DIVINE HELP IN TIMES OF TROUBLE

Trevor S Ferguson

February 15, 2014

Genesis 32:24-29 (KJV)
²⁴And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. ²⁵And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him. ²⁶ And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. ²⁷ And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. ²⁸ And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed. ²⁹ And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there.

INTRODUCTION

The bible tells us in Job 14 that man’s days are few and full of trouble. Most persons today can identify with this situation. From the day of our birth there is trouble. Our mother’s must undergo the severe labour pains and risks to her own life in order to give birth. As newborns we are feeble, dependent and susceptible to infections and various illnesses that threaten our lives. As we grow we are susceptible to accidents and various dangers as we learn to navigate this beautiful but potentially treacherous place called earth. Then we come to adulthood, and there the real troubles begin! As adults we face all kinds of troubles: emotional and relationship issues; financial hardships; time challenges and work related stress; conflicts at home; conflicts on the job; conflicts in the community; then we add to that times of sickness and death in the family. 

On top of this base of a troubled existence, there are times heightened and immense troubles we call crises. In times of crisis the intensity of trouble is so great that we fear for our very lives. A crisis could end up in death, imprisonment or total separation from family or friends. In many of these crises we need external help, because we cannot solve the problems on our own accord. Human help may be of value, but many times our only source of help is through Divine intervention.

Today, I declare to you that in your times of trouble and crises, God is ready and willing to help. If you call on Him, He will step into your situation and bless you and grant you His peace.

EXPOSITION

The text tonight recounts a time of crisis in Jacob’s life and how God stepped in to help in this crisis. Jacob was on his way back to the land of Canaan from which he had fled some twenty years earlier after he had cheated his brother Esau out of his birthright and Esau had vowed to kill him. Jacob had not seen Esau at all in these twenty years. He had spent this time with Laban in the land of Haran, married Laban’s daughters Leah and Rachel but had now fallen out of favour with Laban. The circumstances of his departure from Laban’s household  was such that he had left by night without informing Laban because he feared that Laban would have prevented him from leaving or would have taken away his wife and children. Laban pursued him and overtook him, but before their meeting God intervened, speaking to Laban in a dream and told him to do no harm to Jacob. As a result Laban and Jacob’s final parting was peaceful with them making a covenant at Mizpah.

As Jacob continued on his journey, the angels of God met him at Mahanaim, so Jacob had some assurance that God was with him. This time of peace was short lived however as Jacob recognized that as he journey’s back to Canaan he will have to encounter with Esau who had vowed to kill him. Jacob therefore sent messengers to Esau asking for his favour (or perhaps forgiveness). The messengers came back and informed Jacob that Esau was coming to meet him and that 400 men were with him.

The panic button in Jacob turned red! Why was Esau coming to meet him with 400 men? The only thought in Jacobs mind was that Esau was coming to attack and kill his family. He therefore divided the people and the flocks into groups saying that if Esau strikes one group the other groups could possible escape.

Jacob’s next action however was much more important. Verses 9-12 of Genesis 32, record that Jacob prayed to God and asked Him to deliver him out of the hands of his brother Esau.

Like Jacob, somebody today may be in trouble; the crisis is so severe that you don’t know what to do. You have tried your own devices; you have sought human help, but have found no solution. Today, I challenge you to take it to the Lord in prayer! As the song writer declares - “O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.” The psalms are replete with instances where David or another psalmist calls out desperately to God in the midst of trouble and God heard them and helped them. Let’s look a few examples:

Psalm 20:1 The LORD hear thee in the day of trouble; the name of the God of Jacob defend thee;

Psalm 27:5 For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me;

Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Psalm 86:7 In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for thou wilt answer me.

Psalm 91:15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.

Psalm 107:6 Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses.

Psalm 107:19 Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he saveth them out of their distresses.

Psalm 107:28 Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses.

To someone today, God is saying to you, Call upon me! I will here you and answer you. I will deliver you from your trouble. Trust me today I am willing to help you!

Another key factor in dealing with trouble is that we need a personal encounter and an assurance of our faith in God. We note that although Jacob prayed and had had various experiences with God, there were still flaws in his character. He was still by nature a tricksters and a schemer and beyond help with Esau he needed to learn to completely depend on God and he needed a change of character. Jacob had this encounter with God at Peniel and it changed his life forever.

