Dealing with trials, uncertainty, being overwhelmed, when we feel that God has not answered our prayers.

<p>Dealing with trials, uncertainty, being overwhelmed, when we feel that God has not answered our prayers.</p>

<p>Free sharing permitted under the Creative Commons <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/">BY-NC-ND 3.0 (US)</a> license.</p>

Hendersonville Seventh-day Adventist Church, NC

David Wright

Living with Uncertainty

Have you ever noticed how uncertain life can be?

Are you all facing any trials this morning?

I kind of hesitate to share this because it's kind of trivial in comparison to what I know many of you are facing.

But 5 weeks ago I was in a car accident and it could have been pretty bad.

But luckily this is the worst, a broken thumb.

And initially I thought that's not a big deal, we'll be fine, and we will be.

But I'm learning that a broken right thumb is a bigger deal than I initially thought.

There's a lot of things I can't do like I used to be able to do.

I mean, for a grown man to have to ask his wife, trying to, you know, honey, will you open this jar of anything?

These fingers used to be very, very sensitive.

In fact, this whole arm, 1 of the brakes is into the joint, so that was part of the reason there.

But to try and tie your shoes with 1 hand?

To try and just put your belt on, this button is still vexing, let me tell you.

Typing, I always space with my right thumb, so I'm relearning how to type.

And it's not that I can't do things as much as everything just takes so much longer.

In fact, today's message just might be longer, I don't know.

But of all times that this could happen, it would have to be just, I don't know, a month or so after baby number 4 comes along.

And sometimes there's real pandemonium at the right household.

A baby is crying and needs a binky or a diaper change.

The other 2 are arguing over something else and they're screaming and they're crying.

Supper is burning on the stove and I used to be more helpful, but now I'm doing thumb exercises in the corner.

4 times a day, going to rehab in Asheville twice a week.

It all takes time, and everything's taking longer.

So if you're going to feel bad for anybody, feel bad for Elizabeth.

You don't know from day to day how your life will be changed or affected.

And they say I'll lose some range in my thumb.

We'll see, but I think I'm gonna be okay.

What is it in your own life that has been difficult here recently?

And maybe a better question is, how do you deal with the trials of life, whether they be big or small?

What do you do when things don't go according to plan how do you live with uncertainty From a spiritual perspective even how do you face trials?

Maybe you're going through a trial or something that's rather uncertain financially.

Maybe you're going through a trial or uncertainty about the direction of your future as a young person, not knowing exactly where you want to go, what you want to do, what profession you might want to explore.

Maybe the trial for you is your health, and you're filled with uncertainty.

Maybe as a patient you are uncertain about your, or sorry, as a parent, you're uncertain about your children and the path that they're taking and what choices they are making.

So how do you live in a world where the future is not secure and uncertainty is just around the corner.

If you have your Bibles, I invite you to turn with me to 2 Corinthians.

Not 1 Corinthians, but 2 Corinthians, chapter 12.

Second Corinthians chapter 12, we'll be reading verse 7.

And the apostle Paul, here we find him living with uncertainty.

But he lived rejoicing and courageous in that uncertainty.

Let's read 2 Corinthians now, chapter 12, verse 7.

And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations.

A thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure." Now, let's look at that text carefully.

Notice Paul says, I was given a thorn in the flesh.

Have you ever been outside playing as a child, or maybe you're splitting wood, or it doesn't really matter what is happening, but somewhere in that process, a little thorn gets stuck, or maybe it's a sliver or something of that nature, and it just gets underneath the skin.

And it can be quite an irritation and an annoyance, and it's just, you know, you haven't really taken the time to get it out, and every time you do, you think, ow, Ow, ow, ow, ow.

A little scratch, a little sliver that annoys him?

The word for thorn in the Greek language is skloops.

It's the same word that's used in ancient literature for impaling a victim.

In other words, you take a stake or a sharp spear or a metal and make it sharp on 1 end and you drive it through.

In Roman times, in the Middle Ages, you take that sharp stake, you stick it through the chest and it comes through the back and it pins a person to the ground.

It's 1 of the most excruciating and painful forms of torture as you can imagine.

Impaling was 1 of the most painful of all ancient tortures.

Here's a definition, a shaft like a spear was sharpened on 1 end and driven through the entire flesh.

The sharp stake passed the body, nailing the victim to the ground.

Many impaled victims, writhing in agony, screamed in pain and begged the passersby to kill them.

They said, Death is much better than being impaled to the ground.

Another author commenting on this says, the word scallops denotes an agony so excruciating as to be properly depicted by the barbarous custom of impaling victims or criminals by driving stakes through their grieving body.

So Paul is not describing here some little scratch, some little annoyance.

He says I have this thorn in my flesh, thorn like this impaling.

It's like a spear has been driven through me.

I'm writhing in agony, I'm filled with pain.

It's a messenger of Satan, the verse says, to buffet me.

The word for buffet means something that slaps you in the face.

Somebody takes their fist and just hits you right in the face.

I believe he's saying, it's like I've been stabbed by this spear.

It's like somebody's just come up and smacked me in the face.

But he says, I don't want you to think this is of God.

To think that God has originated putting this spear through me, giving me this physical pain.

This is, it says in the verse, A messenger of who?

Now the word messenger there is 1 we're more familiar with.

In other words, the angels of hell have tormented me, have attacked me, have caused me to have this physical pain.

We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers in darkness and evil places.

And Paul says, in that battle between good and evil, in this battle between Christ and Satan, Satan has wanted to stop my ministry.

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Living with Uncertainty

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