Lesson 11 Review: Managing in Tough Times

 

Introduction

Memory Text: “‘Offer to God thanksgiving, and pay your vows to the Most High. Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me’” (Psalm 50:14, 15, NKJV).

The toils of life can really take a lot of our daily focus but Jesus says “ ‘Your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you’ ” (Matt. 6:32, 33, NKJV). This week’s lesson is on some concrete steps to follow, based on biblical principles amid trying times when we lean on the Lord.

What did Jehoshaphat do when he was faced with a challenge according to 2 Chronicles 20:1-22?

Jehoshaphat resorted to seeking the Lord his God, instead of relying on himself.

How did Jehoshaphat’s seeking the Lord turn out?

Their enemies destroyed one another, and “none escaped” (2 Chron. 20:24).

What important spiritual principles can we take from the story of Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20:1-22?

‘the God who delivered them is the same God whom we love and worship, and His power is just as great today as back then. The challenge, for us, is to trust in Him and His leading.’

What was David’s sin in 1 Chronicles 21:1-14?

He trusted in his own strength rather than depending on the providence of God in his defense.

What was the result of David’s sin?

‘His actions brought calamity to the nation. “So the Lord sent a plague upon Israel, and seventy thousand men of Israel fell” (1 Chronicles 21:14, NKJV).

How do we apply the lesson from David’s story in our lives?

‘We should be using the present time to get square with God, get out of debt, and be generous with what we have been given. You should “Trust God, Not Your Own Resources.’

What is Paul telling us in 2 Peter 3:3-12?

‘The earth and everything in it will be burned up in the final conflagration when all traces of sin and evil will be forever destroyed.’

What kind of persons should we be knowing of the fate that awaits sin?

‘We must live in the light of eternity.’ Whatever we have here on earth is only temporary, and has the potential to make us lose the greater reward. Our lives too are short. ‘Let us not be dwellers upon the earth, but be getting things into as compact a compass as possible.’ ¾ Ellen G. White, Counsels on Stewardship, p. 59.

 What kind of commitment can we have to Christ?

Our commitment to Christ is no half-way commitment. It is either we are or we are not on the Lord’s side. Nowhere in the parables and teachings of Jess, the stories of Bible Characters, and the Counsels of Ellen G. White do we see partial commitment. “We cannot serve God and mammon” (Matthew 6:24, NKJV).

How can we overcome the pull to love the things of this world?

“Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth” (Col. 3:2, NKJV). We should not let the love for the things of this world pull us away from the Lord.

How do we prepare for the time of trouble when we can’t “buy or sell”?

We prepare by making sure that we are not slaves to our money, to the things of the world. ‘If we are not bound to them now, we won’t be when we will, in order to be faithful, have to give them up.’

In what way can we protect ourselves from selfishness and encourage trust in God?

Tithing is a way to protect ourselves from selfishness and encourage trust in God. Being faithful in tithe though does not guarantee that we will be faithful to the end is a strong indicator “ ‘that you may learn to the fear the LORD your God always’ ” (Deut. 14:23, NKJV).

In Conclusion,

The way to manage tough times is by trusting in God to save us. I pray that we learn to trust in God always in Jesus’ name.