The bible tells us that while still on the journey to meet Esau, Jacob sent his wives, his children and his servants across the brook Jabbok and then he was left alone. I presume that while alone Jacob entered again in a period of prayer. He needed an assurance from God and was determined to touch God. He was totally focused on God. Now that God had his full attention, God came down and wrestled with Jacob. The bible does not give detail about this wrestling match, but tells us that Jacob wrestled with a ‘man’ – most probably a theophany (i.e. an appearance of God in human form). We are told that he wrestled all night – until the breaking of the day. We are not sure what was going on in the mind of Jacob during this encounter, but we see that though this Jacob developed a spirit of persistence and tenacity, evidenced by him saying “I will not let you go until you bless me”. Under other circumstances Jacob might have given up or run away as he had done previously, when he fled from Esau and then from Laban. But Jacob had to learn that he could not run away from his troubles. He had to face them square on until he found a good solution. I believe that God supernaturally transferred that spirit of determination and persistence to Jacob in this wrestling encounter. The end result was that Jacob was changed. No longer was he the trickster and supplanter. He was now a prince who had struggled with God and with men and had prevailed.

CONCLUSION

For somebody today God wants an encounter with you! You have been running away from your troubles all your life, but now you must face them square on. But before you face your troubles you must come face to face with God. You must admit that you need him, that your previous efforts have come to naught and that you are powerless without him. You’ve got to come to him in payer. The words from the song writer are again appropriate:

“Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care? Precious Savior, still our refuge, take it to the Lord in prayer. Do your friends despise, forsake you? Take it to the Lord in prayer! In His arms He’ll take and shield you; you will find a solace there.”

When you come to Him, He will be there to meet you. Sometimes it will be hard to get your breakthrough; but you must hold on. Like Jacob you have to say I will not let you go until you bless me. Your breakthrough may be just moments away. Keep holding on; keep fighting for your life. Never give up on God. He will not give up on you. He will come through and bless you.

Your crisis will soon be over! We note that chapter 33 describes a peaceful and pleasant meeting between Esau and Jacob, because God intervened. He will intervene in your situation too. Your trouble will soon be over; your crisis will come to an end. Put your trust in God. He will come through for you!

Increasing Beyond Expectation: Strategies for Unlimited Church Growth

Trevor S Ferguson

February1, 2014

Isaiah 54:1-5 (KJV)
¹  Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the LORD.
²  Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes;
³  For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.
⁴  Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more.
⁵  For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.

 
INTRODUCTION 

The text of Isaiah 54 is a song of praise celebrating the promise of Israel’s deliverance from captivity and the dawn of a new day of prosperity and blessings. During Isaiah’s life Israel was in a state of decline, both spiritually and politically, and Isaiah himself had prophesied concerning Israel’s destruction and exile as a consequence of their sins. Central to Isaiah’s prophesies however was the eventual restoration of Israel to her former glory and the coming of the Messiah who would deliver Israel from the bondage of sin.

The story of Israel’s restoration begins in Isaiah 40, where God commands Isaiah to comfort the people, proclaiming that their warfare is over and her iniquity is pardoned. In chapter 44 and 45, Isaiah names Cyrus as one who would initiate deliverance of Israel from Babylon, over a hundred years before Cyrus’ birth. Interspersed within the story of Israel’s restoration are numerous messianic prophesies, chief of which is seen in Isaiah 53 where Isaiah declares that the Messiah would come as a suffering servant, but would accomplish a great spiritual deliverance for humanity. In chapter 54 Isaiah switches back to the story of Israel’s restoration and issues a challenge which appears initially to be paradoxical, but if applied is really a formula for unlimited growth beyond usual expectations. Today I want us to explore this passage as I share with you some strategies for unlimited growth for the church but equally applicable to our personal lives.

EXPOSITION 

The text begins with a challenge to the barren: “Sing O barren … break forth into singing … more are the children of desolate than the married wife”. We note that in bible times barrenness was considered a curse and therefore singing and rejoicing were not attributes one would expect from a barren woman. In fact the attitude of Rachel (“give me children or let me die”) and Hannah (weeping and deep sorrow) are more likely to be expected. The command to sing and rejoice even while still in a state of barrenness and desolation leads us to the first strategy for unlimited growth.

Strategy #1: Sing, regardless of your current situation

Despite the current state of barrenness Isaiah commanded Israel to sing, to rejoice, and cry aloud (shout). It is an action, not dependent on the current circumstances but in anticipation who our God is and what we know that he can do. We note that Israel struggled with this concept, for we see in Psalm 137 that they had difficulty singing the Lord’s song in a strange land. The book of Daniel however shows us another side, where the three Hebrew boys and Daniel were not afraid to sing, rejoice, and prosper even in the land of their captivity.

