How to Trust God in Life’s Toughest Moments | Mark Finley

when you worry your mind is always projecting on the screen of your mind the worst case scenario worry enables you to to to look at the future not Through The Eyes of Faith but Through The Eyes of of fear [Music] my wife and I are not movie Watchers our lives are too busy to spend much time watching movies but occasionally notice the emphasis on occasionally like once or twice a year on a Saturday night I'll find something on YouTube that really um is inspirational and recently on a Saturday evening we had a few hours of

relax relaxation so I discovered the story of Corey tamboon and her sister Betsy their story is The Incredible Journey of Faith in Nazi Germany that details the experiences in a German concentration camp the movie produced by the Billy Graham Association and you can realize as an evangelist that attracted me right away uh titled The Hiding Place it's a classic it it talks about their struggle amid worry fear anxiety and death it talks about their trust in a sovereign God in the midst of the conflict that they faced and Corey made this amazing statement about worry

and as I thought about it it it just touched me in in quite remarkable ways here's what Cory says about worry worry is carrying tomorrow's load with today's strength it carries two days at once it's moving into tomorrow ahead of time worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow it empties today of its strength and that statement worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow but it empties today of its strength Corey was right worry saps our energy it strangles our Joy it destroys our peace now worry anxiety and fear impact us physically they impact

us emotionally and they impact us spiritually one physician put it this way he said worry is that uneasy feeling of becoming overly concerned about a situation or problem with excess mve worry your mind and body go into overdrive as you constantly focus on what might happen have you ever noticed that when you worry your mind is always projecting on the screen of your mind the worst case scenario worry enables you to to to look at the future not Through The Eyes of Faith but Through The Eyes of of fear you over anxiety about given situation

imagining that the worst Could Happen elevates your blood pressure negatively impacts heart rhythms produces stomach ailments creates chronic fatigue brings about muscle pain and causes a whole host of mental phobias so I want to discuss with you this morning five biblical principles to win over worry now I recognize that there are many approaches to worry there's a psychological approach where people seek counseling when they are overly anxious there are physical approaches to worry where you try to go out and get more exercise I'm not discounting any of those but I want to look at five

biblical principles that you can apply to real life situations when you feel overly worried that will lift you out of crippling worry and paralyzing fear and life-altering anxiety now these five principles increase our confidence in God who knows our challenges walks with us in our trials and gives us strength to cope with our fears so let's begin five principles you ready to go you got your Bible you got a little notepad or you have your iPhone you see here's principle number one in overcoming worry although I may feel worried God is still in control do

my feelings determine God's sovereignty my feelings in no way determine God's sovereignty when I'm worried is God still on his throne when I'm worried is God still in control of the situation yes when I'm worried has God forgotten all about me see our feelings of worry don't determine whether God is in control of the situation or not God is still in charge whether I realize that or not he's still on the throne working for our best good and His glory he is still there with his guiding hand in the situation I may be anxious but

God is calmly moving behind the scenes to solve the problem I may be fearful but God is still patiently at work in the Old Testament do you know that in the Old Testament there are about 72 names of God see see we read in the Old Testament about the name God but in the Hebrew language there are at least 72 names of God they spoke to God's people of his Divine sovereignty in each situation what is sovereignty it means that on Earth things may be in chaos but there's God still on his throne and God

is in control they spoke of to his people of God's calmness in our anxiety God addressed his people with varing names in the Old Testament to give them confidence of his care his guidance and his power God's people faced multiple challenges just think about Israel wandering in the wilderness I mean the Desert Sun could Scorch them by day the challenges they faced were just amazing the deserts were quite cold uh in the evening uh they had confrontations with shortages of water shortages of food I mean how are they going to deal with that if you're

wandering around in the wilderness and you got a million and a half two million Israelites you could be awfully worried about what you're going to drink awfully worried about what you're going to eat uh they face challenges of being bitten by snakes confronted by enemy tribes but remembering God's names got them through let's look at five critical situations and uh let's look at some of the names of God in the Old Testament first we're looking there at five names of God first there is the name of Elohim he's the Creator God we go to Isaiah

