Turn with me to James 1:2. “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations.” And we know the word “temptation” means “test.” And we know the test we are to count as joy is when Satan tries to get us to give up, to give in or to get out when it relates to God and His Word.
Now, sometimes, those tests can be really, really trying. And we know that we go through seasons when sometimes the test is more trying than others. And we find it difficult to have joy during those times. And the test, ladies and gentlemen, is always, always is whether or not we’re going to be obedient to God and trust that His Word is truth.
When the pressure is on we sometimes find it very difficult, well let me say it this way – more challenging – to have joy when you’re being tempted.
But the thing I want you to know tonight is that there is not one test, there is not one trial that you are ever going to go through alone. Amen! You are not going through it alone.
The enemy of our souls wants us to think that when we face the trials and tests, we are facing them alone. And honestly, sometimes we have felt that way haven’t we? But our Heavenly Father wants it to be very clear to us that is not the case.
What we’re going to see in this message tonight is that God loves us more than we realize. And that whenever we think that we are alone, whenever we think the enemy has gotten the best of us, God says “No.” He says “No.”
The issue is this: as we’re going through the trial, as we’re going through the test, do we believe that God is with us and that what we are going through – we are going through it – we’re not camping, we’re not staying. We are going through it.
David said in Psalm 23:4, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil …”
We are always going to have issues that we’re going to have to go through. The enemy doesn’t stop. Just because you conquer him in one area doesn’t mean he’s not going to try to find another one. But you must remember: God is always with you.
Turn with me to Isaiah 49. I really believe that this is a message that will bless you, because it’s going to help you realize that no matter what the situation, no matter what it looks like, you’re not fighting this by yourself. God is always there.
The book of Isaiah is prophesy, primarily about the Messiah and then about His Church. As we read these passages, yes, it’s talking about Zion, it’s talking about Israel, it’s talking about Jacob, but they are prophecies that relate to us and who we are now as the body of Christ.
Look at Isaiah 49. In this chapter, it talks about the Messiah coming. It talks about the trials He’s going to face at the hand of Zion (Jews). It also talks about Him eventually coming out victorious. Remember this part – He’s going to come out victorious.
(13) Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the Lord hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted.
(14) But Zion said, The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me.
There were times when I felt this way and I knew, in my heart, that God had not forsaken me. But we have that sinking feeling sometimes and we have to remind ourselves that what we’re experiencing is not from our Father and that it is coming from the enemy of our souls. That’s when we need to bring our minds back to God’s Word.
(15) Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.
The word “woman,” the first time it was used, it was used by Adam when he said God has brought him woman, who was now bone of his bone. In other words, the woman was the wife of the man. A better rendering of the word in the context would have been “mother.”
The word “forget” means “to ignore, cease to care.” Can a mother cease to forget about her child? Can she ignore him?
The image “sucking child” presents is one of a child being totally dependent upon his mother for everything.
God says, it’s possible for a mother to forget her child. Yes, that’s possible. But it is IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME! And we see this in the word “not,” which expresses an unconditional prohibition.
I want you to get a picture of what God is saying. When a mother has a child, that child is the most important thing to her. Every time the child cries, the mother is right there. Every time the child is hungry, the mother is right there. There is never a time when that child is out of that mother’s sight. They have tunnel vision when it comes to that child.
And God says, just like that mother, who has tunnel vision, whose child is the important thing in her life, there is a possibility that she could forget about him, that she could ignore him, that she could cease to take care of him. Sometimes a mother can get so busy that she is not paying close attention to her child and the child gets out of her eye sight. Isn’t that true?
Well, God says “Not with Me.” Our Father says we are never away from Him. He always sees us. He always knows where we are. Let that sink when you’re going through the trial or test.
And then He makes a statement in verse 16 that is simply amazing.
(16) Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.
I may have missed it but I have never seen a person with a tattoo on the palms of their hands. Have you? The palm of the hand is the most sensitive part of your body. A person who puts a tattoo on his or her hand must really, really want to have it because it’s going to hurt like the dickens.
