Harmony Hill Baptist Church
How to Keep Going
LAMENTATIONS 3:47–48 (NLT) “We have suffered terror and pitfall, ruin and destruction. Streams of tears flow from my eyes because of the destruction of my people!”
LAMENTATIONS 2:11 (NLT) “I have cried till the tears no longer come. My heart is broken, my spirit poured out, as I see what has happened to my people.”
I. KEEP YOUR EYES AND YOUR HOPE ON GOD (Lam. 3:28–29 Msg).
Lamentations 3:28-29 MSG
INSIGHT: The number one reason we don’t hear God talk to us is we’re too busy.
IF I WANT TO HEAR FROM GOD IN MY PAIN…I grab my Bible, get in a quiet place, ask the Holy Spirit for guidance, begin reading, and then just be quiet...waiting for God to speak through His Word.
INSIGHT: The first thing when you’re in a tragedy or coming out of a tragedy or huge life change is…focus on God’s Word and prayer (Matt. 6:6 Msg).
Matthew 6:6 MSG
II. ASK GOD TO CALM YOUR FEARS.
TRUTH: The most dangerous, life-altering emotion is fear.
INSIGHT: Normally, to get on with your life after a tragedy or life change, you’ll have to deal with the root causes of fear (Lam. 3:55-57 ESV).
Lamentations 3:55-57 ESV
THE QUESTION BECOMES THIS: How do we deal biblically with fear?
INSIGHT: The Bible says three things from God deal fear a death blow: truth, love, and faith.
1. Truth (John 8:32) “The truth will set you free.”
INSIGHT: We can’t get rid of fear by saying we won’t be afraid. We have to replace fear with truth...God’s Word.
2. Love (1 John 4:18) “There is no fear in love, perfect love casts out all fear.”
TRUTH: If you have a lot of fears, you don’t know God very well, because God is love, and love is stronger than fear.
TRUTH: A life filled with God’s love is a life with a lot less fear.
3. Faith (Matt. 14:29–30)
Matthew 14:29-30 ESV
TRUTH: All the fears you battle are overcome by the presence of a person, Jesus Christ. The more you keep your eyes on Him, the less power fear will have to freeze you from moving forward.
III. BELIEVE THE SUN WILL SHINE AGAIN (Lam. 5:21 NLT).
Lamentations 5:21 NLT
TRUTH: God can restore what sin and death and trauma has taken.
THREE THINGS TO AVOID AND TWO THINGS TO DO:
1. Don’t depress grief.
2. Don’t resign from life.
3. Don’t embrace resentment.
TRUTH: Resentment only hurts the one holding on to it. It is a fire in your chest that eats away at life.
ACTION STEP: Let resentment go for your sake! Because you’re the only one suffering from its effect.
TRUTH: Holding on to a hurt, nurturing bitterness, is an emotional, life-killing cancer inside you.
TWO ACTION STEPS:
1. Accept what you can’t change.
TRUTH: Acceptance is the key to peace, serenity and getting on with our lives.
2. Focus on what you have, not what you lost.
TRUTH: Gratitude destroys depression (Jonah 2:7).
Jonah 2:7 ESV