40 verse 20 28 Isaiah 40 verse 28 the name Elohim means the God who creates the one that cast The Stars into space the one that spoke in sun and moon and stars came into existence the one that carpeted the Earth with living grave and you look at Isaiah 40:28 have you not known have you not heard the Everlasting God now you see where that word there is everlasting God that's Elohim he's the Lord the creator of the ends of the Earth he doesn't faint or is weary there's no searching of his understanding he gives

power to the weak and those who have might he increases strength so when we go through worry and anxiety we think to the name of God what is his name his name is Elohim he is the Creator God that gives power to the weak do you remember the story of Hagar Hagar is sent away from the camp of Abraham Sarah sends her away and Hagar is pregnant with Abraham's child and God comes to her and you know what name he uses when he comes to her he uses the name Eloy Eloy and what what does

that mean it means the God who sees me so here Hagar is filled with this anxiety she's filled with this worry and God comes to her and he says Hagar I'm all right I I see you and then you look here for example at the story of David David is is fleeing from Saul and uh God comes to him and he speaks to him and he saysi am elai what does elai mean it means the Lord God Almighty he's the mighty one remember the story of Hezekiah in 2 Kings 20 God comes and speaks to

him but he doesn't use the same name for God he uses Yahweh R The God Who heals he's The God Who heals you he can heal every emotion hurt he can heal the Brokenness of your heart he can heal the physical afflictions and then Abraham is about ready to offer up his son and where the where the English version says God will provide you know what the name for God is it's Yahweh y the Lord will provide the Lord will provide so when we're facing worry when we're facing the challenges of life that is stressing

us out we remember the names of God he is the Creator God that will never leave us or forsake us he's all powerful he is elai the god who sees us he is El Shai The God Who is Almighty he is Yahweh R The God Who heals our deepest hurs he is Yahweh Yar the god that will provide for us what is it that enables us to get through crippling worry and paralyzing fear it is first things may seem out of control but God is in control the Second Great principle in enable us in enabling

us to get through worry and fear is this God only gives us strength for the challenges of today you may be worried about tomorrow you may be worried about three months from now you may have lost a job and you may say how am I ever going to provide you may be facing a devastating illness and you may say I'm so worried about that you may have challenges with your kids and you may say God how am I G to get through this God only promises you strength for today he'll give us strength for the

challenges of tomorrow when tomorrow comes Deuteronomy CH 33: 25 God speaks to Israel and he says your sandals shall be iron and bronze they wanding in the wilderness they got leather sandals they're worried my sandals are going to burn out and I'm going to walk in this hot desert sand what's I going to do to my feet and God says what does he say your sandals verse 2 will be iron and bronze so you say it's not going to wor out 40 years as your days so shall your strength be don't you love it as

your days what so shall your strength be God does not give us strength for tomorrow today he gives us strength for today today you might remember the song you remember you remember the song by Mary Jane welin one day at a time dear Lord you remember that song you know Mary Jane wilin was a a country western songwriter she was in Nashville she in fact discovered Chris christop and the the singer and wrote many songs for Chris and uh Mary Jane I I got to meet Mary Jane she came to one of our it is

written Partnerships she also wrote the song H I have returned and Charles hoger Brook some of you know Charles was going to sing and Mary Jane wilin came to Charles and she said if anybody that could could record that song Charles I want you to record the song so she came she was living not far from Gatlinburg Tennessee and she came to hear Charles Singh and was so incredibly impressed well she had gone to the top of the music industry and uh but something was desperately missing in her life she wasn't writing religious songs at

the time she was writing more country Wester and uh she was had this desperate emptiness in her heart and soul so Mary Jane wilin was traveling in rural Tennessee and she drove by a little country church now she had her new Cadillac and it was a little chilly in Tennessee and she had on her fur coat and she was bed decked with all this expensive jewelry and she pulls into this little country church parking lot and as she pulls into the parking lot she stops there gets out and says I'm gonna I'm GNA go into