So God is saying, “Listen, I love you so much that I have placed you in a place where it will be impossible for Me not to see you. Every time I look at my hands, I see your “walls,” which refers to protection. When you have time, look up Isaiah 62:1-6 and Psalm 48:12-14. But understand this: there is nothing more important to God than us – His children. Nothing.
(17) Thy children shall make hast; thy destroyers and they that made thee waste shall go forth of thee.
Now turn to Isaiah 30. Again, this is another prophecy related to the Church. The Church is turning away from God and walking into judgment and God is going to let the judgment fall. We’re going to begin with verse 27.
(27) Behold, the name of the Lord cometh from far, burning with his anger, and he burden thereof is heavy: his lips are full of indignation, and his tongue as a devouring fire;
(28) And his breath, as an overflowing stream, shall reach to the midst of the neck, to sift the nations with the sieve of vanity: and there shall be a bridle in the jaws of the people, causing them to err.
But look at what the Lord says to those in the Church who are being faithful to Him and His Word. He says when the judgment falls, when all hell is breaking lose, when the world is seemingly being turned upside down …
(29) Ye shall have a song, as in the night when a holy solemnity is kept; and gladness of heart, as when one goeth with a pipe to come into the mountain of the Lord, to the mighty One of Israel.
God says YOU WILL HAVE. It’s not a maybe. It’s not a perhaps. Take word “have” means it will come to pass. Now, why will it come to pass? Go back up to verse 15. We’re going to read what God told the rebellious people to do.
(15) For thus saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not.
You would not what? You would not return to Me. So the Lord says, when you return to Me, you will have a song in the night.
Sometimes ladies and gentlemen, we forget that we have a song in the night. And we have a song in the night because of who we trust, who we put our faith in. When it looks all hell is breaking lose, we have a song in the night because we are sure Who we serve and we are sure of how much He loves us. So it doesn’t matter what’s going on outside, you can have a peaceful sleep.
Now I know that initially it’s going to take some work to nail your mind down to say “Wait a minute. God loves me. There’s nothing He wouldn’t do for me. Yes, I going through a test right now. I’m going through a trial right now. I don’t like it. It’s bothering me. It’s causing emotions to rise up in me that I don’t like feeling. But wait a minute. Scripture says that when I trust in God, when I believe what His word says, I CAN have a song in the night. I can lay my head down and my sleep can be peaceful.
Scripture promises that people. And I think it’s interesting that when Isaiah talks about a song in the night – remember how the children of Israel left Egypt and they left with a song.
Now look at Job 35.10. This is one of the “miserable comforters” who is trying to give Job advice. “But none saith, Where is God my maker, who giveth songs in the night …”
Ladies and gentlemen, God does give us a song in the night, but we will not be access it if we allow our minds to remind in a state of emotional unrest. Job’s life was a mess at this point and his friends were asking “Where is your song Job?” Like Job, we must choose God’s song in the night.
Let’s look at another passage about a song in the night. I love this whole chapter.
(1) As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.
(2) My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?
(3) My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God?
David is being beaten up by his enemies, especially emotionally. “Where is your God David? Huh? Where is He? And David comes to this realization in verse 5.
(5) Why art thou cast down, O my soul? [Do you know what David is telling me? Being cast down is something we allow to happen.] And why art thou disquieted in me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.
David says I’m not going to be cast down any more soul. I’m going to praise God. I will choose to praise God! And then you get down to verse 8.
(8) Yet the Lord will command his loving kindness in the day-time, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life.
We can a song in the night regardless of what’s going on in the world. But we must do what David did in the midst of the circumstance – praise God. Praise God! The most challenging time to praise God is when everything in you is telling you that you have nothing to praise Him for.
Now turn back to Isaiah, this time chapter 41.
(10) Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee, yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of righteousness.
(11) Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish.
(12) Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contended with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought.
(13) For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.
Back in verse 10 where it says “be not dismayed” – it means to look around in alarm or danger. There are so many things that can cause us to look with eyes of fear. The current pandemic is an example. But God is telling us we shouldn’t be doing this. If we truly believe that He is going to help us, then we will not live in fear.
