Psalm 23 - Part 2

 

This message was preached at Word Of Grace Church on 25th January 2026, by Andrew. For the audio , please click here.  For the worship, please click here. 

Walking Through the Valley: Hope, Victory, and Overflow in Psalm 23:4–6

Psalm 23 is one of the most loved passages in Scripture, often quoted in seasons of peace and comfort. But its power shines brightest when read through the lens of hardship. In the first three verses, David shows us the Lord as our Shepherd—the One who meets our needs, restores our soul, and leads us into divine alignment.

In verses 4–6, the tone deepens. Here, we see what happens when life takes us through trials, valleys, and opposition—and how restoration, victory, and overflow await those who persevere with God.

The Valley Is Not the Destination (Verse 4)

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”

The verse begins with something uncomfortable: a valley. Valleys represent seasons of darkness, fear, uncertainty, and pressure—moments when life feels overwhelming and lonely. Yet David makes a powerful declaration: we walk through the valley.

The valley is not our destination; it is a pathway. And importantly, it is only a shadow. Shadows have no power, especially when the Light of the world walks beside us.

This truth is echoed throughout Scripture. When Moses led the Israelites through the Red Sea, they weren’t celebrating—they were terrified. Enemies were behind them, danger surrounded them, and fear was very real. Yet God was fully in control, and the very path that looked like destruction became their deliverance.

Trials often intensify just before breakthrough. James reminds us that testing produces perseverance, and perseverance matures us, leaving us “not lacking anything” (James 1:2–4). God allows us into valleys not because He doubts us, but because He trusts the work He has already done in us.

Even Job’s suffering was not outside God’s authority. God set the limits, and in the end, Job’s faith was proven and his life restored beyond what he had lost. The quickest way through any trial is not avoidance—but walking through it under the Lordship of Jesus.

A Table in the Presence of Enemies (Verse 5)

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.”

A table represents nourishment, intimacy, fellowship, and belonging. It is a place of closeness and relationship. In Scripture, tables were where family gathered and covenant was reinforced.

David paints a striking picture: a banquet table set by God, surrounded by enemies. It’s awkward—unless you focus on the One sitting across from you.

Too often, believers define their circumstances by the enemies they see rather than the God who is present. But when our attention shifts to Him, the opposition loses its power. The enemies don’t always disappear—they simply stop mattering.

Consider Elijah on Mount Carmel, facing 450 prophets of Baal. The odds were impossible. Elijah rebuilt the altar, drenched it with water, and prayed a simple prayer. Fire fell from heaven and consumed everything. The outcome had already been decided by the Lord.

God prepares the table before the battle begins. Victory is established in fellowship with Him, not in striving on our own strength.

Anointed and Overflowing

The anointing of oil reminds David of the moment Samuel set him apart as king. Oil symbolizes being chosen, cherished, and empowered by God. When God anoints us, we are marked for His purposes.

Overflow is not poetic exaggeration—it’s a spiritual reality. God fills us beyond our own needs so that we can bless others. We are not blessed merely to be satisfied, but to become a blessing. Overflow changes environments and impacts lives.

Goodness That Follows You (Verse 6)

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

David ends with confidence, not uncertainty. He no longer chases blessing—blessing chases him. Goodness and mercy follow him wherever he goes.

But this promise is rooted in one condition: dwelling in the house of the Lord. Dwelling doesn’t mean visiting God occasionally; it means living daily in His presence. Where you dwell determines what follows you.

• Dwell in fear, and anxiety follows.
• Dwell in bitterness, and regret follows.
• Dwell in God’s presence, and goodness and mercy follow.

This verse doesn’t signal an ending—it marks the beginning of a new way of living. The supernatural becomes normal. Doors open without striving. Grace carries what effort never could.

Ultimately, David reminds us that no matter what we face on earth, eternity with our loving Savior awaits us—a promise secured by the Shepherd who never leaves us.

Final Thoughts

Psalm 23:4–6 reveals that trials are not punishments but pathways to maturity, restoration, and deeper intimacy with God. Valleys refine us. Tables remind us who is in control. Overflow equips us to bless others.

When we stop defining life by the enemies around us and start dwelling in the presence of our Shepherd, fear loses its grip, peace takes its place, and goodness begins to pursue us—all the days of our lives.