this country church I feel so empty and walks in in the Pastor is there she walks in you know with beack in you know the epitome of Fame and wealth and she says to the pastor Pastor I'm missing something in my life I feel empty and he was an old country Southern Pastor you know and he looks at her he says lady you don't look like you're missing anything when I see that car those jewelries looks like you're one who got everything but she said but but my life's got trials problems and he said why

don't you thank God for your problems and drive away you know he's very direct Mary Jane Wilkins says I drove home that night thinking about all of this The Emptiness of my life thanking and praising God my my worry my fear my needing strength that night she sat down at the piano and filled with a sense of anxiety about the future deeply concerned about this feeling of emptiness in her life she writes these words one day at a time Jesus Jesus that's all I'm asking for you just give me strength to do every day what

I have to do one day at a time dear Jesus don't allow your worries and your fears to strangle your joy God will give you strength for today and when tomorrow comes God will give you strength for tomorrow God gives us strength for today he imparts strength to get through the challenges we face in the present tomorrow's trials will bring tomorrow's strength if the worries we have about tomorrow actually take place God's going to give us the wisdom and the strength to deal with them I I think about a story that John Newton told you

remember John Newton wrote the song Amazing Grace how sweep the sound Newton used an illustration and and this is what Newton said he said you know the troubles and worries that we have are kind of like a big stack of wood and they're like this big stack of wood with all these logs and each day we come over and we take one log in our hand and we can walk with that one log God gives us the strength for it but Newton said here's here's the problem here is the problem God doesn't require us to

carry the whole stack at once here's here's the stack of logs I can take one stick at a time he said but here's what most people are doing they take the stick from yesterday and they keep carrying it they take the Stick of today and they carry it we can manage one stick but if we'd only take the burden appointed for us each day we'd be okay but we choose to increase our troubles by carrying yesterday's stick over and over again today and adding tomorrow's burden to our load before we're required to to Bear it

and so we are overwhelmed with the load because we're caring too much here's how the psalmist puts it Psalm 55 verse 22 Psalm 55 and verse 22 here's how the psalmist puts it today I can cast my care upon Jesus today I can give Jesus my burdens today I can give Jesus my trials today I can give Jesus my difficulties look Psalm 55 ver 22 cast your burden on the Lord and He Shall sustain you he'll never permit the righteous to be moved to cast your burden on the Lord means to fully entrust God to

carry it rather than carry caring it yourself God is more than able to carry the full weight of our burdens when we release our worries in anxieties in fears to God he Bears their weight now notice First Peter chapter 5: 7 First Peter chapter 5: 7 trust in God for strength for today enables us to face tomorrow with confidence First Peter chapter 5 you're looking there at verse 7 the scripture puts it this way it says casting all your care upon him how much of our care do we cast Upon Jesus how much a part

of our care some of our care casting what all your care upon him why for he cares for you do you see this word here for casting I'm interested in atmology atmology is the study of words what do words mean what's the background of that word the word casting here is is a word that means throw the full weight of your anxiety and worry and Care Upon Jesus God will give you strength for today accept it believe it receive it embrace it and live in the joy of his strength today two principles so are what

are they I may feel worried but God is still what in control second principle God does not give me strength for tomorrow today he gives me strength for today when today third principle what are the root what is the root of all of our worries what what's the root of all of our fears why do we worry so much at times trials and challenges of life are the root of all our worries but rightly understood they can leave us to deeper trust as we Face these challenges every difficulty in our life can be a call

to prayer every difficulty in our life can be a call to our needs so worries rather than destroying us because we're fearful of the challenges of life those worries can be a means that God uses to draw us closer to him you're looking here at Philippians chapter 4 Philippians chapter 4 and we're looking at verse 6 and 7 the Apostle Paul talks about our worries he talks about our fears and he talks about how to deal with them Philippians 4: 7 we'll go back in verse six is the verse we want Philippians 4:6 be anxious

for nothing now what's another word for anxious what's another word for anxious to to be worried or fearful right be worried about nothing but in everything by prayer and Thanksgiving by prayer and supplication with Thanksgiving let your request be known to God and the peace of God which passes all understanding will guard your hearts and Minds through Christ Jesus now let's decipher this verse be anxious that is don't worried about anything so when worries grip your soul when you feel the emotion of worry in everything by prayer and supplication with Thanksgiving now I don't give