The five senses are dictating too much of the lives of many Christians. God says we don’t let them cause of to having feelings of alarm or danger. Fear not. Fear not. For I am with thee.
And look at what God says He will do for us if we are not dismayed – “I will strengthen you! And not only that but I will help you and I will uphold you.”
Let’s turn to Isaiah 65, our last passage.
(1) I am sought of them that asked not for me: I am found for them that sought me not: I said, Behold me, behold me, unto a nation that was not called by my name.
(2) I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts;
(3) A people that provoked me to anger continually to my face; that sacrificeth in gardens, and burneth incense upon altars of brick;
I wanted you to see how God describes what’s going on the first part of the chapter. As you read on, God says a change is coming. This current heaven and earth are going to pass away. And there are a lot of changes coming as My Son does what I will ask Him to do. Then we get down to verse 17.
(17) For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, not come into mind.
(18) But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.
(19) And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, [One, two, three, four, five. Read the next five words out loud.] and joy in my people [Do you see that? God says He joys in His people. That’s you! He enjoys your company. He enjoys spending time with you.]: and the voice of weeping shall be no more herd in her, no the voice of crying.
(20) There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed.
You need to highlight this verse. It’s a wonderful verse. God says I joy into My people and because I joy in My people, the voice of weeping shall no longer be heard in her, nor the voice of crying and there shall be no more thence an infant of days.
After today, there will be no more children who will die young. Capture that promise. No children will die young if you believe what God says in this verse.
And not only that, nor will an old man who has not fulfilled his days. You are not an old man at 27. Capture the image. You are not an old man at 50. You will fulfill your days. You will complete your days. You will finish your days. You will live to do everything the Lord has called you to do! Don’t let the enemy tell you anything different.
(21) And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them.
Do you see that? When you are the joy of God, when you are the joy of the Lord, when you build a house, you’re going to live in that house. When you plant a vineyard, you are going to eat the fruit of it.
(22) They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat:
[God says that when My children build their homes, when My children build their lives, when My children’s vineyards are based around Me and the things that I desire, no one else is going to live in the places you build as you honored Me. No one else is going to get the benefit of their hard labor because they honored Me. God says that when you honor Him, you are going to receive the benefits of what you do!
Many of us, we spend 30, 40, 50 years working and there are many Christians who at the end of that 30, 40, 50 years have build things, acquired things and don’t get a chance to enjoy them.
God says that is not My plan for you. My plan for you is that when you work, and you work to honor Me, to do the things I want you to do, you’re going to enjoy the fruits of YOUR labor. You are going to enjoy the home that you built. You are going to enjoy the fruit of all the vineyards you have planted over the years. You will live to use it. You will live to enjoy it.
So as you’re going through the these trials, these tests – remember God says as you’re going through them, but if you hang with Me you are going to enjoy all the things you have worked and built for Me.
Verse 22 again.
(22) They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.
Of all the comparisons God could have made for us, He chose a tree. We know that trees that are alive, you can tell it, can’t you? Leaves. Beautiful blooms. That’s us ladies and gentlemen!
Do you see the word “enjoy?” It means to consume, to wear out. God says you will consume, you will wear out, what you have labor hard for. You will. No one else. You! What a promise ladies and gentlemen!
(23) They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble: for they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord, and their offspring with them.
Listen to what the Lord is saying here. He saying that when you honor Me, your lives will be blessed. And when your children honor Me, their lives will be blessed. And when their children honor Me, their lives will be blessed. Praise God!
(24) And it shall come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.
God says I know what you need even before you ask Me and I have already given it to you. And to make sure we know what He’s saying, God says that while we are asking, He’s already heard us and answered it. Why? Because we are His joy.
So, ladies and gentlemen, as you are going through trials and tests, remember that the Lord is with you. Have the mindset that I’m going through a tough time but the key is to remember “I’m going through it. I’m not staying in it.” Do you understand what that means? It means you are going to come out on the other side victorious!
