Strength in your Struggles (Dr. Evans)

Sometimes like to go with nothing on Dr. Tony Evans is even when it feels like you've got nothing left God's right there with the message, what he wants to do would let you know that you what you're going celebrating faithfulness. This is the alternative Dr. Tony Evans, author, speaker, senior pastor of Oakland Bible Fellowship Dallas, Texas, president of the alternative, everybody knows that exercise builds strength. Dr. Evan says there's an even better kind of strength we get when we do less, not more in today's message delivered back in February, 2020, just weeks after his wife's passing.

He explains how we can find strength in times of life's toughest struggles. As you know, 17 months have been the most difficult time of my life lost my brother, my sister, my sisters husband my niece my father in November. My wife in December so it's been one thing after another. So much so many tears so many unanswered questions. One thing after another and many of you know what it is that one thing after another struggle with the pain of life's realities that are inescapable and if you've not been here yet keep living because life has a way of throwing curveballs. The unexpected sometimes you even get hit by the pitch, God's people were struggling in Isaiah 40 that were struggling bad as this chapter prophesied the Babylonian captivity, and it speaks about their struggle and they ask in verse 27 what they say.

My way is hidden from the Lord and the justice do me escapes the notice of my God, what they're asking is, God was going to God, where are you know you see my pay and while we could all be spiritual and pretend we never think that way. There are those times and I live with God seems to be conspicuously absent on located. This is what they were facing. Where are you God when my world is falling apart.

When God speaks into their situation. He doesn't speak scientifically and technologically academically or philosophically.

He speaks theologically because it raises the issue in verse 28 do you not know have you not heard the everlasting God, the Lord, the creator of the end of your does not become weary and tired. His understanding is inscrutable.

He says when you outlawed Israel Evans is falling apart. This is not the time to run from him.

This is the time to run to. He said do you not know, and then he throws out theological concepts.

Everlasting, his understanding is inscrutable and he's creator, everlasting, omnipotent omniscience, all-knowing, all powerful, and each you must reach to the character of God and the crisis of regardless of the motion in the circumstances that may serve notice on you right now God is hard to understand.

Sometimes it will explain sometimes he will give you reasons. Other times he will hold close to the best even for a time for all time. You can ask God a question but you can't question.now what's the difference to the question is to say God, would you help me to understand to question God is to challenge your children can ask you a question but that different then your children challenging.

It is up to him what he will explain and what he will refuse to explain and if he refuses to explain it is because in his sovereign knowledge is best for us not to know it we answer some questions about children and others, we don't bother to because they wouldn't understand the depreciated benefit from it. Maybe not then maybe never.

These people are in crisis and in this chapter or chapter were reading all over and over chapter I've had to read as a wrestled with these months of one thing after another. Just read a few verses from chapter 40 verse 18 he says.

To whom would you like me a low view of God and of crisis means the crisis will control a view of God in the Christ means that the crisis has no longer the last word. Do not settle for the creation don't go looking at the stars for your scope. He says I may. They don't dictate your future dictate your future, he says I want you to recognize me. Even in the crisis of life. We live in a day of the dumbing down of God, God will only exist to bless us.

Help us deliver us, but not a God who can dictate to us.

We live in a day where if I give you your two hours. You are to be happy. God and so when were okay and we're not used to dealing with the character of God. We got all the blame on God because he is God. When times are up and I have to remind yourself is God when times are down here is God when babies are born and he is still God. When our deceased step. He still God's impulse to marry old for you to make it must be God and treated and respected as such and so he says do you not know in this chapter he says I run the nations the nations are like a drop in the bucket and the rulers control them. My like a speck of dust. So there is only one God and he's not applying for the job. So when like caves in, as it has for me seven months my family over this past year and I've had to true confession wrestled with God.

These work. My questions is my way hidden from the Lord after wrestled with God, I've had to retreat to what I know about you, in spite of the circumstances I face you don't deny the circumstances, but they don't have the last word. So what we do when life caves in. Dr. Evans will have some answers for us when you return shortly, but first I want to let you know about a brand-new resource that addresses many of the same questions and struggles 20s been dealing with in today's message. We've all been through difficult seasons and times in life when it seems like the hits keep coming and you can barely catch her breath.

The Evans family knows what this is like in their collaborative book divine disruption.

Dr. Evans and his children pull back the curtain on the recent faith shaking experiences to provide biblical wisdom and practical encouragement how to deal with the hard unexpected things we all face sooner or later their honest observations and insights can help provide answers, you may find yourself searching for today sometime in the future would like to send you a copy of divine disruption. Today is our gift and thanks for your donation to help continue the work of this ministry and as an added bonus will even include all seven full-length messages from Tony's current series living with loss.

