Finding God When You Need Him Most - Experiencing God When You Get a Raw Deal, Part 1

Have you ever done the honorable thing and it backfired on you. Did you ever do all the work and the other guy got all the credit. If you've ever been the one that received a raw deal.

I mean you said yourself. Life is unfair. God, what's up and stay with me because today God has a word for every single one of us that's gotten a raw deal. Stay with welcome to this Monday edition of living on the chip and Living on the Edges of international discipleship ministry featuring the Bible to watch as a new series finding God when you like to feel God's presence more couple of weeks is just what you're looking for.

Using the Psalms reminds us that no matter what God's presence is always what's join him for his message experiencing God when you get a raw deal from Psalm 73. There's been times in my life where I think God.

In fact, some of you may have some circumstances where you know your theology the Scripture your teaching. What you intellectually know God is good, but then when you look at your circumstances, you may be saying this doesn't add up.

I was walking across my college campus and I had the strongest feelings of anger toward God.

I never experienced in my life and in a Christian little over three years. I'd only months before made the biggest Lordship decision I ever made. I mean it was one of those where I knew of all my heart. This is what God wanted me to do and every fiber in my emotional and intellectual being wanted to do the opposite and by faith I decided on God's way and I thought you guys ever you bless me.

It's gonna be now and instead life didn't get better got worse is walking across the campus.

I irreverently and I would add unwisely told God he better speak to me very clearly tonight when I get back to my dorm room, or I am checking out this Christian life for ever enemy I was dead serious.

90 little background understand what's going on.

I had been dating for two years. A gal that I was certain would be my wife.

She was certain I would be her husband. She gone home to meet my family.

The whole 9 yards and she was a believer. She was charming. She was beautiful. She was talented. I was in love up to my eyeballs only little problem was. I was convinced God wanted to do something significant with my life as a believer being sold out to Christ was the only option is a real struggle but I came to that purview was. I know I'm in God's family.

I know I'm forgiven, and as long as God's plan fits with what I want to do that. Sounds good, and so she was an only child. Her family was very close and there was a little home with a white picket fence across the street from her mom and dad and that's where in her mind. We were going to live happily ever after.

And I realize I can go there but I loved her, and yet I knew her life was gone.

This way mine this way and we broke up in my mind said this is the right thing to do in my heart said Ingram. This is the dumbest thing you've ever done your life ice to go out on a hill and I member I can see the light of her dorm room and just cry and say, God, you change your heart. Turn it all around. I know you make it. I know you make okay on this particular night I is a home basketball game and after home basketball games for two years. I came up in the locker room and she was always at the top of the stairs waiting for me what is really neat things we got get a Coke and talk and been three months since that happened and I came up the locker room and there she was. My heart skipped a beat.

Yes, God has worked. This is awesome. Her heart's turnaround working Malachi, more so then you're just so wonderful and I said hi to her and I noticed it wasn't in a wasn't cold at all but it wasn't like I'm here for you. And as I was sitting there thinking how wonderful this was going to be in as little awkward moment one of the other members of the team. Another guy who played guard walk right by me.

She had a sheepish smile said hi and he put his arm out and she stuck her arm in his and they walked out the I was dangerous at that point, I have never been. I say whoa that's a childish net puppy loving you were only 20,000 only 20 is really me. I was really really nothing less.

So angry. I was so limited and so I walked out of there and I just had God's stinks and I'm more committed to you than I've ever been this. I think the biggest sacrifice my life and I get this and then I know this guy and you guys out there gals and played on teams. You know what it's like to be in a van for 68 hours.

You know it's like in locker rooms unilaterally talk about locker rooms.

You know where you guys come in from you where his values are. You what he thinks about that time with my girl, you know, I wanted to say stop getting to know about this guy and I walked across the campus and I just said I felt like an animal. I'm so angry and think that came to my mind the phrasing went through East inside and I thought you know he isn't Eric and he's proud and he's mock my faith in the locker room, he made fun of anything finding you got how in the world and I mean unlimited and I said God will speak to me tonight if this is the way it works on out on check-in out and I went home and I did not thought I was old enough Christian to know that probably just opening my Bible and saying God speak to me would not be a good way to go. Although he done that some effect in the past and so I picked up my Bible where I was reading normally and I was in the Psalms, and I read Psalm 70 and that is all right. Psalm 71 is okay Psalm 72 did make much progress. Then I read Psalm 73. I want you to imagine if you will. Where I'm at emotionally one on thinking and follow along as I read in fact better than follow along entering the experience with me. I told you how I felt like I am getting a raw deal. But before we read this on to tell you how God spoke to me like never before. I had no understanding that the God of the universe which could cause the Holy Spirit to make his words so alive to interact in one little guys life like mine.

