Topic: Spiritual Growth

• The spirit of man is where God lives in you and this is where He speaks to you.
• The spirit of man is the place from which answers from the Lord come. It is the place where He reveals His solutions to us.
• Worry and anxiety is the direct result of a fruitless search for life’s answers out of your human mind.
• If there is an answer that you need, and your mind has never known the answer, then you will never be able to recall or get that answer from your mind.
• If you face a new problem, then the answer is going to have to come from the Lord.
• When you are searching for the answer in your mind by going over and over the problem to look for the solution, you only cause yourself more anxiety and frustration.

How do we stop worrying and conquer it?

Luke 10:38-42 NKJV (Mary and Martha)

Martha was worried and running around trying to serve everyone and Mary was at His feet listening to the Word.

You can never substitute hearing and receiving the Word of God for service. Your service should be an outward display of the Word working in your life.

1. The very first step to rid yourself of worry is to apply yourself to hear the Word of God.

If you want to conquer worry, then the very first place you need to go is to the Word of God.

Worry is a manifestation of a deeper problem: fear.

The reason that we worry is because we fear that God will not come through for us. You fear that this time that God will not provide this time.

Knowledge and faith in God’s love for you will keep fear and worry away. (1 John 4:18 – Perfect love casts out fear…)

Build your faith and confidence in the Lord taking care of you!

Fear is often imagining what will happen in your life if the Word of God does not work this time.

Worry is often based on a fear of what men can do to you.

2. Pray about those things that you are tempted to worry about.
3. A life of thanksgiving and praise will defend against worry.

Psalms 34:1 NKJV I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

Anytime that you have an extended period of time to think, there will be an opportunity to worry. That is why it is so important to fill those times with praise and worship so that your mind stays on the Lord.

You will not spend time thinking about how YOU are going to handle that problem.

When you praise the Lord in the morning, you not only set the course for your day, but you are mapping out your day according to what God can and will do instead being afraid that He will not come through for you this time.

4. Reminding yourself that Jesus is your Shepherd!

Psalms 23:1-6 NKJV A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. (2) He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. (3) He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. (4) Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. (5) You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. (6) Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever.

A Shepherd provides the following four things for the sheep:

1. 1. 1. 1. Guidance
         2. Food
         3. Comfort
         4. Protection

5. Walking in humility will defeat worry and fear.

1 Peter 5:6-7 NKJV (6) Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, (7) casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

Worry is a manifestation of pride.

1 Peter 5:7 GNB Leave all your worries with him, because he cares for you.

Psalms 55:22 AMPC (22) Cast your burden on the Lord [releasing the weight of it] and He will sustain you; He will never allow the [consistently] righteous to be moved (made to slip, fall, or fail). [I Pet. 5:7.]

Cast means to throw, indicating a quick thing like you were letting go of a snake.

Another Reason For Worry:

Luke 24:1-4 NKJV (1) Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. (2) But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. (3) Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. (4) And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments.

The Scripture says that they were very much perplexed or troubled or worried. They are worried because they are believing the wrong thing.

Worry is a direct result of believing the wrong thing.

They believed incorrectly that Jesus was dead.

They were the last ones to see the dead body of Jesus. They saw his bloodied, beaten, and mutilated body and were there when it was placed in the tomb. Then they had to sit on that for 24 hours because of the Sabbath. In their minds they are expecting to come back and see what they had seen before.

The angels began the process of bringing them out of their worried and anxious state.

Luke 24:5-8 NKJV (5) Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? (6) He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, (7) saying, ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.’ ” (8) And they remembered His words.

Luke 18:31-34 NKJV (31) Then He took the twelve aside and said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished. (32) For He will be delivered to the Gentiles and will be mocked and insulted and spit upon. (33) They will scourge Him and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again.” (34) But they understood none of these things; this saying was hidden from them, and they did not know the things which were spoken.

Jesus talked about this so much that even His enemies were aware of it because they stationed guards at His tomb so that the disciples could not steal the body to prove Jesus’ statements. But His own disciples forgot it. It never really registered to them what He was saying.

When you forget the Word that you have heard and don’t do it, you fall into a misbelief and believe the wrong things.

As a result of believing the wrong thing, you will be filled with worry and anxiety.

Luke 18:33 NKJV (33) They will scourge Him and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again.”

Not one disciple was waiting at the tomb on that morning but it did not keep Him from rising from the dead.

Luke 24:9-12 NKJV (9) Then they returned from the tomb and told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. (10) It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them, who told these things to the apostles. (11) And their words seemed to them like idle tales, and they did not believe them. (12) But Peter arose and ran to the tomb; and stooping down, he saw the linen cloths lying by themselves; and he departed, marveling to himself at what had happened.

They are in doubt because they do not remember what Jesus said nor do they believe what the women told them.

Luke 24:13-26 NKJV (13) Now behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem. (14) And they talked together of all these things which had happened. (15) So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. (16) But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him. (17) And He said to them, “What kind of conversation is this that you have with one another as you walk and are sad?” (18) Then the one whose name was Cleopas answered and said to Him, “Are You the only stranger in Jerusalem, and have You not known the things which happened there in these days?” (19) And He said to them, “What things?” So they said to Him, “The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, (20) and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to be condemned to death, and crucified Him. (21) But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened. (22) Yes, and certain women of our company, who arrived at the tomb early, astonished us. (23) When they did not find His body, they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said He was alive. (24) And certain of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but Him they did not see.” (25) Then He said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! (26) Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?”

