“ Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.” (Hab. 3:17-18 NIV)

They were defeated, discouraged, and afraid

In his book, “Talking To My Father” (Barbour & Co. 1997), Ray Stedman relates the following story. 

“An old missionary couple had been working in Africa for years, and they were returning to New York City to retire. They had no pension; their health was broken; they were defeated, discouraged, and afraid. They discovered they were booked on the same ship as President Teddy Roosevelt, who was returning from one of his big-game hunting expeditions.

No one paid much attention to them. They watched the fanfare that accompanied the President’s entourage, with passengers trying to catch a glimpse of the great man.

As the ship moved across the ocean, the old missionary said to his wife, "Something is wrong. Why should we have given our lives in faithful service for God in Africa all these many years and have no one care a thing about us? Here this man comes back from a hunting trip and everybody makes much over him, but nobody gives two hoots about us."

"Dear, you shouldn’t feel that way," his wife said.

"I can’t help it; it doesn’t seem right."

When the ship docked in New York, a band was waiting to greet the President. The mayor and other dignitaries were there. The papers were full of the President’s arrival, but no one noticed this missionary couple. They slipped off the ship and found a cheap flat on the East side, hoping the next day to see what they could do to make a living in the city.

That night, the man’s spirit broke. He said to his wife, "I can’t take this; God is not treating us fairly."

His wife replied, "Why don’t you go into the bedroom and tell that to the Lord?"

A short time later he came out from the bedroom, but now his face was completely different. His wife asked, "Dear, what happened?"

"The Lord settled it with me," he said. "I told him how bitter I was that the President should receive this tremendous homecoming, when no one met us as we returned home. And when I finished, it seemed as though the Lord put his hand on my shoulder and simply said, ‘But you’re not home yet!’"

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.” (1 Cor. 2:9). 

Therefore…

“Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise – the fruit of lips that openly profess his name.” (Heb. 13:15 NIV)

“It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.” (Psalm 118:8 ESV)

“The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the Lord! May your hearts live forever!” (Psalm 22:26 ESV)

“If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.” (2 Cor. 11:30 NIV)

 God’s power is made perfect in weakness

“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” (2 Cor. 12:9 ESV)

 You’re strong when weak

“For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Cor. 12:10 ESV)

The Spirit helps you in your weakness

“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)

Therefore…

“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.” (Psalms 34:17-20 ESV)

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Heb. 4:15-16 ESV)

“I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” (Phil. 4:13 ESV)

 Quote:

“Real true faith is man's weakness leaning on God's strength.” - Dwight L. Moody

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2 Cor. 5:17 ESV) 

In Christ…

• You have redemption through His blood 

“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,” (Eph. 1:7 ESV)

• You have been brought to fullness 

“For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority.” (Col. 2:9-10 NIV)

• You are His righteousness

“God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Cor. 5:21)

• You are blessed with every spiritual blessing 

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.” (Eph. 1:3-6 ESV)

• You are seated in heavenly places

“And raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” (Eph. 2:6 ESV)

• You are created for good works 

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Eph. 2:10 ESV)

 Therefore…

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Rom. 8:1 ESV)

 Quote:

“Outside of Christ, I am weak; Inside of Christ I am strong.” -  Watchman Nee

“Show proper respect to everyone.” (1 Peter 2:17 NIV)

Respect: esteem for or a sense of the worth or excellence of a person, a personal quality or ability, or something considered as a manifestation of a personal quality or ability. 

Give respect to whom respect is owed 

“Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.” (Rom. 13:7 ESV)

Give respect to those who labor among you 

“We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.” (1 Thess. 5:12-13 ESV)

Let a wife respect her husband 

“However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

Show respect while defending your faith

“But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.” (1 Peter 3:15 ESV) 

Therefore…

“Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live?” (Heb. 12:9 ESV)

Quotes:

“Treat everyone with kindness and respect, even those who are rude to you – not because they are nice, but because you are.” - Anonymous

“A child who is allowed to be disrespectful to his parents will not have true respect for anyone.” Billy Graham

“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Cor. 4:18 NIV)