Strategy #2: Recognize that your current state of barrenness, poverty, lack or desolation is not permanent

The second clause of verse 1 contains this declaration: “more are the children of the desolate that of the married wife”. Here Isaiah was saying many children are coming! The desolate, forsaken woman will become more fruitful than the previously stable married woman. When God reverses your situation he will give you double for all your troubles. Note also that the barren women were often the ones who brought forth children of promise: Rachel had Joseph; Hannah had Samuel and Elizabeth had John the Baptist. Sarah at 90 years old had Isaac and thus gave birth ultimately to the nation of Israel. God has a way of turning the tides and making that which was poor, desolate and insignificant the source of great blessing. Your current situation is not permanent. Rejoice your increase is coming!

Strategy #3: Prepare for your increase

Verse 2 of Isaiah 54 presents four things that we need to do as we prepare to receive the increase or expansion that we are expecting: 1) Enlarge the place of thy tent; 2) Stretch forth thy curtains; 3) lengthen thy cords; 4) strengthen thy stakes. Let’s look at each or these:

- Enlarge the place of your tent – We must create extra space (mental and physical) to receive God’s blessings. Let us remove the limits off our concept of God’s blessing.
- Stretch your curtains – We must make the new space habitable and comfortable.
- Lengthen thy cords – We must ensure that our support systems can handle the increased capacity. We must train leaders, workers, ministers, and counselors.
- Strengthen thy stakes – We must get deeper in God – shallow stakes can’t support a big tent so we will need to get closer to God. This will involve more prayer, more fasting and more study of the word of God. 

With adequate preparation we will be able to sustain the increase rather than see it come and slip right out of our hands

Strategy #4: Do not be afraid: Step out in faith

Verse 4 anticipates the residual effects of barrenness and desolation which include fear and inertia. Many times we are afraid that if we step out we will fail and thus suffer shame. We therefore often play it safe, by doing nothing or as little as possible. If we are to increase beyond expectations however, we must step out in faith. We will have to do some things we have never done before; we will have to engage people we do not know and will have to take some risk – emotional, financial and even spiritual. God has promised that we will not be ashamed. He will back us up. We must ensure however that we are being lead by the spirit, because we can’t expect to be walking in the flesh, making rash decisions and then expect that God will ‘cover’ our errors. Outside of that, when we are walking in the spirit even if we make a few missteps God will direct our path and lead us to success.

Strategy #5: Recognize the power of your support

In verse 5, Isaiah reminds Israel – “thy Maker is thy husband; the Lord of host is his name; thy redeemer is the Holy One on Israel, he is the God of the whole earth”. The source of our support is none other than the Creator; He is the Lord of host, the Lord Almighty, the Lord mighty in battles – He will fight for us. He is our Redeemer – He will buy us back if we end up in trouble. He is our guarantor, he will pay our debts. He is the Holy One of Israel – He has a track record as a Deliverer. He delivered Abraham and Isaac; He delivered Israel from Egypt, He lead Joshua as he conquered the Canaanites. He delivered David when he faced Goliath and then delivered him from the hands of Saul; he delivered Daniel from the lion’s den and the three Hebrew boys from the fiery furnace. He brought Israel out of Babylonian captivity and preserved them under Roman oppression.

Chances are if he did all of that he can deliver you! 

Strategy #6: Do not be dissuaded by the doubters, gainsayers and accusers; they cannot stop God’s work

The last verse of Isaiah 54 contains a powerful promise: “No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.” The Sanballats and Tobiahs will oppose the work of God, but like Nehemiah when we are doing a good work we will not stop. Fight if you must; but keep the work of God going right on.

CONCLUSION

Today we have looked at some strategies that can be employed to accomplish unlimited growth both for the church and in our personal lives. These words were not sent to entertain you or to impress you, but to inspire you and call you to action. God is challenging you to grow, to increase beyond expectations. You can’t  do this on your own accord, but if you employ the principles contained in God’s word, all things are possible. Apply these principles today; remember you have got to do your part, even as we are reminded in the book of 1st Corinthians: Paul planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. God is ready to enlarge your territory and expand your borders! Trust him today; Step out in faith and see how you will increase beyond all expectations.