Just the other day, I asked ????? to describe ????? to me. The one word that immediately came out of her mouth was “REBEL.” A rebel is someone who adamantly stands up & follows their way of life despite what anyone else says. That was ?????. Honestly, having a rebel in your life is not always easy but ????? was a part of your lives.
It seems that he was here one day & was gone the next! His death was unexpected. That’s never easy to deal with. It’s not easy because we often take on the could-a, would-a, should-a mentality.
We think things like, “If I only had a little more time, I could have, would have, or should have done this.” That inaction often leaves us with feelings of sadness, anger, frustration, & disappointment.
I want to help save you from experiencing that by looking at Proverbs 3: 5-6 this morning. Listen to what it says… Here, the writer shares with us some instructions that God wants us to follow, especially at moments like these. What are they?
First, Always hold on to faith. The verse said, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart!” If there is sadness, anger, frustration, or disappointment in your lives, you need an anchor to hold onto! You see, an anchor helps hold something steady! The greatest anchor you can have in life is Jesus Christ. Listen to what it says in Hebrews 6: 19… When life is hard & emotions are welling up inside, Jesus is there to keep you steady. He is there to help you, to hold you, & to heal you! That’s His heart! If He’s in the midst of your life, you can stand in the midst of it all!
Jesus put it like this in Matthew 7: 24-27…
I urge you! I beg you! I implore you to have an anchor in your life, especially during hardships like this! The greatest anchor you can have is Jesus Christ! This situation might be hard to go through but you can stand in the midst of it with Jesus in your life!
Secondly, Accept the fact that you don’t understand it all. That’s why the verse says, “do not depend on your own understanding.”The main questions we deal with in times like this is “WHY?”
• Why did this have to happen?
• Why could it not have been different?
• Why did it have to end like this?
Honestly, we could wrestle with the “whys” for all of eternity & still not come up definite answers! It’s better to put our energy elsewhere than to drain ourselves in a futile attempt to explain the unexplainable. That’s hard for us to do because we want definite answers but there are times when we must accept the fact that we cannot explain some things.
Here’s what I know! Everything that happens is not always God’s will. He has given us something that we call “Free Will.” That means God has allowed us to make our own decisions & choices. The result of that is sometimes we hurt people & sometimes they hurt us by the things done or said. Who knows why some choices are made? Honestly, there are times we just don’t.
Because we’re human we won’t always understand why things happen in life! That’s why we must try to find a different way to deal with it. Look at what our verse goes on to say…
Thirdly, you must Allow God to show you a new way. The verse said, “Seek His will in all you do.” When we’re all emotional about something, we don’t always make the best choices. The wrong choice only makes matters worse. That’s why we need God to show us a different way. Why is that so important? It’s because of what Proverbs 14: 12 says…
Father’s don’t always make the best choices. It’s because their imperfect, flawed, & lacking. Honestly, we are too. Yet God, our Heavenly Father, IS PERFECT. Since He’s perfect, He knows what’s best! If we will follow Him, we’ll go the right way through life. God’s way always leads us to peace. That’s exactly what we need & want in life! Do you want peace in your life? If you do want peace then follow God’s way.
What is God’s way? Listen to what Jesus said John 8: 12… In the Old Testament, God led His people through a desert by a pillar of fire one time. That pillar of fire represented God’s presence, protection, & guidance. The people knew God was there with them & it brought them peace. Jesus is saying, “I am God’s light! Follow me & I will give you God’s presence, protection, & guidance.” If you will do so, you will have peace in your life.
You can certainly follow our own way but it might not get you to where you want to be. That’s why we must follow God’s way! It always leads to peace! That’s exactly what we want in our lives at times like this.
• Always hold on to faith
• Accept the fact that you don’t understand it all
• Allow God to show you a new way
• And lastly…
Acknowledge that God will get you through… The verse said, “and He will show you which path to take.” God has a definite path for us to take through life. This path of God, it’s not always easy. There might be some hard steps to take. It might involve some pain. Yet, no matter what kind of path it might be, God will get us through! He’s always at work in our lives! The greatest work that God has ever done to get us through hardships is to place others in our lives!
It’s impossible for us to get through life alone! We need others in order to do so. The best thing that God has ever done is to create us for relationships! In the very beginning of the Bible, God said that it was not good for man to be alone. So God created a helpmate for him so he would have a companion to assist him through life. That’s what God did with you all.
He placed you all together! His desire was for you to help, encourage, & support each other! It’s no accident that you are all together! It was a strategic plan of God! He made you a family! He did it so you could help each other through life & all its hardships.
I don’t know if you’ve ever been to California but they have some humongous Sequoia trees! The can reach heights above 300 feet! Strangely, these giants have shallow root systems. Their roots do not go deep into the ground. Instead, the roots fan out in all directions in order to capture the greatest amount of surface moisture. You will seldom see a Sequoia standing alone. If it was, the high winds of California would easily blow it over. That’s why they grow in clusters. Sequoia roots intertwine with each other so they can help each other stand against the storms.
It’s the very reason God has placed you together as a family too. Paul had some interesting words for us & our relationships in 2 Corinthians 1: 3-4… It says that God will comfort us. Why does He do so? He does it so we can comfort others with the comfort He has given you! That’s His plan for you all! Are you doing so? God is pleased & will bless your life if you’re helping, encouraging, & supporting each other. That’s God’s plan to help get you through this.
Of all days, I know this day is not easy for you. But I want you to know that God knows your situation & He cares about it. He will get you through if you’ll place your life into His hands. Nothing is impossible for God to do! If there’s one thing I truly believe about God, it’s the truth found in Romans 8: 28…
“And we know that God causes EVERYTHING to work together for the GOOD of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.”
That’s my prayer for you today. Let’s go to God & ask Him to help you today…
