The Ride Home Series

Travelling ¡V always longer going than returning.

Excited to go but even more thrilled to return home!

Life is about a journey ¡V a journey toward God, toward Home, toward Heaven. If we¡¦re not focused on that, life is just one long, bumpy ride to nowhere.

Along the journey we need to know:

1. God¡¦s Presence

Verses 7-9

„ª We won¡¦t focus on whether or not the writer was talking to us about people trying to run away from God; or people trying to escape God¡¦s love for them; or even trying to escape the greatness of God. Our focus is the fact that whatever the intended interpretation, the writer learned one important lesson for sure ¡V you can¡¦t go where God is not!

㻠Realised God not only in Jerusalem but everywhere.

o ATHEIST: ¡§God is nowhere¡¨ on the board. A Christian made a significant change so that it read, ¡§God is now here¡¨! Seek the truth behind the lie; see God’s presence in the cloak of darkness¡K

„ª God¡¦s presence:

㻠NATURE - Author of Psalm 139 speaks of God in nature (significant because he was removed from his homeland). When I smell salt water or feel the mist of foggy weather I get homesick for Newfoundland!

„ª The presence of God is as much with us here and now, in everything, as His presence is real for Vern! Christmas ¡V ¡§God with us¡¨ (Matt 1:23) ¡V ¡§experiential¡¨ ¡§with us¡¨ ¡V our pain¡K

2. God¡¦s Provision

Verse 10¡K

PROVIDES STRENGTH

㻠My childhood experience of what seemed to be a blinding snowstorm for me and the power of strong arms picking me up and carrying me home!

„ª God¡¦s strong arms and supporting strength will come through the people placed around you. Draw on one another¡K

㻠Hymn (851)

¡§We are the hands of Christ he uses us each day¡¨

¡§We are the feet of Christ his errands we must run¡¨

We are the eyes of Christ all beauty we must share¡¨

We are the lips of Christ he speaks through us¡¨

We are the friends of Christ we love his work to do¡¨

PROVIDES GUIDANCE

„ª My first church ¡V out in boat and the two lights on the hill

„ª Second church ¡V stormy drive home and saw the cross on the Pentecostal church and got my bearings

Luke 1:79 of Jesus: ¡§to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace."

Verses 11-12

Taken out of their own land ¡V their darkness.

**Important what we do with our understanding of God¡¦s presence. One writer offers ¡V If we acknowledge that God is absolutely everywhere we have to conclude that because we cannot escape his presence we are unable to escape his love!

LESSON: See God IN the reality of the thing that is darkness. Seeing God there shatters that darkness with light!

3. God¡¦s Power and Plan

Verses 13-16¡K

„ª Childbirth the object lesson of God¡¦s awesome power! Anything this complex leaves to reason that the experiences of life are not haphazard or random. There is a complex, magnificent plan unfolding!

„ª Jeremiah 29:11, ¡§For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.¡¨