So in love

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So in love
What possibly could go wrong?
Lots of things!!
and not just in the realm of L-O-V-E!
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Lose my job
Relationships go bad
Illness
Money problems
Divorce
Lots of things!!
Bad grades
A death
Family problems
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Lose my job
The question is not Will I ever have any
problems
Relationships go bad
Illness
Money problems
Divorce
Lots of things!!
The question is When I have problems, how do I
handle them?
Bad grades
A death
Family problems
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Discouraged
Dont care
Get really down
Withdraw
Depressed
Quit going to worship
Stop reading the Word
Stop praying
Get angry with God
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This is one way to confront big problems!
I dont suggest you stone anyone, but I do want
to use David as an example of how to react when
things go wrong.
The point faith does not develop or grow until
it is challenged
but challenges often are the very things we
refuse to handle with faith.
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David became an expert at having to deal with
things going wrong.
pursued by King Saul barely escaped several
assassination attempts spent much time
having to hide in the wilderness had his
family kidnapped his best friend died
shamed by his own sins of adultery and
murder his son Amnon raped Tamar,
his own half-sister his son
Absalom murdered Amnon fled from
a coup attempt by his son
grieved over Absaloms assassination
friends turned vs. him tried to kill
him
Somehow he survived it all is best remembered
as A man after Gods own heart.
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What David did when things went wrong
1 Sam. 301-6 - David and his men reached Ziklag
on the third day. Now the Amalekites had raided
the Negev and Ziklag. They had attacked Ziklag
and burned it, and had taken captive the women
and all who were in it, both young and old. They
killed none of them, but carried them off as they
went on their way. When David and his men came
to Ziklag, they found it destroyed by fire and
their wives and sons and daughters taken captive.
So David and his men wept aloud until they had
no strength left to weep. David's two wives had
been captured-Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the
widow of Nabal of Carmel. David was greatly
distressed because the men were talking of
stoning him each one was bitter in spirit
because of his sons and daughters. But David
found strength in the Lord his God
Set the Scene 1. Fleeing from Saul, livng
in Ziklag aligned w/the Philistines 2. Phs to
fight Saul, David joined them 3. Phs sent
him back to Z.
BUT 4. Z. attacked/burned by Amalekites 5.
All were kidnapped 6. Distressed, but his own men
were ready to kill him for not being there when
needed.
How did he react?
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With that strength he was able to deal with
whatever went wrong
but how did he strengthen himself in the Lord?
When things were bad, David often wrote psalms
1-4 - Deliver me from my enemies, O God protect
me from those who rise up against me. Deliver me
from evildoers and save me from bloodthirsty men.
See how they lie in wait for me! Fierce men
conspire against me for no offense or sin of
mine, O Lord. I have done no wrong, yet they are
ready to attack me. Arise to help me look on my
plight!
chased by Saul, he wrote Ps. 59
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With that strength he was able to deal with
whatever went wrong
but how did he strengthen himself in the Lord?
When things were bad, David often wrote psalms
3-4,12-13 - When I am afraid, I will trust in
you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust
I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to
me?... I am under vows to you, O God I will
present my thank offerings to you. For you have
delivered me from death and my feet from
stumbling, that I may walk before God in the
light of life.
chased by Saul, he wrote Ps. 59
imprisoned in Gath, Ps. 56
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With that strength he was able to deal with
whatever went wrong
but how did he strengthen himself in the Lord?
When things were bad, David often wrote psalms
1-6 - O Lord, how many are my foes! How many
rise up against me! Many are saying of me, "God
will not deliver him." But you are a shield
around me, O Lord you be-stow glory on me and
lift up my head. To the Lord I cry aloud, and he
answers me from his holy hill. I lie down and
sleep I wake again, because the Lord sustains
me. I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn
up against me on every side.
chased by Saul, he wrote Ps. 59
imprisoned in Gath, Ps. 56
fleeing Absalom, Ps. 3
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With that strength he was able to deal with
whatever went wrong
but how did he strengthen himself in the Lord?
When things were bad, David often wrote psalms
1-4 - God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you
my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you,
in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your
power and your glory. Because your love is
better than life, my lips will glorify you. I
will praise you as long as I live, and in your
name I will lift up my hands.
chased by Saul, he wrote Ps. 59
imprisoned in Gath, Ps. 56
fleeing Absalom, Ps. 3
hiding in the wilderness, Ps. 63
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With that strength he was able to deal with
whatever went wrong
but how did he strengthen himself in the Lord?
When things were bad, David often wrote psalms
56 trusted God to help him 59 continued to
praise God for His help 3 affirmed
his confidence in Gods help care 63
overcame loneliness by seeking the
Lord praying praising
meditating on the Lord
chased by Saul, he wrote Ps. 59
imprisoned in Gath, Ps. 56
fleeing Absalom, Ps. 3
hiding in the wilderness, Ps. 63
From such psalms as these, we learn how David
strengthened himself in the Lord his God
When things go bad, you can trust the Lordstay
close to Him thru praise prayerHe always will
support strengthen you
In each psalm he says basically the same things
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How does Davids good heart relate to us and how
we react when things go wrong?
Tho the details differ, we sometimes feel just
as badly as David felt. But we often try to
tackle our problems alone leave God out of
the picture forsake Him and His people
stop praising Him stop praying to Him
stop affirming our confidence in His love and
care act as though He has let us down isnt
keeping His promises actually affirm our
faithfulness depends on getting what we want
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When we act with such rudeness and pride, we push
God away from us
Jer. 175-6 - This is what the Lord says "Cursed
is the one who trusts in man, who depends on
flesh for his strength and whose heart turns
away from the Lord. He will be like a bush in
the wastelands he will not see prosperity when
it comes. He will dwell in the parched places of
the desert, in a salt land where no one lives.
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When we act with such rudeness and pride, we push
God away from us
Israel turned from God and trusted Egypt to help
them.
Isa 301-2 - Woe to the obstinate children,
declares the Lord, "to those who carry out plans
that are not mine, forming an alliance, but not
by my Spirit, heaping sin upon sin who go down
to Egypt without consulting me
In response, God promised to frustrate their
efforts to solve their problems on their own,
303 311-3
Pharaoh's protection will be to your shame,
Egypt's shade will bring you disgraceWoe to
those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on
horses, who trust in the multitude of their
chariots and in the great strength of their
horsemen, but do not look to the Holy One of
Israel, or seek help from the Lord.
Isa 3015 - "In repentance and rest is your
salvation, in quietness and trust is your
strength, but you would have none of it.
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When we act with such rudeness and pride, we push
God away from us
Compare
1 Peter 56-7 Humble yourselves, therefore, under
God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due
time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he
cares for you.
James 48 Come near to God and he will come near
to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify
your hearts, you double-minded.
It is not God helps those who help
themselves. It is God helps those who trust in
the Lord with all their heart and lean not on
their own understanding, Prov. 35-6
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Conclusions
When we leave God our of our efforts to deal
w/problems, He leaves us on our own. It
may be that, in loving discipline, He will
frustrate our efforts. When things go wrong,
showing spiritual weakness is the worst
possible response. Especially when things go
wrong, be steadfast in praising Him and
in praying to Him, with confidence in His love
and help. Forsaking Him and His people only
makes you weakerit erases all chance of
success. Remember My soul follows close behind
You our right hand upholds me, Ps. 638
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