Hearing God In the Storm

So when you're the Detroit Lions chaplain for 33 seasons. As you where you go through a few hard sees these men to learn why are you laughing late as I wanted to know I did and I think we've experienced more hard than easy comparison houses has said to me those are hard seasons but it's football yeah is not life and honestly if you win a Super Bowl or not. It's a great thing. I guess I would think you know, for somebody but life isn't dependent on welcome to family life today where we want to help you pursue the relationships that matter most and will and I'm Dave Wilson and you can find us@familylifetoday.com or on our family life.

This is family life today about tough seasons, 20, 20 was well our seasons are as years. Anybody's ever gone through yet I think were still recovering from that year and some years beyond that to you and so on. The big questions is how do you deal with pain and hardship in your life. So we were asked to speak on the love like you mean it.

Virtual crews because there wasn't a boat on the water because the covariate we actually did a cruise virtually, which is dog products a new way to do a cruise. It actually worked. Thousands of people joined us on this boat that was fake. You know I listen to messages just like they would if they were on the boat and so when we are asked to speak on that. My first thought is let's give a happy message. This give you no fun message about Mary because that's generally who we are. We talk about some hard topics, but we still like to bring joy into it but we have lived through some really hard times in our marriage in our lives as well as all of our listeners have and so I think that this message will be very relevant – so we decided let's go and talk about how do you find God in the middle of a storm because this year Celica storm so hopefully this is going to really help some people.

I think it's a reminder of God is with us, you know, this is quite the year.

I remember 35 years ago we go to Detroit and was pregnant.

We rented a small house were moving our our stuff in town.

I'm still kind of sick because it's beginning of my pregnancy and suddenly on the day it's actually the next morning she had. Remember you are stressed out frantic were sort of fighting and even fighting this year. Yeah me. We are it. Saturday morning I have to get in the car, drive an hour. I don't know where I'm going in Michigan to Dearborn Michigan because Bill Bright, the founder and president of crew is going to be there. I'm supposed to meet him. I have to go.

She's like you can't leave white wheelie. We saw boxes.

She walks out of the garage pregnant. We are yelling at each other team and they were saying that yelling I never yell. She was yelling and I was yelling back. Her parents are still the house and I'm so mad I don't want to do this but I have to do this and I just yelling at her. I get in the car and somatic put it in reverse and I just slam on the accelerator backup as fast as I can and she starts yelling arms and saying she's yelling.

I think she just like yeah whatever and also I run right into a pickup that was sitting in her dry parents pickup used it to move and I you hit it.

Probably going 20 miles an hour and then Mrs. Aihara realized she was trying to yell stop she would yell at me and it was just this embarrassing crazy moments we thought that because we thought 2020 has been a year of getting hit by the pickup. I'm really bad it's been crazy everywhere. Virtual crews right now. Who ever thought we could get on a boat and go out because of a pandemic. But here we are. It's been a hard year. It's been really hard. I was thinking about it. Things that have happened in 2020 homeless.

We lost our dog we lost my mom in January. My dad not not to: but yeah my dad was in the hospital when she passed and it switches had a rough year. Yes, OAI actually made a list of just one. Words that one word. Well, the whole list that everyone of us is to live through this year. When you hear the word it's getting motion towards it.

We won't forget. Yeah.

So here they are in their sisters we can do this all they were not going but just think about this COBIT then leaders Rihanna protests canceled stimulus are very protests unemployment Floyd riots stockings fires division BLM anger protests hate mass Cairns we all know some carriage right MBA politics debates football. I like to get on the support for election spikes vaccine, and here's what I think a lot of us are asking God where are you what what are you doing why are you here it was really interesting for me is I decided to begin in 2020. I was going. Walk-through daily. The book of Psalms. No idea that in February and March we be in a lock down in a pandemic. But you know is you redo the book of Psalms. It's really a great book hundred 50 Psalms. Many of them are laments much like what we just said God where I why is this happening why aren't you meeting me here right now and God's mercy and hard that there's been good.

