Perhaps you remember this news report from April 2001. Missionary Veronica “Roni” Bowers, 35, and her 7-month-old daughter, Charity, seated in her lap, were killed by a single bullet when the jet fired on the Cessna plane they were riding in. The Peruvian Air-force had shot at the plane because it mistakenly thought that it was carrying drugs and drug dealers. Bowers’ husband, Jim, 38, and their 6-year-old son, Cory, survived the attack without serious injury. The pilot, missionary Kevin Donaldson, 42, was seriously injured by gunfire to his legs, but was able to crash-land the plane on the Amazon. The Bowers family had faithfully served God as missionaries in the area for over a dozen years. It is hard to understand why things like this happen especially when you consider that in all likelihood many drug dealers and criminals flew that night without a problem. It makes you wonder: "If God Is Good, Why Is Life So Unfair?"
We have all heard the saying, “when life gets tough, the tough get going.” All of us want to believe that we can have the strength to keep going even in the midst of seemingly impossible situations, but are we?
How can we make it through difficult circumstances? How can we remain standing when all around us our world is crumbling. Is it even possible? For far too many people their answer is to give up.
According to the most recent national statistics complied for the American Association of Suicidology:
▸ In 1999 across the United States 29,199 individuals ended their life through suicide; that’s an average of 80 per day, or one person killing themselves every 18 minutes.
▸ Suicide ranks as the 11th overall cause of death among Americans; suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death among young people (age 15-24). Suicide comes in before homicide or murder which ranked 14th overall.
▸ It is estimated that there are 25 attempted suicides for each completed suicide. Annually more than 730,000 individuals try to end their lives.
So much for believing that when life gets tough, the tough get going. We all know that sometimes the events of life can hit us so hard that it’s difficult to keep standing let alone to get going.
Fortunately you don’t have to face the difficulties of life in your own strength. You don’t have to face crises alone. God has promised, “I will never leave you, nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). He will be with us through the midst of each trial to provide supernatural peace and strength if we will trust Him to do it. When life gets tough . . . TURN TO JESUS!
Look with me at John 14:1. Jesus says,
+ “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You trust in God; trust also in me.” (NIV)
The hearts of the disciples were troubled; their worst fears were about to become a reality. None of them wanted to believe what Jesus had told them. Surely none of the disciples would betray Jesus. How could Jesus talk about being handed over into the hands of evil men? None of the disciples would let that happen. Peter, the boldest of them all, tells the Lord that he would willingly lay down his life to save Jesus from an attack. But Jesus tells him that instead of coming to His defense, Peter would deny even knowing Jesus for fear of his own life.
No one is immune to trouble in their life. Crises and difficulties come in all shapes and sizes into each of our lives.
· An unexpected illness, cancer, heart attack, or the common cold.
· The loss of a job–how will you provide for your family?
· Death–a child, parent or grandparent, a close friend.
· Economic collapse–the stock market falls; how can you retire?
· Terrorist attack and war–is our world safe?
· School shootings–will our children be safe?
· Unexpected pregnancy or date rape.
· Drug or alcohol abuse within the family.
The list of possible trouble that could overcome our hearts is endless. Like Job we could say, “What I feared has come upon me; what I dreaded has happened to me. I have no peace, no quietness; I have no rest, but only turmoil.” (Job 3:25-26 NIV)
Yet in the midst of what would be one of the disciples darkest hours of their lives Jesus told them, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” Likewise, whenever we face impossible circumstances that would seemingly destroy our lives, we too should hear Jesus words, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.”
How is it possible to keep from being overwhelmed and troubled when we face life’s difficulties? Jesus says, “you trust in God, trust also in me.”
What does it mean to trust God? Put simply it is to have absolute faith in God or to entrust your life to His care. Trust is belief put into action; it is to place your complete confidence in God to take care of you just as He has promised.
Now if we are honest this morning, we all have a problem with trusting anyone including God. From time to time we all try to take care of ourselves.
Have you heard the saying, “when you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on?” Doesn’t that describe what we try to do whenever we face difficulties? We try to hang on in our own strength and make it through to better times.
If we are going to learn to trust God, then when we get to the end of our ropes instead of tying a knot and hanging on for dear life we need to learn to just let go and believe that God will indeed catch us just as He promised. Perhaps we can better illustrate what it means to trust God with the story of Blondin.