But before we do that I want you to think of when you've received the raw deal that bothers you the most. So when we read this I want you to read with the same kind of feelings and emotions and thoughts and questions that I had that night. When's the last time you received a raw deal. When's the last time someone betrayed you after you did good today was the last time someone else got a promotion because they had a special relationship with the boss not because they were better than you. When's the last time you sat down.

Those of us in her parents and said here little sign your little daughter the reason you don't get the play and you trying see that other kid is the coaches son even though you're a lot better for some of you it was a mate who walked out on you. For others you invested the entire life and your kids and you cared and you love and you know what something happened and it took some course somewhere in all their problems are your full for others. You cared and loved in your parents and they got near the end of their life and from they just wrote you out of an inheritance for other people.

You are involved in a business relationship, and they did. You in you know you trusted them. They just did you brothers.

You are involved in the marketplace and help people move in right hand in their lien mean they're not telling the truth you're playing by the rules and they keep going upward and you are stuck and you're stuck because you're doing it quote God's way and I want you to think about when that was because then you read this passage with the kind of emotion that Aesop did. He's the choir director for David Squier. He's a godly man is a worship leader but he's having a bad day.

He writes in verse one.

Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are the pure in heart coming to those are totally committed.

That's the idea that word that's true right verse two but as for me, my almost let I nearly lost my foothold right and need the arrogant. When I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

I thought about that night I watched the guy going with my girl and thought thanks they have no struggles, their bodies are healthy and strong. Literally it's there's there's sleek, they are free from the burdens common to man. They're not plagued by human ills. Therefore, pride is their necklace and they clothe themselves with violence from their calloused hearts comes iniquity. The evil conceits of their minds know no limits as I read this little pictures were coming to my mind about sitting around and talking in the locker room in the sky mocking God in his arrogance. They scoff. I thought what I've heard that they speak with malice in their arrogance. They threaten oppression from their mouths lay claim to heaven and their tongues take possession of the earth not only get my thinking of the world by the tail. Therefore, people turn to them and drink of water is an abundance you know, like the life of the rich and the famous cheating people and doing stuff and doing stuff that's immoral, but Nina people just lining up just lining up around the street to get around. Therefore people turn to them and they drink of this waters of knowledge, but only that they say how can God note is the most I have knowledge, no regard God. This is what the wicked are like always carefree. The increase in wealth, then a little low moment.

Surely in vain. I've kept my heart pure. I've wash my hands in innocence all day long I've been plagued I've been punished every morning. That's exactly how I felt, but here I am. I'm 20 years old 20 1/2 something like that.

We pure relationship with this girl. There's four girls on this campus to every guy were in the midst of the sexual revolution. I become a Christian. Right before I go to college and I decide I'm gonna do it God's way and every basketball trip.

I hear all these guys talking about all the pleasures of the world and it's killing me to live a pure life. And then what's God doing takes my Christian girl and some guy who I know where his heart and mind. Everything else is she is with her in Maine.

Basically, what I'm I get now this God and my answer is not much ever felt like that. Then he goes on to say, I've been playing on or not you know people you know, I experience, a lot more struggles as a Christian and for a Christian.

I start with temptation. I did lots of stuff. Putting it was soon then there's a little shift in verse 15 begins to think a little harder and deeper little bit the emotions now beginning to calm down of this flame.

If I had said hypothetically's thinking out loud to himself.

If I had said I will speak thus and talk like this. This is this is the direction I'm going to go. This is ongoing view life. I would've betrayed your children very tender idea here is a worship leader. People look to him for guidance is guided to really walk with God. He said fine bailout of the faith there's going to be like a big rock in the pond of impact and I can impact multitudes of people who place their faith in God because what you've done in me if I bailout. This isn't just about my personal faith. This is can impact them and not only that, but what about all the deep relationships I have with when I tried to understand all this. He says it was oppressive to me know what the word means. I was in turmoil like Mike.

Mike got was turning lights not working is not fair, but if I bailout think the implication of what I do when I go that's how I felt. Verse 17 begins a very important shift when he gets perspective, it says until, or then I entered the sanctuary of God gets on his human reasoning gets out of his passion emotions. He gets out of life isn't fair, likes things. Why do bad things happen to good people, good things happen to bad people mindset and says that I entered the sanctuary of God and the lights came on. Then I understood their final destiny.

Literally the word means there after. What's can happen later. Surely, you place them the wicked on slippery ground you cast them down to ruin how suddenly are they destroyed it comes like a surprise completely swept away by tears as a dream when one awakens in other words, the wicked prosper but it's only a dream. It's only a fantasy it's only a fan of his only short-lived. So when you arise.