 Word of Grace is an Evangelical (Born Again),  Spirit-filled (Charismatic), Reformed, English-speaking church in Pune that upholds the Bible as God's inspired Word for life. We are a church community that has people from every part of India and parts of the world. We are here to put the Great Command and the Great Commission into practice by equipping and releasing every member into works of service.  Word of Grace is part of a wider international family of Churches called RegionsBeyond.To know more about us please log onto www.wordofgracechurch.org. 

James - Faith in Action - Part 1

This message was preached at Word Of Grace Church on October 26th 2025, by Navaz. For the audio & video, please click here.  For the worship, please click here. 

Finding Joy in Trials: A Reflection on James Chapter 1

Introduction

The Book of James is one of the earliest writings in the New Testament—possibly penned around 48–50 AD by James, the half-brother of Jesus. Though he initially doubted Jesus, James became a pillar of the early church after the resurrection and was ultimately martyred for his faith.

James writes not to a single church but to “the twelve tribes scattered abroad,” offering timeless wisdom on how faith becomes visible through our actions. His words echo both the Sermon on the Mount and the Book of Proverbs, calling believers to live out their faith in everyday life.

Among its many themes—wisdom, obedience, humility, prayer, and endurance—James opens with one of the hardest lessons for any believer: finding joy in trials.

“Count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.”
— James 1:2–3

Understanding Suffering

Suffering is not an accident. It’s not meaningless. As followers of Christ, our trials serve a divine purpose—to refine, not to destroy us.

Suffering stretches us beyond comfort, revealing what we truly believe. As commentator David Guzik notes, “Faith is tested through trials, not produced by them.”

Suffering can take many forms—physical, emotional, or spiritual—and every person’s pain looks different. But God uses each circumstance to mature us in faith and character.

How the World Sees Suffering

Different worldviews interpret suffering in ways that often distort God’s truth:

• Docetic: Denies pain altogether—“It’s just an illusion.”
• Stoic: Suppresses emotion—“Be strong, don’t feel.”
• Hedonist: Escapes through pleasure—“Avoid pain at all costs.”
• Cynic: Despairs—“Life is random and meaningless.”
• Moralist: Treats life as a transaction—“Good deeds should earn blessings.”

Even within the church, we sometimes adopt these distorted perspectives—moralism, legalism, or prosperity teaching—all of which put performance above grace. But God’s favor cannot be earned; it is freely given through Christ.

A Biblical View of Suffering

Scripture reveals suffering as redemptive. It doesn’t come from God’s cruelty but from living in a fallen world. The story of redemption begins in Genesis 3 and culminates at the Cross—where Jesus, the suffering servant, bore our pain and turned the enemy’s weapon into the very means of victory.

“He bore our griefs and carried our sorrows.” — Isaiah 53

The Bible is honest about human pain. The Psalms, Job, and Lamentations express raw, real emotion. Jesus Himself wept. Grief is not disbelief—it’s evidence of love and longing for God’s restoration.

Why Do Christians Suffer?

The Bible provides several frameworks for understanding suffering:

1. Retributive: Consequences of sin (seen in the Old Testament). Yet Jesus clarifies in John 9:1–3 that not all suffering is due to personal sin—it can also serve to reveal God’s glory.
2. Remedial: Loving correction (Hebrews 12). God disciplines us not out of wrath, but love—to heal and refine.
3. Expiatory: Substitutionary suffering. Jesus bore the ultimate punishment for sin in our place (Isaiah 53; 1 John 2:2).
4. Eschatological: Present pain points to future glory (Romans 8:18). Suffering doesn’t have the final word—resurrection does.

Sometimes, the only answer to our pain is not an explanation but the presence of God Himself—just as Job discovered.

The Necessity of Suffering

We live in the tension of the “now and not yet.” Sin’s effects still linger, but Christ’s victory is sure.

Suffering tests our faith (James 1:2), builds compassion (2 Cor. 1:3–5), humbles us (2 Cor. 12), and confirms our identity as children of God (Heb. 12).

As Tim Keller wrote, “Christ did not suffer so that we would never suffer, but so that when we suffer, we could be like Him.”

Suffering refines us like fire refines gold. It exposes idols and deepens our dependence on grace. As Sinclair Ferguson said, “In glory, we will be recognizable only in that we will see each other inside out—what Christ was working out in our lives.”

The Christian Response

God is sovereign, loving, and never out of control. He does not delight in our pain, but He allows it to shape us for eternity.

The question is not “Why is this happening?” but “Will I remain in love with Jesus through it all?”

The Christian journey is not all gloom—it is marked by both joy and sorrow, both cross and crown. True wisdom is learning to see trials through God’s eyes.