There a lot of us are thinking those questions were were asking those questions are what interesting things I think that happens when you become a Christ follower is there sort of this belief that if I had Jesus to my life. Life will be easier my marriage. May our marriage be better. I may just like everything goes better with Jesus wasn't that a commercial I got everything goes better with Coke. It's like if I sent is my life.

Everything will be easier and yet here we are and we have Christ in our life. Many of us, and it's still hard and in it is always said to do with you tonight is is walk-through a story about a man in the Old Testament, a man named Elijah if you're very familiar with him, but he was a prophet, the Old Testament and the books of first and second Kings and he was a prophet to a king a king named King Ahab if you know I got King Ahab. Here's what you know he was called the most evil king of Israel. Now this is a list of 19 kings over 200 years who were all evil. And yet this King Ahab is called bone most evil so he was just a nasty evil, evil dude and Elijah is a prophet.

So he's going to speak the words of God wherever God sends them to guess what were going to find out where to find out a God sent Elijah to King Ahab to give me my not very popular message. It's pretty crazy. But there is a message that I think is in this story for us as married couples in the middle of a pandemic when were hurting bikes just sort of region. Through this, the story I here's what's interesting is he goes to speak the King Ahab you know some about King Ahab, he worships a God name bail is not a got all the false God bail is the God of fertility and rain right and is also King Ahab is married to an interesting woman with turning you guys all know the name. It's Jezebel is the power that we have in our marriage is in is wise because Jezebel I feel like she really led Ahab into this direction of worshiping idols and I would just say this to you, especially if your parents teach your children to marry the right people really is who you marry really determines your life. You don't know this about my story but I'll almost married Jezebel that was not her name and I will tell you her name it for four years I dated her thighs and marry her. But as I came to Christ. I began to realize she's serving a different God. If I were to marry her.

I'm telling you right now when I sit here today, divorced man, not a ministry and I did make that decision. I would just encourage you to think about how I hope you're not watching us going all married to just mean that God can't transfer since ancient and right now you should be looking your spouse saying you think entering the story.

By the way, first Kings 17 Elijah said to Ahab, as the Lord, the God of Israel.

Ribbons who serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except my word so what's really interesting is picture yourself being Elijah and God says you gotta go get this message for the king and notice what he just said there's not any rain for the next years. What God Ahab serves as a got a brain and so God is telling you of your Elijah you go tell him there can be no rain you're going to challenge his very got us all you know later on, the store, but there's a showdown later in a couple chapters later at Mark Carmel between the God of Elijah and the God of Ahab and find out who it is.

But at this moment all Elijah noses I have to go tell the key who believes that his God is gonna bring rain at your guys. I can bring right and they were not howling down at that time in the word of the Lord came to Elijah leave here turn this word in the character of the east of the Jordan you will drink from the brook. I have directed the ravens to supply you with food. There, so he did with the Lord had told him and he went to the character of the east of the Jordan, and he stayed there the ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning, and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook. I thought surely wishing I think about this is you know he hands up in this care if Valley which you don't know this but you don't care if means cut off, it means death Valley so you think okay if I fall God annuity because they do obey him.

It's all gonna go good know we end up in death Valley, but yet in death Valley. What happens as he provides food and water takes care of Linda so it's almost like all you. This is how it is when you obey God into everything you say makes tough at times that God will meet you right there right that's how goes, he's always gonna take care of you provide for you and then you get the next verses and sometime later, the brook dried out because there had been no rain in the land which is like oh my goodness, here is if you obey your life will be blessed well you know why just obeying God and yet he has no water. And you know what he said was going to happen. There can be no rain there's no rain and it affects him as well were so sorted again… Perspective that if I follow got everything will go right.

But here's the truth even when we follow God. Sometimes there's pain even when we obey God knew everything. He's asking us to do things don't always go the way we hope all we want.

And here is Elijah doing the right thing and life is really hard and sometimes you and I struggle because we think why am I struggling my marriage why we struggle in our job, our health, when were doing everything God is ask us to do in life can sometimes be hard. Why does it happen where is God in that moment.