Jesus is the image of the invisible God 

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities — all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” (Col. 1:15-17 ESV)

Jesus explains Him

“No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.” (John 1;18)

God’s invisible attributes are clearly perceived 

“For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools.” (Rom. 1:20-22)

Faith is the conviction of things not seen

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” (Heb. 11:1)

 We wrestle invisible forces 

“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…

“Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.” (1 Tim. 1:17)

Quote:

“Faith is like radar that sees through the fog — the reality of things at a distance that the human eye cannot see.” - Corrie Ten Boom

“Then the Lord said to me, “A conspiracy has been found among the men of Judah and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem.” (Jer. 11:9)

Conspiracy: An agreement to perform together an illegal, wrongful, or subversive act. 

A conspiracy is a negative covenant

“For they have conspired together with one mind; Against You they make a covenant.” (Psalm 83:5)

Conspiracies devour lives

“There is a conspiracy of her prophets in her midst like a roaring lion tearing the prey. They have devoured lives; they have taken treasure and precious things; they have made many widows in the midst of her.” (Eze. 22:25)

Religious leaders conspired against Jesus 

“But the Pharisees went out and conspired against Him, as to how they might destroy Him.” (Matt. 12:14 ESV)

“Then the chief priests and the elders of the people were gathered together in the court of the high priest, named Caiaphas; and they plotted together to seize Jesus by stealth and kill Him.” (Matt. 26:3-4)

The Jews conspired against Paul

“When it was day, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves under an oath, saying that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul.” (Acts 23:12)

They conspired against God’s people

“They make shrewd plans against Your people, And conspire together against Your treasured ones.” (Psalm 83:3)

“All of them conspired together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to cause a disturbance in it.” (Neh. 4:8 ESV)

Do not fear or dread

“You are not to say, ‘It is a conspiracy!’ In regard to all that this people call a conspiracy, And you are not to fear what they fear or be in dread of it.” (Isa. 18:12)

Therefore…

“Hide me from the secret counsel of evildoers, From the tumult of those who do iniquity.” (Psalm 64:2)

“You hide them in the secret place of Your presence from the conspiracies of man; You keep them secretly in a shelter from the strife of tongues.” (Psalm 31:20)

“The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and the Lord tests hearts.” (Prov. 17:3 ESV)

 Be happy when tested

 “My brothers and sisters, be very happy when you are tested in different ways. You know that such testing of your faith produces endurance. Endure until your testing is over. Then you will be mature and complete, and you won’t need anything.” (James 1:2-4 GW)

 Endure and be blessed 

“Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.” (James 1:12)

Therefore…

“These little troubles are getting us ready for an eternal glory that will make all of our troubles seem like nothing.” (2 Cor. 4:17 CEV)

“So that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 1:7 ESV)

 Quotes:

“God has a purpose for trials and testings.” - Warren Wiersbe

“As I look back over fifty years of ministry, I recall innumerable tests, trials and times of crushing pain. But through it all, the Lord has proven faithful, loving, and totally true to all his promises.” - David Wilkerson

“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) 

God fights for you

“… ‘for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.’” (Deut. 20:4)

God equips you with strength for the battle

“For you equipped me with strength for the battle; you made those who rise against me sink under me.” (Psalm 18:39 ESV)

Fight the good fight of faith

“Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” (1 Tim. 6:12)

Therefore…

“Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch forth Your hand against the wrath of my enemies, And Your right hand will save me.” (Psalm 138:7)

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.” (2 Cor. 10:3-4)

 Quote: 

“Fight the good fight of faith, and God will give you spiritual mercies.” - George Whitefield

“The merciful man does himself good, But the cruel man does himself harm.” (Prov. 11:17 NASB)

God desires mercy

“Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Matt. 9:13 ESV)

Mercy triumphs over judgement 

“Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.” (James 2:12-13 NIV)

Therefore…

“Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.” (Luke 6:36 ESV)

“Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” (Eph. 4:31-32 ESV)

“Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (Amen)” (Eph. 5:1-2 NIV)

Quote:

“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” – Jesus (Matt. 5:7)