Between a Rock and a Hard Place

Is able to handle errors and concerns of your life.

Here Stephen Devi with these thoughts is effectively quoting God hearing God actively say stop playing God stop playing God, and know that I got. I'm going to take care the nation cannot take your if I can handle the challenges facing this world can I not available.

Your try to maneuver problems ourselves we might pray about it but mostly we work to get ourselves out of the situation.

If you ever tried to solve a problem in your solution made things worse. We need to learn to trust God with our problems and that's our theme today here on wisdom for the heart. God hasn't promised to rescue you out of your trials, but he has promised to carry you through them.

Stephen Devi is taking us to Psalm 46 today so grab your Bible and a pen. As we get started, this lesson is called between a rock and a hard place 100 years ago, I read just this week a financial crisis occurred that it states that became known as the bankers panic of 1907 the financial crisis impacted and in fact critical number of industries. As you can imagine the ripple effect was felt all the way out. Please call busy Arizona anybody here from busy Arizona I thought I thought okay nobody will this lack of funding cause quite a problem between the copper mining companies in the mine workers there in Arizona. They were underpaid. The conditions were really really challenging. As you can imagine. In 1908 19 nine they eventually organize labor unions and approached the management with a list of commands for better pay and working conditions in the company refused, and then retaliated by threatening any mining worker to approach them in the future would be immediately fired. So the mine workers were faced with this dilemma.

They were eager to choose working at the rock face of their quarry, or lose their jobs, which would make matters only worsen what the workers claim the phrase between a rock and a hard place and it wasn't long before newspapers picked up that and use it to describe any number of impossible situations.

Of course they would use it between a rock and a hard place.

Major stock you got two options.

Neither one are desirable in your life. There are times when you are confronted right between a rock and a hard place with your helplessness in fact you are confronted with your weakness are during times like that your hurdle. Whatever those obstacles might be keep you we might deny we might attempt to talk rather spiritually basket we might try to figure a way through it. One author wrote. You might even try to ignore the truth. This with some stubbornness we are. We creatures being sinful will fail prone to sickness. We heard being mortal.

We, we, whereat pressures weigh us down, anxiety gives us indigestion. People intimidate us. Criticism offends us difficulties how let me recommend that you open your Hebrew handle center of your Bible and begin to get what one author called he said we needed regularly what he called big does Saul 46. Martin Luther would often say to Philip my life and when they were received by pressure and threats to their own lives. He would say, Philip. Let's see 46 Saul let's say that we know what we don't know what their melody line was, they were converted from big box it would probably one note repeated often. We have to make up melody line, you might notice before verse one begins here were told it set to Alamo. It's from all that the Hebrew term for a young maiden young woman.

No one is exactly sure what that means. Here some Old Testament scholars think that this was to be sought by soprano Laura alto female voice. Or maybe you choir composed were made up of women. Some others think that this is a reference to this being accompanied by some sweetly hitch instrument like a flute or oral heart. Evidently we can surmise from this is that the song was intended to be pleasant and soothing and encouraging and reassuring the ear and certainly to the heart that you notice a quick glance that this song is divided into three stanzas. Each stanza ends with a notation to pause and you can see that notation in a word, it appears at the end of verse three. Verse seven and verse 11.

It's the word Selah. It's designed by the composer to serve as an interlude if it's a time. The pause time to reflect on what you just saw it, we expanded Selah and sort of paraphrase that the composer is saying something to us like this. Now stop and think about what you just say stop, pause, race through these lyrics reflect on Selah when you see that means slow down my favorite phrase in English language. Think it through what the average person needs is less panicking causing you but I need more Selah in my life and heart so I'm giving you that ahead of time.

You see that as each stanza comes to a close. Now the first stance opens with verse one. Notice God is our refuge and strength a very present help in trouble were trouble come from all over means to be restricted to be rampant to be stuck in a narrow place and when I saw that Hebrew translation.

I immediately thought all I know he's talking about is talking about me stuck between Iraq and a hard place when you are this song emphasizes that God is a very present help.

Translation renders it, but it means he is an immediate help. He is immediately on call notice verse two. Therefore we will not fear the earth change the mountains slip into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar from the mountains quake at its swelling fraud. Few weeks ago, our oldest daughter and her husband experienced the effects of one of the strongest earthquakes to hit the country of Chile where they live.

It took place 100 miles from Santiago, where they live. It we were finally able to reach her and she said to me on the phone that it is nothing quite like running down 13 flights of stairs surrounded by screaming, panicking crying people feeling buildings swaying underneath you your apartment on the 13th floor. She said don't worry think they build the buildings here in Santiago's way during earthquake break that makes me feel so what so we just read it.

He's describing tsunami volcanic eruptions that are literally blowing mountains and see all of which is a poetic description of these is communicating everything about life is just come here. Everything is unsteady the foundations are swaying back to verse two. I want to point out this phrase, though the earth should change. I think that to be rendered, though the earth should change hands and if we go into the historical setting we do have a couple of minutes that the song came out of by these these sons of Cora wrote it. The historical setting is is when Jerusalem was threatened by a king by the name of's inaccurate. He was a Syrian. His capital was a place you know it was Nineveh wicked king covered his brown skin defeated King became the conquered Egypt in 710 BC anything plundering and killing he's conquering all the cities along the way. Here is little Jerusalem, standing in his way, doesn't have a chance's inaccurate assessment message in the form of a letter to the king's name is Hezekiah and he basically says that it defeat you and slaughter all of you and I want to conquer Jerusalem.

The people of Jerusalem panic there crying or screaming.

There there there demanding 13 uniform alliance with Egypt. Their only chance is something surrender Hezekiah even though he knows you stand a chance. I love that text.

You can read all about it and second King not now. Second Kings 18 and 19.

He takes the letter from's inaccurate and he goes into the Temple precinct and he's rented out before the Lord. I love that is what you gotta read this. Look at what you say in Isaiah the prophet comes to Hezekiah and he commands him for 41 trust God for not wanting to sign in alliance with Egypt or or surrender. Isaiah basically says stay the course from all external evidence is, it seems pretty is that the is about to change hands the power is about the shift and everything to change God's word just around midnight hundred and 85,000 Syrian soldiers die in some strange disease that overtakes them's inaccurate glimpse of Nineveh, where he is. Assessment out of context, this Saul that there is absolutely no way out. There's nowhere to go. There's no through is nothing to do with God. By the way, don't miss the repetitions whenever you see things repeated, underlined, and you'll see the word just this opening stanza repeated four times.

Though although although although the earth should change.

Although the mountains slip in the sea, although its waters roar.

Although the mountains quake find you and God. There is there is something occurring. Perhaps that right now has you between a rock and hard place you can find your place in that word.

Although I'm finding refuge in God. Although might just find what although my marriage has just been. Although my company was just born and I lost my job, although close friend. Although our home was just destroyed.

Although our retirement savings were just stolen or lost. Although the doctors have no answer at this time, although that close relationship ended, although that funeral just took place. Although that accident just occurred.

Although I never saw that coming. Just keep going. Although all the psalmist is teaching us to sing in spite of any although God is my refuge and my strength is immediately available he is immediately aware even when I'm stuck at this point the composer puts in the word Selah Selah. Now you think about that pause for remove all stanza number two begins in verse four. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God said prophetic implications not only is God our present wrecking the city of God will one day be our permanent refuge future coming kingdom.

And then of course the eternal state and that river flows from his work told cascading down 12 levels of the father's house. I believe this coming kingdom where is the holy dwelling places of the most diverse for verse five. God is in the midst of her. She will not be moved. God will help her when morning Don psalmist here is encouraging the believer not only reminding them and of our present refuge. He's reminding us of a permanent refuge where we trust God invisibly so there we will see God physically through Christ, the one day there's going to be peace on earth. In the meantime, there could be peace in the heart even though verse six. Notice the nations made an uproar. The kingdoms totter.

He raised his voice and the earth melted is the contrast the nations are making a lot of noise there making an uproar. God will one day raise his voice and it will settle once and for all. Right now the nations of the earth are rarely allow the nations of the earth are fairly noisy. They seem to be drowning out the voice of God.

Psalmist says well one day God's voice will be heard above all the voices in her and he will settlement once and for all. Psalmist says let's think about the sovereign Lord. Verse seven the Lord of hosts is with us. The God of Jacob is our stronghold. God of Jacob is our stronghold. Selah.

Think about is the God of Jacob at Downing this evening, manipulating patriarch that conniving man hope to buy his way out of trouble.

