What to Remember When You Hit Bottom, Part 3

Just a few months ago, Chuck Swindoll delivered a brand-new series of messages to the congregation where he serves as senior pastor responding to the obvious concerns consuming our culture today. Chuck decided to preach from a passage in the Old Testament bears a striking resemblance to our times and were pleased to present this study to you now today on Insight for living. We invite you to follow along in Lamentations 3 Chuck refers to Lamentations as Jeremiah's journal "title today's message want to remember when you hit bottom is interesting God preserved Lamentations for all of us to read so many years later as many of our cities are going through terrible times we turn to Lamentations and we realize that there's a limit there's a limit to God's patience and there's a limit to his grace and you go was asked. Jeremiah gives us the words I want to see in afflictions chapter 3 verse one afflictions that come from the rot of the Lord's anger is lead me in the darkness shorting out all light is turned his hand against me again and again all day long.

He has made my skin and flesh grow old he's broken my bones is besieged me and surrounded me with anguish and distress buried me in a dark place, like those long did this man is at the bottom finally reach bottom. You've been there. I've been there when all this begins to happen you move into a realm of hope, less mass to dangerous place to be. Jeremiah offers a far better option than self-pity. I'm pleased to say when you hit bottom. You remember something important you're going to pull out of the self-pity. Jeremiah is our model.

He does that very thing. Look, if you will begin your first 19 before my suffering and homelessness is better beyond words so is at the bottom. Admittedly is no place to look, but what he does. He looks up I will never forget this awful time. As I grieve over my loss yet I still dare to hope.

Love those words in verse 21. I still dare to hope and at the bottom. I've come to the pit of my life devastation is all around me. I dare to hope when when I remember this, there is right from the inspired word of God look for yourself. Verse 22. I remember the Lord's loving kindness never ends his loyal love never ends, never second.

I remember his mercies, plural always more mercies than misery, his mercies never cease. I remember that in the pit at the bottom. I remember Lord, your loving kindness never ceases your mercies never end your faithfulness never diminishes. It's always great to remember that such thoughts. Please observe or provide for us every morning. I love it. Verse 23, his mercies begin afresh each morning. Think of it as each sunrise even when you can't see the sun behind the clouds.

That son is there. It's coming up every morning and every morning, every single morning is loyal love is fresh his mercies, which is his ministry to us in our misery never cease, and his greatness never diminishes. Thank you Lord for the sunrise. Thank you for the remodel care what the news said last night. I don't care how bleak it may seem it in the Outlook. I'm taking the Outlook and when I look up, I see loyal love divine mercies and phenomenal undiminished greatness all pouring forth from the Lord. He is, he never takes a high he never goes away.

In the message we read.

I remember it all show how well I remember the feeling of hitting the bottom but there's one other thing I remember and remembering I keep a grip on the whole God is loyal love couldn't have run out his merciful love couldn't have dried up there created new every morning how great your faithfulness and that he concludes I'm sticking with God. I say it over and over. He's all I've got left. He's all I've got left and so verse 24 I say to myself, look at this in place of self-pity. As a result of the sunrise in the things I'm remembering coming to mine. I say to myself, the Lord is my inheritance. He is the one, full of mercy, full of love for greatness that sunrise every morning my loving kindness is yours. My mercies are yours but faithfulness. Yours to claim my inheritance is yours. My deliverance is yours. My compassion is yours. It's all yours. But the world will never remind you of that.

It will only tell you what's going wrong and how bad things are not with the Lord. He does live his life in his existence and in in in the realm of bad news. He suffered overall in all through all and beyond all you when you latch onto that when you pray when you pray, I encourage you to your knees, pour out your heart flush out all the worry all the fears get rid of that initially verse 55 will tell your true story. Verse 55, you heard me when I notices I called on your name oh Lord from deep within the pit.

There is, I called on your name, you heard me when I cried, listen to my pleading hear my cry for help.

Yes, you came when I called you told me to not fear there it is again. Do not fear for long enough.

Have we been focusing only on a virus for long enough that we been focusing only on news of chaos and destruction and devastation long enough that we watch the squabbling between various parties of people and and spend our life talking about that.

No wonder our hope is worn thin. That is coming from the Lord. All that is horizontal. So change the perspective take time to read very slowly and very carefully these verses, I just read in fact look at verse 28 let them sit alone in silence beneath the Lord's domains let them lie face down in the dust for there may be hope at last Lord I don't think this. I wanted to be real and I wanted to come on Mondays. I'm going to count on you to do it start within my mind, and may it pass from my lips to others so that I can breathe be a source of encouragement even in a dark time like this.

Now the story, please listen carefully. The marathon is one of the most strenuous athletic events in support.

The Boston Marathon attracts the best runners in the world. In the spring of 1980 Rosie Ruiz are you I see Rosie Ruiz was the first woman to cross the finish line at the Boston Marathon. She had the laurel wreath placed on her head in a blaze of lights and cheering. She was completely unknown to the world of running an incredible feat. Her first race of victory in the prestigious Boston Marathon.

Then someone stepped back and noticed her legs. They were legs that had loose flesh cellulite, not the legs of a runner.

Questions began to be asked no one in the race had seen her along the 26.2 mile run. The truth finally came out, she had jumped into the race during the last mile there was immediate and widespread interest in Rosie.

Why did she do that when it was certain that she would be found out. Athletic performance cannot be faith, but she never admitted her fraud sing with me here one interviewer concluded that she really believed that she had run the complete Boston Marathon and one she was analyzed as a sociopath. She lied convincingly and naturally, with no sense of country. She appeared bright, normal, and intelligent, but there was no moral sense to give coherence to her social actions tapping on that story. Eugene Peterson in his book run with the horses applies it with great insight.

