Hebrews 4:14-16 I have a great High Priest ... Jesus ... who can sympathise with my weaknesses ... so I can come boldly ... that I may obtain mercy and find grace to help in any crisis.
Deuteronomy 31:8 The Lord himself goes before me and will be with me/he will never leave me nor forsake me/I need not be afraid/nor be discouraged
Psalms 139:13 God formed my inward parts
Proverbs 3:19 God laid earth’s foundations/put the heavens in place
Jeremiah 31:3 God loves me with an everlasting love
Romans 8:28 All things work together for good - whatever comes is good God says it is good - not ‘fun’
Romans 8:39 Nothing can separate me from the love of God
1 Timothy 6:14b-16 God is in control/he is sovereign/he is wise
1 Peter 5:6-7 I must humble myself under God’s mighty hand/cast all my anxiety on him
humble = place my total trust in God alone
cast = throw my anxiety on Him and leave it there
Lord, I’m not going to pretend this is easy
Help me to view this through your eyes
Father, you work all things together for good
Open my eyes to see your lessons in all of this
In the hour of crisis, I must try to determine why it is happening:
a. it can come from God - to bring out the best in me
b. it can come from Satan - to bring out the worst in me
I can react in one of three ways
a. treat it too lightly Hebrews 12:5b-6a
b. treat it too seriously = faint Hebrews 12:5b
c. receive instruction from it - learn from God Hebrews 12:11-13
This last one is God’s choice for me James 1:2 consider it pure joy....
a. to produce fruit - by allowing the crisis to accomplish its purpose (fruit = patience/joy/knowledge/maturity)
b. to silence the devil - Satan says I serve God for material blessings (Job 1:9-12 2:3-7)
c. to glorify God John 9:1-3 11:1-4
d. to make me more like Jesus Philippians 3:10
e. to teach me dependence on Him John 15:1-5 2 Corinthians 12:1-10
f. to refine my life Psalm 66:10-12 Proverbs 17:3 1 Peter 1:6-7
g. to rebuke my sin Hebrews 12:5-9
h. to enlarge my ministry toward others 2 Corinthians 1:3-7
I believe God – is fully in control
– cares about me
– holds my future in His hands
I cling to scriptural truths even when directly challenged by apparent reality. These foundational beliefs include:
Salvation through faith
The sovereignty of God
The authority of scripture
The Body of Christ
In any crisis I must search for harmony between
a. my professed biblical beliefs
b. the beliefs that govern my heart
Conflict in a crisis is between the Holy Spirit/Satan/my flesh
1. Prompting of the Holy Spirit
a. what am I believing right at this moment?
b. to what or to whom am I listening?
c. what is true?
d. I must not enter the sin of unbelief.
2. Satan’s temptation - since the Garden of Eden:
a. to disbelieve God’s character
b. to question God’s commands
c. to question who I am in Jesus
3. During a crisis, the flesh suggests lies - such as:
a. God is very busy and it is understandable that He can overlook something
b. I can’t really expect Him to attend to all the details in my life, can I?
The truth is that God calls every star by name /He loses track of nothing Isaiah 40:25-26
I must ask myself, ‘Do I wholeheartedly believe that God is sovereign? = even at this moment when everything feels out of control?
Unless I firmly believe God’s love for me is unchanging,His ways are good and righteous then I cannot completely trust Him in this crisis.
The degree to which I know and believe in God’s character - is the degree to which I can and will trust Him/obey Him in any crisis.
If I only half-heartedly believe the bible, what it says I am in Jesus, I will live a half effective life defeated more often than victorious over sin and crises in my life.
2 Corinthians 5:17 I am a new creation
2 Corinthians 5:21 I am the righteousness of God in Christ
Romans 8:1 I am free from condemnation
Psalm 139:14 I am fearfully and wonderfully made
Romans 8:31 God is for me
. Until I believe
a. that I have been given authority over sin/the enemy - I will not have the power to live as Christ has called me to live = in a crisis.
b. that God loves me unconditionally - I will not be able to surrender myself to God unconditionally = in a crisis
c. what God says about me - and not listen to the accuser Revelation 12:10 - I am quenching the Holy Spirit and allowing the devil to choke the good fruit God wants to produce in my life = in a crisis
Act as if God’s word is true even when it doesn’t feel true and believe it with daily practice.
1 Corinthians 15:1-2 is the Good News .... I am being saved by it if I continue believing
= in a crisis - if not, then I have believed for nothing.
Romans 15:13 Now may the God of all hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing.
Revelation 21:4 (a new heaven/earth) (God) will wipe away every tear from their eyes.
There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away = for now?
2 Cor 1:4-5 Praise be to God .. who comforts me in all my crises .. I can comfort others
I must hang in there - in joy/with peace
Ephesians 6:10-13 finally, (I must) be strong ... in the Lord ... and in His mighty power ... put on the full armour of God ... so that when the day of crisis comes ... I may be able to stand my ground ... and after I have done everything ... to stand.
I must learn to trust in the goodness and power of God in any crisis by enlarging my concept of God - God is sovereign and worthy of my trust and worship in whatever He chooses to do - I must come to the end of myself/humble myself and acknowledge the greatness and majesty of the Lord - sometimes His ways are incomprehensible to me - but He can always be trusted.
James 5:11 You have heard of Job’s perseverance - and have seen what the Lord finally brought about - the Lord is full of compassion and mercy.
James 1:12 Blessed is the man who perseveres under crisis - because when he has stood the test - he will receive the crown of life - that God has promised to those who love Him.
< P> When confronted by a crisis, let us pray the following:
1 Father, how can you bring glory to your name in this situation?
2 Father, what are you trying to teach me in this situation?
3 Father, how/when are you going to bring deliverance/healing in this situation?
4 Father, where do we go from here?
Father, You have brought me here
It is by your will I am in this confined place
In that fact I will rest.
You will keep me here in your love
And give me grace to behave as your child.
You will make the trial a blessing
Teaching me the lessons you intend me to learn
And working in me the grace you mean me to share.
In your good time you can bring me out again
How and when you know.
So let me say with confidence
“I am here by your appointment,
in your keeping,
under your training,
and for your time”.
HALLELUJAH
CW June 1988 and February 1998 (adapted from Andrew Murray:- when he was undergoing a painful experience)
If you have any other questions about the faith, or spiritual needs, suggestions on improving this page, please contact us.