When Your World Closes In On You

Bottom Line: God sees you in your darkest hour

Opening Line: Have you ever found yourself at a point when everything around you seems to be falling apart?

Main Point: God is always with you

Why It Matters: When you lean on God during tough times He will sustain you, He will be your rock and your refuge. He will be the one that protects you when everyone else runs away. When everything else falls away.

Illustration:

Annette, woman who survived a plane crash and was stranded in the jungle for eight days in 1992.

Annette, 31 years old, was flying with her fiancé when they plane they were on crashed into the jungle mountains

Out of the 31 passengers and crew on board, Annette was the only survivor.

The crash killed everyone else, including her fiancé.

Injured and alone in the dense jungle, Annette endured severe physical and emotional trauma.

For eight long days, Annette survived with no food, drinking rainwater that she collected in leaves From the trees.

She had sustained serious injuries, including broken bones, but her will to survive was incredibly strong.

She spent days calling out for help, hoping someone would hear her in the remote jungle.

“Help, Help, Help”, but no one would come to her rescue

The isolation was overwhelming, and the dense jungle made her feel invisible

but she kept calling out for rescue, refusing to give up.

pray

open the eyes of our heart

Power In The Text: Psalm 59:16 “But I will sing of your strength; I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning. For you have been to me a fortress and a refuge in the day of my distress.”

DAVID

Jonathan was David’s best friend and the son of King Saul

1 Samuel 19:1–2 “And Saul spoke to Jonathan his son and to all his servants, that they should kill David. But Jonathan, Saul’s son, delighted much in David. And Jonathan told David, “Saul my father seeks to kill you. Therefore be on your guard in the morning. Stay in a secret place and hide yourself.”

Saul told Jonathan that they should kill David

King Saul, wanted to kill his sons best friend

Jonathan talked Saul out of it

Remember David is the one who saved us from the Philistines

He is the one who risked his life to kill the giant

Sometime later Saul decided again that he wanted to kill David and he sent his men after him

1 Samuel 19:11–12 “Saul sent messengers to David’s house to watch him, that he might kill him in the morning. But Michal, David’s wife, told him, “If you do not escape with your life tonight, tomorrow you will be killed.” So Michal let David down through the window, and he fled away and escaped.”

David flees for his safety

During this time David writes Psalm 59

Probably very anxious

Maybe scared for his life

Saul has many people out looking to kill David

Psalm 59:1–2 “Deliver me from my enemies, O my God; protect me from those who rise up against me; deliver me from those who work evil, and save me from bloodthirsty men.”

Maybe you’ve been in a position like David

Physically hurt you

Physically hurt your family

Destroy your property

Psalm 59:16 “But I will sing of your strength; I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning. For you have been to me a fortress and a refuge in the day of my distress.”

David, in a great time of fear for his life, knew that God was with him

HANNAH

In 1 Samuel we read the story about a woman named Hannah

Hannah, like most women, she looked forward to the day when she would be able to have a child

However, she was not able to

No matter how much she tried or how much she wanted to, she couldn’t

This brought about many challenges for her:

1 Samuel 1:10 “She was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly.”

Suffered great emotional pain and sorrow

1 Samuel 1:6 “And her rival used to provoke her grievously to irritate her, because the Lord had closed her womb.”

Received mean and hurtful comments from other women who thought less of her

Because of pressure in society, she likely felt worthless

1 Samuel 1:10–11 “She was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly. And she vowed a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head.””

Maybe you’ve been like Hannah

Maybe you aren’t able to have children

Or maybe there is something that seems so normal to everyone else, but isn’t accessible to you

God are you there?

JOSEPH

Joseph was the next to the youngest of 12 of Jacobs sons

Genesis 37:3 “Now Israel (JACOB) loved Joseph more than any other of his sons, because he was the son of his old age. And he made him a robe of many colors.”

Jacob loved Joseph more than the other boys

So much so that he gave Jacob a special coat that was made of many beautiful colors.

This made the other brothers jealous

So jealous that they considered killing him but ultimately they sold him into slavery

He ends up being bought by a man named Potiphar, an officer of Pharoahs

God is with Jospeh and continues to give him great favor with the people. Especially Potiphar

One day Potiphars wife wrongly accuses Joseph and he is thrown into prison

While in prison God continued to be with him, and used him to interpret some dreams

Ultimately he is released from prison

Placed second in command to Pharoah to oversee the preparations for the coming famine

Now Josephs brothers dont know anything about what’s going on.

