Trusting God When The Wells Are Dry Part 2

One reason for us. Jesus phone number for winter oftentimes home in coming God.

We remember our real provider is can sustain us through diversity. When we accept limitations. Diversity brings today some key principles to hang onto your prices, from the Moody Church in this one search helps us make it across your links are, is it wise to assume that adversity is inevitable. In other words, will we like Abraham find ourselves trusting God when the wells are dry. Dave you can be sure that adversity is inevitable. It may not be the adversity that Abraham experienced where he needed water for his flocks and then went down into Egypt instead of trusting God in the land but some kind of adversity comes to us all, and in the end, the greatest adversity from our standpoint, is death, and that certainly is going to happen, you know, this series of messages I believe is a tremendous blessing to people and I'll tell you why it deals realistically with the kind of issues that people face life is hard and for a gift of any amount. These messages can be yours, famines, deserts and other hard places. Here's what you do go to RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337 I'm going to be giving you this contact info at the end of this message because I want you to listen carefully now and the lessons that we learn from the life of Abraham still has to live. So what's the what's the bottom line here. How does this change our lives. In my particular, you may be in a situation where your wells are dry, so to speak and I speak not only economic but in terms of relationships in terms of hardship in terms of crisis, how does it affect us. Let me give you some observations and then nail it to the wall for all of us. First of all, the God who saves us is the God who sustains us. The God who went with Abraham into the land that would've been able to keep Abraham in the land. No question about it now.

As I already mentioned, it isn't wrong for us to move when we're in a famine in one part of the country and go to another but for Abraham. This was unique.

The problem was. He believed in God's guidance into the land, but he couldn't trust God to sustain him in the land is a very interesting passage in the 26 chapter of Genesis Genesis chapter 26 Isaac, the son of Abraham.

It says that chapter 26 verse one now there was a famine in the land besides the former famine that was in the days of Abraham and Isaac went to Gerard to Abimelech, the king of the Philistines.

That's actually on the way to Egypt and the Lord appeared to him and said don't go down to Egypt dwell in the land which I shall tell you, and then God reiterates his covenant with Isaac and Isaac trust God to keep him in the midst of the famine and to grant him the grace to stay there and what follows in the rest of the chapter is quite unique and even surprising because we notice that to Isaac and says in verse 12 Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year a hundredfold. Well that's unique, isn't it. He was in the land of famine. But God says I am going to provide for you in the midst of your family not to take the famine away, but I'm going to grant you grace and strength so that you can live in the midst of the famine to those of you who are going through an actual economic famine. What this means is that were were we are where we are.

We can change our situation.

Many of us. Perhaps Cantu are going through that we can change where we go. We can't just pick up and move its it's so complicated to God to sustain you in the midst of that heart ache that famine.

The answers yes.

Isaac reminds us of the fact that you should be willing to do anything you should be willing to trust God not only for the harvest, but the rest of the chapter in 26 says that the Philistines filled the wells that Abraham had done and Isaac went.

It says, and he the dog. Abraham's wells, and they had water. Look around. There may be some move you can make that you've not thought of. And one of the move since were speaking economically certainly is downsizing. I know that there is some folks who said this and this is an actual story, though not connected to Moody Church about a real estate developer who is making so much money Christian and he said you know we just open our hands like this and God fills it one success after another. And then when the downturn came in the real estate market and he was unable to meet his obligations. He suddenly learned to something that God sustains us in the midst of famine, but we may live through the famine, but we can't live as we always lived.

He had to down size he had to sell off.

He had to lose a lot of money but not from God standpoint is part of the teaching. He says I will sustain you in the midst of the famine.

It may be hard, it may be difficult, but don't give up hope. And the reason that we should not give up hope is because of the next observation I'd like us to make and that is that God doesn't leave us even when we leave him.

God doesn't leave us even when we leave him. Here's Abraham and he is supposed to be sustained in the land and he panics decides to do something foolish go into Egypt and next week I'm going to tell you about some people I have their letters in my file. Who in the midst of financial need have done a very foolish thing in one or two instances it is man who without their wife knowing it invested money in a get rich quick scheme that they found hoping to cash in on all of this money only to discover that their nest egg became a yoke and it didn't work at all. Does God abandon us then because you see, there are two different kinds of famines, there's the famine over which we have absolutely no control.

