Title: Through It All

Date: 2008-09-28

Reference: Isaiah 43: 1-7

To put it mildly, this is an interesting mess our country is in. In January who would have guessed such giants as Merrill-Lynch, Leman Brothers, and others would be bankrupt before the year was out. The Big three American Car Manufacturers are teetering on the brink of bankruptcy. Fanny Mae and Freddie Mac have cost us billions. We’re waiting to see what congress will do about a huge bail out of toxic loans and companies. Everywhere we look we see corporate greed. It is enough to make you discouraged.

I’ve always been very optimistic about almost everything believing God is in control. I have to admit a few uneasy moments lately, as funds tucked away in investment companies or in the stock market dwindle in value.

There is a sense of discouragement in the country right now. Discouragement is easy to come by but harder to make go away. I read about a man lost in the desert. He had been out of food and water for days. His lips were swollen, his tongue was swollen. He was beat up and bloody. He had been scraped by the and sand and cactus; blistered by the heat and sun. As he crawled along he propped himself up on a bloody elbow and said: “If things keep going like this I might get discouraged.” I guess we’ve all said something like that at sometime or another. Discouragement is universal. Even Christians get discouraged. This is not a one time event. discouragement is very contagious. Others can become discouraged because we are so discouraged.

Sometimes we find ourselves discouraged in our personal lives, discouraged in our walk with God. Many of us find the message of Grace and Forgiveness too good to be true. In the Bible God says: “Yet even now, return to me with all your heart.”

God is saying it’s never too late to come back to God. Things are never so bad that God cannot help and give us hope.

As Christians we choose to live in relationship with God. Moment by moment we choose to believe in God, to walk with God, to trust in God. When the bottom drops out we know God is there to catch us.

At the beginning of the year someone sent me the top ten predictions for 2008. They will be the top ten predictions for 2009 as well. As we face uncertain times hear these predictions: In the days ahead.”.The Bible will still have all the answers. Prayer will still work.The Holy Spirit will still move. God will still inhabit the praise of His people. There will still be God anointed teaching.We will still be singing Praise to God.God will still pour out blessings upon His people.There will still be room at the cross.Jesus will still love us.Jesus will still forgive us.” It is wonderful to know that Through It All, God Is Still in Control.

We can leave everything in God’s perfectly capable hands. No matter what happens to the economy, elections, war, disease, relationships or anything else, we can depend on God who is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. And on Jesus Christ who is the absolute same.Yesterday, Today and Forever.

Even people with very strong faith become discouraged from time to time. A parable describes how the devil advertised a sale.

He was going to put all his tools up for public inspection. Each tool was marked with a sale price.hatred, envy, jealousy, anger, doubt, lying, pride, so many more. One tool which remained very expensive was discouragement.

When asked about it the devil said: “It’s so costly because it’s the most useful tool I have. With it I can work my way into any heart. Once I get inside I can make him do whatever I choose. The tool is so worn because I use it on almost everyone.” The price was so high the devil was unable to sell it and so he continues to use it on people today.

Life is sometimes hard. A lack of encouragement is almost an epidemic today. As a representative of Christ in the world today, when is the last time you encouraged someone else? We are never more Christlike than when we are full of compassion for those who are down, needy, forgotten, or discouraged. No one of us would have to look very far in order to find someone to encourage. A shut in from our church, a student off at school, a soldier in the war zone, a missionary laboring in some obscure place. A widow who needs some companionship. Someone who has tried something new and failed. A person who is having a hard run of days. We should always encourage generously knowing that one day we will need similar encouragement.

Alexander Solzhenitsyn died this Summer and received a hero’s burial in Russia. Earlier in life he spent years in a Soviet Siberian Prison. At one point he was so discouraged he longed for death. The hard labor, terrible conditions had all taken their toll. He knew the guards would beat him severely and probably kill him if he stopped working. Planning to expedite his death he stopped work and leaned on his shovel waiting to be noticed by a prison guard.

A fellow Christian reached out with his shovel and drew a cross at his feet and quickly erased it before a guard could see it. Later Solzhenitsyn said: “My entire being was encouraged by that little reminder of the hope and courage we find in Christ. He found strength to continue because a fellow believer encouraged him and reminded him of hope. Life is okay, even good for most of us right now. Yet I know not all of us here in worship are enthusiastic, optimistic, or happy. Some of us are discouraged with life. Our best laid plans have fallen through. An unexpected run of events blind sided us and caused our dreams to evaporate. For some nothing seems to work no matter how hard we try. Some are discouraged because someone let them down. Some have been hurt and find it difficult to forgive.

At a time when Israel was facing real problems, God gave Isaiah a message for the people. This message is applicable for us today: “This is what the Lord says. He who formed. You. Fear not for I have redeemed you. I have summoned you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters I will be with you. When you walk through the fire you will not be burned. For I am the Lord your god. Do not be afraid, for I am with you.”

The Bible is full of uplifting promises to help us deal with discouragement and to help us encourage others who are discouraged. A few of them include Phil 4:13"I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” Romans 8:39 “Nothing in all of creation will be able to separate us from the love of God.” Romans 8:31 “If God is for us who can be against us? “ Mark 9:23 reminds us how “everything is possible for the person who believes.”

I have learned the only kind of person God doesn’t help is someone wh doesn’t think he needs help. Too often we have our eyes on everything else except the one who can solve our problems. When we take our eyes off of God we become very discouraged. An Army Airborne Ranger was learning to parachute. The Sgt. Gave his orders.saying.”Jump when you are told. Count to ten and pull the ripcord. If the first chute doesn’t open pull the 2nd ripcord. When we land a truck will take us back to the post.” As they flew over the jump zone the Ranger jumped. He counted to ten and pulled his cord and nothing happened. He pulled his second cord and still nothing happened. “Oh Great” he complained to himself.”I’ll be the truck won’t be waiting for us either.” Sometimes things pile up and it effects our attitude.

There were people in the Bible who knew God well, but who became discouraged. At one point Jonah said: “Lord please let me die. It is better for me to die than to live.” Elijah went out into the wilderness and sat down under a broom tree and asked that he might die.

Many examples in Scripture of persons who were disappointed with life, with God,. With others with themselves. In some cases they were ready to throw up their hands and quit. God always propped them up and put them back.

In 2 Cor. Paul described the hardships he had endured and the faithfulness of God through it all. He said: “5 times I have received the 39 lashes. 3 times I have been beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. 3 times I have been ship wrecked and left to drift all day and night. On my frequent journeys I have been in danger from robbers, thieves, from my own people. I have faced danger in the seas, sleepless nights, hunger and thirst.

I have gone without shelter. Plus the daily pressure form those church members. He also mentioned a severe pain or thorn in his flesh. Paul said: “The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ has seen me through it all. God’s grace is enough.”

Once again we read in Isaiah: “God will not fail or become discouraged. We should not be fearful or dismayed.” Over and over the Bible and experience tells us wherever we are whatever we are facing, God is right there with us. We never go through anything by ourselves. God is always with us.

An Irish proverb says: “Courage does not always roar. Sometimes it is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying: ‘I will try again tomorrow.’ “ Encouragement from God and from God’s people allows us to try again tomorrow.