him and tell
him the only thing that really matters
is is Christ in your life I pray the God
that you’re asking to save you which he
will do father how grateful we are what
an awesome God you are when we think
about all the ways that you’ve given us
joy and happiness and peace in our heart
and sometimes right in the middle of
pain you give us a sober whelming
indescribable
inexplainable joy and I pray for
somebody here this morning who’s living
in sin disobeying you lost totally
separated from you to help them to
realize their writing history
devastating sinful history that’s going
to end up in a devastated miserable life
and show them that they can change today
by asking the Lord Jesus Christ your
beloved son to forgive them of their
sins based on what you did it across and
their before they leave this building
their life will be transformed by your
awesome grace I pray for everyone here
father who is going through some
situation or circumstance that today
they will take these simple ideas points
truths principles begin to apply them to
their heart and step out of what are
they’re facing in life in Jesus name
Amen
[Music]
if you’ve been blessed by today’s
program please visit us at intouch.org e
[Music]