Saying “Yes” to God in the Difficult Places of Life

Saying “Yes” to God in the Difficult Places of Life Exodus 3.7-9 7 The Lord said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. 8 So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, Saying “Yes” to God in the Difficult Places of Life

Saying “Yes” to God in the Difficult Places of Life Exodus 3.7-9 a land flowing with milk and honey— the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. 9 And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. Saying “Yes” to God in the Difficult Places of Life

Saying “Yes” to God in the Difficult Places of Life Exodus 13.17-22  17 When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, “If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.” 18 So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea. The Israelites went up out of Egypt armed for battle.  Saying “Yes” to God in the Difficult Places of Life

Saying “Yes” to God in the Difficult Places of Life Exodus 13.17-22 19 Moses took the bones of Joseph with him because Joseph had made the sons of Israel swear an oath. He had said, “God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up with you from this place.” 20 After leaving Succoth they camped at Etham on the edge of the desert. Saying “Yes” to God in the Difficult Places of Life

Saying “Yes” to God in the Difficult Places of Life Exodus 13.17-22 21 By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. 22 Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people. Saying “Yes” to God in the Difficult Places of Life

Saying “Yes” to God in the Difficult Places of Life Exodus 3.7-9 / 13.17-22 t From a land of no hope to a land filled with hope, promise and freedom Indirect route… Saying “Yes” to God in the Difficult Places of Life • leads them with a cloud by day and a fire by night • God takes a turn toward the south • need to go east to reach the “Promised Land”

Saying “Yes” to God in the Difficult Places of Life Exodus 3.7-9 / 13.17-22 t Trust God even when they are going south instead of east? God leads in indirect and roundabout ways Saying “Yes” to God in the Difficult Places of Life

Saying “Yes” to God in the Difficult Places of Life Exodus 3.7-9 / 13.17-22 t The desert is an important place… • Moses is called • Elijah runs from Jezebel • Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit to the desert Saying “Yes” to God in the Difficult Places of Life

Saying “Yes” to God in the Difficult Places of Life Two Lessons… 1 Everybody who follows God will spend time in the desert • the desert can be triggered by all kinds of events • in those times, faith is really hard • no sense of God’s nearness • soul feels dry and barren Saying “Yes” to God in the Difficult Places of Life

Saying “Yes” to God in the Difficult Places of Life Two Lessons… 2 God never forgets those who are in the desert… • God builds people in the desert Saying “Yes” to God in the Difficult Places of Life

Saying “Yes” to God in the Difficult Places of Life What can we learn in the desert? 1 A place where we learn patience • trust God one day at a time • Manna — they learned to follow God one day at a time • Exodus 16.20 Saying “Yes” to God in the Difficult Places of Life However, some of them paid no attention to Moses; they kept part of it until morning, but it was full of maggots and began to smell. So Moses was angry with them.

Saying “Yes” to God in the Difficult Places of Life What can we learn in the desert? 1 A place where we learn patience • trust God one day at a time • Manna — they learned to follow God one day at a time • Exodus 16.20 Saying “Yes” to God in the Difficult Places of Life • in the desert, God teaches patience to impatient people

Saying “Yes” to God in the Difficult Places of Life What can we learn in the desert? 2 The desert is the place where God makes you strong • when in the desert we ask “why?” • the direct route would have taken them directly back to their enemies • God builds them to strengthen and prepare them • Who you will become is more important than who you are Saying “Yes” to God in the Difficult Places of Life

Saying “Yes” to God in the Difficult Places of Life What can we learn in the desert? 2 The desert is the place where God makes you strong • it took one night to get out of Egypt, but it took 40 years to make them into what they needed to become • when you give thanks in the desert, you grow deep, strong and mighty in soul Saying “Yes” to God in the Difficult Places of Life

Saying “Yes” to God in the Difficult Places of Life What can we learn in the desert? 3 The desert is the place where… • we come face to face with who we are in Christ • you are the most vulnerable, but God uses that experience to teach us who we really are — and come to grips with our sin • we love to blame others for our sin — especially God Saying “Yes” to God in the Difficult Places of Life

Saying “Yes” to God in the Difficult Places of Life What can we learn in the desert? 3 The desert is the place where… Repentance is not something we did — but something we must do daily Saying “Yes” to God in the Difficult Places of Life

Saying “Yes” to God in the Difficult Places of Life What can we learn in the desert? 4 The desert is the place where you learn to love God with purity • in the desert you lose everything • find that God is enough • God will never leave or abandon you • be faithfully obedient to God through difficulty • follow when we do not understand Saying “Yes” to God in the Difficult Places of Life

Saying “Yes” to God in the Difficult Places of Life