God's promises when we hit the "pot holes of life"

During this time of the year in New England, as the ground underneath the road thaws, air pockets form, which when cars run over these sections, behold, pot holes. These pot holes are very frustrating. Everything is going along fine and then all of a sudden, bam, a pot hole. Some of these have caused major damage to cars.

When we hit these "pot holes of life" they can throw us for a loop and leave us wondering, God what's going on?

Psalm 37:23-24 provides four truths!

1. He has established our steps, no matter what the path is like
2. We will hit those "pot holes of life"
3. Even though we hit them--we will NOT be cast headlong or fall, why?
4. Because He HOLDS us!

Be encouraged by these truths when you hit those "pot holes of life!"

God Himself is our armor--so needed in hard times!

In Ephesians 6:10-20 Paul describes the need for each of us to put on the full armor of God. This is especially important when are in hard times when we will be at our weakest.

Have you ever wondered how Paul came up with this imagery of the full armor of God? Certainly he knew of the Roman soldier’s armor and the various pieces. But why did he make the associations he did. I have come to believe he was less influenced by Roman armor and more by the references to armor in the OT. For example: 

Genesis 15:1 Declared Himself to be Abram’s shield.

Proverbs 30:5 He is a shield to those who take refuge in him.

Isaiah 59:14-17 His own arm brings salvation—He Himself takes action: He puts on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on his head.

Imagine that: God Himself is our armor!



 

When in a hard time read the owner's manual? Not so sure!

I've heard people, and maybe you have too, speak of the Bible as being man's owner manual. If you want to find out how man works and what to do to fix problems, just read the manual. And so when in a hard time, read the manual.

Although I understand the analogy, I'm not sure I agree with it. Why? Because that means that the Bible is all about us! It means that we read it to discover who WE are.

No, I think it is more appropriate to view the Bible as an autobiography, written by God and about God. It means that when we read it, we do so to discover who God is and in doing so He reveals Himself. His desire is that we respond to the truth of who He is and what He has done and when we do He transforms us!  It's not what we do that changes us, it is what He has done and continues to do that changes us (Phil 1:16)!  That's what will sustain us in hard times!

Hope when in the crucible--how is this possible?

Hope is not wishful thinking. "I hope you do OK on the exam tomorrow." "I hope the weather clears up soon." "I hope I can hang on just a bit longer." Hanging on has the sense of grasping a limb with our feet off the ground.  This is NOT the hope onto which we hold. I think a better word is holding onto, that is, our feet are on solid ground and we are holding onto God. Therefore our hope is an unrealized reality. It is an expectation of what will be that is perfectly certain.

Peter writes that we have a living hope that is based on the certainty of the resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:3).   No if's, and's or but's. It is this perfect expectation that we hold onto. And so our hope is: 

H olding
O nto
P erfect
E xpectations
 

Just hanging on in a hard time? We need to ask: Whose doing the holding?

 An often used response to the question: "How is it going?" is "I'm just hanging on!" The image we have in our minds is of someone who is hanging on to a limb, clinging on for dear life. The fear of letting go can be overwhelming! When we are in a crucible type experience, this sense of just hanging on is amplified. It is as if we are exerting the last ounce of our strength until help arrives.

BUT help has already arrived. The Father has promised that even though we might stumble, we will not be hurled headlong, we will not fall. Why? Because He is the one hanging on to us! (Psalm 37:23-24) The father of lies will do everything to convince that such is not the case and that if you let go you will fall! DO NOT LISTEN to him.

 

God, this is hard! Have you forgotten about me?

"How long oh Lord?" is often asked when our crucible experiences extend over long periods of time. It is easy to think that maybe the Lord has forgotten about us or maybe His faithfulness is not as certain as we thought. The Lord brought this dialog to my mind that I trust will encourage you to trust Him in your crucible experience!

 

Thanking God when in a hard time? Really?

In Psalm 136:1-4 the psalmist declares that we can give thanks to God because His steadfast love endures forever! The word for steadfast love is hesed and the various translations reveal the breadth of the word!

hesed: steadfast love (ESV), love (NIV), lovingkindness (NASB), mercy (KJV)

 

Hesed is a Hebrew word that is rich in meaning. It is:

• an interaction between strength, steadfastness, mercy, and love.
• implies personal involvement and commitment in a relationship
• a love that is steadfast based on a prior relationship

 Not only that, it endures forever!

Should not our understanding of these incredible truths affect us when in a hard time and result in saying "O give thanks to the Lord for He is good!"

How NOT to encourage others in their hard times.

If you want to encourage someone who is going through a hard time, DO NOT say: "So, you think you've got it hard? Let me tell you my story." DO NOT compare hard times. When we do this it really is self-focused rather than other-focused. Our sharing becomes self-serving. It changes the focus from encouraging someone else to highlighting me and brings no encouragement to the other person! Enter into THEIR story. Listen to THEM. Encourage THEM. Share God's abiding truths--that is what will bring encouragement in THEIR hard time!

On whom or what do you place your security during a hard time?

On whom or what do you place your security? It is easy to place our security on things (home, job, education, health, possessions, insurance, etc.) or on people (family, friends, co-workers, gov't, even self). Finding our self in a hard time, in the crucible, is usually the result of the loss of one or more of these. If any of these are suddenly lost, we can find ourselves wavering, crushed in spirit, overwhelmed and left without hope. BUT, if our trust in the Lord, He will be our rock (Psalm 18:2) and our strong tower (Proverbs 18:10)--we will not be shaken (Psalm 62:1-2)!

God prepares us for hard times! Really?

When in the midst of a crucible experience we might wonder if it is just too much! But God tells us in His word that He has and is preparing us for all eternity (2 Corinthians 4:16-18). How has he done this in your life? Fill out a chart like the one below. Above the line indicate when certain "life events" have happened. These can be big or small, joys or sorrows. Below the line, write how you now see God used that event to shape you, mold you, prepare you for today! Praise Him for His work in your life!

 

How much do our hard times weigh?

The list of Paul's sufferings is overwhelming:

• far greater labors
• far more imprisonments
• countless beatings
• often near death
• 5 times forty lashes less one
• 3 times beaten with rods
• stoned once
• shipwrecked 3 times--a night and a day I was adrift at sea
• frequent journeys
• in danger from rivers
• danger from robbers
• danger from his own people
• danger from Gentiles
• danger in the city
• danger in the wilderness
• danger at sea
• danger from false brothers
• in toil and hardship
• sleepless nights
• hungry and thirsty
• often without food
• in cold and exposure
• and daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. (2 Corinthians 11:16-29)

And yet he sees these as nothing when compared the weight of glory. (2 Corinthians 4:17) What about us?