Finding God When You Need Him Most - Experiencing God When You are Gripped by Fear, Part 1

Dear powerful emotion. What are you afraid of you afraid of a positive biopsy report. Are you afraid your marriage and can work out you afraid you lose your job. How do you deal with fear. What does God say to us were paralyzed by fear. That's today. Thanks for joining us for this Thursday edition of Living on the Edge with your bedroom, Living on the Edge features the Bible to all this daily discipleship program venture continues his series finding God when you need him most. By turning the Psalm 46 passage from the Bible brings perspective even in our most fearful sort Bible never Psalm 46 and was listening is to bring experiencing God when you're gripped by fear. I have written in my Bible a little note next to Psalm 46 it's in green ink that says Duke Medical Center to 1992 and then parentheses I have moms dying and then highlighted in green highlighter pen. It says God is our refuge and strength, and ever present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear the earth giveaway and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, the waters war and phone in the mountains quake with their search was 1992 and I was at the Brown shoe in. With all my family. My mom went in for just a very normal checkup. She had battled a very rare blood disease in the lupus family. She took only an overnight bag. It was just for some additional tests and she never left. I got a call she got a systemic infection in her blood and we did what families do before long they were talking about amputating I mean huge body parts to save her life. She was on life support and we stayed in the little room, like many of you have been in next to the ICU where you discuss in trying figure out when do you pull the plug and why, and then you begin to deal with issues in your heart and in your life internally that you never thought about until then, especially when it happens to be a rookie family member. My mom was the glue of our family. She held everything together and then as you sit there in quietness with brothers and sisters and some relatives and father you deal with family issues.

You've never dealt with in all the years that you've been and I needed God. Up to that point in my life more than I ever need, and I experienced more of God in 1992.

Up to that point that I've ever experienced. I learned that God is my refuge that God would be my internal strength giving me moment by moment. Whatever I needed to go through facing inward issues and external issues and that he was available he was a very, very present help in my time of trouble, therefore I didn't have to be afraid. What I experienced is what God desires all of his children to experience in various times of need to look at Psalm 46, because I think if there is a classic portion of Scripture about how to overcome fear when were paralyzed and overwhelmed by fear I think is Psalm 46 but this will be the first of eight that were to look at and what I long to do and the reason I'm I've chosen this is I believe were living in a day where there is incredible need were living in times of amazing uncertainty.

Sometimes we get so busy day today.

You forget what's going on.

There are issues in the Middle East and can break any moment were saying things line up with your moving in situations in their economy.

We watch the stock market.

We don't even think about when it drops and goes up 100 points in a day despite all the different things you may hear there's going to be some real problem somewhere over what's can happen and how to where living in uncertain times, and not only that we live in uncertain times when I believe the view of God among believers let alone unbelievers has fallen to an all-time low. So we really have trouble when really have a need we run to God that we don't even know what is like not only do we not know what is like we don't know how to experience and were living in a world of almost biblical illiteracy. People don't know where to go in the Scripture and once they get there. How do you experience God. He wants to meet you, you here he wants to love you want to uphold you, but you know what happened back in so my my dream. When we get done with the series is that you will know when fear begins to grip your heart, you can open your Bible to Psalm 46 and you can drive a stake and you can go through Psalm 46 and you'll know that truth God will meet you know you have fears and I have fear what we mean by fear.

Webster says fear, literally, a sudden attack. It's a feeling of anxiety and agitation because by the presence or nearness of danger, evil or pain. It's to be frightened, timid, apprehension, tear or dread is to have those feelings now for some of you you're concerned about your loved ones for others of you that feeling of fear comes when you think about the future for some you have fears concerning your marriage. For others you have fears because you're not married. Some have fears of being alone.

Some have fears of the dark.

Some of you struggle with panic attacks and no one knows it, you lose your breath. Some of you hate crowds and are overwhelmed by fear. Some of you are just fearful of loneliness and when everyone leaves you just turn on things all over the house. Others of you have financial fears, job fears, you have fears about aging parents fears about your kids and how they can turn out into the running around with you fears about retirement how you ever pay the bills you fears about where you live in if you can keep affording what you doing.

But there's one fear I think that universal when you hear the word. When you go to the doctor and you hear this one word fear, structure, heart because it happens the six and eight-year-olds and happens to 68-year-old, and that words can't. A family that I've known well and a young man that was very close to had the medical problems had a lot of ups and downs and I can figure out what was going on they did unit of the G.I. test and the whole battery of tests, they can never quite figured out and I remember vividly the day when I found out what was wrong and they let him know he had cancer.