Samantha made a covenant of faith with God, which was really bribery or an attempt never really depended on God should come to the conclusion that God is really never been good enough to his family and he comes to his his later years and the circumstances of life in front of the stage between a rock and a hard place and he says everything is against God says I am willing to be known as the God of Abraham, we get that the God of Isaac, we get that in the God of Jacob. Really glad about that because of God is willing to embrace Jacob to be the God of Jacob. He is willing to be your God in my as well and so the psalmist writes the second seal. Think about stanza number three begins in verse eight, the whole works of the Lord was wrought desolation's in the earth. He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth. He breaks Boeing cuts the spirit to burn the cherry wire. These are all the weapon warfare to do away with this happened in the days of Hezekiah's there celebrating.

But this also is going to happen permanently as God brings all war to an end by the waiving notice of the world is quick to blame God for every war maybe can remember in college professors I get out of bed. More war in the name of religion and name of God than anything else ever quick to remind you that all the wars fought in the name of got all the bloodshed over religious belief that God responsible and it's his fault.

Never mind that in this immediate context's inaccurate is coming to make war not Jerusalem, but I want to give you another sign that thought God will be responsible one day to and all war. In fact, if he didn't war war never ended. One day the prophet Isaiah says argument take their swords and beat the plow certificate transformed their machine-readable warfare into farming equipment in the sweep of the song here psalmist really isn't so much concerned with the unrest in the troubled nations of the world as much as he is. The trouble and unrest in your heart and mind. So verse 10 cease striving, and know that I'm God I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth the Lord of hosts is with us, God of Jacob is our stronghold. Now think about that cease striving word cease in the Hebrew language can be rendered in our contemporary vernacular relax like that word relax. Try it sometime this week.

Relax and be quiet. The stem of the verb is what Hebrew language called positive which which means this is what you do. Stop strive stop manipulating stop Ryan to orchestrate life quit trying to control everything.

Quit trying to control everyone. Be still be still. That's not easy. As it was easy for me in third grade 4th grade 5th grade. Please been easy now.

The psalmist is effectively quoting God fearing God is effectively saying stop playing God, and know that God stop playing God, and know that I've got. I'm going to take care the nations.

Can I not take your implication. If I can handle the challenges facing this world cannot not handle yours if I am in control of the noise and chaos and corruption touching this world. Am I not in control of what ever touches you II think this song is been called Martin Luther's gone for good reason, but I also believe that it is part of the biography of another individual that pulled it out again this week. Having read through it to find where I have made you known as the father of modern missions names we carry began his missionary ministry like 1700 served in India for 40 years without ever returning to his home one night fire broke out in the warehouse is compounded.

It ripped through his printing plant in a matter of hours, years of work. Literally went up in smoke the following morning. Carrie and his associates calculated their losses and we just breezed through a few of manuscript that nearly all of his Indian Scripture virgins were going all Ken recently tested all of his Telugu grammar. All of the dictionary of Sanskrit, which he considered his most important lights were legally destroyed by the way, there are no computer back after 20 years of painstaking work carry and his associates had numerous translations in manuscript form ready to be printed, burned up several languages where they had the lead taxes little letter and all written for a printing press were they would lay those letters out in the lake of paper on top of the lever in a press all land from all these languages was destroyed. Let me just read some of the languages Hebrew and Greek Persian, Arabic guiding Telugu, Bengali, Burmese, Punjabi to bill the chain that burned melt. It also destroyed his buildings to a friend who came to see him at the mission would later write the scene was indeed affecting long printing office. Reduced was shell yard litter all around the burner paper. Carrie walked with me over the smoking ruins and the tears stood in his eyes and one night he said the labors of years are consumed, how unsearchable are the ways of God has laid low. We walked up the ground strewn with Atkinson paper on which the words of life.

Soon the metal under our feet amidst the ruins was melted into misshapen laws.

Revolutions carry the rightful friend later and say all the problems are working 20 years on the project and is burned up into doesn't seem to be much like doesn't make sense. I can't hear about in his biography I read how the following Sunday, Carrie stood in his church and he had confided in a friend to a friend. This was the only text. Believe and preach the congregation turn song 46 and verse 10 we read, be still and know that I after reading the text, preach any two points to his outline number one God's right to do with us as we number two mankind's duty to surrender to God's will freaks on the purpose of the promises and the principles of this is just Martin Luther to wait carries, but I is intended by God to be yours as well will have times of difficulty. In fact, the lesson you just heard is called between a rock and a hard place because that's where we sometimes find ourselves. I hope this time in God's word has helped and encouraged you. You're listening to wisdom for the heart with Stephen Devi.

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