Jesus does not speak any Word that is not divinely chosen by God. He called them “fools” but He was not insulting them. He was simply saying to them, “You have been fooled.”

The disciples were fooled by their own physical senses which told them something different than what Jesus had said.

They believed He was dead because that is what their senses told them.

Luke 24:27-32 NKJV (27) And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. (28) Then they drew near to the village where they were going, and He indicated that He would have gone farther. (29) But they constrained Him, saying, “Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent.” And He went in to stay with them. (30) Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. (31) Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight. (32) And they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?”

Jesus manifested Himself to them, but the manifestation came after the teaching of the Scriptures. Instead of just showing the scars, He takes them through the Word of God and shows it to them from the Word. Only after that is He manifested.

Before you ever receive a manifestation from God, you must first receive and believe His Word.

He convinced them with the Word, not the manifestation.

• • Worry is a direct result of wrong belief.
  • We believe the wrong things because of wrong thinking.
  • We have wrong thinking because we have been receiving the wrong information.
  • We have to incorporate God’s information into our thinking to change our believing and eliminate worry.

Matthew 6:25-34 NKJV  “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?  (26)  Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?  (27)  Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?  (28)  “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin;  (29)  and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  (30)  Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?  (31)  “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’  (32)  For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.  (33)  But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.  (34)  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Jesus said to “take no thought…”. What that tells us is that thoughts are going to come but you have a choice as to whether you take them or not.

Worry is when you accept the thoughts.

You cannot stop worry from coming but you just don’t accept it. Thoughts of doubt, worry and fear are going to come; you just don’t receive them.

Wrong thoughts coming at you are no more a sin than temptation is a sin. You just don’t yield to the temptation.

When that delivery person shows up at your door, just don’t sign for it and refuse to accept it.

If God can take care of something that has a short life-span or quick blooming plant, can He not take care of you? After all, Jesus did not die for the plants and birds, He died for you. But yet, He takes care of things that He did not die for; how much more will He take care of us.

For us to worry, we have placed ourselves below the level of a bird or flower.

Matthew 6:32 AMPC (32) For the Gentiles (heathen) wish for and crave and diligently seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows well that you need them all.

What is the Lord saying in all of this? Imagine if you did not have to think about any of the necessities of life such as clothing, food, etc. what you could spend your time thinking about. You could expend a lot more energy thinking about doing the will of God and serving other people.

Worry gets you to stop and think about the things that God wants to take care of. Have you ever noticed that you don’t worry about the things that you know that can take care of?

Worry is a sin, and we disguise it as concern that we pass on to others through our prayer requests.

Mark 11:23 NKJV (23)  For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.

The word “doubt” in this verse is not in the causative sense but in the passive voice and therefore means that the person is the recipient of the action and not the cause of the action. In other words, this verse could be better translated: “… and does not receive doubt in his heart…”

1 Thessalonians 5:23 NKJV (23)  Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The spirit of man is the eternal part of you. It is the part of us that makes contact with God.

The spirit of man is where God lives in you, and this is where He speaks to you.

Proverbs 20:27 NKJV The spirit of a man is the lamp of the LORD, Searching all the inner depths of his heart.

The spirit of man is the place from which answers from the Lord come. It is the place where He reveals His solutions to us.

Your mind is a wonderful tool, but your mind can only give out what you put into it. If you do not put the information into your mind, you cannot ever retrieve that information.

Your mind does not always do a perfect job of giving you back everything you put into it. It can sometimes give back what you put in it in a way that is a little bit inaccurate.

Worry and anxiety is the direct result of a fruitless search for life’s answers out of your human mind.

If there is an answer that you need, and your mind has never known the answer, then you will never be able to recall or get that answer from your mind.

There are just some things that your mind does not have.

Proverbs 16:1 NLT (1) We can make our own plans, but the LORD gives the right answer.

If you face a new problem, then the answer is going to have to come from the Lord.

When you are searching for the answer in your mind by going over and over the problem to look for the solution, you only cause yourself more anxiety and frustration.

1 Peter 1:13 NLT (13)  So think clearly and exercise self-control. Look forward to the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world.

You have to control your thoughts and prepare your mind for action.

Chasing after all these thoughts is where confusion comes from.

Confusion = lack of clarity or distinction, perplexity or bewilderment.

1 Corinthians 14:33 NKJV (33)  For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.

To overcome worry, there will be a striving BUT you are able to overcome sin through the power of God in you.

How do we stop worrying and conquer it?

Luke 10:38-42 NKJV Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. (39) And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. (40) But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.” (41) And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. (42) But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”

Martha was worried and running around trying to serve everyone and Mary was at His feet listening to the Word.

You can never substitute hearing and receiving the Word of God for service. Your service should be an outward display of the Word working in your life.

1. The very first step to rid yourself of worry is to apply yourself to hear the Word of God.

If you want to conquer worry, then the very first place you need to go is to the Word of God.

Worry is a manifestation of a deeper problem: fear.

The reason that we worry is because we fear that God will not come through for us. You fear that this time that God will not provide this time.

Knowledge and faith is what will keep fear and worry away.

Build your faith and confidence in the Lord taking care of you!

Philippians 4:6-8 AMPC Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God. (7) And God’s peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. (8) For the rest, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things [fix your minds on them].

2. Pray about those things that you are tempted to worry about.

The opposite of fear and torment is the peace of God.

