Handling Your Crisis! Series

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Introduction:

We all face challenges and problems in life. People mistreat us, maybe you got a bad medical report. Sometimes there are small issues in life, sometimes they get pretty big, and other times they seem rather insurmountable. So they are problems in life. The issue is how do I handle them?

Jehoshaphat is the king of Judah. He is a godly king and God has blessed Judah in lots of ways. So now he is reigning well and he gets this bad news. 2 Chronicles 20:1 It came to pass after this also, that the children of Moab, and the children of Ammon, and with them other beside the Ammonites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle.

So here are three armies together against Jehoshaphat. They are outnumbered 3:1. So, how does he respond? In looking at his response and eventual victory, we find a pattern for all of us who are facing problems whether big or small that can lead us to victory. So I want you to listen carefully because every crisis has a pattern and there is a key to solve it.

So here is the first thing to know when you are in a crisis:

1. God is interested in my crisis.

You are his child and God personally takes interest in every single aspect of your life, no matter what it maybe.

I know some of you are going through a tough time in your life. Maybe it came all of a sudden and you do not know how to respond. I want to tell you, no matter how large or how small or how painful your problem is, God is interested in what you are going through in life now.

See how God is speaking in trouble in the Bible:

Psalm 27:5 For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling.

Psalm 62:8 Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us.

Psalm 9:9 The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.

Psalm 86:7 In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for thou wilt answer me.

Those verses just underline the fact that God is interested in every single aspect of our life. So whatever my problem, however big or small, I can start out with this bottom-line promise, God is interested in my crisis.

2. God is bigger than my crisis.

Jeremiah 32:17 Ah Lord God! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee:

Look at the comparison between God and our problem. God is awesome God and our problem is nothing is too difficult for him. He is bigger than that problem no matter what it is. That means he can handle our problem.

Again God asks the question: Jeremiah 32:27 Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me? The answer is no.

If you are wrenched deep within you with hurt, pain suffering, loss, fear, anxiety; child of God I can say to you, “God is interested in what you are going through. He is interested in what is defeating you, discouraging you, depressing you, disheartening you.” God is interested and he is greater than that, therefore you can trust him to do something about it.

Now I want to tell you the position we ought to take in a crisis. Usually our first response is fear. Jehoshaphat feared in his circumstances. 2 Chronicles 20:3 And Jehoshaphat feared, (Fear is the natural response to a crisis but thank God in the midst of his fear he sought the Lord.)

3. Seek the Lord.

2 Chronicles 20:3 And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord…. Seeking the Lord was his habit, that was something that he did all the time.

2 Chronicles 19:3 Nevertheless there are good things found in thee, in that thou hast taken away the groves out of the land, and hast prepared thine heart to seek God.

Now when Jehoshaphat heard about what was happening, he did not get all of his generals together and said, “Ok let us know how we can defend Judah.” He did not do that. He had a conference with Almighty God. He asked God the direction as to how they should respond.

Now just think for yourself: What is the first word that comes out of your mouth when you face a crisis? It should be God, father, or Jesus. When you say Father, you have already set a sense of direction, you are inviting in all of his power and might into your life to deal with this issue.