Let God be God, He is our Shelter!
None of the things of this world are enough fruitful. There is so much trouble, divorces are happening, bankruptcy, accidents etc.
There are two option:
1- We try to find securities in ourselves.
Many a times we rely on our own plans, strengths. We cannot do anything apart from God in our lives. We need to rely on God. We are not capable of securing ourselves.
2- Relying on God.
Trusting in God. Psalmist says, "My help is not coming from this world, but from God."
Illustration: A dog was barking at three people. All were scared but one. This 'one' friend said, come near dog, don't be scared. However the third person was strong from inside. Inner strength is more important than outer strength.
Ephesians 3:16, "That according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being."
God is all we need in our lives. No matter how independent we are, we cannot do it alone: we need God in our lives. Many times God draws us to that place where we come to the feet of the master. God is waiting for us.
1 Corinthians 10:15, "I speak as to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say."
God is our shelter!
Psalm 19:1, "To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork."
Sometimes it is very difficult to maintain faith and to trust in God. In the middle of the greatest battles of our lives. We need to understand, God is in control and he will do greater and mighty things.
Look unto God. He will strengthen you and that is what God wants you and I to do.
Many friends stand for us in Good times and few opt out during bad times. God is always with us. He delivers and he helps.
Psalm 55:22, "Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved."
There are three things that we can put into practice:
1- We must simply ask for His help.
Ex. King David was strong and powerful king. His own son rebelled against him.
2 Samuel 15:1-37, "1 After this Absalom got himself a chariot and horses, and fifty men to run before him. 2 And Absalom used to rise early and stand beside the way of the gate. And when any man had a dispute to come before the king for judgment, Absalom would call to him and say, “From what city are you?” And when he said, “Your servant is of such and such a tribe in Israel,” 3 Absalom would say to him, “See, your claims are good and right, but there is no man designated by the king to hear you.” 4 Then Absalom would say, “Oh that I were judge in the land! Then every man with a dispute or cause might come to me, and I would give him justice.” 5 And whenever a man came near to pay homage to him, he would put out his hand and take hold of him and kiss him. 6 Thus Absalom did to all of Israel who came to the king for judgment. So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.
7 And at the end of four years Absalom said to the king, “Please let me go and pay my vow, which I have vowed to the Lord, in Hebron. 8 For your servant vowed a vow while I lived at Geshur in Aram, saying, ‘If the Lord will indeed bring me back to Jerusalem, then I will offer worship to the Lord.’” 9 The king said to him, “Go in peace.” So he arose and went to Hebron. 10 But Absalom sent secret messengers throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, “As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then say, ‘Absalom is king at Hebron!’” 11 With Absalom went two hundred men from Jerusalem who were invited guests, and they went in their innocence and knew nothing. 12 And while Absalom was offering the sacrifices, he sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David's counselor, from his city Giloh. And the conspiracy grew strong, and the people with Absalom kept increasing.
13 And a messenger came to David, saying, “The hearts of the men of Israel have gone after Absalom.” 14 Then David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, “Arise, and let us flee, or else there will be no escape for us from Absalom. Go quickly, lest he overtake us quickly and bring down ruin on us and strike the city with the edge of the sword.” 15 And the king's servants said to the king, “Behold, your servants are ready to do whatever my lord the king decides.” 16 So the king went out, and all his household after him. And the king left ten concubines to keep the house. 17 And the king went out, and all the people after him. And they halted at the last house.
18 And all his servants passed by him, and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, and all the six hundred Gittites who had followed him from Gath, passed on before the king. 19 Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite, “Why do you also go with us? Go back and stay with the king, for you are a foreigner and also an exile from your home. 20 You came only yesterday, and shall I today make you wander about with us, since I go I know not where? Go back and take your brothers with you, and may the Lord show steadfast love and faithfulness to you.” 21 But Ittai answered the king, “As the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king shall be, whether for death or for life, there also will your servant be.” 22 And David said to Ittai, “Go then, pass on.” So Ittai the Gittite passed on with all his men and all the little ones who were with him. 23 And all the land wept aloud as all the people passed by, and the king crossed the brook Kidron, and all the people passed on toward the wilderness.
24 And Abiathar came up, and behold, Zadok came also with all the Levites, bearing the ark of the covenant of God. And they set down the ark of God until the people had all passed out of the city. 25 Then the king said to Zadok, “Carry the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the eyes of the Lord, he will bring me back and let me see both it and his dwelling place. 26 But if he says, ‘I have no pleasure in you,’ behold, here I am, let him do to me what seems good to him.” 27 The king also said to Zadok the priest, “Are you not a seer? Go back to the city in peace, with your two sons, Ahimaaz your son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar. 28 See, I will wait at the fords of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.” 29 So Zadok and Abiathar carried the ark of God back to Jerusalem, and they remained there.
30 But David went up the ascent of the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went, barefoot and with his head covered. And all the people who were with him covered their heads, and they went up, weeping as they went. 31 And it was told David, “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” And David said, “O Lord, please turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.”
