He Guides And Satisfies Series

Sermon

Lanier Christian Church and Lake Service

January 22, 2017

David Simpson SERIES: REVIVE! - Sermon #2

He Guides & Satisfies

Isaiah 58:11

The Lord will guide you always;

he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land

and will strengthen your frame.

You will be like a well-watered garden,

like a spring whose waters never fail. – Isaiah 58:11

Last week I gave you a compass as a reminder that “The Lord will guide you always.” Also, I said that we would have a sharing time to hear how God guided you this past week: SHARING TIME……….

I want to give you another symbolic token today. It’s a frame, a magnetic frame to put on your refrigerator or anywhere you would like. In two weeks, (Feb. 5) I’ll be sharing with you another challenging promise from Isaiah 58 - “The Lord will strengthen your frame.”

So, I want to give you a frame. I want to give you “strength in your fame” so to speak, every week. So insert this promise in your frame. Let this truth strengthen you this week as you depend on God to meet your every need. Then next week, Mac will be sharing with us a message about Prayer and you’ll receive another “strength in your frame” promise or verse that will inspire and challenge you every day. (Go to store and buy a frame if you like.)

We are praying that the Lord will REVIVE US. And it begins with each one of us – individually choosing to trust in the Lord and allow Him to guide our lives. If we’re willing to do that, then this church will be transformed and revived like we’ve never seen before.

So I want to share with you a message today, from Isaiah 58. Last week I shared the promise from Isaiah that “The Lord will guide you always.” Today I want to share another promise with you as we begin the opening weeks of this REVIVE theme here at LCC.

Here is the second promise from this Isaiah passage: “He will satisfy your needs.”

Someone put it this way: Where God guides, He provides

Do you believe that?

The Atlanta Falcons are playing the Green Bay Packers today to see who will play in the Super Bowl. Do you believe the Falcons will win today? Unfortunately, many have more confidence in the Falcons winning than in God providing.

That should not be. One is a game. The other is real life.

Some will say, “I have faith that the Falcons will win because they have proven that they are a winning team.” Well, apply that to God as well, my friend. God has proven that He is victorious over every enemy.

The King’s Messengers Quartet sing a song: “He will never let you down.” That’s our God. Even when it feels like the battle has been lost, God eventually comes out on top. Even death could not stop him.

Put the two promises together that are found in Isaiah 48:11

The Lord will guide you always;

he will satisfy your needs……..

Do you believe that God will truly provide for you and satisfy your needs? During our REVIVE emphasis I pray that God will remove our doubts. I’m afraid that the enemy has placed doubts in our minds where we should have faith.

We should emphasize the promise this way: “He WILL satisfy your needs.”

But, our enemy Satan, wants us to doubt. He does not want us to live in belief and faith. Perhaps we should pray as did the psalmist: “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.” Psalm 139:23

Could you pass the test? If you were tested for anxious thoughts and doubts that God would indeed satisfy your needs…would you pass? Would you receive a clean bill of spiritual health?

Let’s face it. Too many times we have anxious thoughts and worries that prevent us from trusting God, seeking His guidance and allowing Him to satisfy our needs. Is there something or someone that you are dealing with today that seems like a brick wall obstructing your faith…your belief in a God that provides?

Let me be real for a moment. When I look back at the history of this church, I think about all the stresses and worries that have gripped me and many people in this church family over the years. I could fill a book with the number of “I can’t, You can’t and We can’t” sentences that I have heard or spoken over 40 years.

Such negative and faithless beliefs have caused serious setbacks at times. Not only that, I believe our lack of faith is an offense to God! It is as if we are saying to Him…God you can’t!