That's the famine that Abraham had when he was in Egypt you don't control those kinds of things, none of us controls the economy or that company in which we work. We can't control that but the famine I'm putting it" that Abraham experienced when he was in Egypt that mass was self created and today there is some of you who are in a self created hard place. Somebody told you don't marry that guy and you thought that you knew better, but they were right, weren't they somebody said no, no, your wife told you don't invest money there. I don't know why it is, but women have this for sense or six cents. They have more sense than we do anyway and and they say no and and you know better, but the point is this that some messes are self-made does God say, well, Abraham, you know, when you left the promised land to go into Egypt. I stopped at the border because I'm not going to have anything to do with somebody who so disobeys me and uses deceit in order to get ahead and to save his neck. I got say that no God walks with us, God is there with us. God accompanies Abraham into Egypt. God brings a play on Pharaoh for Abraham's benefit. God restores Abraham even though his testimony is lost, and he discovers that Tim you know what this God who led me is also the God who forgives me he's the God who restores me and he's the God that I can worship again. I can build another altar I can come back from my backsliding. Some of you, and you know who you are. You have been come so cynical in your walk with God.

There is no longer really warm fellowship because you feel that God wasn't there for you and you say to yourself I'm in a mess I made it God's not helping me in it. If you're a believer. God is with you there, he is for you.

He's a rooting for you, but he wants you to come back into fellowship. He wants you to say that I've strayed long enough.

I've done my own thing long enough. I want to come back because it is better. It is better to have a dry well in Canaan, then it is the lush pasture land of Egypt. It is better to have a dry well then a poisoned oasis so the Lord says return to me. Believe me and trust me there's a final lesson and it really is the bottom line of everything every famine we go through every famine is in test of our trust. Now of course when I speak about famines in the next message on the talk about the need for us as a community to walk through famine, but for now I'm talking about us as individuals. It is always always a test. We have to just stand back of this passage and think about it again. You never get tired about thinking about the Scriptures and meditating on it why he did Abraham say if we go down into Egypt, they may kill me what you mean, they may kill me. Was there any chance in the world that Abraham could die in Egypt and be killed off course not. Why, what's because God just plainly told him I'm giving you this land that I'm giving it to your descendents. He didn't have any descendents at that point.

How could the promise of God, possibly be fulfilled if the Egyptians had killed even of Abraham and said I'm going down to Egypt.

He should've simply said that I'm going down were going to tell the truth. My life is in God's hands. It's not in Pharaoh's hands.

God gave me a promise that someday through my seed. This land would be populated and that's good enough for me, my life in God is secure.

Very interesting that in the book of Galatians chapter 3 verse eight.

You know what the apostle Paul says. He says that when God said to Abraham in thy seed the nations of the earth shall be blessed. He actually said that Abraham believed the gospel. He said the gospel was preached to Abraham we look at the text we say, but is no gospel here nothing about Jesus dying for sin know all that will eventually come to pass, but inherent with in the promise that in thy seed all the nations of the earth would be blessed within that promise there was in detail the coming of Jesus, the Redeemer, while the bottom line was Abraham experienced a crisis of faith. He could not trust God to continue to lead there yes but beyond that he couldn't grasp it, and he failed every famine is a test. Can we trust God no matter whether it's a famine we've created or one created us. Can we trust him. That's always the issue some time ago when I landed at O'Hare Field, the plane that I was on stop at a gate was very far from baggage claim.

Shortly after I got off the plane, I found myself in step with a young mother want to describe her to.

She had a baby in one arm she was pulling her suitcase with the other hand, and she had a little toddler perhaps three trying to keep up with her going ahead and behind as little toddlers do, and I had a free hand. So I said to her, we would you let me pull your suitcase. I have only one brief case I'd be glad to know know she says she's not I can handle it. I said I promise I will stay in step with you where ever you are going. Just let me pull it for you know know know I'll take care of it later on as I meditated on that. I realize that she was just obeying a little bit of common sense and wisdom. You just don't trust a man you've never met before. Fact is, I could've taken that suitcase and in 10 steps or less been in the crowd and disappear and then what was she to do but I thought to myself how different that all would have ended if she had known me she'd been a member of Moody church or in a tender if she knew me and I to sit mad. Pull your suitcase for you mad take it and she probably would've civil sure here's my suitcase and by the way, here's the baby to and I thought about how Jesus walks with us in life how we are carrying our suitcases and trying to manage in trying to manipulate and and trying to control and some of that all may not be wrong, but at the end of the day Jesus said don't you see the nine beside you went you let me carry your baggage instead of just praying all the time frazzled prayers that have no faith. Oh God, help me help me help me help me. Nothing wrong with that Peter prayed in desperation and said help me.