What you say to mom and dad let alone a 22-year-old boy who just found out he is cancer and at this point. Obviously they don't know exactly what kind they don't know the implications of this. One of those low-grade times is a life-threatening kind all those were unknowns, but imagine yourself in a hospital room with all the dreams you have of your son, your family and all your schedule comes to a screeching halt in my job was to be their pastor and so I drove and I prayed and I said Lord what what I say I don't have the resources and help him but I know you do.

What could you give me that I could give to them so they could experience God and I walked in the room and we had a little chitchat and then I sat on the edge of the bed and I opened up my Bible to Psalm 40 6018. You just listen to it first and then I'll give you a overview of it. Imagine yourself in your time of great great fear and listen to what God would say to you, it's as God is our refuge and strength, and ever present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth giveaway and the mountains fall to the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam in the mountains quake with her surging. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place with the most high dwells.

God is within her. She will not fall, God will help her at the break of day nations are more kingdoms fall… Voice and the earth melts and then the refrain, the Lord Almighty is with us.

The God of Jacob is our fortress. Come and see the works of the Lord. The desolation sea is brought on the earth. He makes wars to cease to the ends of the earth. He breaks the bow he shatters the spirit he burns the shields with fire. Be still be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth and then the refrain again, the Lord Almighty is with us.

The God of Jacob is our fortress.

As we look at the Psalm I want to note give you a little overview at the top. Notice it says a song of hope and confidence see every song was actually it was a song. This is the hymnal of the Old Testament when the wind and when I got together and they didn't worship they didn't do like courses or they didn't have 18th-century hands is 1/18 century they saying out of the book of Psalms and this is a song of deliverance and confidence for life's darkest era and there's a few musical cues that let you know where the stanzas are noticed little word on the right at the end of each stanza's and the word Selah means it's a musical term that means a pause and it means a point of quiet reflection, and so that tells you where the first hands applause. Second stanza pause third stanza pause. Martin Luther made this famous. In fact, as you read commentaries.

Most of them will have either the entire story or in one commentary and says the old him a mighty Fortress is our God was taken from the Psalm when Martin Luther's life was on the line as he and his time of fear went to Psalm 46 what I want to do is read each section and then want to give you a lesson from it and develop the text so that when we leave, you will understand it and you will know how to experience God in your time, when fear paralyzes you the first three verses talk about God, our source of hope now follow along if you have a teaching handout want to go had him headed pull that out it says God is our refuge and strength, and ever present help in trouble. That's who he is now notice the therefore since that's true, therefore we will not fear, and now get this.

He takes the two most indestructible stable things that he can think of and by way of hyperbole. He says if if all the pillars in your life. Of all the things we know we can count on. Even if they are removed.

It doesn't matter because God's consist. Therefore, though the earth giveaway and the mountains would fall into the heart of the sea, and though its waters, war and foam and the mountains quake God and God alone is your only security that's the theme God is our source.

Here's the life lesson for life lesson is we don't have to be afraid because God is for us in verses one, seven and 11. There's an interesting little phrase that, literal translation. If you have an opinion might work out when it says God he is our refuge, a literal literal rendering is gone is for us a refuge in minutes. God is for us strength. See, you do not have to be afraid because God is for you is not against you is not waiting for you to mess up when you're in trouble when you realize 80% of the trouble you brought on yourself. God doesn't have his arms crossed and smiling thinks he that's a childhood picture but is not a biblical one. God is for you. He wants to meet you. Now, what exactly is he for you three things out of these first three verses first for you he is a refuge.

A refugee is a defense to place of protection. It takes care of the external issues. A resident refuge is where you can run to him. Once you get inside.

You can shut the door. God says he is for you. He will be a refuge not a big steel building, not some tunnel underground but has rocks all around it in food storage but bigger than that, the God of the universe, as I personally will be a refuge. You can come into me and I will wrap my arms around you and I will let anything touch.

I will be for you, a refuge, but that's not all, not only as a promise extra protection. But notice he will be for you a strength. This is a provision from within. This is the power to endure.

By the way he only gives us minute by minute, moment by moment is not a strength for tomorrow. There is no such thing as hypothetical grace. See, we all worry about tomorrow about the job tomorrow where this relationship goes south and much.

What if I don't have any. We get all anxious. We don't get fearful.