The assume he is long gone and never to be seen again

However, the brothers have to come to Egypt to get try and get food for their family.

When they came to Joseph, they didn’t recognize him

He forgave them for all of the horrible things that had happened and he said this:

Genesis 50:20 “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.”

Maybe You Have Felt Like Joseph

Betrayed by your family

Wrongly accused for something you didnt do

Know this….God can take that which has been done to you, and make it for God

He can take your pain, and turn it into joy

He can take your weakness and make it strength

Your God is with you!

MOSES

After the Israelites had been in captivity for 430 years, Pharoah finally lets them go

However, a few days after Pharoah releases them, he changes his mind

He sends his army to go and capture the Israelites and bring them back to Egypt

As Moses and the Israelites approached the Red Sea, Pharaoh’s army pursued them, causing panic among the people.

Can you imagine the feelings they were experiencing?

Finally after 430 years they were free, they must have been so excited

But then, a few days later, they were being chased by Pharoahs army

Now they must have been fearing for their lives

Their backs were up against the wall

They were trapped between an evil army and the massive Red Sea

They began to complain and curse Moses

How dare you bring us out here to die!

It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness!

Exodus 14:13-14: “Moses answered the people, ‘Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.’”

Exodus 14:21–22 “Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. And the people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.”

Trusting God, Moses stretched out his staff over the sea, and the waters miraculously parted, allowing the Israelites to cross on dry ground.

When the Egyptians followed, the waters returned, drowning the entire army.

The Israelites celebrated their deliverance and sang praises to God, recognizing His power and faithfulness.

• Exodus 15:1–2 “Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the Lord, saying, “I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea. The Lord is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.”

Maybe You Have Been Like Moses

You are trying to do the best for the people you love

but they are angry and disappointed with you

Your back is agains the wall

Your stuck between the army and the red sea, with no where to turn

Your God is with you

With the simple shake of a stick, your red sea can part so you can walk through on dry land

With a little bit of faith, your Egyptian army can be drowned in the flood waters

Your God is with you!

DAVID - A man who was being chased after to be killed

HANNAH - A woman who believed she could never have children

JOSEPH - A man who was sold into slavery and put into prison

MOSES - Go appointed to lead the Israelites, who finds him self stuck between the army and the Red Sea

People, who through their darkest days, served the God with all of their heart

Sang of God’s strength

Sang of God’s love

Declared that God is their fortress & refuge

Went to God in prayer

Continued to serve God through it all

Because of their faithfulness

DAVID - life was spared, became king over Israel

HANNAH - Gave birth to Samuel, one of the greatest prophets of Israel

JOSEPH - Put in a high position of leadership, saved countless lives during the famine and was able to forgive and restore his family

MOSES - Defeated the Egyptian army and walked the Israelites across to dry land

The Application: No matter the situation, lean in on God. No matter how bad it get’s sing His praise.

When the Doctor tells you a bad report

When you look in your cabinets and see no food

When the rain is leaking through your roof

When your spouse gets angry and decides to leave you

When your child turns their back on God and walks away

GOD IS STILL THERE

Sing of His strength

Sing of His love

For He is your fortress

He is your refuge

When the Doctor tells you a bad report

Don’t go in the corner and cry about.

When you look in your cabinets and see no food

Don’t worry where your next meal will come from

When the rain is leaking through your roof

When your spouse gets angry and decides to leave you

Don’t be afraid of what the next day will look like

When your child turns their back on God and walks away

Sing of His strength

INVITE THE MUSICIANS TO PLAY SOFTLY

My Closing:

Remember the story about Annette and the plane crash into the mountains?

Remember how she kept calling out for help?

The conclusion of the story is…

On the eighth day, a group of local villagers heard her cries.

They had been searching the jungle after hearing of the crash

Came close enough to hear Annette’s weak calls for help.

They found her barely alive, weak from hunger, dehydration, and injuries.

The villagers carried her out of the jungle, and she was airlifted to a hospital where she began her recovery.

The To-Do:

In The Future: Ask God to deliver you from the situation, to protect you as you walk through it, to provide for you in the tough season, to save you.

Now: Call to the altar to surrender the situation to God

The Why: If not, we are going to carry this burden/struggle with us as we continue on in our life

In your toughest day, keep calling out to God