I perish and work for him, but I think in here, of course, I'm just using my imagination. I think that in heaven. All of the Angels are processing these prayers and taking a lot of them just throwing them in the wastebasket because what they're saying is father. They keep asking you for help, but one thing they will not do and that is trust.

They will not take their sin and their failure and their concern and their deserts and their famines and just turn them over to me doesn't mean it's an immediate answer but you are walking with somebody beside you, whom if you knew his heart and I know I desire to know his heart and wouldn't claim that I know his heart completely in any way it say let me carry it for you.

I do not abandon you. I'm walking in your direction.

And if you're going the wrong direction.

I'll even lead you in the right direction, but today could we tell Jesus that we give him our suitcase may be a relational issue may be a financial issue could be a health issue. The Bible does say cast all your burdens upon the him because he cares for you. He really cares for you knows the famine that you're going through. Knows how it's going and knows your part in it today at the Moody church were going to have the privilege of singing in just a moment, and when that happens. Prayer partners are going to step out out of the aisles.

I'm told we have about 27 different places in the sanctuary where you can find a prayer partner.

If you're in the balcony you go up the stairs will be at the top of the stairs in the rotunda. What I want you to do is to ask this prayer partner and you don't even have to ask them because they are ready to simply take your request in a single sentence and committed to God and trust him to do it now. That's not the end of it, but I want you to do this morning. I would like you to do every day of your life.

As I tried to do.

We always lived in surrender, not just prayer though. Thank God for prayer, but in submission to God because what we'd like to see here at the Moody church is to see God answer so many prayers because they are prayers made in faith and commitment because he really does care for you. He really does. Let's pray father, we thank you today for the story of Abraham, and even in his failure.

We see ourselves now restore your people lower their people going through times of very great famine.

Some can pay their bills. Other people are going through times of stress. Questioning your will, not knowing where you want them. Lord, every person everyone, including the one on this platform is all filled with questions concerns burdens today in faith, we give them to you. Help your people to connect to be willing to share that we might see your glory in this place, and for those who've never trusted Christ as Savior. May they lay their burdens down and receive you today.

In Jesus name, Amen. My friend, this is how students are have to tell you, after many years of ministry that I have learned that often times it is very difficult for people to trust for us to trust that God cares for us. Because the natural responses if he cares why this why that why health issues why money issues why relational issues. You know what God wants us to do. He wants us to trust him and to believe through these experiences that he walks with us, even if he doesn't take away the circumstances, and by the way, speaking about God and prayer and waking up in the morning. As I mentioned in the message this morning after I got out of bed. I sat on a chair and once again I quoted a verse of Scripture that I try to quote every morning. Psalm 34 verse one. I will bless the Lord at all times. His praise shall continually be in my mouth. That's the way to begin the day to trust him and this series of messages I believe is a tremendous blessing simply because it deals realistically with the kinds of challenges we face and the difficulty of believing God.

When the wills are dry weather is famines, deserts or other hard places for a gift of any amount. These messages can be yours. Here's what you do go to RTW offer.com and let me remind you, the reason that we make these resources available is to help you and to help me make it all the way to the finish line all the way into the presence of Christ. The title of the series, famines, deserts and other hard places. So as I mentioned, for a gift of any amount. Go to RTW offer.com or if you prefer, call us at 1-888-218-9337 and remember if you are blessed as a result of this ministry, it's because other people invested in this ministry.

Thank you so much for helping us. Thank you for praying for us. Our desire is to help thousands upon thousands of people walk with God. Go to RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337 you can write to ask run into when 1635 N. LaSalle Boulevard Chicago, IL 60614 running to win is all about helping you find God's roadmap for your race of life will comes to all of us tears we learn to depend on God for every breath, every bite of food every dollar. Next time a story of famine and how God met the woman's knees. Thanks for listening Erwin Luzerne this is Dave McAllister going to win is sponsored by the Moody church