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God.” — James 1:5

Those who persevere will receive “the crown of life” promised to those who love Him (James 1:12).

So take heart—your trial is not wasted. God is completing His good work in you (Philippians 1:6).

Suffering may be part of the story, but it’s never the whole story. Grace, joy, and eternal glory await those who endure.

“Suffering is a bridge to glory.” — R.C. Sproul

 Word of Grace is an Evangelical (Born Again),  Spirit-filled (Charismatic), Reformed, English-speaking church in Pune that upholds the Bible as God's inspired Word for life. We are a church community that has people from every part of India and parts of the world. We are here to put the Great Command and the Great Commission into practice by equipping and releasing every member into works of service.  Word of Grace is part of a wider international family of Churches called RegionsBeyond.To know more about us please log onto www.wordofgracechurch.org. 

1 Peter Part 7

 

This message was preached at Word Of Grace Church on October 29th 2023  by Navaz. For the audio & video please click here.  For the worship please click here.

THE SUFFERING OF THE SAINTS

1 Peter 3: 8-13

Peter comes back to the theme of suffering. He gives his readers’ perspective by reminding them of who they are – strangers and the elect. He tells them how they ought to live and respond in the face of suffering, how to respond to anyone in authority. And he circles back to this theme because he knows it's something they contend with daily!

OUR RESPONSE IN THE FACE OF TRAILS

V8. Finally, all of you, be like-minded (live in harmony with one another), be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. ⁹ Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.

Peter, in the face of suffering, encourages the saints to live in harmony with one another, be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate, and be humble!

FINALLY – Teleos – The principal aim or end goal is the above. Peter tells them to be alert in their minds, to get rid of any double lifestyle, he tells them how to respond to all kinds of authorities with humility and submission. In view of all this (finally) live in harmony (1 Pet 1:22 – love each other deeply from the heart)

LIKE-MINDED/UNITY OF MIND/HARMONY/SINGLE-MINDED

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty pride, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves. (Phil 2:3)

Romans 12:16
Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud but enjoy the company of the lowly. Do not be conceited
HARMONY:  One mind – One mind of Christ (1 Cor2:16) To be of one mind we need to know the mind of Christ, to know that we need to know the Word. And a part of that is being of one mind with the body of believers you are united to. We are all unique and we are all a part of one body therefore have the same DNA at the core of each cell.

HOW IS THIS LIKE-MINDEDNESS DEMONSTRATED?

Peter lists out four ways: be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. –

Sympathetic – the more accurate word is Empathy. Sympathy is an emotion where you feel sad for the person. Empathy is to have an accurate understanding of what the person is going through and identify with the pain. Are we aware of what our brothers and sisters are going through? Send them a text, call, do something.

Love as brothers We cannot say we love God and hate our brothers. We are called to love sacrificially and reciprocally. Both are needed. Jn13:35 By this shall all men know you are my disciples if you have love one for another.

Love is also demonstrated in a commitment to our local church. Are you faithful? Can you be counted in and counted upon i.e., do you belong here? And can you be called upon to serve?

Compassionate/tender-hearted

The Greek word for tenderhearted is “good -gut” – the inference is good emotions. Have a good feel for what is going on. We can only have the right emotional response if we know the Father's heart. It is a response of grace.

Humble/courteous

Some translations say “courteous” – humble-mindedness. You can only be courteous if you have a sober judgement of yourself. Only then can you treat others better than yourself. First, realize how much you have been forgiven before judging others. It will make you more patient with other’s shortcomings and failures.

 V9. ⁹ Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.

Again, Pete gives a principle of how to respond when you are badly treated by both Christians and non-Christians alike. Do NOT do evil or repay evil with evil. He shows them that the blessing we receive (or walking in favour with God) is contingent upon how we behave. He reminds them of the Torah. (Ps 34:12-16- Keep your tongue from evil, seek peace, the Lord opposes those who do evil. He listens to the righteous) Does this not remind you of someone else saying this? Peter is referring to Jesus' teaching in the Sermon on the Mount.

“It is not without significance that the disciples are to be known by their love, the world by its hatred.” (Morris)

This is the response of a mature Christian. They will not retaliate when someone does evil to them. This is such a hard thing to follow, and one might feel that people take advantage of it. Peter is referring to being mistreated for the sake of the gospel.