3. A life of thanksgiving and praise will defend against worry.

Psalms 56:3-4 TPT But in the day that I’m afraid, I lay all my fears before you and trust in you with all my heart. (4) What harm could a man bring to me? With God on my side I will not be afraid of what comes. The roaring praises of God fill my heart, and I will always triumph as I trust his promises.

Psalms 34:1 NKJV I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

Anytime that you have an extended period of time to think, there will be an opportunity to worry. That is why it is so important to fill those times with praise and worship so that your mind stays on the Lord.

You will not spend time thinking about how YOU are going to handle that problem.

When you praise the Lord in the morning, you not only set the course for your day, but you are mapping out your day according to what God can and will do instead being afraid that He will not come through for you this time.

Fear is often imagining what will happen in your life if the Word of God does not work this time.

Worry is often based on a fear of what men can do to you.

4. Reminding yourself that Jesus is your Shepherd!

Psalms 23:1-6 NKJV A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. (2) He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. (3) He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. (4) Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. (5) You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. (6) Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever.

A Shepherd provides the following four things for the sheep:

1. 1. 1. Guidance
      2. Food
      3. Comfort
      4. Protection

5. Walking in humility will defeat worry and fear.

1 Peter 5:6-7 NKJV (6) Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, (7) casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

Worry is a manifestation of pride.

1 Peter 5:7 GNB Leave all your worries with him, because he cares for you.

Psalms 55:22 AMPC (22) Cast your burden on the Lord [releasing the weight of it] and He will sustain you; He will never allow the [consistently] righteous to be moved (made to slip, fall, or fail). [I Pet. 5:7.]

Cast means to throw, indicating a quick thing like you were letting go of a snake.

We are going to look at the life of David and how he learned to counsel himself when he was down.

Proverbs 11:14 NKJV Where there is no counsel, the people fall; But in the multitude of counselors there is safety.

Proverbs 24:6 NKJV For by wise counsel you will wage your own war, And in a multitude of counselors there is safety.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with having counselors in your life. But there are going to be times when you do not have access to other counselors and you need to learn to counsel yourself.

You and I have access to two of the best Counselors you could ever have: the Holy Spirit and the Word of God.

Psalms 119:24 NKJV Your testimonies also are my delight And my counselors.

Psalms 119:24 TPT Your commandments are my counselors; your word is my light and delight!

Psalms 1:1 NKJV Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;

Psalms 16:7 NKJV I will bless the LORD who has given me counsel; My heart also instructs me in the night seasons.

Psalms 33:11 NKJV The counsel of the LORD stands forever, The plans of His heart to all generations.

Psalms 106:13 NKJV They soon forgot His works; They did not wait for His counsel,

Psalms 107:11 NKJV Because they rebelled against the words of God, And despised the counsel of the Most High,

What we should not do is depend on human counselors and go to them FIRST instead of to the Word of God and the Holy Spirit.

David had fled Jerusalem because of the betrayal of Absalom his son as found in 2 Samuel 15. In chapter 17, the Bible records that David went to the area of Gilead (Balm of Gilead). There he was seeking rest and the counsel of the Lord in what to do. He wanted answers and examined himself.

1. Absalom rebels against David (15:1-12)
2. David flees (15:13-31)
3. David meets with loyal Hushai (15:32-37)
4. David meets with Mephibosheth’s servant (16:1-4)
5. David meets with Shimei (16:5-14)
6. Hushai versus Ahithophel (16:15-17:14)
7. Hushai’s plan (17:15-29)
8. David versus Absalom (18:1-19:15)
9. David meets with Shimei (19:16-23)
10. David meets with Mephibosheth (19:24-30)
11. David meets with loyal Barzillai (19:31-38)
12. David returns (19:39-43)

One of the things that made David such a great man, was that when he had problems, he always started by examining himself. He never passed blame onto other people as many of us do.

Psalms 42:1 NKJV To the Chief Musician. A Contemplation of the Sons of Korah. As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God.

The implication of this verse is that the deer was being pursued or hunted as prey. That is why it was panting.

Psalms 42:1-11 NKJV To the Chief Musician. A Contemplation of the Sons of Korah. As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God. (2) My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? (3) My tears have been my food day and night, While they continually say to me, “Where is your God?” (4) When I remember these things, I pour out my soul within me. For I used to go with the multitude; I went with them to the house of God, With the voice of joy and praise, With a multitude that kept a pilgrim feast. (5) Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him For the help of His countenance. (6) O my God, my soul is cast down within me; Therefore I will remember You from the land of the Jordan, And from the heights of Hermon, From the Hill Mizar. (7) Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls; All Your waves and billows have gone over me. (8) The LORD will command His lovingkindness in the daytime, And in the night His song shall be with me—A prayer to the God of my life. (9) I will say to God my Rock, “Why have You forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?” (10) As with a breaking of my bones, My enemies reproach me, While they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” (11) Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God.

Everything in David’s life had been set aside so that he could receive God’s counsel.

1. The first thing in counselling yourself is to have a passionate hunger for God.

Make the Lord your highest priority.

Psalms 42:1 NKJV To the Chief Musician. A Contemplation of the Sons of Korah. As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God.

Psalms 42:6 NKJV O my God, my soul is cast down within me; Therefore I will remember You from the land of the Jordan, And from the heights of Hermon, From the Hill Mizar.

David was a great king, and the Bible says that he was a man after God’s own heart, but David caused a lot of his own problems that he encountered in life.

But when you make up your mind to seek after God with all your heart, judge yourself, God will forgive you and then move to bring you out of the trouble YOU HAVE CAUSED.