You know why there is no Grayson tomorrow. How do you know Tamara's income. Your only responsibility. My responsibility is to trust God for today and he says he will be your strength. If you need this much grace to make it through this hour. That's how much grace you get. If the next hour gets tougher need that much grace. That's how much grace you get, moment by moment.

He says for you. I will be your strength.

But then, you might say to yourself, but that's only for superstars but that's only very selective about not only gives that in real extreme situations so notice the third thing he is for you.

He is for you a ever or very present help when in time of trouble and means he's readily available in trouble.

No matter how great, no matter how hard Luther was in that tower and he was sentenced to die. He had an agreement at the diet of worms when he was debating whether you could stand on Scripture alone or Scripture, and the interpretations of the traditions of the church and they said let's discuss it when we get done discussing it, you're free to go. They condemned they went back on his word and he was in a power can be executed. The following morning and he prayed over this passage, and God letting and in confidence. He said a mighty Fortress is our God.

And when they put them on a wagon to take them from the tower to where who's going to be executed. A band of his followers came on horseback, swooping off talking to a German castle and there he hid and there was a bear, and in the castle who had his own army and for a year. He hid out in the castle and in his downtime he translated the New Testament into German and for the first time in history, the Bible was put in the language of the common man. Amazing.

See, God showed up for him and God will show up for you might ask really like how does it work, how does it specifically happen that you know God is your refuge. You have legally feelings to just have a mystical mess that comes in the room.

How does it work for him to be my strength and my refuge and be available well. Verses 4 to 7 for you to answer that question adherence. This is what God says his presence. God's presence is the reason for your hope. See what he says is he will show up right where you're at in his super natural presence. He will be with you, he will enter in with you in relationship in your fear in your trouble in your hurt and your anxiety.

And he will enter into it with you and his presence, his very presence will sustain you.

Listen as I read now as I read this notice. This is written for a Jewish audience. It's written by David.

He's getting use some phrases that at first shot you an essay I don't get it you get in a minute okay there is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place, for the most high dwells. God is with in her presence. She will not fall, God will help her. His presence at the break of day nations are in uproar kingdoms fall contrast but he lists his voice and the earth melts he's in control. The Lord all my tea literally the Lord of hosts the Lord's mouth means the Lord with his armies and his resources the Lord of hosts, where is he is with us, literally. It's the same way excuse for us. The God of Jacob is our fortress. Life lesson from this God's presence provides an unlimited supply of joy, protection, security and deliverance even in the midst of our most severe adversity. God's presence he himself is enter into your life, and he hasn't done limited supply. Did you hear the word I use it. Sounds crazy doesn't of joy, protection, security and deliverance even in the midst of your most severe trouble ask you before I go on, what would that be if I gave one of those markers to everyone in the room. We had a whiteboard and I salute you walk up and write on whiteboard.

What's your greatest fear that you this application for today but if you're just joining us, listening to Living on the Edge Chip Ingram the message you just heard is from chip series finding God when you need him most. Finding God when you need them most gives you a biblical perspective on facing tough times and difficult circumstances. It's a look at what God really wants us to know when things are going well because his promises are a total game changer when it comes to finding the strength and the courage to trust him no matter what's going on listening again may be just what you need to help these promises sink in. So let me encourage you to check out the resource options and discounts for finding God when you need them most.

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I like to ask you a very personal question before we in today's program. What did you write on the whiteboard of your mind, what is your greatest fear. Actually when we fear things we have this uncanny way of pushing them down farther and farther thinking that if we push them down. No go away. But what they do is give us ulcers and insomnia and and produce stress and so I want you to get it up on the whiteboard and I want you to know God understands your fear and fax Psalm 46 is written from God to us for when we fear.

I want to give you one verse to meditate on to begin to battle the fear that you feel within you, and then I want you to join us in our next broadcasts because working to develop this text and give you some very specific tools to handle your fear. Isaiah 4110 hears what God says to you today. Fear not for I am with you. Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will help you. I will support you. I will uphold you with my victorious right hand. God is saying to you. Don't be afraid.

Over and over and over through Scripture.

He says to courageous men and difficult times. Don't fear he says to Mary, don't be afraid to Joseph, don't be afraid and he says to you today. Don't be afraid I am with you always, let me help you as we wrap up today's program. I want to say thank you to those who make this broadcast possible through your generous financial support. Your gifts help us create programs purchase airtime and develop additional resources to help Christians live like Christians.

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