This time has disrupted most –if not all – of our plans. The seniors had plans of finishing their senior year and graduating with celebrations, now what? Many had plans of getting married with parties and celebrations, now what? Many had plans of having jobs, income, and insurance, but now what? Some had plans and dreams of staying in their homes and raising their kids there, but now what?
What this time has underscored is the reality that even with dreams and plans, these are never realized without the help, intervention, and sometimes the allowance of God. We are subject to the will of God always – even when we resist Him.
• Pr 19:21 ¶ Many plans are in a man’s heart, But the counsel of the LORD will stand.
• God’s purpose for my life is not independent of God’s purpose for man as a whole. I am not that important. His purpose will be accomplished. Sometimes that eternal purpose can interfere with my personal plans. I believe that is what we are experiencing right now. Is this God’s judgment on the world? I don’t know, but I do know that God has a Will and a Purpose that will be accomplished during this pandemic.
• Pr 20:24 Man’s steps are ordained by the LORD, How then can man understand his way?
• God gives us the opportunities in life, to live and flourish, to make plans, but again it can become confusing. Which way am I supposed to go? How do I plan when I don’t know the way?
• Jeremiah 10:23-24 I know, O LORD, that a man’s way is not in himself, Nor is it in a man who walks to direct his steps. 24 Correct me, O LORD, but with justice; Not with Your anger, or You will bring me to nothing.
• Jeremiah was facing a personal crisis in the face of a national crisis. He knew the hearts of Israel were turned against God and he is admitting the need for all men to understand that we needed God. So he prays for mercy from God, knowing that God has the ability and the authority to reduce his life to nothing.
• But that is sometimes where we find ourselves. At the bottom, no place to go, no relief in sight.
• We feel that God has allowed us to be reduced to nothing, with no purpose, without hope.
• When our plans for life become interrupted or worse yet, cancelled, we become blinded by frustration. Pain-filled frustration – for we have suffered loss. Loss of anything – you fill in the blanks.
• And many times we cry out from this place of torment, this place of loss, “Why?” What is the point of my pain?
• Oft times the frustration can build within us because those closest to us don’t seem to understand our pain. We feel judged, almost condemned for our weakness, we feel we’re fighting but they don’t agree, some might even tell you to have more faith.
• There is a narrative in scripture of a faithful man, a man who had suffered extreme loss.
• Note Job 12:5 "He who is at ease holds calamity in contempt, As prepared for those whose feet slip.
• When your friends don’t understand loss, sometimes they automatically assume it is the judgement of God because of lack of faith. Yet you know you have tried to live right, you know you have prayed, you know you have repented, and yet you have lost.
• I know where you are crying out from, I know the frustration. In no way do I want to down-play your pain – be it physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual in nature.
• Pain is real and each individual has a different tolerance threshold.
• In this message I want to extend the realization of hope, and the realization of continued purpose in your life.
• I want to propose to you this simple truth: The Best Possible Answer for your life today is Jesus.
• Sounds cliché, you already know that right, -- but let me remind you
1) Jesus understands your pain.
• A long time ago -- @ 700 years before Jesus was born – there was a prophet in Israel. We know him as Isaiah. He was a prominent prophet, making multiple predictions at to the coming of this Messiah, and the establishment of His kingdom.
• A lot of our hymns and carols we sing at Christmas use the phraseology of Isaiah. Prince of Peace, Almighty God, Wonderful, Counselor. Isaiah 7:14 tells us that Jesus would be known as Immanuel -- God is with us.
• Luke 4:17 And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written: 18 "The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; 19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD." 20 Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. 21 And He began to say to them, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."
• Jesus reminds us of the purpose of the Christ prophesied by Isaiah. Hope and healing were in his hands. But there’s something else.
• Isaiah prophesied that our Christ, our savior, would be a man of sorrows. Isa 53:3 He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
• If we look at the life of Jesus, he suffered every day of his ministry life. “Foxes have holes, birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head. – Luke 9:58
• Rejection of his friends and neighbors, unbelief in his closest followers, lies and slander being spread daily, you see, the pain of Jesus, the man of sorrows described a pain that went beyond the time of the cross. Sure that was enough, but let us realize the pain of our losses can connect us to Jesus’ daily sacrificial life.
• Hebrews 2:14 ¶ Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,15 and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.
• Jesus shared our humanity, shared our suffering to offer us freedom from the fear of suffering –death.
• Verse 16 reminds us that this help is not offered to the angels, but to us! Jesus is the best possible savior because he understands. That’s why Peter writes “cast all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you.” That exhortation would be pointless if Jesus was not the compassionate and understanding God. But He IS! He understands!
2) Jesus is able to help you.
• Heb 2:18 For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.
• Since our times of trial are not foreign to Jesus He is able to help. Sometimes we struggle to accept any help, and assume our situation is just too extreme.
• Remember what the eternal purpose of God is. God is in the business of saving men’s souls, your soul included! It would be denying His eternal purpose to not offer you aid in your time of crisis. He wants you to succeed in your faith though you may have to endure loss.
• Sometimes that aid or help comes in different forms, maybe God performs a miracle – removing the obstacle. But maybe it is more intimate, as in a support of the mind and heart to sustain you through the trying times.
• 2Cor 1:3-5 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ.
• The comfort from God comes to us through our savior Jesus. God’s will is that we take this comfort and pass it on. So God gives us comfort, we give one another comfort. We become the tool to pass on God’s work in us. Paul is encouraging us to acknowledge the abundant comfort through Christ. Don’t take it for granted. Instead open yourself up to it. Be an expectant recipient of the help of God.
• Some of the help of God is found in the escape with the trial. 1Co 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.
• Here’s some observations: we tend to pray for removal of the trial, or a miraculous intervention by God to teleport us to a new dimension. Something so that we don’t have to face life like this any longer. That is not what this verse is offering.
• The way of escape is not necessarily a miracle. It may be more like a choice you can make that will help you be in the frame of mind to endure it. Like choosing trust in God. Or offering praise to Him instead of cursing.
• God has promised that this escape will be provided along with the trial. He will not tempt you beyond your capability because the trial will have the promise of God with it. Think about it.
Why doesn’t Jesus just take all the suffering away in my life? Or in the world?
3) Jesus was perfected through suffering.
• Perhaps this is the most important concept in seeing the point to my pain. There was a point to the suffering of Jesus, and that same point is there for me.
• Hebrews 5:8,9 Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered.
• 9 And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation,
• The trials of daily living as a man, the various stages of suffering he endured, ultimately to the time in the garden as He wailed in anguish, bearing the weight of the world’s sin, he learned obedience as He submitted Himself to the Father’s will. You see, Jesus was perfected through the sufferings because he learned obedience from them!
• That is the lesson for us.
• Every trial you live through is not pointless if you see and identify the purpose of them. That trial is there for you to learn from. Ultimately to learn to submit your will, your plans, your purpose, to the Will of God.
• As times become hard, the pain more extreme, pray this prayer. “Lord please reveal the lesson you want me to learn. Even if the lesson is submission teach me, and complete your work in me.”
• As your attitude changes from frustration to peace, you will begin to know again the joy of the Lord at work in you. Then you can turn and comfort some other hurting soul. Trials are real, pain is common, but the comfort of the Lord is abundant and rich.
When things go awry, and plans get changed or life becomes hard, Jesus is still the best solution for the day.
He loves you, he understands you, and he is able to help you endure this season. Learn from His example in submitting to His Father’s will, and open yourself up to the lessons He wishes to teach you through this time.
1Peter 1:6-9 In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials,
7 so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
8 and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,
9 obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.