Oh Lord, you will despise them as fantasies you know people sell porn on the Internet and people do all kind of lurid things but there's a day of reckoning the day of judgment, and he doesn't put up with it forever.

See he's getting perspective and as he gets perspective. Now he moves from getting perspective on the wicked who were prospering and now is in getting perspective on his own life. Verse 21, when my heart was grieved literally when it was pierced and my spirit was embittered literally means when he was depressed when he was struggling when it was filled with self-pity. He said I was senseless and ignorant. I was a brute beast before you hasten. I got so hot emotionally irrational. I lost sight of the big picture I lost sight of who you are. I lost sight of what you type on my side of the relationship you given me and I got so so angry I lost it and now he's going to move out of that into some very clear perspective. Verse 23 yet I'm always with you. That's true. You hold me by my right hand would you been a counselor to me you help me you sustained me. You guide me with your counsel and here's that same word and afterword, you take me into glory notices three things hold me guide me take me is is unprotected, I'm secure or unloved. He's beginning to get the lights and ate many raises this rhetorical question. What he really thinks about when he really ponders. He says whom have I in heaven, but you and besides you, I desire nothing on earth in the final analysis, who will never let me down, who will be my security to take care of me is me joining matter what he says that you might have about you and many admits his humanness, my flesh and my heart may fail, I may blow it sounds but you are the strength of my heart, and you are my portion forever, and I'll never forget that word portion. It was like getting through this thing on the page down the page and landed on my shoulders and I realize all of life is like a big pie and every person in the world gets a slice that's your portion your slice and in my heart of hearts I thought what would really make me happy in my slices the right girl. The right job success and on and on and on and I looked around the world, and I realized this only really a portion or a slice it will ever ever fulfill me and my portion is God himself that night. This passage became my dating verse my future verse with the got ever gave me a made is that he would be enough.

Plus nothing he would be enough.

Plus, not anything else or no one else he would be my portion keeping my slice of pie and see what that does. That gives you incredible freedom is people common people going jobs go and jobs come in. Money goes and money comes in houses go markets come and markets go and we don't control. But he says he will be there forever your my portion forever then noticed the conclusion he says those who are far from you he he he he he takes the lens and he goes away. The second he says those who are far from you people who mock you people.

People who don't want to live like your way people whose stiff arm got a reject Christ. They perish, you destroy all those who are unfaithful to you the notice the contrast but as for me notice that was verse two verse one was surely God is good Israel to the pure in heart.

But as for me, my thought, almost. I almost bailed out of faith is what he said and now his kung fu school circle and he says you know, in the final analysis you the wicked in a really good to some very desperate times when you look at the big picture, but as for me, the nearness of God is my good in the notice. Here's a choice he made. He reaffirms his relationship I have made.

That's a choice. The sovereign Lord. What an interesting view of God. He's in control. I have made personal choice. The sovereign Lord, my refuge, the place that I run, and then he says not only that, but I'm trusting. Since God is good, even though my circumstances are and he's in total control. That means he allowed it. And since he's faithful he's been a take even the worst of my circumstances turn it around for good, and some day notice that last line I will tell of your deeds, that night I was crushed and I was angry that night I lost the most important person in my life.

I got news for you she wasn't a Teresa, you bet she wasn't a Teresa and I noticed in enough about science to know that my DNA and Teresa's DNA are unique and what our DNAs come together. There are unique people on this planet that would not be on this planet unless she and I got married and I look at the kids that I have and I can now step back and say short-term pain long term gain now. Now let's talk about you. This is a lot more I share about my inner struggles. The normal but I thought you could identify now what I want to talk about is your inner struggles and I like you on the whiteboard of your mind to say, you know, under the heading. I got a raw deal. And now, underneath that I want to say what is what the one that pops up to the surface and by the way, knowing that sometimes it's so painful instead of dealing with instead of facing it.

A lot of us repressing her into not only is way too painful. I know that one out of four. According to statistics one out of four, 1/5 women have been sexually abused as a royalty. We know that half of all Americans have been divorced.

We know that infidelity is rampant in America when other people lie and cheat in business now. I'm getting encourage you is painful it is to let that come to the surface so God can deal with it if you got it trying to be little time where you feel like you gotten a raw deal.

Where have you gotten injustice and that I want to develop for life lessons, are four principles to help you walk through how to deal with the real deal that you appear to have okay well let's look at that together.

Principle number one or life lesson number one. If you want to overcome the raw deals in your life and that's God's will.

