Preacher’s Pulpit by Dr. Joe Tims
Encouragement in Our Troubles
Deuteronomy 20:1
“When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them: for the Lord thy God is with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.”
INTRODUCTION
God gives Israel some real encouraging words in this verse.
It concerns the battles they are having with their enemies.
This principle applies to the troubles in the lives of God’s people in all ages.
(Ps 34:19) “Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.”
In Deut 20:1 our text verse we see three things: 1) the Sureness of our troubles, 2) the scare from our troubles and 3) the strength for our troubles.
Notice “Encouragement in our Troubles.”
I. THE SURENESS OF OUR TROUBLES
“When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies”
A. It is not “if” you go to battle, but “When” you go to battle.
B. Israel’s battles were for certain to happen.
C. So it is with troubles in our lives.
D. Troubles and trails are as certain as a 24 hour day.
E. Job said it well:
(Job 14:1) “Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.”
F. While living a godly life eliminates many troubles, yet, it does not prevent all trouble in life.
(Ps 34:19) “Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.”
G. Troubles are certain in everybody’s life.
H. There are not exceptions.
II. THE SCARE FROM OUR TROUBLES
“and seest horses, and chariots, and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them:”
A. When trials and troubles come our way we are often scared.
B. The trails or trouble looks so great from our viewpoint that they simply overwhelm us.
C. Troubles need not scare us in spite of their size or numbers.
D. We are to remember:
(Rom 8:28 31) “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. (29) For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. (30) Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. (31) What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?”
III. THE STRENGTH FOR OUR TROUBLES
“for the Lord thy God is with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.”
A. The reason we are not to fear in times of trials or troubles, the Lord is with us!
(Heb 13:5) “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”
B. He has delivered us in the PAST and He will deliver us in the PRESENT!
C. We must not focus on how big our trouble is, but on how big is our God.
(Heb 13:8) “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.”
D. Our God is bigger than anything that can ever happen to us.
E. We may not have the strength to overcome our trouble, but we need not fear!
(1 John 4:4) “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.”
CONCLUSION:
In God’s strength dear beloved we can have the victory no matter the trial or trouble that comes our way.
(Phil 4:13) “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”
Are you facing a trial or has trouble come upon you at this time..
Don’t flee from, but flee to the Lord Jesus Christ for the strength to overcome whatever it might be.
God has promised victory.
(Rom 8:35 39) “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? (36) As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. (37) Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. (38) For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, (39) Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”