2. Take your eyes off the problem and the enemies of your soul.

Psalms 42:8 NKJV The LORD will command His lovingkindness in the daytime, And in the night His song shall be with me– A prayer to the God of my life.

v. 8 – David said:

• • • I will meditate on Your loving kindness in the daytime.
    • I will sing your song in the nighttime.
    • My life shall be saturated with and by prayer.

3. Cast down reasonings as to why these problems have happened and ask God for the answers.

When you have questions, God has answers!

Have you ever asked yourself or God the question, why did I not see this coming? Why did you not tell me?

The Holy Spirit is not obligated to tell us everything. Where would the walk of faith be, if He did?

Trust the Word that we already have and God will bring you out of the situation.

4. Counsel yourself by the rock of God’s Word.

Psalms 42:5 NKJV Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him For the help of His countenance.

Psalms 42:11 NKJV Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God.

Counsel yourself to bring yourself back into faith, love, etc.

David often talked to himself. (Psalm 103)

Psalms 103:1-5 NKJV A Psalm Of David. 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 iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, (4) Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, (5) Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

Psalms 37:1-2 NKJV A Psalm of David. Do not fret because of evildoers, Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity. (2) For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, And wither as the green herb.

Absalom worked for 4 years to set up his rebellion, but his moment of glory and downfall was only a matter of a few weeks and it was all over.

Even though David may have caused some of his own problems, because he pursued after the Lord, God delivered him!

Psalms 34:19 NKJV Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all.

Psalms 107:8-15 NKJV Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men! (9) For He satisfies the longing soul, And fills the hungry soul with goodness. (10) Those who sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, Bound in affliction and irons– (11) Because they rebelled against the words of God, And despised the counsel of the Most High, (12) Therefore He brought down their heart with labor; They fell down, and there was none to help. (13) Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, And He saved them out of their distresses. (14) He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, And broke their chains in pieces. (15) Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men!

5. Put your hope in the Word of God, and He will become the help of your countenance.

Psalms 42:5 NKJV Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him For the help of His countenance.

Psalms 42:11 NKJV Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God.

Countenance – someone’s face; a reflection of a person’s mood or attitude.

God’s countenance is always consistent even when our countenance is down!

Psalms 43:5 TPT Then I will say to my soul, “Don’t be discouraged; don’t be disturbed, for I fully expect my Savior-God to break through for me. Then I’ll have plenty of reasons to praise him all over again.” Yes, living before his face is my saving grace!

When circumstances arise, and they will, we are not to give back any territory to the devil.

Joshua 10:1-14 NKJV (1) Now it came to pass when Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem heard how Joshua had taken Ai and had utterly destroyed it–as he had done to Jericho and its king, so he had done to Ai and its king–and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were among them, (2) that they feared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, like one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all its men were mighty. (3) Therefore Adoni-Zedek king of Jerusalem sent to Hoham king of Hebron, Piram king of Jarmuth, Japhia king of Lachish, and Debir king of Eglon, saying, (4) “Come up to me and help me, that we may attack Gibeon, for it has made peace with Joshua and with the children of Israel.” (5) Therefore the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon, gathered together and went up, they and all their armies, and camped before Gibeon and made war against it. (6) And the men of Gibeon sent to Joshua at the camp at Gilgal, saying, “Do not forsake your servants; come up to us quickly, save us and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites who dwell in the mountains have gathered together against us.” (7) So Joshua ascended from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valor. (8) And the LORD said to Joshua, “Do not fear them, for I have delivered them into your hand; not a man of them shall stand before you.” (9) Joshua therefore came upon them suddenly, having marched all night from Gilgal. (10) So the LORD routed them before Israel, killed them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, chased them along the road that goes to Beth Horon, and struck them down as far as Azekah and Makkedah. (11) And it happened, as they fled before Israel and were on the descent of Beth Horon, that the LORD cast down large hailstones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died. There were more who died from the hailstones than the children of Israel killed with the sword. (12) Then Joshua spoke to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel: “Sun, stand still over Gibeon; And Moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.” (13) So the sun stood still, And the moon stopped, Till the people had revenge Upon their enemies. Is this not written in the Book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day. (14) And there has been no day like that, before it or after it, that the LORD heeded the voice of a man; for the LORD fought for Israel.

Second only to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, this is probably the greatest miracle in the Bible.

The parting of the Red Sea was a great miracle, but it only impacted one part of the world.

When Joshua stood and commanded the sun and the moon to stand still, it affected the entire earth and affected it forever.

(What is humorous about this is that the sun was standing still. What Joshua really wanted was for the earth to stop rotating and the moon to stop its orbit. God knew man would understand astrology someday, so He did it anyway.)

God stopped the earth from rotating for almost twenty-four hours and yet gravity still worked. Think about the people on the other side of the earth and the sun never came up for them. That was a long night.

Joshua commanded the sun to stand still because he had a battle to finish.

These kings were afraid of the children of Israel because they had defeated the city of Jericho. Remember how well-fortified Jericho was as the walls were thick enough that six chariots could race side by side around the wall.

They then defeated the city of Ai.

Five kings’ names represent five ways that Satan comes to distract us in order to defeat us:

1. Adoni-zedek – King of Jerusalem
2. Hoham – King of Hebron
3. Piram – King of Jarmuth
4. Japhia – King of Lachish
5. Debir – King of Eglon

1. Adoni-zedek – King of Jerusalem – means Lord of righteousness.

Satan will always come at you with some form of religion in order to deceive you and to get you to drop your guard. Adoni-zedek was Satan’s counterfeit for Melchizedek, the priest and King of God.

Melchizedek was long gone, and the iniquity of the Amorites had crept into the city of Jerusalem and the people no longer served God. The people were wicked, and the King simply took on a godly title but did not represent what the title meant.

This is what Satan did in the garden and what he did when tempting Jesus in the wilderness.

2. Hoham – King of Hebron – means voice of a multitude.

Satan will come to you and tell you that you are the only one that is experiencing this situation and everyone else is normal.

If you have the Word on a matter, it does not matter what the multitudes are doing, you go with God.

When you are standing on the Word of God, there will be those that will not understand or agree with you. Your friends and family may not agree.

There will be times when you must stand on the Word of God when no one stands with you. You will have to know that when you are on the Word, God stands with you and will defend you.

3. Piram – King of Jarmuth – means wild donkey.

This represents confusion and instability. Satan will endeavor to bring confusion and then try and force you to make a decision during that time of confusion. Never make a decision during that time; wait until the confusion is gone.

When in that time of confusion, pray for clarity and wisdom and then make whatever decision that you need to make.

Satan will try and get you to act in that time of confusion.

God will always give you time for confirmation.

4. Japhia – King of Lachish – means bright or dazzling.

Satan will always try and make the world and the world’s way more dazzling and attractive.

He tries to make Christianity seem boring and un-attractive.

The world may be dazzling but there is NOTHING behind it. There is no substance to it. It is empty!

5. Debir – King of Eglon – means oracle, Satanic or false doctrine.

These things are his attempts to present you with something diametrically opposed to the Word of God.

Acts 16:16-18 NKJV (16) Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. (17) This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.” (18) And this she did for many days. But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And he came out that very hour.

What the little girl was saying sounded right, but in Paul’s spirit, he knew it was wrong and cast the devil out of the girl.

These kings represent the onslaught of the enemy that comes against us at times. The children of Israel had defeated one army at a time up to this point, now they were facing five armies combined!

Always remember,

1 John 4:4 NKJV (4) You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

Remember the promise that the Lord gave to Joshua:

Joshua 10:8 NKJV (8) And the LORD said to Joshua, “Do not fear them, for I have delivered them into your hand; not a man of them shall stand before you.”

1. The Lord said for them to “Fear not.” Fear comes when you see the size of the army that has come out against them.

The enemy in the natural outnumbered the children of Israel. The enemy had superior weaponry.

2. The Lord said, “I have already delivered them into your hands.”

This promise had always been that the land was theirs and now the Lord told them that this enemy would be defeated as well.

2 Peter 1:3 NKJV (3) as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,

Colossians 2:13-15 NKJV (13) And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, (14) having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. (15) Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.

3. Not a man of them shall stand before you.

The Lord told them what the outcome was going to be before they ever went to battle.

Romans 8:37 NKJV (37) Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

2 Corinthians 2:14 NKJV (14) Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.

Joshua 10:10-11 NKJV (10) So the LORD routed them before Israel, killed them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, chased them along the road that goes to Beth Horon, and struck them down as far as Azekah and Makkedah. (11) And it happened, as they fled before Israel and were on the descent of Beth Horon, that the LORD cast down large hailstones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died. There were more who died from the hailstones than the children of Israel killed with the sword.

You do your part, and the Lord will do His part. He will do the bigger part if you do your part.

Joshua 10:12-14 NKJV (12) Then Joshua spoke to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel: “Sun, stand still over Gibeon; And Moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.” (13) So the sun stood still, And the moon stopped, Till the people had revenge Upon their enemies. Is this not written in the Book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and did not hasten to go down for about a whole day. (14) And there has been no day like that, before it or after it, that the LORD heeded the voice of a man; for the LORD fought for Israel.

We do not fight until the sun goes down; we fight until we win!

What is standing in your way that is telling you that God’s promise cannot come to pass?

1. You need to be angry at the devil and quit tolerating his works in your life.
2. Don’t let circumstances around you stop the fight.
3. Don’t let Satan have any area of your life.

How are we to handle adversity?

1. Stand on the Word of God
2. Praise and worship the Lord
3. See yourself coming out better than when you went in
4. See yourself becoming more pure.

How are we not to handle tests and trials?

Hebrews 3:7-10 NKJV Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: “TODAY, IF YOU WILL HEAR HIS VOICE, (8) DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS AS IN THE REBELLION, IN THE DAY OF TRIAL IN THE WILDERNESS, (9) WHERE YOUR FATHERS TESTED ME, TRIED ME, AND SAW MY WORKS FORTY YEARS. (10) THEREFORE I WAS ANGRY WITH THAT GENERATION, AND SAID, ‘THEY ALWAYS GO ASTRAY IN THEIR HEART, AND THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN MY WAYS.’

Provocation (Rebellion) – marabah – grumble and gripe

• God delivered them from too much water at the Red Sea
• God delivered them from Mara which was bitter water.
• God delivered them from Merabah where there was no water.

The next generation showed up at the same place and did the same thing the first generation did. In other words, if you don’t overcome the adversity, you will face it again. You can never get away from tests and trials but as you grow the adversities grow as well.

With increased blessings come increased trials. With increased trials comes increased strength. With increased strength comes increased blessings…

Here is the key, remember what the Lord did for you when He brought you out the first time.