Thanksgiving for everything because there are many things in life that are evil there are many things in life that are wicked there are many things in life that are sinful I don't give Thanksgiving when a drunk driver hits a Christian kid and kills them I don't give Thanksgiving for that I don't give Thanksgiving where the woman is is abused I don't give Thanksgiving as some kids on drugs we give Thanksgiving because in the midst of the sorrow and difficulty we can come to God that's why we give Thanksgiving don't be worried about anything but in

every but in everything by prayer and supplication with Thanksgiving notice we it's with Thanksgiving why is it with Thanksgiving because we know God is still in control because we know that God will give us strength for today because we know that God's greater than the problem with Thanksgiving let your request be known to God and the peace of God which passes all understanding will guard your hearts and Minds through Christ Jesus now notice anxiousness and worry are opposite to peace do you see that in the text so I may feel anxious but God is going

to guard my heart when I take my anxiety to him in prayer and give me a peace you see see it says the peace of God which passes under his name will guard you see that word guard that guard is like a sentinel that guard is like like a person who stands there watching your home so nobody will rob it see so what this text is saying is when I take my worries to God his peace like a guard like a sentinel will stand watch The Message Bible puts it in a very kind of modern

way and I picked this up the other day and the Message Bible let's go to The Message Bible now notice what this says let petitions and Praises shape your worries into prayers don't you like that let your petitions and Praises shape your worries into prayers letting God know your concerns before you know it a sense of God's wholeness everything coming together for good will come and settle you down it's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life so Christ Christ replaces worry at the center of our life when we release

our release our worries to God in prayer and thank him even for the trials we're facing because we know that in the trials of life God is developing our characters his peace Gods our heart I like what Ellen White says in the book Ministry of healing she talks about worry being blind and puts it this way she says worry is blind and cannot discern the future but Jesus Jesus sees the end from the beginning read the next sentence with me please in every difficulty you ready to read in every difficulty he has his way prepared

to bring what relief next sentence reading together our heavenly father has a thousand ways to provide for us of which we know nothing those who accept the one principle of making the service and honor of God Supreme will find perplexities vanish and a plain path before their feet so God has has how many ways of solving our problems a thousand he has more than a thousand ways and we make so when I'm filled with worry when I'm concerned about the future but I make the honor of God in my life Supreme my perplexities will vanish

and there will indeed be a plain path before my feet that's what that's what God does when we allow our worries to drive us to our knees God accomplishes a larger purpose in our lives he draws Us close to himself when our fears lead us to spend time with God In Prayer our faith grows so for principle what's the first principle of dealing with worry what is that everybody God is what in control second principle God gives us strength one day at a time what's the third principle let our worries shape our prayers and drive

us to prayer and praise and drive us closer to God fourth most of those worries focus on things around us these worries are are because of certain events that have happened we worry because of this took place we worry because that took place we worry that things are going to get worse so there there when our mind is focused on the things around us we tend to worry more these worries can serve a purpose though they can lead us to recognize that the things of the Earth are temporary and the what really counts are the

things that are Eternal life's worries can help us Place priorities on the things that really count Jesus in one passage of scripture it's a lengthy passage about six seven verses speaks about worry six times six times so Jesus must have known that worry would be part of the human condition he must have known that at times we uh we tend to to worry a great deal and so six times he mentions worry so let's analyze what Jesus says about worry and how worry can drive us to place priority on Eternal values Matthew chap 6 verse

