PRESSURE POINTS

Psalm 139:23–24 “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!”

Galatians 6:9 “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”

OPENING:

These two short passages remind us not to neglect God in our times o struggles and hardships.

To persist (ask for meaning) in doing good- Even when life is a challenge or seems overwhelming

King David wrote this Psalm as a means of self-examination.

His emphasis is to recognize the power of the All-knowing, Ever-Present, All-Sufficient God that David serves.

Although David had a group of faithful and devoted men, his Mighty men of Valor, that followed him into battle on many occasions- David’s ultimate source of strength came- Not from his mighty warriors- But from God- Through Davids faithfulness to God

Throughout all of Scripture, Christ is our supreme example of ultimate goodness under extreme pressure.

We are all faced with decisions, every day. Some are no big deal-

Should I wear clean socks to school, or get my fav ones out of the Laundry- again?

Would you like fries with that?

Some are a bit tougher-

Should I get my homework done, or go one more round on my Playstation, etc.

And even harder, as you get older-

Is that a group of kids I should be hanging out with?

They invited me to a party, should I go? Do I tell my parents?

Every decision we make has a cause and effect attached to it.

As young Christians, you dont have to live life doing the same old stuff, that was just getting you into the same old troubles, and causing you the same old hassles.

Talking to Jesus, in prayer and by reading your Bible is how you prepare to, not only survive, but to thrive and succeed in life.

THE BREAKDOWN:

1- Probe the Heart, Vs 23

David asks God to Examine him, ‘Search me, Oh God...”

One of the hardest things any man will ever do? Ask-

To be honest with himself. And it’s one thing to ask a friend for a fair assessment of oneself- They will either be too kind or too harsh.

If we really want to know ourselves, the only reliable source we can go to is to the one that created us to begin with.

But, we must also be prepared for the answer. God will always be honest with us- and sometimes that will hurt.

The most important thing to keep in mind is that when we lean on God’s view of things to understand AND navigate those tough times, we can learn to respond properly whatever life throws at us.

2- Path to Righteousness, Vs 24

“See if there is any Grievous way in me...”

Grievous is the same as evil.

Often, under pressure we can be distracted into leaving the proper path to walk

(Story of 2 men in Skamania County- Hunting for Bigfoot on Christmas Eve. Not prepared for the elements- Rain, snow Freezing temps.

Not prepared for overnite in some of the most remote rugged mountainous terrain this country has to offer.)

They died of exposure after one night. SAR team found them 2 days later- 2 days too late.

In asking God, Am I on the right path? Am I doing this the right way? Is this what You want me to be doing? Where you want me to be going?

We allow God to then lead us down the right path.

David asks God to “Lead him in the way everlasting”

Through the Holy Spirit, God can then give the insight to help us keep a Godly attitude, integrity and faithfulness under pressure

3- Perseverance- To try, try and try again, Gal 6.9.

The more the pressure, the more satisfying the reward.

Why do Pro athletes get so excited after winning the BIG GAME?

(Seasons are long, often injuries occur.)

(Maybe years of trying and they finally break through to win)

Galatians teaches us that if we stay persistent, continue to do good, endue the pressure, hurt, judgement of others- We will be rewarded.

That doesnt always work in sports-

Ernie Banks, shortstop for the Chicago Cubs, had a long and successful career- a Hall of Fame Career...

Yet, in 19 years in MLB, he never played in a single playoff game or World Series.

Yet his motto throughout his career was, “It’s a Beautiful day, Lets play two...”

APPLICATION:

In life, as teenagers, The pressure of school, peers and parents can be a heavy weight on the shoulders.

Faced with a hard week, it is good to have a fav playlist of positive, encouraging music or prayers to help keep us focused on the important stuff.

During the Great Plague in Europe, Sir Isaac Newton had to work from home.

Under pressure and under quarantine- Newton invented Calculus and studied optics.

Not sure he should be thanked for calculus??

Learning to survive the hardest of conditions can set us up for unexpected success, if we do not grow weary of doing good.

One of the great adventures in discovering survival skills, is the searching it requires.

We are encouraged to search our minds for peace and calm

In an outdoor setting, in the woods, in the mountains and in all sorts of bad weather- Keeping a clear head will help you survive.

Unlike those 2 guys looking for Bigfoot.

With clearer heads, they probably would not of even tried.

When we search our surroundings, we can find the things we can use to survive when exposed to bad weather- fire wood, shelter materials, etc.

In everyday life we are constantly searching-

For answers, affection, affirmation, acceptance, love, hope- Truth.

And a host of other things we need to get through life.

Searching is s necessary part of life, and it says a lot about us when we find what we are searching for.

In sports, trophies and championships come and go, some athletes win a trophy or two, some win more- Some, like Ernie Banks dont even get a chance to play for a trophy.

In life, we need to fine tune the things we are searching for- The really important stuff- The most important being a close relationship with Jesus.

David invited God to search his heart AND to expose and remove any bad thing that might be getting in the way of his relationship with God.

So lets begin today, to ask God to show us the things in our lives that dont belong there-

Let God help you to remove those things, so that each of us can begin to walk in the Way of everlasting- Gods way to a relationship with Him and to everlasting life.

If you search for that- God promises that you WILL find it.