> Blondin lived from 1824-1897 and was a famous French tight-rope walker and acrobat. His greatest fame came in 1859 when he accomplished one of his greatest feats for the first time walking a 1100 foot tight-rope suspended 160 feet above the waters of Niagra Falls. Blondin went on to walk across the falls several times each with a different theatrical flare. On one such high-wire walk Blondin crossed over the falls pushing a wheelbarrow. When he reached the other side he asked the spectators if they believed he could do it again. Everyone cheered. Blondin then asked if they believed he could again cross the tight-rope with someone in the wheelbarrow. Everyone cheered believing that he could do it and wanting to see this incredible stunt. Blondin then asked for a volunteer to ride in the wheelbarrow. No one stepped forward. It was one thing to believe Blondin could do what they had all seen him do, and another to put your life in his hands letting him push you across the falls on the high wire. (Encyclopedia Britannica)
If you trust God, then get into the wheelbarrow. Don’t just stand around believing that God can do it put your life in His hands with confidence knowing He will keep you safe.
Trust doesn’t come easily to any of us. Knowing we should trust God and doing it is two different things.
How can we learn to trust God with our lives?
1. Build your relationship with Christ,
You will seldom trust a stranger! I told you than Blondin made many different stunts crossing Niagra Falls on the high-wire. On one occasion he actually carried someone to the other side on his back. How many of you know that this wasn’t just someone picked out of the crowd. The man he carried had practiced with him many times before there was the crowd watching in anticipation or the thundering roar of the falls below.
Do you know Christ as your personal savior; have you received His forgiveness? Jesus has rescued me, and He will do the same for you. Trust Him today as your savior.
None of us, however, can stop with just trusting Christ for salvation. We all must continue to grow in our knowledge of Him so that we can trust Him for each day.
+ 2 Peter 3:18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (NIV)
Intimacy with Christ comes through time spent with Him in prayer and meditating upon His word. A “Sunday only” Christian will have a hard time trusting the Lord with the stuff of life the rest of the week. Develop your relationship with Jesus daily.
2. Trust Jesus with the “little things.”
If you think you can handle the little stuff of life, then you won’t have developed the habit of trusting God for anything. When you learn to trust God for simple things, it becomes easy to trust Him for the hard things.
+ Proverbs 3:5-8 5Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
Don’t just trust the Lord some of the time; don’t think you can figure it all out on your own. God will direct your footsteps only when you trust the Lord in ALL YOUR WAYS. Listen to what comes next:
+ 7Do not be wise in your own eyes [don’t think you can figure it all out] ;fear the LORD and shun evil. 8This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones. (NIV)
Do you want to be free from the headaches of anxiety? Do you want a cure for ulcers? Then don’t be wise in your own eyes, but acknowledge or trust in the Lord for everything.
3. Examine your thinking.
How are we prone to think whenever we face trouble? In a word it’s WORRY! And yet Jesus tells us not to worry because He will take care of us (Matthew 5:25-34).
Worry leads to trying to figure out your problems which often makes our problems grow before our eyes which leads to discouragement which leads to having pity parties asking “why me?”
Worry and anxiety are simply poisonous thinking that will destroy any faith or trust you may have. When you worry about things what you are really doing is trying to control the outcome instead of trusting God with what happens.
+ Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-- think about such things. (NIV)
How much of what you worry about is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable or praiseworthy? None of it is, so why are we thinking that way?
The greatest battle to be fought and won takes place between your ears! It is the battle for the control of your mind. That’s why Paul encourages each of us to be “transformed by the renewing of your minds” (Romans 12:2).
4. Understand you are involved in a spiritual struggle.
You have a REAL ENEMY! Satan was present before you accepted Christ as your savior, but now you are on His radar screen.
But don’t give in to the fear of spiritual battle; remember God is on your side!
+ 1 Peter 5:7-8 Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about what happens to you. Be careful! Watch for the attacks from the Devil your great enemy. He prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. (NLT)
5. Remember how God has been faithful in the past.
You can trust God to be faithful; His character does not change. As He has been, so shall He remain.
+ Psalm 77:11-13 11I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. 12I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds. 13Your ways, O God, are holy. What god is so great as our God? (NIV)
6. Trust God; turn loose of the rope and let Him catch you.
+ Psalm 62:8 Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. Selah (NIV)
+ Isaiah 12:2 Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation." (NIV)