Here's the first thing you need to do a system models it for us poor out your heart. Face it Sharon get it on the table.

Tell God about it on about you.

This is so encouraging, even godly people struggle with doubts and confusion when God's truth and their experience don't mesh. It's a fallen world.

If you haven't got it yet life is not fair until Jesus comes back it's not to be fair, you know what that means. That means bad things happen to good people and the converse good things happen to bad people and when that happens, don't stuff it. Don't repress it once a socialist take God it doesn't mean you're ungodly.

It's okay to be mad with God, reverently, don't do it like I did.

I think I'm such a young Christian God, wink. That is how I talked to you.

Be honest and you sure you get out on the table and let your emotions saying God I am upset this thing such as this, is if you never get there. He will put down inside and it'll come out. I guarantee you, and very unhealthy ways 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. You'll find everything you're looking for@livingontheedge.org or give us a call at 1-888-333-6003, which up as we start the series a one should take just a second and tell us how it came about me what was going on with the time that prompted you to create a series using the Psalms. I'd love to, because there's certain seasons in not only my life but in the life of the church were God just births things, two things were happening at this time I what I was teaching, number one, but the grace of God we had literally scores and scores of people come to Christ.

They had no background but they had Siegel and love and God was bringing them to himself.

The second thing that happened simultaneously is I was just like so many people were getting cancer in crisis and we had a major car wreck and you know one of the key elders got a unique kind of cancer and it was terminal and and I remember we were understaffed and I was praying said, oh Lord, which you show me how do I serve your people and he brought to my mind all these what I call classic Psalms that in the midst of crisis in the midst of injustice, how they could meet God in the Scriptures and he could console them and help them and give them perspective and so I taught a series called finding God when you need them the most and I walk through these classic Psalms like Psalms 23. When you're in a crisis work Psalms 73 when you get a real deal or a when you feel like a nobody going nowhere.

The deepest issues of our life.

What I know is there's pain everywhere and God wants us to invite him into those places and get real real help from a loving God. That's what the series is about Burke's trip to find all of the resources for finding God on our website.

The CDs are discounted for limited time and the MP3s are absolutely free. You'll find everything you're looking for@livingontheedge.org or just give us a call at 1-888-333-6003 will chip as we wrap up our time today. You know, I doubt there's anyone listening who hasn't gone through time tomorrow season, but was just the worst exactly. In fact, I don't know anyone coming from two-year-olds to 82-year-olds that haven't said that's not fair.

That's just not fair and and and Ellen really, really big things. It's it's not just not fair. But God if you're fair, how could you let this happen. I just talked with a man earlier today who talked about his daughter who put her husband all the way through medical school. He sets up practice and after two years he leaves her for an office manager and she has nothing that's not fair. I mean, what, what's going on in your life, what is it that as I've been talking. I shared my story and I had that amazing moment with God that I didn't expect. I mean literally. I've never seen the Bible speak to me like that. That was like one of the very very first times in my life. But what is it that you're wrestling with what would you cry out in your heart and save that's not fair. And in our next broadcast him to talk to you about how to deal with some of those things and all the rest of the series were to go to the jugular were going to go to the heart kind of issues we all have pain. We've all been betrayed. We all have crises we all have difficulties.

I mean there is cancer there is problems.

There is family issues, but God wants us to experience him. He wants you to know that he is there and in a fallen world. Yes, it's not fair, but he loves you and he's for you and all I want you to do today is this just telling.

Just be honest just find some private place and if you have to yell it out loud if you have to pour out your heart if you if you do it in tears just pour out your heart and let them know how unjust, how unfair and how hurt you really feel because if you don't get those emotions out you push them down in and little by little, the enemy will twist that and pretty soon you will not have a unfair life you have an unfair God in your heart will harden what I want you to know that it was unfair for Jesus to be on the cross and the father was with him. It was unfair when Stephen was martyred, but the father was with them and I sat with the man with bombs going all around his home is one of our partners and I said how are you doing and he looked at me and his eyes watered. He said shipper was a bloodied week hundreds of people died and yet he said I can't explain it. I'm not afraid that's the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit and he wants to invade your life in the midst of your pain so share your pain and then inviting man let God love you right now.

Just before we close. I want to thank each of you who's making this broadcast possible for your generous giving 100% of your gifts are going directly to the ministry to help Christians really live like Christians.

A few phone chips teaching helpful which are not yet on the team. Would you make a donation to help us continue serving you and others to donate online. Just go to LivingontheEdge.org or give us a call at 1-888-333-6003, let me thank you in advance for whatever the Lord will be sure to join us again tomorrow if Chip continues his series finding God when you need him most. Until then, this is the very thing thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge