Riding Out the Storm, Part 3

Chuck Swindoll explains the crisis's prophetic seams on earth is a child of God is sitting in the corner, looking his wounds and self you think it takes grace to go through the crisis. You get to the end of it and it's time to recover and move on. That's what you really need the grace I will go on.

I will pick up the pieces back. I will be by God's grace wiser and more effective than it was before all and sometimes those regrettable flaws get passed on from one generation to the next simple blemishes on our character show up in the profiles of our sons and daughters. Perhaps a broken marriage may be an discretion today on Insight for living. We find King David dealing with the consequences of his moral failure as he watches his sin play out in the lives of his children. What's the key to recovery. Chuck Swindoll titled today's message riding out the storm store when you caused it in your reaping the whirlwind.

What you do. How do you handle it.

Second Samuel chapter 12 David answers it for us. Vicariously we enter into his experience and the result is tragic. Not only was David affected, but some people who stood by became affected show you how he acknowledge the soloing in verses 13 and 14. David said to Nathan second Samuel 1213.

I have sinned against the Lord.

He acknowledge the soloing.

Nathan said to David, the Lord has taken away your sin, you shall not die.

Verse 14 begins.

However, there's a whirlwind because by this deed you have given occasion to the enemies of the Lord, to blaspheme the child. Also that is born to you shall surely die.

I find in David's response for helpful guidelines for us to follow today when we go through the whirlwind number one. Pray verse 15 Nathan went to his house. Then the Lord struck the child at Uriah's widow board to David so that he was very sick. David therefore inquired of God, or the child, and David fasted and went and lay all night on the ground. As a matter of fact, this is the Scripture says he inquired for the child.

Does that mean drop down to verse 22. He said while the child was still alive, I fasted and wept for.

I said, who knows who knows the Lord may be gracious to me that the child may live. So first he prayed second notice that David face the consequences realistically. He is an amazing and amazingly mature person but his response. Verse 18. He faces the consequences realistically.

Then it happened on the seventh day. By the way, don't let that go by unnoticed seven days. He was in prayer, fasting, and virtually alone on the Sabbath day that the that it would happen that the child died and the servants of David were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they said, behold, while the child was still alive. We spoke to him and he did not listen to our voice. How then can we tell them that the child is dead since he might do himself harm their afraid of a suicide. Frankly, they looked upon his soul searching time is a deep depression.

They said when we lay this final weight on it harm himself. How can we tell it a look at this realistic response on David's part. When David saw that his sermons were whispering together.

David perceive the child was dead. I marked this.

David said to his servants is the child dead and they said he is dead, so David arose from the ground, washed, anointed himself and changed his clothes and he came into the house of the Lord and worship and seven days on the ground waiting on God inquiring of God placing himself in God's disposal abandoning himself throwing down the rod letting God do with it as he pleased. Now heard the words, the child is dead.

He got up, took a shower and change his close to the house of God. And that's when he worship third. We are to clean the truths of Scripture. If ever you want to get into the word of God. You want to do it when crisis happens.

You cannot let your emotions be your guide or you will do something rash or foolish.

David settle his case with God and he rested in the truth of God's word.

Let me show you. See verse 21 is servants can understand it. So they said, what is this thing that you've done while the child was alive.

You fasted and wept. But when the child died you arose in a food's response while the child was still alive, I fasted and wept for us and who knows the Lord may be gracious to me that the child may live by the way, that's what you do during the first period of the consequence. You don't deny you keep thinking maybe there's hope.

Maybe it won't happen. Maybe the Lord would give me great grace and will not bring this disaster as I. As I see it appearing maybe he will let me have the child or let me have the situation. Verse 23 but now look at the truth. He claims he has died. He faces it he accepts it. He does not deny it. He says this has happened? Why should I fast. How many people continue to fast after death, thinking maybe somehow I can get them back or the begin to make plans to contact the medium so they could somehow communicate with the dead on biblical route to take, how many take it. The child of God when he faces the fact concerning death says it's permanent. I cannot bring the person back. I will not deny, and in the in the comfort and counsel of God's word. I will rely on him to get me through this crisis. Look at how David puts it to great verse by the way, it's one of the few passages that help us know about the destiny of children that die 23 cannot bring him back again implied. No, I can't bring the dead child back. I shall go to him, but he will not return to me there is promise. If you have lost an infant. If the child has died in days of infancy.

This verse says you cannot bring the child back but you will see that child in heaven. You will see the that that living creature that that gift from God that he gave you and for reasons known only to him. He took from you. I cannot bring him back but I can go to him if I could lift this from the study of a little child and make it broader I would say much more right now about Christians who face death if ever a child of God is tempted to be very sloppy and operate on the basis of poor doctrine. It is when death happens.

It's amazing. As a minister of the gospel I deal with all sorts of individuals who seem to sort of lose touch with Scripture when death happened you know if there is a funeral home in the Los Angeles basin that will in fact involve a body sitting up. And if it's Amanda put a smoker on a robot to put a pipe in his hand and have a fireplace nearby, you can talk are so one way conversation but you can come. Can you imagine you cannot believe how many parents force the child to kiss the corpse you would not believe it is a matter of fact I think one of the best things you could do and forgive me if this is offensive to a few of you the best things you can do when death happens is to close the casket nail it shot never opened it again. I don't know of a funeral director on earth that I've ever met who was able to make the body look alive.

The last living memory is that corpse I tell you what to do when I die case, my wife forgets even though October put me in a very cheap casket, no bronze, no gold, no closing. Never open it again and barrier absent from the body is to be face-to-face with the Lord and people of God. Would you for the Lord's sake glorify him, whether by life or by death. Would you ask God during these days of living to give you the grace to think through how you wanted to happen and to plan it out so that you make an intelligent decision rather than just an emotional one.

David said while the child lived. He and I were together could love him be with him now that he is gone.

I cannot bring him back. The Lord has taken away. Blessed be his name. After claiming the truth of Scripture. It is amazing the stability you will have Macy of the fourth principal and I think it's the best of the four is refused to give up go on your tendency when in the scars and suffering of the backwash is to say, I am through.

I am finished with the living life isn't worth it any longer, but look friends. Look at verse 24. David comforted his wife Bathsheba. So they went through a period of grief. Absolutely, they wept. They had the service for the child and whatever they did in the culture of that day. They didn't they.

And then it says he went on living. He would enter her delay with her. She gave birth to a son they called it son's name Solomon know the Lord loved him and sent word to Nathan the prophet, and he named Jedediah for the Lord's sake back with his wife another child walking with the Lord as he did in days past beautiful response.

The most pathetic scenes on earth is a child of God who is sitting in the corner licking his wounds and self-pity. If you think it takes grace to go through the crisis. When you get to the end of it and it's time to recover and move on.

That's where you really need the grace I will go on. I will pick up the pieces. I will get back into on target. I will move back into society. I will carry on as it did before. In fact, I will be by God's grace were wiser and more effective than it was before. It all happened David in writing out the storm gives us some beautiful guidelines. He prayed he face the consequences realistically you turn it all over to the Lord completely as he claimed the scriptural truth concerning death and then he refused to give up.

He moved on.

I would like to wind up our time together by giving you a four guidelines that begin with the words writing out the storm sort of is a final capstone of what we've learned tonight riding out the storm. First of all, is a lonely experience you will never be more alone. Emotionally, than when you're in the whirlwind of consequences. You will want others to help you and they can't. They will want to be there. They will care, but only you can go through it in that manner.

It's a lonely experience.

Second, riding out the storm is a learning experience. Psalm 32, says be not as the horse or is the mule that has to be led with Britain with with with bit and bridle. Another words, be sensitive. God says I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go. I will guide you with my eye upon you. So during the time of writing out the storm stay sensitive to what God is saying riding out the storm is a learning experience.

Number three riding out the storm by God is a temporary experience.

There is a person right now in our church who is going through most difficult time in her life. She is what we would call the innocent partner in the experience. She's going through deep emotional trauma. At this time. She feels desperately alone, just trying to learn what the Lord is teaching. But she said to me just in the overflow of her heart this morning. It seemed like it will never, ever, and the believe me, whirlwind is a temporary experience. You will feel like it will never end, but it will you see you through it. It'll end now. The fourth riding out the storm is a humbling experience. Deuteronomy 8 verse two says you shall remember all the way which the Lord thy God led the these 40 years in the wilderness, to humble you to test you to show what was in your heart.

In fact it says in Deuteronomy 8 verse three that the Lord humbled you speaking to Israel. In fact, it says, he humbled them and refused to give them something to eat. During that time he started about when you go through the whirlwind. You will find that it's not a fruitful time in your life's a barren time harsh time. The final lesson that were learned is where to take God seriously.

He means what he says I have a close personal friend that I went to high school with and he was quite a quite a rugged guy is a matter of fact he he played the rough sports he he owned a a outboard motor boat with a 50 hp motor on it that in those days was incredibly large little 12 foot boat that he used to's spin all around Galveston in preferably at night, and when the moon came up. He was like the Wolfman. He was out on that boat just singing all around having the time of his life and just sort of taking life as he pleased. Suddenly one night the boat flipped over and he wound up the jetties hanging on for his life and is the surfer command and what is it would recede he just was sort of scraped up and down these rocks and not remembers telling the story that he cried out to God and he said God if you preserve my life. I'll serve you. I promise you, and wouldn't you know it.

A few minutes later. Actually, the Coast Guard, making its round heard his cries and put the searchlight on Inman rescued quickly forgot that promise. His body healed, but the scars remained, and he told me that as he would towel off after a shower, just a glance in the mirror was more than he could take just a mute reminder that he hadn't taken God seriously.

He turned away from it and continue to live his own way and began to go with the girl Houston. They became very close one nightly as they were driving they had a head-on collision.

She died, he was driven through the windshield. D red scar thankful to be alive. But that scar marked his face when he got out of surgery and when he was back on his feet.

He told the Lord he would keep his word.

He said I'll take you seriously, is today preaching the gospel administer declaring God's truth is that every time I comb my hair every time I put on my Thai every time a towel off after shower. I'm reminded to take God seriously. Some of you this very moment playing with God. I want you to know that he plays for keeps. He takes your walk seriously whether you do or not, he never deals lightly with his children even when there riding out the storm together, showing we covered a lot of ground in this study.

Some of you are under conviction. It's obvious from your face. Others of you rest in the God's great grace.

Some of you seemed bewildered. Some of you are hurting doing your best to pray in the face the consequences realistically and just almost all you can do to stay on top.

I want to know God understands he cares. He's met with us this evening to help encourage some who needed he has his way in the whirlwind and the storm clouds of the dust of his feet. If you've never met the Lord Jesus Christ I say tonight that he stands ready to take you into his care.

If you by faith. Like a little child will receive him now, children of God. As you are in the midst of your wilderness, take heart. It's temporary is see-through is see-through. Very grateful her father that in meeting around the word of God very real sense we have gotten your counsel as though we have been sitting at your feet, David has provided for us an example that Christ is the best of all, though he were a son, he learned obedience by the things he suffered. There are those who hurt our father and in the hurting experience, there is often confusion, bewilderment, panic, shock at whatever level you find is that I pray that your Holy Spirit will be our assistance or encouragement, our comforter archive minister through friends and family to the mates whose hearts are with you and the time that passes between now and the next time we're together. I pray there might be increased healing for those who hurt. It is in the name of Jesus Christ I asked this man all telling the story that's second Samuel chapter 12 your listing to the Bible teaching of Chuck Swindoll.

He titled today's message riding out the storm to learn more about Chuck Swindoll in this ministry, we invite you to visit us online@insideworld.org.

It's possible that today's edition of Insight for living has stirred up a renewed desire to face some difficult issues in your life and if you prepare to take your next steps and following God's plan Insight for living offers a variety of free resources to guide you. So while it's fresh on your mind, please take advantage of these practical tools. One of those resources allows you to catch up with any of Chuck's messages you may have missed. Listen directly from our website or by downloading the convenient mobile app you can even subscribe to the daily podcast so that inside for living automatically downloads into your mobile device. All the details for listening can be found it insight.org/ways to listen. In addition, Chuck wrote a highly requested biography called David a man of passion and destiny. Chuck's book would make a great summer reading because almost like a novel. It clearly describes the dramatic arc of David's story, the highs and lows of his life, including the valuable lessons he learned in the aftermath of his mistakes, to purchase a copy of Chuck's biography on David give us a call if you're listening in the United States, call 800-772-8888 or visit our website@insight.org/offer as God nudges you to give a donation to this nonprofit ministry.

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