[b]THE WAY UP[/b]
[i]by David Wilkerson[/i]
I have known of great Christians who have experienced a trial so dark and deep
that life itself seemed almost not worth living. In his very darkest hour,
Jeremiah discovered a glorious truth that brought new hope and assurance to his
mind. It was something he already knew about God, but it didn't touch his soul
until he came to the end of himself. He discovered that at the very bottom, God
was there! The farther down he went, the more God was to be discovered. God was
not to be discovered up there in some blissful soaring into untroubled skies,
but in the shadows of grief and despair. When Jeremiah hit bottom, he bumped
into God! He fell hard against the faithfulness of a compassionate God. Listen
to his discovery:
"God is a God of compassion...his compassions for me cannot fail.... They are
new every morning...great is his faithfulness..." (Lamentations 3:22-23).
Little by little, Jeremiah came to realize great truths that can only be
discovered by those who are down.
1. When I am at the very lowest point; when troubles flow over my heart like
water, and I say, "I am cut off," God draws near and whispers, "Do not fear!"
(Lamentations 3:54-57).
2. When God seems to have "covered himself with a cloud, so that my prayers
could not pass through," he will still see my oppression and will “judge my
case” (Lamentations 3:44, 59).
3. If the Lord allows grief and sorrow, he will at the same time uphold me with
abundant compassion and love (Lamentations 3:32).
4. God is not against me, trying to crush me under his foot when I'm down like
a prisoner in trouble (Lamentations 3:34).
5. God is not trying to sabotage any of my plans; he is not causing my
confusion; he is not working against me (Lamentations 3:35-36).
6. Even in my despair and bitterness, when I hated to face a new day, his
compassion failed not. His mercies were waiting for me, new each morning
(Lamentations 3:22-23).
7. Because God is always faithful, he will not cast me off. He will do right by
me and save me (Lamentations 3:25-26).
8. When I am at my lowest, I have nowhere to turn but to God, so I will lift up
my heart and my hands, and thank him for his faithfulness! (Lamentations
3:40-41).
9. Being down has spent my strength and hope. I am left empty and humbled, so
now I depend totally on his mercies! (Lamentations 3:18, 20-22).
_________________
SermonIndex.net Moderator - Brother Greg
Our Lord said 'For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat.' (Matthew 25:35). So as you help feed some of the poorest believers in the world in North Korea you are feeding Jesus Christ. And by giving Bibles to those believers who have no access to Scriptures you are equpping believers to be disciples of Jesus Christ to share the Good News with a lost world.
North Korean Christians Fund: https://www.heavensfamily.org/north-korea?goMotiv=I000-SEIN
Bibles for Believers Fund: https://www.heavensfamily.org/bibles-believers?goMotiv=I000-SEIN
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