This insightful collection of audio messages will minister to your heart during a time of personal loss and can help you find the best path forward. Just get in touch with us today to make the arrangements will get the book and audio messages on CD or digital download into your hands right away online, go to Tony Evans.org or give us a call 24 seven, 1-800-800-3222 repeat that information for you after part two of today's message and this coming to theaters this November. Hearing the place where Lazarus rings from the place where it's believed was to which Tony Evans brings the New Testament Gospels to life as he visits to locations of Jesus earthly ministry connecting them to their significance to mankind today. I relationships I guess what Jesus is can take things November 16 and 17 traveled with Dr. Tony Evans life changing my opening journey with Jesus. Find showtimes and learn more Tony Evans.org right now I like you recently what I in this scenario, he tells you he helped you out, he says at the beginning of verse 31. Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength word for weight is very picturesque because the word weight means to when women or men. They why sections of so that they are to get in a tight way when you straighten it loose and hanging down when you try to gather so that it is no longer subject to the blowing wind because it is been together was used whether strands were in line to make a stronger role. So when they said on the law simply sitting down doing nothing talking about in your life intertwined in all of your life so that everything is wrapped and intertwined with him so that there is served and the rest of my week is God I got started on Sunday morning but not stop this stuff. My situation is going to come stay in my decision. My golf with you Monday to get on Sunday just straight Sunday and let's not blow it all week. Love this thing so that it is no longer subject to the sun from Stanford. I am going to wrap up my way because when things get bad enough, the problem will leave you alone.

I mean I wake up in the middle of the night I break out in tears two and 3 to 4 times throughout the day. I see a picture it throws me off. Reference it throws me so I don't need Sunday need to be tied up with the God on Sunday we draw on the law is they hook up that you don't want to be disconnected from how do you know that you're waiting on God this way because the majority of your time you spend in worshiping the complainant Psalm 130 verses five and six says you wait on the Lord with his word.

You hurting today like this collapse, you read Isaiah 43 Psalm 42 you read the Psalms are great thing because it has so many different scenarios. But you you go over God remind me of who you are. I need your character I need your present I'm looking to you.

I'm wrapped up with you because my circumstances have rapidly Lamentations chapter 3 verse 25 and 26 talked about how good it is to wait on God's divine intervention. However, he chooses to do by the way, it's sometimes difficult to decide to go to God when you're in it for some but want to get close to God because in a crisis idea is to get close to God before you hit the crisis so you already prepare for the crisis. When because the staff is was already close to God, she could cry out to him. She could see him. She could praise him even though life was ebbing from her body. She did not find him already. When life fell apart. What will God do and you'll questions not questioning, but questions he says those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength, new strength, that means strength. You don't currently have.

And when God gives you strength.

You'll see in one of three ways he tells you. Verse 31 they will mount up with wings like the first way that God gives new strength is his divine intervention when it is all checks out and let the first time a baby it's trying to learn the flock. Usually the first time, it can't fly because it had know yet how to fly so it's just flailing trying to make. But what will do when it sees the folly and is not going to make the April slopes down, opens its wings and catches the on the way back to the nest. One way God gives you new strength is biased will bring in your situation grabbing you and lifting you out. It's when God supernaturally intervenes and blows your mind by turning something around by switching something by reposting something and that's when you get your praise. All that's what you say God good all the time all the time God because it came away with a close way you out of that one way that God gives new strength.

There is a second way.

God gives new strength. They will run and not get time. God gives new strength when slowed down, and take you out of it. He lets you run through it. He says you will run to focus on me, even though you're running I will give you a second wind so you can go further with this situation further with this pain with this problem that you thought you could go to give you a second way then that way, he gives you new strength. It says, and they will walk and not become weary.

The first way is to think about. The second way down.

He lets you go through the process of running but it gives you the ability to keep going the way you can no longer run.

He says they're walking walking you see, sometimes life gets so hard you came in you been left to walk.

The first way is God's divine intervention. The second way is God's enablement to keep going but the floodway when you can't run anymore because you are now to try to walk that line encouragement when God doesn't change the situation he changes you. In the problem turned around like you pray, but it does something in you that no longer matters will bring a person in your life to give you an Encouraging Word will bring a song on the radio to inspire you that this sermon that you thought was prepared with only you and Ma. That's when doing is just encouraging you. Nothing has changed except you, because sometimes God puts us in a position to accept something he doesn't intend to change and so are you can do is walk because your writing ability is but in all three ways he's given new strength strength you love to say he only does the but that's not true that plenty of time to sleep down just switching overnight. I would love to say that I give you some the focus on the legal get you through.

You have the wind to run, but sometimes I just get time you get up and go with gotten up and gone what he wants to do would let you know that you and what you're going say that wait upon the Lord will get you so I say to you today and I say to me.

Don't you give up run to him, not from and the crises of life something have to remind myself to do everything to run to him because I gotta tell you even slow down and do what I asked and we ran every option available to man to fix it so I'm walking walking, but in all three, Dr. 2011 with his personal observations God's sustaining power life's most difficult times to come back with a closing story just a moment but first I wanted to remind you of the special package of resources that can provide you with insight and encouragement during times of life's biggest struggles begins with all seven full-length audio messages from Tony's current series living with loss including material. We won't have time to present on the year. In addition, we vetted the Evans families brand-new collaborative book divine disruption holding onto faith when life breaks your heart. Together these heartfelt resources can help sustain your emotional well-being and help heal the pain of personal loss for limited time we can send a special living with loss package to you as a way of saying thanks when you reach out and make a contribution to help continue Tony's ministry here and around the world. Just visit Tony Evans.org to make a donation and request a special package if it's easier you can also call us at one 800 832, 22, and one of our friendly team members will assist with your resource request. Again, that's 1-800-800-3222 or online it Tony Evans.org. There comes a time in each of our lives when God somehow disappoints us how should we respond when it feels as though that's happened with Dr. Evans explores that tomorrow takes an intimate look at how to cope. Be sure to be back with the alternative with Dr. Tony celebrating 40 years of faithfulness, thanks to the generous contribution