And what's really interesting is you find out in this story they got is right there, but in the moment, in the valley.

Often we don't believe that reason. I remember when we were really struggling you maybe send you variances to when were really struggling in our marriage. I felt like God was. He even hearing me. I quantities used here. As for praying for help and I felt like I felt like it was kind of the callout nothing.

I knew he heard me that we didn't see that. I remember when I came to Christ as my junior year in college and was really pushing my life and the time is there everything was going almost as I could dreamed of my perfectly down plank isobar said here and realizes her head a comb-over going but don't think I football on a scholarship. I just led the nation in passing percentage my sophomore year of a preseason All-American pickled in my junior and right before my junior year I was empty, even though I've done everything I thought I could do and accomplish success. I was empty. I come to Christ a whole other story. But now a Christ follower.

Here's my thought this year. Football school will be the best year ever will bless you, because I got God now and I'm following him and here's a preseason All-American.

I start that season. Guess I end up in a hospital bed report this in the ^ I can't finish the season laying in a hospital bed in Muncie Indiana I went to incredible harbor to the Midwest, Ball State University.

I'm sure you all know that but he was in Ball Memorial Hospital literally by myself after surgery. Looking at the ceiling and on their forget this is looking at going so this is what you do in my life was better last year without you in my life than you in my life and I really know if I can play football again.

I know what the future is where are you what are you doing I felt abandoned by God, which I know many of us feel when were in the Valley it's I God your spouse make my life better. My life is worse, here's a lot of people do they walk away. I think I did walk away, but at that moment I didn't really understand is God here. Now I can look back 2020 and say he was right there in fact he was doing something in my life, even in that hospital room that I couldn't see in the moment but I can look back now and almost. It's as if he was preparing me through this pain for something greater in the same think me true in your marriage. I mean the most difficult years of our marriage. When we fell in a like God and sort of abandon us. He's not answering our prayers we look back on now and so those years were incredible years of building something strong in us, that would help us last the now in our 40th year marriage.

I love the quote by EW tells her he said it's doubtful that God can bless me and greatly until he is hurting deeply and I know that can sound like all that sounds terrible because I thought God loved us so much and yet God does love. He loves her marriages he sees as he knows the pain were inch and yet that very pain can transform said here is amazing about Elijah it out as we thought about this message where it ended right there and go to some life's truths which were getting into in a minute but we were to read the rest of story like look what happens in the rest of the story because easily Valley the brook is dried up.

He doesn't have water now. And so we struggling the say okay God, where are you, and then watch what God does in the word of the Lord came to him, though it burns to their in the region of siding and stay there. I have directed a widow there to supply you with the which finally made a comment here you often, God meets us through people don't miss it. You know, I think I often he places, people, here's a widow, that Elijah doesn't know and God uses a woman a stranger literally to be the face of God to to Elijah to provide for him so he went to their where he came to the town gate widow was there gathering sticks call during which you bring your little ladder in a jar so I may have a drink and by the way, here's another great principle when you're when you're when you're struggling ask for help.

Now that's really hard sometimes. I mean, you don't want Astro you sorta don't even want to tell you but you're struggling some of your struggling right now and it's okay. Ask for help. Here's Elijah probably got. He asked a widow a stranger for help it sound like it's a simple thing that that's where a miracle begins as she was going to get it to come and bring me please. The bread certainly is the Lord your God lives. She replied I don't have any bread only youthful of flour in a jar in a little olive oil done. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it – talk about losing hope He noticed she's she's given up know this is the last bit of food that she had and often you think and I isolated Foss open yet will get a dozen medical. Elijah said to her, don't be afraid to go home and do this you have said, but first make a small loaf of bread for me. From what you have and bring it to me and then something for yourself and your son for this is what the Lord God of Israel says the jar of flour will not be used to and agenda of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the weekend and I and I think again or you suffer second.

I think there's a really important truth rate here God is saying through this widow actually to Elijah, are you going to trust what you see or you can trust what I say really good that it's true in the store I think is true for you and me today is what if we look at what we see easy to lose hope, especially today, my goodness, there are no signs on the horizon that things are going to turn right.

