July 30th, 2024
The Upward Look, by Jon Forrest
Looking at the Light
A pastor told a story of a man in his congregation who had lost literally hundreds of thousands of dollars. He owed everybody. One day the pastor asked him, "How in the world are you even surviving? How can you smile? How can you be enthusiastic about Jesus and about life when you are just going through all kinds of problems?
He said, "Next time you come to my house, I will show you how."
The pastor said that he was curious, so not long after that he went to his house. He said, "I told you I would show you the thing that gives me strength." They went into his den and there was a painting. It was a simple painting of a Bible experience we call "Daniel in the Lion's Den." It was a beautiful painting. There was Daniel standing there among ferocious looking lions. These were not sleeping, slumbering lions. These were lions whose teeth were bared and whose claws were exposed. You could tell that they were threatening to hurt Daniel! There was a shaft of light that seemed to be falling down from the roof of that cave in which Daniel and those lions were being kept. The man said to his pastor, "Look at Daniel's eyes!" the pastor looked closely at the eyes of Daniel and Daniel was looking up at the light.
The man said to him, "The thing that gives me strength in the midst of my troubles is this. Daniel is not looking at the lions. He is looking at the light!" So when you get surrounded with a lot of adversity; when you get surrounded by a lot of problems, don't focus on the lions focus on the light and that's God's prescription for depression.
Each of us has experienced loss. Any time we lose someone or something dear to us grief can set in. Grief can turn to depression and we can begin to think that God has abandoned us. We can feel like all is lost. When King Darius was tricked into ordering that no one should pray to any god, but him, he didn’t realize that his favorite assistant, Daniel was a man dedicated to praying to the Lord three times daily. When it was called to his attention that Daniel was disobedient to his edict, he felt he had no other option, but to hand down the punishment that had accompanied the order. Daniel would be cast into the lions' den. Daniel could have felt betrayed by God, but he did not fear. He was prepared to die for his faith. We don’t know how accurate the painting was, but we do know that God protected Daniel in that lion’s den.
Scripture says that the Lord sent an angel to shut the mouths of the lions and Daniel survived the night. Daniel’s faith in God protected him and delivered him from certain horrific death.
When your chips are down, never forget that God is with you. He will take you to the ultimate victory because you trust him. Focus on the light.
This Sunday we will examine a personal crisis of depression experienced by one of God’s greatest prophets, Elijah. Even though Go had delivered him and helped him to win a tremendous victory over the 450 prophets of Baal, the queen, Jezebel was unimpressed. She ordered Elijah to be killed. This sent God’s great man into fear and despair. Had God abandoned him? We will examine this passage from 1 Kings 19:1-18 in a sermon titled Does God Even Care?
Join us for this powerful experience in God’s love and grace.
Looking with you to the light,
Jon
Looking at the Light
A pastor told a story of a man in his congregation who had lost literally hundreds of thousands of dollars. He owed everybody. One day the pastor asked him, "How in the world are you even surviving? How can you smile? How can you be enthusiastic about Jesus and about life when you are just going through all kinds of problems?
He said, "Next time you come to my house, I will show you how."
The pastor said that he was curious, so not long after that he went to his house. He said, "I told you I would show you the thing that gives me strength." They went into his den and there was a painting. It was a simple painting of a Bible experience we call "Daniel in the Lion's Den." It was a beautiful painting. There was Daniel standing there among ferocious looking lions. These were not sleeping, slumbering lions. These were lions whose teeth were bared and whose claws were exposed. You could tell that they were threatening to hurt Daniel! There was a shaft of light that seemed to be falling down from the roof of that cave in which Daniel and those lions were being kept. The man said to his pastor, "Look at Daniel's eyes!" the pastor looked closely at the eyes of Daniel and Daniel was looking up at the light.
The man said to him, "The thing that gives me strength in the midst of my troubles is this. Daniel is not looking at the lions. He is looking at the light!" So when you get surrounded with a lot of adversity; when you get surrounded by a lot of problems, don't focus on the lions focus on the light and that's God's prescription for depression.
Each of us has experienced loss. Any time we lose someone or something dear to us grief can set in. Grief can turn to depression and we can begin to think that God has abandoned us. We can feel like all is lost. When King Darius was tricked into ordering that no one should pray to any god, but him, he didn’t realize that his favorite assistant, Daniel was a man dedicated to praying to the Lord three times daily. When it was called to his attention that Daniel was disobedient to his edict, he felt he had no other option, but to hand down the punishment that had accompanied the order. Daniel would be cast into the lions' den. Daniel could have felt betrayed by God, but he did not fear. He was prepared to die for his faith. We don’t know how accurate the painting was, but we do know that God protected Daniel in that lion’s den.
Scripture says that the Lord sent an angel to shut the mouths of the lions and Daniel survived the night. Daniel’s faith in God protected him and delivered him from certain horrific death.
When your chips are down, never forget that God is with you. He will take you to the ultimate victory because you trust him. Focus on the light.
This Sunday we will examine a personal crisis of depression experienced by one of God’s greatest prophets, Elijah. Even though Go had delivered him and helped him to win a tremendous victory over the 450 prophets of Baal, the queen, Jezebel was unimpressed. She ordered Elijah to be killed. This sent God’s great man into fear and despair. Had God abandoned him? We will examine this passage from 1 Kings 19:1-18 in a sermon titled Does God Even Care?
Join us for this powerful experience in God’s love and grace.
Looking with you to the light,
Jon
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