In a crisis, if we pray at all, what do we usually pray? This club was used to defend the flock against attacks. CONFIDENCE IN THE MIDST OF A CRISIS PSALMS 46:1-11 (91:1-9) Sermon delivered by Dr. Stephen P. Soliguen The news of the Ebola Virus is alarming to say the least. David really believes this about God. The valley of the shadow of death conjures thoughts of a dangerous situation where a sheep's life is in jeopardy unless the shepherd is alert and attentive. Lloyd Stilley is pastor of First Baptist Church, Gulf Shores, Alabama. My prayer this morning is that God so imprint His truth in your heart that you will find your confidence in Him rise above the storm clouds in your life, even as David did. Select an option and chat directly with a member of our support team. He makes me lie down . When The Sun Finally Rises: Wrestling With The Past (Gen. 32:22-32), 2. I get hit with trouble while my pagan neighbor enjoys the good life!” So they pout and feel sorry for themselves. When your finances are tight, and you are taking on yet another job to make ends meet, remember this: Your Shepherd has appointed even this hard time as one of His paths of righteousness. So, I rely mostly on myself and a little bit on God. He learned things about God that could be learned no other way in the deep ravines of life. There could be rockslides, mud, or . The text states, “Now it came about after this” (20:1). . For more information, see our Privacy Policy. (1 John 4:4). 2 Chronicles 20:20 And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper. Their story teaches us that ... We can be confident in a time of crisis if we let our great need drive us to prayer and faith in our great God. I decided to hang on. He tells us that even in the valley of the shadow of death, he didn't dread the distress he would face or cringe in the face of crisis. Hear it again in the joyous voice of a child, with a little help from dad. How did David do it? . First, he speaks of God's nearness, His presence. It would have been easy for Jehoshaphat to have said, “What kind of deal is this, God? A. ". When the Sun Sets: Jacob Meets God (Gen. 27:41-28:22), Jacob: When God Turns Darkness into Dawn (Expository Sermons On O.T. Why didn't he just go on to say, 'Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for He is with me; His rod and His staff, they comfort me'?". Believe that He has good reasons for taking this route, even though it is hard and unfamiliar. When all the color has drained out of life, and your soul is downcast, look up. And what makes this a constant friend is that it covers all of life. Greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world. Fix your eyes on Jesus, your Good Shepherd. In salvation, we cannot do anything; God does it all: “Stand and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf” (20:17). As they went out on this seemingly crazy mission, Jehoshaphat encouraged the people by saying (20:20), “Put your trust in the Lord your God, and you will be established. What would you do if you heard some threatening news that affected your future and maybe your life? But in spite of such hazards he also knows that this is still the best way to take his flock to the high country. They did it, and literally won the war by prayer alone, without swinging a single sword! They were doing a crazy thing--marching unarmed in front of the army, singing praises to God, against a powerful enemy that was armed to the teeth! When they heard this word through the prophet, everyone fell down and worshiped and then they stood up and sang loud praises (20:18-19). Everything makes sense in our understanding of a shepherd leading his flock to green grass and calm waters. CSB Holy Land Illustrated Bible (Hardcover). "That house in which we lived on the side of one of Pittsburgh's hills was three stories high in the front and four in the back. 23, David takes the gentle picture of a shepherd with his sheep to describe the relationship God has with us and we with Him. He has felt the shadows closing in. He admitted his fear, called a national prayer meeting, and then prayed in front of everyone about how helpless he was (20:12). But that’s what Jehoshaphat did. He just knew that he was in deep trouble if God didn’t answer, and so he openly admitted his weakness and called upon the Lord. But just because it’s obvious doesn’t make it automatic. One of the things the Lord used to correct me was reading John Calvin’s classic, The Institutes of the Christian Religion. Copyright 1994, Steven J. Cole, All Rights Reserved. See if I follow You again!”. As the nation was gathered at the Temple in prayer, the Spirit of God came upon a prophet in the assembly (20:14) who encouraged them not to fear and assured them that God would undertake for them in this battle without their fighting at all (20:15-17; not God’s usual means!). A good shepherd would use it to guide the sheep, lest they stray away. He believed that valley times were appointed for His good. That’s obvious to any believer, of course. God caused the enemy armies to turn against each other, so that all Israel had to do was collect the spoil and celebrate the victory! Lion’s den. . A popular T-shirt reads, “Bottom of the ninth, down by three runs, bases loaded, two outs, full count--No Fear!” That shirt is promoting an American folk virtue--self-confidence in a crisis. I rigged a hoist and a boom, attached the rope to a barrel and pulled bricks to the top. He goes on to cite examples from Scripture, such as Daniel, David, and Isaiah. He had experienced God in a way there that had ushered him toward intimacy with the Almighty Shepherd. We had a wrong … I respectfully request sick leave. This meant that this enemy coalition was about 15 miles south of Jerusalem, on the western shore of the Dead Sea.

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