“Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.” (Isa. 12:2 ESV)

Trust: To expect with assurance; a feeling of certainty that a person or thing will not fail; faith, confidence, reliance.

Trust in God when you are afraid

“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?” (Psalms 56:3-4 ESV)

Trust in God with all your heart

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.” (Prov. 3:5 ESV)

Therefore…

“My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments, for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you. Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” (Prov. 3:1-6 ESV)

 ”Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.” (Psalm 37:5 ESV)

“But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.” (2 Tim. 3:1-5 ESV)

Unpleasant people are everywhere

The above passage describes what people will be like “in the last days” and says to avoid such people. But, that is a difficult challenge when they are all around you; where you go to school, where you work, in your neighborhood, and even in your own family. You have to remind yourself that our fight isn’t against them (they are made of flesh and blood), but rather, we wrestle against “spiritual forces of evil.”

We do not wrestle against flesh and blood

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” (Eph. 6:12 ESV)

Therefore..

“...The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh, my adversaries and foes, it is they who stumble and fall. Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident. One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple. For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will lift me high upon a rock And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me, and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the Lord..” (Psalms 27:1-6 ESV)

“For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” (Rev. 7:17 ESV

Jesus wept!

Jesus, God in the flesh, understood tears. The shortest verse in the Bible simply says, “Jesus wept.” (John 11:35 ESV). He was greatly moved in His spirit and was greatly troubled when He saw weeping.

“When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled.” (John 11:33 ESV)

Tears, will pass away forever!

“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” (Rev. 21:4 ESV)

“He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken.” (Isa. 25:8 ESV)

Therefore…

“Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy!” (Psalm 126:5 ESV)

“Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear to my cry; hold not your peace at my tears! For I am a sojourner with you, a guest, like all my fathers.”(Psalm 39:12 ESV)

“For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.” (Psalm 30:5 ESV)

“Then the Lord said to Samuel, “Behold, I am about to do a thing in Israel at which the two ears of everyone who hears it will tingle.” (1 Sam. 3:11 ESV)

Surprise: To cause to feel wonder, astonishment, or amazement, as at something unanticipated. To encounter or discover suddenly or unexpectedly; take or catch unawares.

Surprise! God does the unexpected because His ways and thoughts are higher than yours

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isa. 55:8-9 ESV)

Surprise! God performs awesome deeds

“When you performed awesome deeds that took us by surprise, you came down, and the mountains trembled before you.” (Isa. 64:3

Surprise! God does the unexpected

“None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” (1 Cor. 2:8 ESV)

Surprise! God does a new thing!

“Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” (Isa. 43:19 ESV)

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8 ESV)

• You will receive power
• You will become God’s witnesses 

- Locally (where you live)

- The rest of the world (ends of the earth)

Everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the Word of God boldly

“And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.” (Acts 2:4 NLT)

“After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.” (Acts 4:31 NIV)

Therefore…

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit (Rom. 15:13 NIV)

“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” (1 Cor. 6:19-20 BIV)

“Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves…” (Phil. 2:1-3)

Agree with one another in the same mind and same judgement

“I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.” (1 Cor. 1:10 ESV)

The power of agreement

“Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.” (Matt. 18:19 ESV)

Therefore…

“Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus…” (Rom. 15:5)

“Addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart…” (Eph. 5:19 ESV)

Sing to God with thankful hearts

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” (Col. 3:16 ESV)

Sing cheerfully to God with praise

“…Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise.” (James 5:13 ESV)

Sing to Him with your spirit and your mind

“What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also.” (1Cor. 14-15BESV)

Therefore…

“Sing to God, sing praises to his name; lift up a song to him who rides through the deserts; his name is the Lord; exult before him!” (Psalm 68:4 ESV)

“Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” (James 1:19-20 ESV)

A wise man listens

“The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.” (Prov. 12:15 ESV)

Do not be hasty in words

“Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him.” (Prov. 29:20 ESV)

Don’t give an answer before you hear

“If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame.” (Prov. 18:13 ESV)

Keep your mouth and tongue still

“Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble.” (Prov. 21:23 ESV)

Be discerning with sweetness of speech  

“The wise of heart is called discerning, and sweetness of speech increases persuasiveness.” (Prov. 16:21 ESV)

Therefore…

“The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.” (Exo. 14:14 ESV)

“Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish” (Luke 5:4 NLT).

Simon and Andrew had worked hard all night but had caught no fish

“‘Master,’ Simon replied, ‘we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you say so, I’ll let the nets down again’” (Luke 5:5 NLT).

They obeyed Jesus

In the passage at top, Jesus told Peter and Andrew to go into deeper waters and let down their nets. The brothers were worn out from working hard all night and had caught nothing. They were tired and probably discouraged. Doing what Jesus said to do, “Go out to where it is deeper and let down your nets” involved obedience, trust and risk — it involved faith. But there’s no faith without risk. Even though they were tired and it was illogical and didn’t make since, they obeyed Jesus. Therefore, God gave them so many fish that their nets tore and they had to enlist the help of other fishermen.

A great quantity of fish

“When they had done this, they enclosed a great quantity of fish, and their nets began to break; so they signaled to their partners in the other boat for them to come and help them. And they came and filled both of the boats, so that they began to sink.” (Luke 5:6-7 NLT)

They became fishers of men

“And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not fear, from now on you will be catching men.” When they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed Him.” (Luke 5:10-11 NLT)

Therefore…

“Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” (Eph. 3:20 NLT)