So if we only look at what we see if the only thing you what I do and I've been this way too many times and pick up my phone in the morning and read the New York Times or any news and read of spikes and things going on the world. I start to lose hope.

So if I look at what I see were in trouble. But if I look at what he says we learned instead open up. You know the news in the morning open up the word of God and look at what God says because right here there's a question looming as Elijah is this widow going to trust what God says I will provide on here I'm with you, or they get a look at what they see, and I think that's a principle we live with every single damning a look at what's happening in America were knocking to make it or majolica when when I got still here, God's got a plan for us. I know the signs to look good, but there's a God is with us that we can trust likely sent God. Are you seeing my has been increasing my wife I Kino have a lot of hope or even what our kids are going through hopelessness or maybe depression.

Our kids are going through is easy to lose hope and look at like it had a story and said again. We almost skip this part. I get through this part of this is so she went away so this the window she went away and did as Elijah had told her so guess what she's trusting now she sees, but what he said when God says she did as Elijah told her so. There was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family for the jar of flour was not used up in the jug of oil did not run the dry in keeping with the word of the Lord spoken by Elijah.

I mean it. It's this really pretty remarkable. I'm not pretty spectacular miracle that takes place in the Millis thing. I know you think you know that that's the way God's can always think of me don't always work out that way. But here's the thing. They trusted God, even the middle of the valley in the middle of a drought and God shows up in a pretty spectacular way that isn't the way it always goes. But here's the truth.

God always works even when we don't think is working but I was us the love like you mean average cruise 20, 21, that last part will we trust what we see or what God says like that's pretty big and it's not easy.

No, I mean, it's so easy, like the woman you know and Elijah said this would go to do. It's like I don't see that all I see is darkness.

I see a valley and yet God comes through Elijah and says there's a reality that you can't see that you have to trust the word of God, and I think that's key because what I end up doing when I get in those situations that feel like I'm out of control.

I start conjuring up a plan what we can do what am I going to do and sometimes it's easy to not go instantly into God's word and his party so powerful that I would just bring talk about this as we finish this message, but you've got to be in his word. Yeah, because it's so easy to keep your eyes almost looking around, rather than looking in his word and his word is his truth. And it reminds you he's actually right here right now it's hard to function without hope. Anytime you lose hope with her to your marriage, your job circumstances relationships the events of life we feel helpless. David and Wilson have been pointing us to the place where hope can be reignited, that is God's word. We been listing today to part one of a message from David and Wilson a message that was actually presented on the 2021 love like you mean it.

Virtual cruise so because of covert. We were not able to go cruising last year with her love like you mean it cruise. We did that virtually of David and spoke on that cruise. David ever to be speaking again on the 2022. Love like you mean it cruise which this time is not virtual. It's in real life will be gathering together, leaving from Port Canaveral on February 6 and sailing for eight days and seven nights can be a great cruise line up with not only Dave and Amber Dr. Julie Slattery Ron deal the Kendrick brothers are to be there were to be previewing their newest movie that's coming out in theaters next year. A great lineup of speakers and artists for the 2022. Love like you mean it marriage cruise and right now, what about 70% capacity. And so this is kind of last call for those of you who are interested in joining us on the cruise.

We have a special offer going now through October 4 where you can save some money and join us on the cruise. Go to our website family like today.com for more information about the cruise or if you have any questions call us at one 800 FL today. The cruise is such a great getaway for couples to relax refresher marriage and grow closer to one another and closer to Christ again. Find out more go to family life today.com or call one 803 586-329-1800 F is an family L as in life, and then the word today, not tomorrow. Working to hear part two of David and Wilson's message about how to find strength in the storms in your marriage and will hear from them about the benefits that come our way in the midst of suffering when were in the valley that I know it doesn't feel like it at the time, but there are benefits there.

God's word tells us that so I hope you can be with us tomorrow on behalf of our hosts David and Wilson on bubble team. We will see you back next time for another edition of family life, family life to the production of family life crew history helping you pursue the relationships that matter most