Four wrong ways to handle adversity:

1. Don’t become calloused to tests and trials and hardened towards them and God’s help.
2. Complaining – is a sure guarantee that you will face it again. (dross that needs to be removed)
3. Criticism – critical of others, shifting blame (Examine yourself)
4. Apathetic – don’t see any profit coming out of it.

If necessary, repent of sin. You will know if you have done something wrong and this is contributing to the adversity.

Remember that most of the time, adversity comes when we are doing something right and not necessarily something wrong.

Don’t give up and quit! The storm will pass… they all do!

---

The Word of God gives us two things to help us win in life:

1. Warnings
2. Strategies

Warnings from the Bible are usually pretty obvious:

These are promises from God’s Word that we often don’t like to claim but they will happen anyway.

1 Peter 5:8-9 NKJV Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. (9) Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.

Mark 4:14-17 NKJV The sower sows the word. (15) And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. (16) These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; (17) and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, WHEN tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble.

Matthew 5:11 NKJV “Blessed are you WHEN they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.

James 1:2 NKJV My brethren, count it all joy WHEN you fall into various trials,

James 1:13 NKJV Let no one say WHEN he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.

Ephesians 6:10-11 NKJV Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. (11) Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

So, knowing these things will happen in our lives, we are not left to our devices to figure out how to navigate through them.

I believe the Bible gives us strategies, plans, methods, and series of maneuvers to help us win in life.

One of the most powerful tools we have to use as a strategy is the power of remembering.

The ability to remember is a powerful thing and the scripture says that even when we are down, God still remembers us because His mercy endures forever.

Psalms 136:23 NKJV (23) Who remembered us in our lowly state, For His mercy endures forever;

Psalms 136:23 BBE (23) Who kept us in mind when we were in trouble: for his mercy is unchanging for ever.

Psalms 136:23 MSG (23) God remembered us when we were down, His love never quits.

(What we should do is remember. We need to confess over our lives that our memory will remain strong because our youth is renewed like the eagles.)

The problem is, we as believers have what we are to remember backwards. We forget the wrong thing and remember the wrong thing.

Isaiah 43:18-19 NIV “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. (19) See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.

What are we supposed to forget?

Philippians 3:3-7 NKJV For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh, (4) though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: (5) circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; (6) concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. (7) But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.

Philippians 3:12-14 NKJV Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. (13) Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, (14) I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:12-14 TPT I admit that I haven’t yet acquired the absolute fullness that I’m pursuing, but I run with passion into his abundance so that I may reach the purpose that Jesus Christ has called me to fulfill and wants me to discover. (13) I don’t depend on my own strength to accomplish this; however I do have one compelling focus: I forget all of the past as I fasten my heart to the future instead. (14) I run straight for the divine invitation of reaching the heavenly goal and gaining the victory-prize through the anointing of Jesus.

Paul said that we are to forget those things which are behind us that we are ashamed of yet have been forgiven.

What then are we to remember?

One of the aspects of the power of faith in the Lord is the power of remembering the good things that He has done for us in the past.

Psalms 20:7 NKJV (7) Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will remember the name of the LORD our God.

Psalms 42:6 NKJV (6) O my God, my soul is cast down within me; Therefore I will remember You from the land of the Jordan, And from the heights of Hermon, From the Hill Mizar.

Matthew 16:8-10 NKJV (8) But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, “O you of little faith, why do you reason among yourselves because you have brought no bread? (9) Do you not yet understand, or remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets you took up? (10) Nor the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many large baskets you took up?

If God ALWAYS has come through for us, then He ALWAYS WILL come through for us.

Remember David and how he told Saul (and reminded himself) of the great things God had done for him while he was tending sheep.

1 Samuel 17:34-37 NKJV But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep his father’s sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, (35) I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it. (36) Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.” (37) Moreover David said, “The LORD, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the LORD be with you!”

God has established covenants in the earth not for His own benefit but as a point of remembrance for us.

Psalms 106:45 NKJV (45) And for their sake He remembered His covenant, And relented according to the multitude of His mercies.

Genesis 8:1 NKJV (1) Then God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the animals that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters subsided.

Genesis 9:15-16 NKJV (15) and I will remember My covenant which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. (16) The rainbow shall be in the cloud, and I will look on it to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.”

Genesis 19:29 NKJV (29) And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when He overthrew the cities in which Lot had dwelt.

It is impossible for God to forget so when He says, “…I will remember,” He is actually inferring that He wants us to remember.

God said He remembered Noah, He remembered the covenant that He made with Noah that the earth would not be flooded again, and He remembered His covenant with Abraham and delivered Lot and his family from Sodom and Gomorrah.

The next time that the word “remember” is used in the Bible refers to man failing to remember something and that is because the butler was focused only on himself and he forgot Joseph.

Genesis 40:14 NKJV (14) But remember me when it is well with you, and please show kindness to me; make mention of me to Pharaoh, and get me out of this house.

Genesis 40:23 NKJV (23) Yet the chief butler did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.

Whatever is a priority in your life, you do not forget!

Hebrews 6:10 NKJV (10) For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

Things that can help us to remember:

Psalms 103:1-2 NKJV (1) A Psalm Of David. 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:

Psalms 103:2 BBE (2) Give praise to the Lord, O my soul; let not all his blessings go from your memory.

Psalms 103:2 NLT (2) Let all that I am praise the LORD; may I never forget the good things He does for me.

1. Take time every day to remember the good things that God has done for you.

Remember how He saved you, remember how He filled you with the Holy Spirit, how He has healed you, blessed your family, met your needs, etc.

