Key to Surviving the Tough Times In Life

Welcome to the intensified Catholic time family for Monday, February 14. Today we begin a series of messages that can help you think difficulty with the assurance that comes from trusting God learn how to build unshakable faith in uncertain times. I spoke with a young pastor this past week who is having a very difficult time in this church because he was preaching the gospel and people being saved in the church is growing in the old guard feels very birthright of the fact that new people are coming in of the church and he was discouraged and despondent is said to be in the course the conversation is a Dr. Stanley. I'm not really sure I'm going to be able to survive this sure him yes you will a couple came to the study some months ago. Last year from out of town.

They shared with me how they had lost the teenage daughter and in the course the conversation the mother said I'm in such a state of depression. She said I'm not sure I'm going to be able to survive this will that's what I want to talk about in this message.

The key to surviving the tough times in life. I want to turn if you will to Hebrews chapter 11 and let's read the 23rd through the 29th versus together this passage is about a man who had some tough times, and in spite of the he survived and God used him on him, blessed him, and here's an example to all of us today. Hebrews chapter 11 beginning in verse 23 by faith Moses when he was born was hidden for three months by his parents because they saw he was a beautiful child and they were not afraid of the king's edict by faith Moses when he had grown up refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter choosing rather to endure ill treatment with the people of God, then to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is unseen or invisible. By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood so that he who destroyed the firstborn might not touch them by faith. They pass through the Red Sea, as though they were passing through dry land, and the Egyptians when they attempted were drowned. One of the mistakes that you and I make in looking at these Old Testament characters as well as the new ones.

Is this. We look at these men and these women we say, but they were extraordinarily and in women who had supernatural strength of soul and body, they will not your normal they were not your natural people.

There was something supernatural about them. If that had been true, it would've absolutely undermined the very point that God is making all the Scriptures as he talks about the way he deals through and with these men and women. These were ordinary men and women just like you and myself. The only difference is that these men and women had something in, they had an uncommon something about them that is available to every single one of us that made them in their life extraordinary in their life, not because they themselves were exceptionally so.

In fact, the truth is some applause may have some attribute to some characteristics they didn't have some of us may have much more going for is that they did.

But there was something, a common thread that ran through the lives of those men and women that made what they did in the life they live exceptional. Now we think about the tough times in life and think about our tough times. All of us can look back and say well you have had some tough times in life global talk about that I want to talk about the very key that makes it possible for us rather than to be conquered by them and destroyed by them rather to be a conqueror of the tough times, no matter what they are and so let's begin by simply saying that tough times are inescapable, they got to be a part of every single person's life. Tough times are inescapable.

Look at the life of Moses. For example, and I want to say two things about this that some of those tough times we bring on ourselves and some of them are the result of what God does in her life. For example, the life of Moses in the best of everything. The finest opportunities all the wealth the pleasure all the opportunities of sin. All the opportunities of prestige and prominence and power and all that goes with it, but something inside of the small Hebrew boy who now become a man Saying to him, but you are a Hebrew, there came a point in Moses life is a man. The Bible says when he became of age when he matured in his thinking that one day he decided I choose no longer to be the son of Pharaoh's daughter but now I choose to go back to be what I am and what I was and that is a Hebrew child I Hebrew song, a man among the Hebrews and the scores he made a terrible mistake his tough times began when he disobeyed God when he killed an Egyptian soldier buried in the sand and when the word came to Pharaoh.

He fled the Bible says to the wilderness of Midian, and therefore 40 long years.

Moses stripped of every single thing that he could possibly have relied upon their he was a shepherd and that was it.

40 long years, 40 years in Pharaoh's household. 40 years now on the backside of the desert.

What a terrible departure now some tough times we bring on ourselves and somehow they seem to be the toughest because we want to lose more blame somebody else. But there are some tough times we don't bring on ourselves.

There are some tough times in which God places in that is weird there because it's the will of God.

So let me ask you this. Are you in those tough times that you facing because of something you did or is it because God has placed you there for a very specific reason. Tough times are inescapable regardless of why we're there we are all going to face, and the key is how to be responsible.

So not only are these tough times. This inescapable with the second thing is what you notices this tough times either develop us or they destroy us. They either develop loss of the destroyers and that depends upon how we respond and if you think about some Bible characters and how they have responded any one of which these circumstances would have destroyed others and you see what you'll find is that you will find is one person who's going through a difficult time. His mother he's going through, one that is similar.

This one is developed and edified character is built. There is strength and fortitude is something strong about that person, and this one crumbles need the same similar load. What's the difference the way they respond. Some of the most godly men and women. I know the strongest stalwart Giants who love the Lord God of those who have walked through the most difficult trying troublesome times I've ever known heartache, heartbreak, sorrow, loss, criticism, persecution, and what happens while those around drop like flies. They just keep coming up to the pack godly strong stalwart courageous believing Giants of God who just ordinary people, but ordinary people who've learned the key to surviving tough times in life.

The third thing I want to say to you about tough times. Is this all tough times are comfortable no matter what. When we learned the key to surviving.