32 While David was coming to the summit, where God was worshiped, behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat torn and dirt on his head. 33 David said to him, “If you go on with me, you will be a burden to me. 34 But if you return to the city and say to Absalom, ‘I will be your servant, O king; as I have been your father's servant in time past, so now I will be your servant,’ then you will defeat for me the counsel of Ahithophel. 35 Are not Zadok and Abiathar the priests with you there? So whatever you hear from the king's house, tell it to Zadok and Abiathar the priests. 36 Behold, their two sons are with them there, Ahimaaz, Zadok's son, and Jonathan, Abiathar's son, and by them you shall send to me everything you hear.” 37 So Hushai, David's friend, came into the city, just as Absalom was entering Jerusalem."
Psalms 3:1-8, "A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son.
1 O Lord, how many are my foes!
Many are rising against me;
2 many are saying of my soul,
there is no salvation for him in God. Selah
3 But you, O Lord, are a shield about me,
my glory, and the lifter of my head.
4 I cried aloud to the Lord,
and he answered me from his holy hill. Selah
5 I lay down and slept;
I woke again, for the Lord sustained me.
6 I will not be afraid of many thousands of people
who have set themselves against me all around.
7 Arise, O Lord!
Save me, O my God!
For you strike all my enemies on the cheek;
you break the teeth of the wicked.
8 Salvation belongs to the Lord;
your blessing be on your people! Selah"
People will say many things, we need to believe what God says. Bible says, whenever we reach out to God, he will come and He will help us.
Jeremiah 33:3, "Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known."
Matthew 7:7, "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you."
Philippians 4:6-7, "6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
2- We must simply allow God to have His own ways.
Our God is a creative God.
Ex. Moses crossed the Red Sea along with the children of Israel.
Who would have thought Jesus would have come down for us and suffer, but He did it.
Who thought Jesus will rise again, but He did it.
God knows the best way to help us. Psalmist say, God is aware of the dangers of our lives and he rescues us through His only son, Jesus.
God never sleeps or slumbers!
Elijah prayed one prayer and fire came from the sky. This is our God who will worships who saved Elijah.
Isaiah 43, "But now says thus the Lord..... When you pass through the fire, you shall not be burned and the flames will not consume you."
When you go through trials, trust in God.
John 16:33, "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."
We come to God. Because he gives us inner peace. God says, "I will not leave you nor forsake you."
We thank God for blessings, health, security. But it is only God who can do wonders. He doesn't only helps us during troubled time, he helps us in bad times too. We need to be let God be God.
3- We must simply follow what God tells us.
Psalm 103, "1 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and all that is within me,
bless his holy name!
2 Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits,
3 who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
5 who satisfies you with good
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
6 The Lord works righteousness
and justice for all who are oppressed.
7 He made known his ways to Moses,
his acts to the people of Israel.
8 The Lord is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 He will not always chide,
nor will he keep his anger forever.
10 He does not deal with us according to our sins,
nor repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
13 As a father shows compassion to his children,
so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.
14 For he knows our frame;
he remembers that we are dust.
15 As for man, his days are like grass;
he flourishes like a flower of the field;
16 for the wind passes over it, and it is gone,
and its place knows it no more.
17 But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him,
and his righteousness to children's children,
18 to those who keep his covenant
and remember to do his commandments.
19 The Lord has established his throne in the heavens,
and his kingdom rules over all.
20 Bless the Lord, O you his angels,
you mighty ones who do his word,
obeying the voice of his word!
21 Bless the Lord, all his hosts,
his ministers, who do his will!
22 Bless the Lord, all his works,
in all places of his dominion.
Bless the Lord, O my soul!"
He is worthy of out trust and praise. Let us just follow his instructions. Just "Trust & Obey", and be Happy in Jesus.
Song: Trust & Obey
Don't put a limit on what God can do. When you put your trust in God, and you will see mighty works in your life. Jesus loves is. Bible says He loves us so much that He gave his life for us on the cross. Today we are recipient of all blessings, we need to put trust in the Lord.
4- We must confront fear because God is with us.
Ex. Many people wanted to destroy Jewish people and Israel.
Ezra 8: ("... The hand of our God is for good on all who seek him....") We know who our God is and what He can do. Do not forget what God has done in our lives.
God wants to give you a personal touch and a personal experience. Don't be a simply sleeping church coming Christians, let God rule your life and make you a persons with personal experience of God. We need to thank God and ask him to come to our lives.
Let us all pray...
Dear Lord, thank you for this beautiful day and thank you for this life. We are glad that we know you, not because we did, but because you knew us even before we were born and that you care for us. Lord, we pray, let Your will be done and we walk the way you want us to walk. We pray for our friends and families, who don't even know You. Please use us like your vessels and your harvesters. Help us walk the way You want us to walk and live the life You want us to live. Please come to our lives and stay with us forever and ever. With the most precious name of Your son, Jesus, we ask...
Amen!
We hope you enjoyed today's service. We look forward to welcome you coming Sunday. Have a good week, God bless!
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Original Image Source: http://brilliant-learning.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Untitled-17.jpg
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