Rules
What to do in times of
trouble
ThePhoto by PhotoAuthor is licensed under CCYYSA.
Intro
• Some years ago, I came across a small little
book titled "The Red Sea Rules: 10 God-given
Strategies for Difficult Times" authored by
Robert J. Morgan in a small public library in
New Harmony, IN.
• This book contained 10 rules on how to deal
with problems we face in life.
• As you might suspect, the book was 10
lessons we can learn from Israel's crossing
of the Yam Suph (Sea of Reeds)
• I would like to share those strategies with
you this morning.
Main Discussion
Rule One: Realize that The Almighty either put you where you are in life or he allowed you to be here. Ex. 14:1, 2
•
Scriptures are full of examples of this: Hagar in the desert with Ishmael, Joseph, Moshe, David being chased by King Shaul, Daniel, Disciples, even Yeshua himself.
•
Hardships in life are inevitable, misery is optional.
•
Sometimes we find ourselves in a situation to serve The Almighty's purpose. Sometimes it is because of choices we made.
•
Example from my life working on a hotel renovation crew.
•
If The Almighty has brought us to it, he will surely take us through it.
Rule 2: Be more concerned for how The Almighty can be
glorified in the situation than our own relief. Ex. 14:3, 4 •
Often when we find ourselves in peril we ask the wrong
questions.
•
How do I get myself out of this situation?
• How quickly can I solve this problem?
• Why did this happen to me?
• Would it not be better to ask, "How can The Almighty be glorified in this sitution.
• Yeshua is our example in this: the man born blind and his prayer in the Gan Get Sheman.
• The Almighty's way is not always the way we desire.
Rule 3: Acknowledge your challenge, but keep your eyes on The Almighty
• Our main adversary is The Adversary
• The example of Peter during the storm
• Ya'aqov ben Yoseiph, our Messiah's brother says to stand firm in opposition to the Adversary and he will flee (James 4:7)
• Peter/Kepha says the same thing in 1 Peter 5:9
• So did the Apostle Shaul in Ephesians 6:13
• Yeshua, during his temptation by The Adversary, gave us the pattern on how to stand firm. He quoted Scripture.
Rule 4: PRAY!
• In times of crisis, our prayers need to be:
• Urgent
• United
• Unfeigned
• Believed
• Often in my times of crisis, my prayers are what I call shotgun prayers. I blast them, sometimes with words, sometimes with groans.
• James 5:16, 17 - Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. - Jas 5:16–17 NASB95
Rule 5: Stay calm and confident, gove The Almighty time to work Ex. 14:13, 14
• Moses instructed the children of Israel to stand still and see the hand of The Almighty
• Paul said we need to leave room for The Almighty's wrath (Rom 12:19). Should we not also leave room for his provisions?
• The Psalmist says in 27:14 that if we wait upon the Ever Existing One, he will strengthen our heart.
• One definition of the word translated "wait" is "to expect".
Rule 6: When unsure, take the next step Ex. 14:15
• Our sages say that there was one man who began walking into the water. When he reached a level where he was at the point of drowning, the waters parted.
• To use an old adage, "The longest journey begins with a single step.
• People often tell us to live our life day to day. Sometimes it is all we can do to go from one second to the next.
• Dreama has a saying I love, "Inch by inch it is a cinch. Yard by yard it's very hard."
Rule 7: Envision The Almighty's presence in your life Ex. 14:19, • Isaiah 41:10, Gen. 28:15, Heb. 13:5, and Philippians 4:5, 6 ALL speak of affirming his presence around us and in us.
• Visualize his presence in your life
• Acess nearness through prayer
• Reflect his nearness in your demeanor
Rule 8: Trust The Almighty to deliver in his own unique way Ex.
14:21, 22
• It was not natural for the sea to open up as it did and close back up the way it did.
• Often we can not explain the way The Almighty delivers us.
• Gideon with his army of 300 men
• Jerusalem when surrounded by Sennacherib
• Shadrach, Meshech, and Abednego
• Paul and Silas from the Philippian jail.
Rule 9: View your current situation as a faith builder Ex. 14:31, • Crossing the Sea as they did strengthened Israel's faith for the journey ahead
• When we build our faith, we grow in our belief that The Almighty "has this".
• Our level of faith is like a muscle, the more we use it, the stronger it gets.
• Sometimes we will be like the disciples when they told Yeshua, "Lord we believe, help our unbelief."
Rule 10: When it's all said and done, don't forget to praise him Ex.
15:1, 2
• What a scene that must have been
• The Israelites stood on that eastern shoreline in disbelief and awe.
• Finally, a voice began to ring out in the silence of the moment. Miriam and many of the women began playing their tambourines and singing praises to The Almighty
• I am going to do something a bit different today. I want you all to close your eyes and imagine for a moment.
• Hear the wind howling and the waves crashing against the shoreline.
• Hear the wails of despair in the distance as Pharoah's army is drowned.
• Then there is this eerie silence before the people break out in song and dance, praising The Almighty.
Conclusion
• Hopefully, I have shown us 10 strategies for handling crises when they arise in our lives.
• Realize The Almighty either put us in the situation or allowed us to be in the situation.
• We should be more concerned with how The Almighty can be glorified through our situations
• Acknowledge our situation, but keep our eyes on The Almighty • PRAY
• Stay Calm and confident. Give The Almighty time to work
Conclusion
• When unsure of what to do, just take a step
• Envision The Almighty's presence in our life
• Trust The Almighty to deliver in his own unique way
• View our current situation as a faith builder
• Always praise The Almighty
