This sermon emphasizes the importance of seeing the bigger picture in life, trusting God's wisdom even when things seem dark and hopeless. It highlights the danger of trying to counsel God through prayer and becoming upset when prayers are not answered as expected. The message encourages perseverance through difficult chapters, knowing that God's ways are beyond our understanding and that He will work things out for our good in the end.

I only see the partial picture. I don't see the whole picture. And when I can see the whole picture, then I understand. And so many times I've had to apologize to God because I didn't see the whole picture. I just saw this one part that's happening to me right now. And I don't like what I see. It doesn't look good. And I sometimes wonder, why would God allow this to happen to me? But then as the picture begins to be more complete, I begin to see it. And when it is completed, I say, oh Lord, that was so wise. That was so good of you. I thought you didn't like me. I thought you were hating me because of what was. But I see now, Lord. Oh, that is so wonderful. And I begin to understand when I see the whole picture. Our problem is, is that we are living life one chapter at a time. And maybe this chapter is sort of not so good. Maybe the chapter is ending with all kinds of mysteries. And things are looking so dark and so hopeless. And I think, oh my, you know, this is terrible. Now, what people often do, and it is wrong, is that they close the book at that point. So oftentimes I figure out how God might take care of my situation. And I begin to pray. I ask God to do the things that I feel should be done to help me to get free from this bad scene. And God doesn't always answer my prayers as I thought he should. You see, sometimes I have a notion that I'm smarter than God. And my prayers are an endeavor to counsel God. And this is, God, how it needs to be done. And this is what I need for you to do. And I am seeking to counsel God through prayer. And when he doesn't follow my counsel, I get upset. And I say, well, God doesn't answer prayer. And unfortunately, many people turn away at this point because God hasn't answered their prayer as they felt he should. I read with great sadness concerning Ted Turner of CNN fame. When he was a young boy, he went to Sunday school. He believed in God. But his sister became very sick. And he was praying that God would heal her. His sister died. And so he turned his back upon God, became an atheist, and just, he turned away. And it's because he didn't understand why God allowed his sister to die. The ways of the Lord are something we don't understand. His ways are not our ways. His ways are beyond our finding out. And when you get to one of those dark chapters and things really are despairing, wait. Get into the next chapter. And I can guarantee when you get into the final chapter, which the Lord has allowed us to do, he's given us the final chapter, and they shall live and reign with him forever. That's the final chapter. And don't stop just because you're at a bad chapter that you don't understand. But just commit it to the Lord and know that he's going to work things out in such a way as you will be praising him and giving glory to him for what he has done. Paul then does ask, or who has first given to him and it shall not be recompensed to him again? Know this, God will never be a debtor to you. He will never owe you anything. Whatever you give to him, he gives back to you multiplied over and over again. As Jesus said, give and it shall be given unto you. Good measure, press down, running over shall men give into your bosom. For the measure that you use to meet it out is the same measure that he will use to meet it back to you. Solomon said, honor the Lord with your substance and with your first fruits. And so shall your barns be filled with plenty and your presses will burst forth with new wine. Paul said in 2nd Corinthians, but this I say, he who sows sparingly will reap sparingly. But he that sows bountifully shall reap bountifully. Now that's something that we can grasp and understand. I have difficulty in just saying the more I give to God, the more he's going to give to me. I don't see how that works. However, when you put it with the analogy that Paul did, if I go out and sow sparingly, I'm going to reap sparingly. If I'm going to plant a lawn and I go out and I begin to drop one seed at a time here and there and so forth, that lawn is going to look real weird when it comes up because you're going to have a shoot here and a shoot here, you know. But if you just throw the seed out and spread it and just keep throwing it out by hands full, as it comes up you're going to have a lush, green lawn, thick, rich, full. In the measure that you use in giving it out, if you sow sparingly, you'll reap sparingly. But if you sow bountifully, throw it out. It'll come back in a full harvest. Paul goes on to say, for of him, and through him, and to him are all things. Of him, through him, to him. David announced to the people his desire to build a palace for God. But he told them that God had restricted him from building it, but that God would give him a son who would build this temple.