The context is suffering for your faith. Yes, if injustice is done to you at your workplace, you can address it through the proper channels. If someone is physically, or mentally sexually abused you must report it. There are laws in place for your protection. If someone violates your trust, you must forgive but you are not required to entrust them again until they can prove themselves faithful. If someone is trying to manipulate you need to either talk to the person or stand up against it. 

¹³ Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good?  Verse 13 is a rhetorical question. Who will harm you if you do good? Meaning if you have done evil and you are harmed you have only got what was coming to you.

¹⁴ But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats^[b]; do not be frightened.” V14 Be ready to suffer even if you have done the right thing. Another translation says – Do not be afraid of their threats but in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. This is in contrast to verse 13. IF you suffer for good you suffer for God. (It sounds like Peter is saying something to these Christians. Were they bringing trouble upon themselves because of the way they were behaving and then saying oh we are being persecuted because of our faith!) Sometimes we can bring it on ourselves for our unwise behaviour (When we argue with relatives over religion, we lose the relationship).

The godly will suffer! This is a sharp contrast to the prosperity preachers who wrongly use Psalm 91 saying no harm will befall them. Jesus never said you will never suffer. In fact, he said if they have persecuted me, they will persecute you as well.

Mt. 5:11, “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.”

WHAT IS OUR RESPONSE?

But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you are blessed. ‘And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.’” 1Pet 3:14

Do not be afraid. We need to remind ourselves that God is with us during our troubles. When we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we will fear no evil.

 

CH4:12 -19

 Peter tells his readers not to be alarmed that they are suffering and are being persecuted. We are to embrace suffering as a part of God’s eternal plan. 

1 Pet 2:20 But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. ²¹ To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.

Peter uses the word “strange was happening to you”. He tells them that they are strangers in the world, strangers to this culture but they should not be strangers to suffering.

¹³ But rejoice in as much as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. ¹⁴ If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. ¹⁵ If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler.

Peter is not saying that they should rejoice for being persecuted or for suffering. He is saying rejoice that you get the honour to suffer for the sake of Christ. Rejoice in.

See the apostle's response to suffering.

Acts 5:40, “And they agreed with him, and when they had called for the apostles and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus and let them go. ^{41 So} they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name.”

God has called us to be partakers of His divine nature, to be partakers of His inheritance. If we are partakers of this, we cannot exclude suffering. (Colin and I were beaten in Goa, and the sharp reactions to us by the Society for standing for justice, and slander from disgruntled church people)

Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. 2Pet1:4

Paul also talks about suffering as being light and momentary compared to the glory that we will partake of when Jesus is revealed. Brothers and sisters let us have an eternity perspective. Let living for eternity be that guiding star that keeps us from being distracted or discouraged.

CONCLUSION

 1 Pet 4:17-19 ⁽ READ)

What a strange set of words to tag at the end of a passage on suffering. Christians will not face the Great white throne of judgement (our faith will not be judged; our works will be). However here on earth, God will discipline us if we do not mend our wayward ways. And that ought to make us think soberly about our lives. So many Christian leaders in the last few years have given in to moral failure. This happens when we lose the fear of God and become casual about His love and Grace to the point of abuse and neglect. Let us be careful about how we live.

Once again, He reminds us that if we are suffering for our faith, we need to trust God with our lives and not stop doing good.

Word of Grace is an Evangelical (Born Again),  Spirit-filled (Charismatic), Reformed, English-speaking church in Pune that upholds the Bible as God's inspired Word for life. We are a church community that has people from every part of India and parts of the world. We are here to put the Great Command and the Great Commission into practice by equipping and releasing every member into works of service.  Word of Grace is part of a wider international family of Churches called RegionsBeyond.To know more about us please log onto www.wordofgracechurch.org.   

Trusting God In Trials

 

This message was preached at Word Of Grace Church on Aug 22nd 2021 by Colin D via zoom. For the audio & video please click here.  To listen to the worship please click here.

Trusting God in Trials

It is important to share testimonies of God’s goodness and faithfulness in our lives, it encourages others who are going through similar things in their life. Let’s keep encouraging and sharing testimonies.

When we live on earth we will face trials and challenges, like we heard people share, we will face challenges and trials. We come to God’s word to look at how we should navigate through these times, as Christians what should be our mindset. Some Christians believe that once they come to Christ, all their troubles will come to an end. Think of Lazarus in the Bible, Jesus raised him from the dead, did his problems go away? No, Jews wanted to kill him because so many were coming to faith because of this miracle. All those who first believed were persecuted. Apostle Paul himself faced hardships, persecution, shipwreck etc.

