“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Cor. 12:9 ESV)

The Spirit helps us

“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.” (Rom. 8:26 ESV)

“When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken.” (Psalm 34:17-20 ESV)

Therefore

“Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Cor. 12:10)

“The LORD makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand. (Psalms 37:23-24)

Definition of delight: high degree of pleasure or enjoyment, source of happiness; brings joy and great satisfaction.

When delighting in worldly things

Those who delight in wealth, status, material possessions, and other temporary things of this world, are never satisfied. They never truly get what they want, and the reason they are always wanting more. This is the lesson King Solomon learned in his pursuit of earthly treasure: “Everything is meaningless!” (Eccles. 1:2). On the other hand, delighting in the Lord is true treasure indeed: “Godliness with contentment is great gain” (1 Tim. 6:6).

When delighting in the Lord

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.” (Psalm 1:1-2 ESV)

He prospers

“He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.” (Psalm 1:3 ESV)

Not so the wicked

The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.” (Psalm 1:4-6 ESV)

Therefore

“Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalm 37:4 ESV)

“Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes; and I will keep it to the end. Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart. Lead me in the path of your commandments, for I delight in it. Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain! Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways. Confirm to your servant your promise, that you may be feared. Turn away the reproach that I dread, for your rules are good. Behold, I long for your precepts; in your righteousness give me life!” (Psalm 118:33-40 ESV)

“He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others.” (2 Cor. 1:4 NLT)

None of us are exempt from suffering, loneliness, discouragement, or criticism. Jesus suffered these things, too.

God is good and doesn’t cause evil, but He will use whatever happens to teach us to trust him, and to draw us closer to other believers, and to show us how to help others.

Therefore

“Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.” (Psalm 34:19 ESV)

“We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead.” (2 Cor. 1:8-9 NLT)

 “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jer. 29:11 ESV)

“The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.” (2 Tim. 4:18 ESV)

Rescue: to help someone or something out of a dangerous, harmful, or unpleasant situation. — to be rescued, saved, redeemed, reclaimed, recovered, salvaged, retrieved, restored, reconditioned, rehabilitated, and rehabbed.

Jesus is our Good Shepherd and rescues us

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me — just as the Father knows me and I know the Father — and I lay down my life for the sheep.” (John 19:11-15)

“For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness.” (Eze. 34:11-12 ESV)

Therefore

“…the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment,” (2 Peter 2:9 ESV)

“The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; he is their stronghold in the time of trouble.” (Psalm 37:39 ESV)

“And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’” (Acts 2/21 ESV)

“I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God; incline your ear to me; hear my words.” (Psalm 17:6 ESV)

“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.” Gal. 1:3-5 ESV)

“Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.” (Rom. 8:17)

His beneficiaries

The term heirs of God emphasizes our relationship to God the Father. As His children, we have “an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade . . . kept in heaven” (1 Peter 1:4). The Greek term translated “heirs” in Rom. 8:17 refers to “those who receive their allotted possession by right of sonship.” In other words, because God has made us His children (see John 1:12), we have full rights to receive His inheritance. We are His beneficiaries (see Matt. 25:34; Gal. 3:29; Col. 1:12; 3:24).

That means

·      You are a treasured possession   

“Now if you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own special treasure from among all the peoples on earth; for all the earth belongs to me.” (Exo. 19:5 NLT)

·      You will be a holy people to the Lord your God 

“He has declared that he will set you in praise, fame and honor high above all the nations he has made and that you will be a people holy to the LORD your God, as he promised.” (Deut. 26:19 NIV)

·      You are eternal, like an angel

“And they will never die again. In this respect they will be like angels. They are children of God and children of the resurrection.” (Luke 20:36 NLT) 

·      You have a crown that will last forever

“Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.” (1 Cor. 9:25 ESV)

·      You were chosen before the creation of the world

“For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love” (Eph. 1:4 NIV)

“The LORD makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand.” (Psalm 37:23-24)

Like quicksand

How many times have you watched a movie where the hero is sucked down into a pit of quicksand? The harder they struggle the faster they sink. It’s a powerful picture of what it looks (and feels like) to be sinking (or caught) in a difficult situation or in some kind of sinful trap.

What to do

The ultimate answer is to immediately cry out to Jesus for help as Peter did when he found himself sinking.  