25-34 we'll look at it therefore Jesus as I say to you do not do what worry about your life what you'll eat or what you'll drink drink nor about your body what you shall put on is not life more than food and the body more than clothing so let's pause right there what is Jesus trying to help us to see in that passage he's trying to help us to see that there are priorities in life beyond what our eyes can see beyond what our hearts can understand so he says to you therefore I say to

you don't worry about your life what you'll eat or what you'll drink or what or your or about your body what you'll put on is not life more than food in the body more than clothing look at the birds of the air for they neither seow nor reap nor gather into barns yet your heavenly father feeds them are you not of more value than they we pause right here before we go on Jesus is saying let's weigh out values let's weigh out values this hand you have the birds of the air in this hand you

have the grass of the field in this hand you have the lilies they're not worried about anything the grass does not worry oh man can I grow tomorrow oh man can I grow tomorrow the birds aren't worried about what they're going to eat and the Lily isn't worried that it's not as beautiful as the rose see and so what Jesus says look if I'm caring for the birds and I'm caring for the lies and I'm caring for the grass those are of lesser value you're a human being I've created you I've fashioned you you need

not be paralyzed by worry and strangled by fear because just look at all nature look at all nature I take care of it and I'm going to take care of you but the text goes on let's continue in our reading which of You by worrying can add one cubit to its stature can by does worry help us to grow he saying look if you if you're worried about growth you're not going to grow by worrying so why do you worry about clothing consider the lies of the field how they grow they neither toil or spin

yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not a raid like one of these now if God so closed the grass he's coming to his point now now if God so Clos the grass of the field which today is and tomorrow is thrown into the oven we will he not much more clothe you oh you little faith therefore do not worry saying what shall we eat what shall we drink what shall we wear for after all these things the Gentiles seek your heavenly father knows that you need all these things

now he comes to the conclusion but seek first the kingdom of God in his righteousness and all these things will be added unto you therefore do not worry about tomorrow for tomorrow will worry about its own things sufficient today for the day is the trouble what is Jesus saying seek first the kingdom of God when you feel worried let your worries drive you to prayer let your worries drive you to deeper Faith six times in this passage Jesus mentions worry why because too many of us are familiar with worry we're familiar with that tight feeling

in our chest we're familiar with those butterflies in our stomach we're familiar with that sense of impending doom that that just flashes in our mind even for those not previously plagued by anxiety it's hard to remain unaffected by the fog of worry that settled over the globe in the 21st century worrying seems like the natural response to the challenging nature of life but scripture provides insights on the supernatural ability to thrive even in trying times so how do we live in a way that we don't worry about tomorrow notice what carefully what Jesus says here

he closed the grass of the field in all it's Beauty he adorns the lies of the field and all their Splendor he provides food for the birds and they're satisfied then he drives the his point home if indeed Jesus cares for them he will care for you I was 17 years old became a Seventh Day Adventist when I was in my fourth year of high school in March of 1963 I was baptized and I had real concerns I was the only Adventist boy in my high school 3,300 students you know didn't know what I was

going to do for the future had a lot of work stes about it a lot of cares about it there was an old Italian woman her name was Francis paresi and Francis sang a song about the care of Jesus and you know does Jesus care I love that old song it goes something like this is there a heart overbound by sorrow is there a life weighed down by care come to the cross each birth bearing all your anxiety leave it there all your anxiety all your care bring to The Mercy Seat leave it there never

a burden he cannot bear never a friend like Jesus this is the story of Matthew chapter 6 he is emphasizing how much he cares for us he's our friend and good friends don't don't let us down there are times there there are in our times of need to recognize that Jesus is our best friend of all when worry is destroying our joy and when crippling fear is strangling our happiness we defeat Satan by placing our priority on things that really matter resting in Jesus love embracing Jesus promises recognizing that our trials in no way make

us less dear to the heart of God worry gives way to the Assurance of his care worry surrenders as we focus our priorities on the things of Eternity as we look at our troubles our worries grow as we look to Jesus our troubles go let your worries drive you to your knees embrace the promises of God and grasp AR fresh is care for you now the fifth anecdote for worry is this the root of our worries as we said often our life challenges life difficulties the things going on around us but if our worries can

lead us to long for Christ's Second Coming rather than worry about the future we can look forward to a future where there is no worry rather than worry about the future we can look forward to the future where there is no worry remember Jesus calmed the disciples troubled hearts as they worried about the future remember Jesus said to them I'm going to go away he was with them for three and a half years Peter had left his Fisherman's Boat Matthew had left his Tax Collector's Booth James and John and the disciples have left their professions