We are going to look at an account from the OT today, and my focus today is on what our response should be to trials and troubles and tribulations. How should we as Christians respond to those things?

Daniel Chapter 3, King Nebuchadnezzar built a 90 ft tall image of Gold and he called all the important people, prefects, governers etc, then he had music,

1 King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, sixty cubits high and six cubits wide,[a] and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. 2 He then summoned the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial officials to come to the dedication of the image he had set up. 3 So the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the other provincial officials assembled for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up, and they stood before it. 4 Then the herald loudly proclaimed, “Nations and peoples of every language, this is what you are commanded to do: 5 As soon as you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. 6 Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace.” 7 Therefore, as soon as they heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp and all kinds of music, all the nations and peoples of every language fell down and worshiped the image of gold that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

 So this is what he did, set up and Idol, and told all the people in the kingdom to worship the image, there were 3 people Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, refused to bow down to the idol, cause they believed as mentioned in Exodus 20, the Ten Commandments, 20: And God spoke all these words: 2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.3 “You shall have no other gods before[a] me.4 “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.

 

God’s word says do not make an idol, and these three refused to bow to the idol, the punishment for disobedience was to be thrown into the fire. (Dan 3:8-10)

8 At this time some astrologers[b] came forward and denounced the Jews. 9 They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “May the king live forever! 10 Your Majesty has issued a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music must fall down and worship the image of gold, 11 and that whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into a blazing furnace. 12 But there are some Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon—Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego—who pay no attention to you, Your Majesty. They neither serve your gods nor worship the image of gold you have set up.”

What a wonderful reputation to have.

What great faith they had! There is a second part (Verse 18)

18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”

That is solid faith!

Even if He does not rescue us, we will still follow Him. Many times we come to God with conditions and deals with God, “if you do this, I will do this”.  But solid faith is like this, even if our prayers are not answered, we are still going to follow God and do the right thing. “I am going to hold on to You”.

The question is, will we hold on to God when we are going through challenges? 

God promises to deliver us, but His timing and our timing is different. And His ways of deliverance and ours is different.

Let’s see what God did in the situation, it builds up our faith, in verse 19 onwards

19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual 20 and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. 21 So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace. 22 The king’s command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, 23 and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace 24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?”They replied, “Certainly, Your Majesty.” 25 He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”

Miracle 1: the soldiers who tied them died, but they didn’t! we miss this sometimes, but this is amazing.

Here we see this wonderful account, where God came when His people stood up and refused to bow to an idol. We marvel at this account and we’ll draw out some truths.

 Why? Why do we face these situations, trials, tribulations?

God allows trials in our lives because He wants us to grow in our dependence on Him. 2 Cor 1: 8-9

8 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters,[a] about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.

In our difficult situations, God wants us to draw close to him and rely on him even more. We have to learn to rely on God in the difficult situations and even in the good times to rely and depend on God.

Verse 10  He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, 11 as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.

 Praying in difficult situations is important, we need to pray for one another.

 

2nd: To develop our Character. 

Roman 5: 3-5 3 Not only so, but we[c] also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope.
People who go to gym understand this, no pain no gain, Paul says we rejoice in our sufferings! Why? Because God is doing something in you, suffering develops perseverance, and that produces Character.
James 1:2-4, Perseverance develops maturity. If we understand what’s happening we can cope better and this is what is happening: God is at work in our lives, He wants us to develop your character, he wants to you to become mature and be complete and not lacking anything.

 

3rd: What do challenges and trials bring? 

1 Pet 6:7 6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. –

 so the third reason is so that our faith may refined and purified. Somebody said this: “Christians are like teabags. You don’t know how strong they are till you put them in hot water.” Till we face a challenge we don’t know whats our character is like.

In conclusion to this first section on why we go through tough challenges, Jesus himself said in this world we will face troubles and tribulation, but we go through them because, 1. To increase our dependence on him, 2. To develop our character and 3. To refine and purify our faith.

Now we look at what our response is to be:

First: Be joyful, we need to change our mind set, we need to know God is working in me, developing my character. In the midst of all the challenges, we are going to rejoice in God.

Second: We need to invite God into our situation. We pray to God that we are removed from the situation, yes, but like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, we need God to be with us while we are in that situation. Isaiah 43: 1-2 says

But now, this is what the Lord says—    he who created you, Jacob,he who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. 2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers,they will not sweep over you.When you walk through the fire  you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. God is saying I will be with you.