Psalms 77:11-12 NKJV (11) I will remember the works of the LORD; Surely I will remember Your wonders of old. (12) I will also meditate on all Your work, And talk of Your deeds.

Psalms 105:1-5 NKJV (1) Oh, give thanks to the LORD! Call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples! (2) Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him; Talk of all His wondrous works! (3) Glory in His holy name; Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the LORD! (4) Seek the LORD and His strength; Seek His face evermore! (5) Remember His marvelous works which He has done, His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth,

Psalms 59:16 NKJV (16) But I will sing of Your power; Yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy in the morning; For You have been my defense And refuge in the day of my trouble.

Psalms 92:1-2 NKJV (1) A Psalm. A Song for the Sabbath Day. It is good to give thanks to the LORD, And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; (2) To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning, And Your faithfulness every night,

Psalms 63:6-7 NKJV (6) When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches. (7) Because You have been my help, Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice.

2. Let the memories of God’s goodness come out of your mouth.

Psalms 145:6-7 NKJV (6) Men shall speak of the might of Your awesome acts, And I will declare Your greatness. (7) They shall utter the memory of Your great goodness, And shall sing of Your righteousness.

Let these things not just be in your mind but in your mouth.

An easy way that you can do this is but learning songs that keep these things before you.

Music and songs can stir up memories.

There are things we can do in the natural to help us remember.

1 Thessalonians 1:2-3 NKJV (2) We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, (3) remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father,

3. Prayer helps your memory because it enables you to draw on the supernatural power and help of the Holy Spirit to remember the things that God has done for you.

John 14:26 NKJV (26) But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.

John 14:26 AMP (26) But the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will cause you to recall (will remind you of, bring to your remembrance) everything I have told you.

John 2:22 NKJV (22) Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said.

John 12:16 NKJV (16) His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about Him and that they had done these things to Him.

Acts 11:15-16 NKJV (15) And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, as upon us at the beginning. (16) Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, ‘John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’

The days that you have gotten despondent, are the days that you have forgotten the goodness of God.

A strategy is the action plan that takes you where you want to go, the tactics are the individual steps and actions that will get you there. Your “what” and your “how”.

Overall, the rule of thumb for understanding the difference between strategy and tactics is: “Think strategically, act tactically.”

The Christian life is a life of victory but all victories come through battles. 

God has a purpose in battles and Satan has a purpose in battles. 

God is not the author of battles and God is not the author of adversity. 

But God will not necessarily yank you out of every battle either and relieve the pressure, but rather so He can bring us out of the battle victorious and stronger than ever before. 

The life of faith which we teach and adhere to has never been designed or purposed to exempt you from adversity, but rather to teach you how to go through adversity and come out on the other side victorious. 

As long as we are in this curse-filled world, we will have battles and times of adversity. 

Not every Christian comes out of adversity victorious because not every Christian knows what to do in adversity and not every Christian knows what the Word of God has to say and unfortunately they don’t come out victorious. 

The same weapons that have been given to Jesus to overcome adversity while here on the earth have been given to us. We have the same Holy Spirit and the Word just like He had; actually we have more Word available to us than even Jesus did to use to overcome temptation and adversity. 

2 Timothy 3:16-17 NKJV  All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,  (17)  that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 AMPC  Every Scripture is God-breathed (given by His inspiration) and profitable for instruction, for reproof and conviction of sin, for correction of error and discipline in obedience, [and] for training in righteousness (in holy living, in conformity to God’s will in thought, purpose, and action),  (17)  So that the man of God may be complete and proficient, well fitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work. 

As the Word of God becomes a part of you, it instructs you, it reproves and corrects you, and gives you instruction in righteousness, and equips you. 

Instead of asking yourself, “What am I going to face today, ask yourself, how am I going to grow today.” 

We grow by feeding on the Word of God and we grow by application of the Word of God in prayer and doing good works.

We grow BY the Word of God. We grow THROUGH circumstances not BY circumstances. 

Circumstances are simply the stage that is set before us to give us opportunities to grow through them. 

Example: You cannot say you grow stronger because of weights. You grow stronger as you resist and exert energy against those weights. I can walk in the gym and have weights all around me but it is not until I exert resistance against those weights that I will grow stronger. 

Owning a Bible does not make you spiritually mature. You have to get the Word off of the page and into your heart and then begin applying it to your life and resisting the circumstances. 

Circumstances don’t make you stronger; it is using the Word against those circumstances that make you stronger. 

You hear some people say, “Trials make you stronger.” No, if this was the case then every Christian would be Supermen in Jesus because they are so strong. Some Christians are devastated through circumstances and others grow through them.

SIDE NOTE:

There are those that say things like, “God will never put on you more than you can handle…” This is NOT what the Bible says. 

1 Corinthians 10:13 AMPC  For no temptation (no trial regarded as enticing to sin), [no matter how it comes or where it leads] has overtaken you and laid hold on you that is not common to man [that is, no temptation or trial has come to you that is beyond human resistance and that is not adjusted and adapted and belonging to human experience, and such as man can bear]. But God is faithful [to His Word and to His compassionate nature], and He [can be trusted] not to let you be tempted and tried and assayed beyond your ability and strength of resistance and power to endure, but with the temptation He will [always] also provide the way out (the means of escape to a landing place), that you may be capable and strong and powerful to bear up under it patiently.

Circumstances are simply an opportunity to use the Word of God and the weapons that God has given us to overcome. 

We should grow through circumstances, we should grow through blessings and we should grow through conflict. 