Don't miss this now." In reading about Rosie. I thought about all the people I know who want to get in on the finish but who cleverly arrange not to run the race. They appear in church on Sunday read in smiles, entering into the celebration, but there is no personal life that leads up to it or out from it. Occasionally they engage in spectacular acts of love and compassion. We are impressed with surprised, for they were never known to do that before.

Then it turns out to be a stun stunt.

No personal involvement either precedes or follows that act, they are plausible and convincing. But in the end they do not run the race believing through the tough times praying through the lonely hours, they have no sense for what is real in religion the proper label for such a person is religion your path ever heard of that. I've never heard of that already from Peterson, the proper label for such a person is a religion.

Your path, the world is full of my dad. Peterson then concludes no one becomes human.

The way Jeremiah was human by posing in a posture of victory.

It was his prayers hidden, but persistent love hidden but persistent that brought him to the human wholeness and spiritual sensitivity that we want what we do in secret determines the soundness of who we are in public. Now repeat the principle. What we do in secret determines the soundness of who we are in public prayer is the secret work that develops a life that is thoroughly authentic and deeply human. What you doing secret what will you like when nobody is looking your phony, a religion your path you want to look like a runner, but you know you're not your prayer life is frighteningly scant to the point of being shameful was the last time you literally were on your knees pouring out your heart for this country for those who were so disillusioned they think tearing something up is really building the country. When was the last time you prayed through your fears. You poured out her soul to God for strength.

What are you like when no one is looking. I suggest that the place to begin. For all of us. I have no public ministry.

If what I'm doing in private, shall the just words. I'm just giving you words so I sent below the statue of Jeremiah, and I really thank the Lord for that model would be like that. I want to set you forget that I want to be like that man was like Jesus, who, though he was rich, yet for our sakes he became poor, that we through his poverty might.

Each who gave up all the glories of heaven to invade this sorry filthy planet and to deal with. Sorry. Filthy humanity who wanted nothing to do with but it came and he died in the meantime. In his private life, he met along with the father and said to him again and again.

I'm doing what you sent me to do XYZ is worth believing in these model is the wonderful please bow your heads to sit still for a moment how long the virus will be with us, but it will be with us as long as our Lord is he's eternal how long will be devastating things going on the streets. It will be as long as the Lord is he'll be here when all that turns a corner. The question is what are you going to be doing in the meantime, grousing about a virus worried about getting a futures fussing over those who don't have control over their own emotions, complaining about people who don't see things like you do ours ago to be the Lord in first place each morning when he makes himself fresh in the new is the time for you to say today is your day Lord I give it to you.

I hold nothing back. Think your thoughts through me.

Speak your words through me, touch others lives through me and I'll get out of the way as you use me, but begin within me.

Keep me authentic. If you've never come to Christ. Today's the day to come. What on earth are you waiting for is available is death is effective is cross awaits your coming come now come now chores again. Our father heard that you you are all powerful. You do all things well even when you wait and things go on and all that seem out of control. You do all things well even when we can't see the end that you have in mind.

You do all things well even when it's painful. You do all things will remind us that we are not here to be pleased we are here to give and to serve. We are to become like your son do that work. Father in these treacherous days that we might look back and say, in many ways they were some of the best days of my Christian life I was at the bottom and the sunrise brought me to the top.

Thank you in advance, especially for those who come to Christ today in his name I pray. Everyone said this concludes our study from the book of Lamentations chapter 3. Chuck Swindoll titled today's message what to remember when you hit bottom to learn more about this ministry or Chuck Swindoll. Be sure to visit us online@insideworld.org it's our hope and prayer that these daily studies motivate you to take your next steps in your spiritual journey at Insight for living. We believe your best learning often takes place when you set aside private moments to pause and reflect on God's word is one of the many reasons we supply a daily dose of biblical encouragement from Chuck by email by subscribing to CheckFree devotional you be able to read and pray intentionally, and with focus seven days a week. The devotional shows up automatically in your inbox, so subscribe today when you go to insight.org and follow the simple instructions. This daily program and the free daily devotionals are made possible through the voluntary donations of friends at our monthly companions together were bringing a message of truth and hope to people around the world who like Jeremiah feel they reach their lowest moments, spurred on by the global pandemic along with the escalating civil unrest. Chuck feels a renewed sense of urgency to spread the message of God's love to your entire community and to 195 countries of the world and with boldness you're calling on you to join us. Frankly, we could never accomplish this mission. Without you, but together we can implement the great commission of Jesus Christ by making disciples through the radio. Our website the mobile app CD's books, DVDs, the podcast live streaming and more.

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Some have suffered greatly, but all of us have felt the loneliness of a quarantine lifestyle through it all were grateful to God has use the Bible teaching of Chuck Swindoll to continue uninterrupted by the coronavirus or even through civil unrest, God's amazing grace is our overarching every day. One insight from living in fact it's quite possible that God is used. Our daily program to extend his grace to you. Will these daily visits with Chuck are made possible in part by monthly companions and were inviting you to join this influential team of monthly supporters signed up today by calling us if you're listening in the United States dial 1-800-772-8880. Please jot down our contact information and follow the Lord's prompt when you do that you will be coming over okay sweet fragrance of God's great here at home all around the become a monthly companions by calling us listening in the United States. Call 1-800-772-8888 or go online to insight or/Peña, I'm Dave Speicher inviting you to join us again Friday when Chuck Swindoll continues his study called Jeremiah's Journal of woes right here on insight for living. The preceding message what to remember when you hit bottom and the sound recording were copyrighted in 2020 by Charles Parson Dalton.

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