Overcoming Difficulty

Text: Psalm 23

Introduction:

In this passage of Scripture, we find some very familiar verses. This morning I would like to start out by saying that hopefully everyone hearing this message loves the Lord and wants to do what He desires us to do!

If that is the case you are in a good place. You have the heart to serve the Lord and the desire is there to serve as well, and those things can not be understated when it comes to the importance of serving the Lord.

No one knows your heart this morning so do you truly desire to serve the Lord? Hopefully your answer is still yes, because then you will be in a better spot to apply some truths that will be discussed today.

The reason I asked the question that I did is because the Christian race is not easy. Along the race there is problems that will arise and difficulties will come up. And these difficulties will take place on those that dont have a heart to serve the Lord, but also on those that want to serve the Lord wholeheartedly…

Some think that Christians are exempt from difficulties in there lives, but unfortunatley that is not the case and will never be the case. We all will have trials and temptations that will come and we need to understand this truth so that we can learn how to deal with the difficulties when they arise!

Outline:

Know your Needs!

Matthew 11:28–30 “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

So many times we deal with problems that we have no business dealing with… We take things upon ourselves and God never intended us to do that…So the first thing that we must know is that we all need to know our needs

Rest

You cant fight nonstop without some rest. We all have difficulties that will take our energy away and will make us weak and we need to rest. Not physically, even though that could be part of it, but we need to rest in the Lord. This is where our strength will come from to fight the battles.

Revitalize

We need the nutrition to face difficulties, and there is no better meal than the meat of the Word of God. We need the nutrition that is offered through God’s word and there is no way that we will have the strength to fight the battle if we do not first fuel ourselves with the meat of the Word of God.

Remain weak in your eyes

2 Corinthians 12:9–10 “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”

Difficulties in your life is an opportunity for you to see God’s strength!

When we try and conquer our difficulties in our own power, does not matter how big or small they may be, we will fail every time.

Small issues are sometimes the biggest issues, because these are the ones we believe we can handle.

Prayer is important to every single aspect of this. We remain humble when we pray and ask for direction. It doesnt matter in what, pray about everthing… Pray without ceasing! Pray for everything.

Praise the Lord that we serve a God that can handle any kind of issue we my have…His grace is sufficiant for everything.

We need the power of Christ so embrace those things we might see as problems in our lives and allow it to be a time in which God shows His strength to you!

Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”

Remain Righteous

Psalm 34:17–18 “The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, And delivereth them out of all their troubles. The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; And saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.”

Remain close to the Saviour!

Psalm 23:4 “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.”

If you have the Saviour near and you know it, it will be alot easier to go through those difficulties than if you are doing them in your own power!

Keep the sin out of your life. God cant remain close if we have sin!

Con:

We will all go through difficulties at some point, but how will you go through them? The way that God intended you to?