they had banked everything on Christ Christ they had placed their full hopes upon Christ but yet now Jesus told them that he was going to be going away and they were fearful they were worried they couldn't discern the future and what does Jesus say let not your heart be troubled don't be worried don't be over concerned don't be fearful let not your heart be troubled why not you believe in God believe also in Me In My Father's House are many mansions if it were not so I would have told you I go to prepare a

place for you and if I go and prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you unto myself and there you will be also Jesus is saying look Beyond Your Troubles look beyond your difficulties look beyond your fears never lose sight of the fact that Jesus Christ is going to return soon one day John Wesley is walking with a troubled man and this troubled man is so worried about the future that he he can hardly function and as they're walking down this country road they see a cow and this cow is strange

he has his chin upon a wall and he's looking over the wall and Wesley looks at the Cow he says to the man stop for a minute stop here for a minute they stop and the Wesley's just standing there gazing at the cow and the man has been telling Wesley about all of his worries all of his fears and uh Wesley looks and he says to the man why is that cow looking over that wall why is that cow looking over that wall and uh the man's standing there wondering what in the world is this

preacher going to tell me you know I'm talking about all my troubles all my worries all my fears and he's talking about cows why is this cow looking over the wall the guy says I don't know and Wesley says this the cow is looking over the wall because he can't see through it the cow is looking over the wall because he can't see through it you cannot see through your worries you cannot see through your fears you have to look over them you have to look Beyond them Faith enables us to look past the difficult

challenging circumstances of Life today to the day that Jesus will return and we can look beyond our worries beyond our fears beyond our disappointments beyond our difficulties beyond our troubles to the Glorious Day of Christ's return when we can live in a Land of Peace forever when you're consumed with worry about the future you are not looking far enough into the future let me repeat that when you are consumed about worry about with worry about the future you're not looking far enough into the future because you can look beyond the worry beyond the fear beyond

the difficulty Beyond The Challenge we can look further than our natural eyes can see by the eye of Faith to the day that Christ comes in glory look beyond what is to what will be look Beyond today till tomorrow look beyond the things of time to the things of Eternity when you are consumed with worry when you're overwhelmed with fear remember these five things first God is still in control my emotions do not determine where God is he is still on his throne when you're consumed Ed with worry remember God will give you strength for

today one day at a time dear Jesus one day at a time give me strength to live today when you're consumed with worry let life's challenges which the root of our worries drive us to our knees May the worry not accomplish Satan's purpose of driving you from God may it drive you to your knees to find praise in the one that loves you Beyond an everlasting love when you fill with worry when you're filled with worry refocus your priority on the things of Eternity and when you're filled with worry look beyond what is to what

will be and never forget the names of God he is Elohim the Creator God he is the god that will provide he is the god that sees he is the god that heals he is the god that's Almighty and you and I can trust him we can trust him with our worries we can trust him with our fears we can cast all our care upon him because he cares for us what worry do you carry today what fear do you carry today is there something today that's worrying you something today that is troubling you something

today that brings you fear casting all your care upon him he cares for you would you like just to take a moment and bow your head and give that worry to Jesus somebody came today with a burden and you can leave here with peace in your heart somebody came today worried about something Jesus wants to take that worry away that doesn't mean that the problem will be solved immediately that doesn't mean the difficulty will be all gone what it does mean is you're placing faith and confidence in him and the peace that passes all understanding

will fill your heart oh my father often we're filled with worry it's a natural response to life but help us to know that you are there that you care for us in times of worry in times of fear that you're bigger than our worries you're greater than our fears help us to know that we can come to you we can cast all our care upon you because you care for us and give us a sense as we leave this place that we've left our worries here and as the old song says all our anxiety all

our care we bring to Jesus At The Mercy Seat we know you're the great high priest we know that you can fully bear our burdens so we give them to you and Grant us that peace that passes all understanding we pray in Jesus name amen