We learn the key to surviving all tough times are comparable. Now look at that verse because herein lies the key, he says, by faith he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is unseen or does he mean by endured that word means to be strong to hold out the hold up under even the most crushing kind of pressure. There is a resolution of fortitude that does not give up that does not fade that does not give in. That does not quit.

That does not walk away he endured. How did he endured.

The Bible says that he endured as seeing him who is invisible. That is what I want you to get if you forget everything else that I've said everything I'm going to say here's the key to surviving tough times, learning to walk in the continuing awareness that your walking in the presence of God that is what that verse is all about. He endured, he held up, he was able to hang in there. He did my way when everything seemed to be so absolutely impossible.

He didn't flinch. Why, because Moses walked as a man who walked in the awareness that he was walking in the presence of all mighty God. This is Moses whole perspective on life was different. Why, because of the burning bush, he heard something he could never forget. He heard the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He heard Jehovah God, he heard the God who was greater than the gods of Egypt, he heard the only true God say to him Moses. Moses, I will be with you.

He never forgot and give a learn. Yet in your Christian life to walk in the awareness that every moment you walking in the presence of Almighty God, sovereign, loving, all wise, faithful God. Let me tell you how you can tell what you have a not if you have seasons of worry and anxiety, and Fred and fears and carers and old and alone you go. My friend, you missed something, doesn't mean that not any of us will ever reach the stage where it will never come to your mind but we have learned to walk in the awareness of his presence. What happens, we suddenly focus that against the fact that we are walking in the presence of Almighty God and there is no care, no fretting know where it no fear, no trouble, no heartache, no loss, no suffering, no anything. That is all wise, loving hand cannot take care of absolutely perfectly and fully Moses learned he is a man who walked through troublesome times with this overwhelming sense of continuing awareness that he was walking in the presence of Almighty God. That's why he can stand on the beach of the Red Sea and he could hear the rumbling of the chariots and the marching of the Egyptian soldiers and listen. And in the midst of all of his own rendering say Moses why did you do this to was our families are going to be killed like he could hardly hear the rumble of the chariots and the marching of the soldiers with the clamor and the criticism of the persecution of his own crowd quietly, humbly, meekly, Moses said to them, standstill and see what I've already say my friend before you call someone else's act of obedience to God.

Foolish be sure that you been to the same burning bush abatement. Are you maybe criticizing God is in no way to minister back in the burning bush for a moment because sure Moses was at the burning bush, he heard God speak, but I've never had a burning bush. Listen to me very carefully what was important about that old bush is similar as a burning bush. The first boy should have a burned is the important thing about the burning bush. It was in the bush. It was the fact that at the burning bush, Moses heard God speak and listen to me carefully. There is a verse of Scripture.

He I want you to read because it's the key. I want you to go back over to the third chapter now the Bible says in verse two and the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing fire. That's what he saw was the blazing fire from the midst of a burning bush and he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire. The bush was not consumed.

So Moses that I must turn aside and see this marvelous site. While the bushes and burned up the here's the key and what you remember this, repeat this over and over so you won't miss it when the Lord saw that he Moses turned aside to look God called to him from the midst of the bush. You said but I want to go back and tell you I have not had a burning bush. You haven't, what was the burning bush the burning bush was no more than an attention getter is a man who walked in the desert for 40 long years God got his attention with the bush that began to burn, but would not be consumed in was the bush. It was the word of the living God.

Listen, the bush was an attention getter has God ever got your attention in such a fashion that you knew at that moment you were standing in the awesome presence of holy God, and God was saying something to you that was a burning bush.

You know what the problem is that so many of us in such a big hurry in life and so many of us have so much of our own schedule and our own plans going is what happens.

God sets of flame to a burning bush right in front of us and we walked right by and never paid any mind or explain it away with it over bushes just burn me these things that happen phot had these feelings wanted to take me some medicine something out. You know, why should I feel this way. What happens is that God had a burning bush and listen to that verse.

When the Lord saw that Moses turned aside to look then God spoke, you know why God hadn't said more to you than he said. Maybe you haven't turned aside to listen is able to give an example of a burning bush. I give an example. God is saying something very clear to you about the times you living in, and how you're responding. God is trying to get your attention so that you will begin to walk in the continuing awareness of his presence, by faith, and obeyed the living God for your life that is a burning bush. It may be a time of great difficulty when all of a sudden God brings you to the end of yourself and you feel stripped of every resource there's nothing to depend upon and you have absolutely nothing suddenly you feel that you are in the presence of Almighty God and he's trying to say something to you.

Listen any old bush will do if God is doing speak, but I wonder if you'd too big a hurry to turn aside, listen to God what is the key to surviving difficulty hardship in trial. Listen carefully, learning to walk in the continuing awareness that you walking in the presence of an awesome sovereign loving, faithful, all wise God every single moment of your life. That is the key to survival is the key to living the life that is the way God wants each of us to walk the Monday. Thank you for listening to the key to surviving the tough times in life.

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