In other words we can grow through every circumstance whether they are good or bad. When the devil brings bad circumstances into your life, let God turn them around for your good and not only enable you to overcome them but grow in the process. 

Did you know that every blessing in life that we receive has a test attached to it to see if you are going to continue to follow the Lord when things are good. Were we only following the Lord because we had a big need in our lives or are we following Him because we love Him? 

Deuteronomy 8:3 NKJV So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD. 

Notice that God allowed them to hunger and He fed them but He wanted them to get the truth that food is not the answer, He is. 

Whether I have money or I don’t have money, I must come to the realization that money is not the answer. The Word of God is the answer and can meet every circumstance. 

In other words, during those times of adversity we come to the point where the Word of God becomes more precious to us than simply having the need met at that moment. Money comes and money goes but the Word lasts forever. 

Money can never bring me the Word of God but the Word of God can always bring me money. 

Money can never bring me closer to God but getting closer to God can bring money into my life. 

Coming through adversity should give you and me a greater appreciation for the Word of God during those times. 

When you come through adversity and you have stood on the Word of God, you come out on the other side more mature than when you went into the adversity. 

We need to remind ourselves that we have a tendency to be focused on the answer only but God is interested in the process that gets you to the answer because that is where character and maturity come from. 

Three things that can happen to you in adversity: 

1. You get hardened by adversity.
2. You can be overwhelmed and crushed by adversity.
3. You can stand on God’s Word and grow through the adversity.

1 Peter 1:3-7 NKJV  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,  (4)  to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,  (5)  who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.  (6)  In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials,  (7)  that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, 

Gold is a precious metal because it is a rare commodity.

1 Corinthians 10:13 NKJV   No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

Paul says that temptations are common but Peter says faith is precious and rare. 

Everyone is or has experienced trouble, temptations, tests and trials. We would find that many people have experienced or are experiencing the same things. 

Just like you have to dig for gold, you have to dig for faith because faith is rare. 

Fires don’t create gold. If that was the case we could just set fires and get gold but it does not work that way. 

Trials do not create great faith. 

If trials produce great faith then fires ought to produce gold and we know that just does not happen. Gold comes from deep in the earth and from rock. 

Fire does not destroy gold. It will only liquefy it. Fire can work to purify gold but it will never destroy gold. 

Trials will not destroy your faith. Your faith gets destroyed when you do not use it. 

Faith in God’s Word will always contain the power through God to overcome any trial. 

The temptations or trials will never overcome your faith unless you don’t use it. 

Weightlifting does not build muscle. If it did, the more reps you do would become easier. Weightlifting actually triggers a response in your body that causes your body to respond and rebuild itself. 

Trials do not build your faith; they just give you an opportunity to exercise your faith and as you exercise your faith, your faith gets stronger. 

Daniel 3:1-7 NKJV  Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits and its width six cubits. He set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.  (2)  And King Nebuchadnezzar sent word to gather together the satraps, the administrators, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.  (3)  So the satraps, the administrators, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces gathered together for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.  (4)  Then a herald cried aloud: “To you it is commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages,  (5)  that at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, you shall fall down and worship the gold image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up;  (6)  and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.”  (7)  So at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the horn, flute, harp, and lyre, in symphony with all kinds of music, all the people, nations, and languages fell down and worshiped the gold image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 

The King was very familiar with these men and knew of their intelligence, wisdom, etc. They were no strangers to him and 10 times wiser. (Daniel 1:18-20) 

Why were these three men being picked on? It is because they represent God. 

How often do we ask, “Why me God?” 

It is because we represent Jesus. It is because we look like God and are His children. 

Do you think that God sits back and says, “That is not my fight, I really am not going to get involved?” Of course not. 

God wants to help His children. He loves and cares about us. God wants to help us in our time of trial. 

God’s power can only help us when we use our faith because faith is what releases that help into our situation. 

Daniel 3:14-18 NKJV  Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the gold image which I have set up?  (15)  Now if you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, and you fall down and worship the image which I have made, good! But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?”  (16)  Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter.  (17)  If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king.  (18)  But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.”

Verse 17 is not saying, “If it be God’s will…” It is saying, “If this is true that you are going to do this…” The King had threatened to do something similar to this before. 

They are saying, “If your threats are not true, we still will not worship you.”

Traditionalists have said that God delivered Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego because they were willing to die for their faith. I believe that they knew that they were not going to die in this contest because the Name of God was being challenged. 

Notice that they said God is ABLE and He WILL. How did they know this? 

Isaiah 43:1-2 NKJV  But now, thus says the LORD, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine.  (2)  When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you. 

Hebrews 11:32-34 NKJV  And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets:  (33)  who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,  (34)  quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. 

These three men are commended in this verse for their faith and their faith was about quenching the violence of fire. Their faith came from Isaiah 43. 

The power of God is present to help and protect you but it happens by faith. Your faith is what activates the power of God. 

We greatly rejoice in these times of adversity. 

God’s purpose and design is that if we lift up praise and rejoicing during times of adversity, it causes those times to become precious because they are purifying your faith and causing it to become more and more pure. 

The trial did not make you stronger, it is the faith you use that causes you to become stronger. 

We can come out of the trial or adversity more pure than when we went into the trial. 

How are we to handle adversity? 

1. Stand on the Word of God
2. Praise and worship the Lord
3. See yourself coming out better than when you went in
4. See yourself becoming more pure.

 

Don’t give up and quit! The storm will pass… they all do!