“But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” (Matt. 14:30)

A despairing cry

In the old church hymn “Love Lifted Me”, written by James Rowe, he wrote:  “I was sinking deep in sin, Far from the peaceful shore, Very deeply stained within, Sinking to rise no more; But the Master of the sea Heard my despairing cry, From the waters lifted me - Now safe am I — Love lifted me, Love lifted me, When nothing else could help, Love lifted me.”

Therefore  

“In my distress I called upon the Lord; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears.” (Psalm 18:6 ESV)

“Deliver me from the mire and do not let me sink; May I be delivered from my foes and from the deep waters.” (Psalm 69:14)

“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.” (Isaiah 40:8)

Billy Graham once said, “Planning and worrying are two different things. When we worry, we are not trusting God for our futures, but the Bible does teach the importance of preparation. … Only God knows the future; no matter how hard we try, even our best efforts will only be guesses. But this ought to encourage you—because if God knows the future, then you can trust your future into His hands! Wouldn’t it be better to face the future with Him than without Him?”

Take heart in these twelve promises from God’s Word

1)    Everlasting life

“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life.” —John 6:47 

2)    Mercy 

“For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You.” —Psalm 86:5 

3)    Love

“I love those who love me, And those who seek me diligently will find me.” —Proverbs 8:17

4)    Joy

“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” —Romans 15:13

5)    Peace

“You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” —Isaiah 26:3 

6)    Fellowship

“Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” —Isaiah 41:10 

7)    Endurance

“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” —Hebrews 12:1

8)    Companionship

“Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.'” —Hebrews 13:5

9)    Kindness

“For the mountains shall depart And the hills be removed, But My kindness shall not depart from you, Nor shall My covenant of peace be removed,’ Says the Lord, who has mercy on you.” —Isaiah 54:10

10) Courage

“Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!” —Psalm 27:14 

11) Help

“I will lift my eyes unto the hills—From whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.” —Psalm 121:1-2

12) Restoration

“And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” —Revelation 21:4

“Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7 ESV)

God cares for you

·      You are valuable to Him

“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.” (Matt. 10:29-31 ESV)

·      He will give you rest

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matt. 11:28 ESV)

·      He will sustain you

“Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.”

·      He will clothe you

“But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?” (Matt 6:30)

·      Nothing can separate you from His love

“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom. 8:38-39 ESV) 

·      You are an heir of God and co-heir with Christ 

“Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.” (Rom. 8:17 NIV)

·      You are eternal, like an angel

“And they will never die again. In this respect they will be like angels. They are children of God and children of the resurrection.” (Luke 20:36 NLT)

·      You have a crown that will last forever

“Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.” (1 Cor. 9:25 ESV)

·      You are a treasured possession 

“Now if you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own special treasure from among all the peoples on earth; for all the earth belongs to me.” (Exo. 19:5 NLT)

·      You were chosen before the creation of the world

“For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love” (Eph. 1:4 NIV)

·      You will be a holy people to the Lord your God 

“He has declared that he will set you in praise, fame and honor high above all the nations he has made and that you will be a people holy to the LORD your God, as he promised.” (Deut. 26:19 NIV)

Therefore

Because God cares so much for you…

“Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” (James 4:8 ESV)

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.” (John 15:9 ESV) 

Everything we do and say is done in his name (Col. 3:17).

“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Col. 3:17 NIV)

The Bible calls us ambassadors (2 Cor. 5:20)

An ambassador is defined as an authorized messenger or representative. It is much the same as the legal arrangement known as the power of attorney. In such matters one person may represent another in his absence. They act in their behalf. Jesus has given every believer unlimited and general power of attorney in all matters and with the right to use his name in every situation. We are representing Him and His interests here on earth.

It’s an awesome and fearful responsibility!

“Because we understand our fearful responsibility to the Lord, we work hard to persuade others. God knows we are sincere, and I hope you know this, too. Are we commending ourselves to you again? No, we are giving you a reason to be proud of us, so you can answer those who brag about having a spectacular ministry rather than having a sincere heart. If it seems we are crazy, it is to bring glory to God. And if we are in our right minds, it is for your benefit. Either way, Christ’s love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them. So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

“And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.” (2 Cor. 5:11-21 NLT)