Psalm 120:1 “In my distress I cried unto the Lord, and he heard me. “
Intro:
• When someone dies unexpectedly, terrible tragedy
• Lots of questions, variety of feelings
• “What should I do?” Cry unto the Lord
• 7 reasons why you should cry unto the Lord:
1. Because He is there for you
• Hebrews 13:5,6 “… he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper... “
• In days to come, family and friends may be far away
• Over next couple of weeks and months, family and friends may have other tragedies of their own to deal with
• The Lord is always there to listen to you and to help you when you need it
2. Because He cares
• 1 Peter 5:7 “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about what happens to you.”
• Lazarus – Jesus wept
3. Because He understands
• Hebrews 4:14 – 16 “That is why we have a great High Priest who has gone to heaven, Jesus the Son of God. Let us cling to him and never stop trusting him. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same temptations we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it.”
• He understands why this happened
• He understands how you feel
• He understands what you need
4. Because He listens
• Ad in Denver newspaper: ½ hour for $20
• A lot of people just need someone to listen
• Philippians 4:6, 7 “Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”
• Need someone to talk to? Cry unto the Lord
5. Because He can comfort you
• How can you be comforted in such a time as this?
• John 14:18,27 “I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
6. Because He can enable you
• 2 Corinthians 12:9 “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.”
• With everything that goes on in our lives, something like this can be the straw that broke the camel’s back
• All kinds of other concerns, and then death takes center stage
• 1 Corinthians 10:13 says He will not put more on us than we can bear
• My prayer for you is that God will give you the grace and strength that you need to make it through this
7. Because He loves you
• Romans 8:35,37-39 “Can anything ever separate us from Christ's love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or are hungry or cold or in danger or threatened with death? No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from his love. Death can't, and life can't. The angels can't, and the demons can't. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, and even the powers of hell can't keep God's love away. Whether we are high above the sky or in the deepest ocean, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
• Remember that no matter what you are feeling right now, Jesus loves you
• He has made Himself available to you so that you can call upon Him at any time
• He has given you family and friends that love you too so that you can help one another
Advice:
• Times like this can destroy a family, or make it stronger
• Cry out unto the Lord, and let this experience strengthen your family
• 1 Thessalonians 5:11 “So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.”
Footprints in the Sand
One night a man had a dream. He dreamed he was walking along the beach with the Lord.
Across the sky flashed scenes from his life. For each scene he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand: one belonging to him, and the other to the Lord.
When the last scene of his life flashed before him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand. He noticed that many times along the path of his life there was only one set of footprints. He also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times in his life. This really bothered him and he questioned the Lord about it.
“Lord, you said that once I decided to follow you, you’d walk with me all the way. But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life, there is only one set of footprints. I don’t understand why when I needed you most you would leave me.”
The Lord replied, “My son, my precious child, I love you and I would never leave you. During your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.”
Prayer:
Pray for family to cry out to Lord, strength and grace to make it through, shower them with love and protection