We may hear whispers “God doesn’t hear your prayers” but we need to say “God I am in a difficult situation, come be with me”

Third: We seek Him, His Kingdom and His righteousness. Not be fair weather Christians, but in all situations we seek Him and His Kingdom. Continue to trust God, have faith.

In conclusion
We will face challenges, we will have troubles, we will have tribulations, but in all these God is developing our character, we continue to depend on him, we seek Him and we continue to worship Him. No matter what we are going to serve God. In His time and His way He will bring deliverance. 

   Word of Grace is an Evangelical (Born Again),  Spirit-filled (Charismatic), Reformed, English speaking church in Pune that upholds the Bible as God's inspired Word for life. We are a church community that has people from every part of India and parts of the world. We are here to put the Great Command and the Great Commission into practice by equipping and releasing every member into works of service.  Word of Grace is a part of a wider international family of Churches called RegionsBeyond.To know more about us please log onto www.wordofgracechurch.org. 

Handling crisis in life | Justin

This message was preached  Justin at Word of Grace Church on the October 18th, 2015.  To listen/download the audio please click here  . To listen to the Sunday's worship and prophetic contributions please click here

2 Chronicle 20

Haven’t we all faced crises in our lives? When everything is ok it’s easy to praise God. Jehoshaphat was bringing good reforms (ch17) then suddenly in chapter 20 a new crisis came.

V2 Jehoshaphat hears that a vast army is comming . Imagine what he must have gone through. He was alarmed. He feared but he set himself to seek god.

Chapter 19 Jehoshaphat made an alliance with Ahab. A prophet told him that was not good.

What do we do when we face crises? Sometimes we panic, think about whom we can contact.

Jehoshaphat did this. He set himself to seek God and proclaimed a fast. AS a King he could have called his army chief and advisers. He wanted God not to give direction (God do this, God do that) but to get direction.

In Daniel, The king asks Daniel not just for the interpretation of the dream but to also tell him what the dream was about. Daniel 2:8 God revealed the dream and the interpretation.

Crises times are difficult aren’t they? The whole of Judah rallied around Jehoshaphat because he served them and sought their welfare.

What did Jehoshaphat do?

1. Praised God v5. Do we know who our God is? How dies praising god help a situation? Remember Paul and Silas were praising God, Peter slept while the church prayed and God did a miracle.

2. He recalls God’s promises. V7 He recalls God’s goodness. He was going back 1000 years recalling Abraham, 400 years back recalling Joshua and 100 years back recalling King Solomon. He reminded God about Abraham and also when the people dedicated the temple. He was falling on the promises of God. Often in the praise and worship we recount the names of God and the miracles he has done. Why do we do this? To build faith. Let’s recollect who our God is. He is the God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob and He is our God too.

3. Jehoshaphat presents the problem and allows God to judge.v1Those people were the offspring of Esau but he did not touch them. Now they are attacking Israel.

We often meet in groups and share our prayer needs. This place is a witness to many prayers being answered.

 4.V12. Jehoshaphat ‘s eyes were upon God. He acknowledged his weakness. The fact that we come together and pray shows, that we can’t do anything on our own but look to God in prayer.

Recollect the past, rest on His promises, share prayer requests and humble ourselves.

The Result v13-14.  When we seek Him first God send a solution to us

V15 The prophet speaks up. The battle belongs to the Lord! God’s word brings encouragement and direction. Many times we struggle because we feel it’s our battle. But when we commit to God the battle belongs to Him.

V17-18 God gives clear direction and what to do. God does not deal like a magician. He told them what to do.

V20 Many times crisis can make us ineffective. But Jehoshaphat put his faith in God- he was exemplary. Take Gideon who was hiding is called Might Warrior. God strengthens him and he leads people from the front and what a victory!

V21 Jehoshaphat consulted the people. He was with the people. The people began to praise God. Panic turns to praise.

Several times in the Old Testament we see how God did extraordinary things.

So let’s take time to seek God and recall what he has done, claim these promises. We will begin to see change in our lives. We will set an example to others and we will lead from the front.

Word of Grace is an Evangelical (Born Again),  Spirit filled (Charismatic), Reformed, English speaking church in Pune that upholds the Bible as God's inspired Word for life. We are a church community that have people from every part of India and parts of the world. We are here to put the Great Command and the Great Commission into practice by equipping and releasing every member into works of service. To know more about us please log onto www.wordofgracechurch.org.