HOW TO KEEP YOUR FAITH, WHEN YOU FEEL LIKE GIVING UP

How prophetic. Denial never gets you anywhere. No matter what the problem in your life, if you keep your head buried in the sand and fail to admit that there is a problem, you will never find a solution. It takes courage and faith to look the problems of life in the eye.

Christ helps us face our personal problems and over come them.

Jeremiah 32:17 KJV 1900

17 Ah Lord God! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee:

Have you ever felt like giving up? Ever feel like quitting? Ever feel like your situation is hopeless, that the only thing you can possible think of is just to leave, just walk away, head out the door, and never come back?

I’m pretty sure all of us have onetime or another.

I. How Some People Respond To Their Problems:

In extreme circumstances, people can feel so much emotional pain that try, or do take their own lives.

Maybe one of you have consider, or even attempted suicide yourself.

Some of you might say, “Bro. Michael, you have know idea about what your talking about?”

Of most here today, I understand those feeling.

You are looking at a Suicide Survivor of Multiple Suicide Attempts.

The real reason people attempt, or commit suicide isn’t just the pain, it’s

The loss Hope.

The sense of No Escape.

They can find No Other Way To Resolve Their Problems.

It’s that Conviction that Things Are Never Going To Get Any Better.

They Look For Ray’s of Hope and Sunshine, and Only See Darkness.

They Blame God for Everything.

I believe Job some how felt this way, and man who really had a right to be depressed.

II. Examination Of Job’s Life:

The Bible describes Job as a Perfect man, and Upright man because he:

Feared

Respected

Worshiped

Obeyed

God.

Job 1:1 KJV 1900

1 There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.

Job, was not perfect because he was sinless,

He wasn’t like Jesus.

He was Just Obedient to God.

He stayed away from Evil.

He stayed away from things that would tempt him to do Evil.

III. Peoples Problem:

Satan, that Old Devil doesn’t like people to worship God!

He hates God.

He hates Christians who serve God.

So, he accuses Christians before God.

Satan, likes to tempt godly people.

But, he has to get permission first from God.

Job 1:6–12 KJV 1900

6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them. 7 And the Lord said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. 8 And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? 9 Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? 10 Hast not thou made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. 11 But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face. 12 And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord.

Job 1:6-

The Bible warns us that Satan, walks this earth just looking for a Christian he can destroy.

1 Peter 5:8 KJV 1900

8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

Satan, was first allow to touch Job’s Children, and his wealth.

What did Job posse?

Job 1:2–3 KJV 1900

2 And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters. 3 His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east.

Job 1:2-

Job, was rich and had it all.

Test 1.

God allowed satan to take it from Job.

Job 1:13–19 KJV 1900

13 And there was a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house: 14 And there came a messenger unto Job, and said, The oxen were plowing, and the asses feeding beside them: 15 And the Sabeans fell upon them, and took them away; yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. 16 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. 17 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The Chaldeans made out three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have carried them away, yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. 18 While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house: 19 And, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.

Job 1:13-

Let’s look at Jobs response.

Job 1:20–22 KJV 1900

20 Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, 21 And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, And naked shall I return thither: The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord. 22 In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.

Job 1:

Satan failed with Test 1.

Satan doesn’t like to fail.

Test 2.

Job 2:1–6 KJV 1900

1 Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the Lord. 2 And the Lord said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And Satan answered the Lord, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. 3 And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause. 4 And Satan answered the Lord, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life. 5 But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face. 6 And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life.

Again we see Satan, has to get permission from God, and God tells him how far he can go.

Job 2:7–10 KJV 1900

7 So went Satan forth from the presence of the Lord, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown. 8 And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes. 9 Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die. 10 But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.

Job 2:7-

III. Job Had A Right To Be Depressed:

We see in just a few day’s a wealthy, healthy man.

Lose his Children

Lose his Wealth

Lose his Health

Not only that but, people turned their back on Job.

His Wife.

His Family.

Friends.

IV. Lesson Learn From Job’s Struggles:

You may ask, “What is the relevance of Job’s struggles?”

Why should I care, how Job felt when God allowed Satan to take everything from Job?

Because of the Temptation,

To give up.

To lose hope.

To despair

Is Universal.

You say, “What do you mean Bro. Mike?”

It’s the husband or wife ready to give up on each other, to give up on their marriage.

Rather than stay together, and try to work things out.

It’s the parents who are ready to give up trying to guide a rebellious child or children.

It’s that pregnant teen who can’t see any other way out, but to have an abortion.

It’s that person with an illness, and their tired of fighting it, and just want to take their own life and quit suffering.

The common denominator is a feeling that the situation;

The feeling of hopelessness.

Things are not going to get any better.

Why try.

God Hates Me!

It’s that temptation to give up, when we are down.

The feeling of Hitting Rock Bottom.

We see these days that giving up takes dramatic acts.

Suicide.

Divorce.

School Shootings

V. The Question:

How does one hold on to their Faith when bad things happen?

How do we find strength to persevere?

To go on?

Where does that power come from?

VI. The Solution:

Trust in God’s Sovereignty

First let me say that God is Sovereign.

This simply means that God is the supreme authority and all things are under His Control.

He is in control no matter how,

Hopeless.

Painful.

Unpleasant.

Discouraging

Your circumstances are.

God has a purpose, and that doesn’t involve,

Giving up.

Despair.

Abandoning your Faith

God knows how much you can take, we don’t!

1 Corinthians 10:13 KJV 1900

13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

1 Cor

We have to trust in His power.

When we become hopeless and can see no escape

When we despair and everything seems impossible and are circumstances will not change for the better.

Trust in God’s Power.

Job stated

Job 42:2–3 KJV 1900

2 I know that thou canst do every thing, And that no thought can be withholden from thee. 3 Who is he that hideth counsel Without knowledge? Therefore have I uttered that I understood not; Things too wonderful for me, which I knew not.

Job 42:2 KJV 1900

2 I know that thou canst do every thing, And that no thought can be withholden from thee.

Philippians 4:13 KJV 1900

13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Closing:

Are you struggling?

Whether or not God chooses to change your circumstances

Ultimately our hope is not of this world, and what He is going to do for us.

Our true hope is in Jesus Christ

And eternity with Him

Jesus

Are you Struggling today?

Do you see nothing, but despair in your life?

Do you see only Hopeless?

Why don’t you come and give it to the Lord today?

Related Media

Related Sermons