This week, while preparing my lesson for the adult Sunday school class at Liberty Baptist Church, I came across a lesson that touched my heart and that God used to speak to me regarding the subject of "letting go and letting God."
I have included it below and I hope and pray that you are blessed by it as well.
In Christ,
Jason Jasper
Jason Jasper
God is in Control
I want to start this message by saying
“God is in control”
It doesn’t matter what is happening
in the economy, and it doesn’t matter what is happening on a political level,
or who’s in the white house.
It doesn’t matter what they do to social security, healthcare, or anything else.
It doesn’t matter what they do to social security, healthcare, or anything else.
God is in control.
It’s not the government or the president or anybody else. As a child of God your destiny is secure, God is your source and Heaven never has a shortage or needs a bail out.
Exodus 1:13-17 - And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour: 14 And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in morter, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigour. 15 And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah: 16 And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then she shall live.
It’s not the government or the president or anybody else. As a child of God your destiny is secure, God is your source and Heaven never has a shortage or needs a bail out.
Exodus 1:13-17 - And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour: 14 And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in morter, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigour. 15 And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah: 16 And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then she shall live.
17 But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive.
Let’s start with Moses, the deliverer of God’s people (He was destined to
bring God’s people out of Egyptian bondage). But from his birth the enemy was
set on his destruction. That which the enemy had marked for destruction, God
had marked for life, Moses grew up in the Pharaoh’s house, he had the best of
everything in the land, (and the enemy paid the bill).
Because God had it under control.
Exodus 13:17-18 -
Exodus 13:17-18 -
And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt:
18 But God led the people about, through the way of the wilderness of the Red sea: and the children of Israel went up harnessed out of the land of Egypt. The children of Israel knew the area (after all, it had been their home for over 400 years! But God knew there was a battle going on in the land and He knew that if they saw it that they would lose hope and want to return to bondage.
There are many times in life that from our natural perspective there are easier and faster ways to do things, but God has a better viewpoint, plus God has a higher purpose. Too many times our only initiative is to just get through it, but God’s intention is that we not only GET through it but that we also GROW through it.
Exodus 14:1-3 - And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 2 Speak unto the children of Israel, that they turn and encamp before Pihahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, over against Baalzephon: before it shall ye encamp by the sea. 3 For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in.
Here are the children of God from all visible evidence they are trapped, there is no way back, and there is no way forward, they are in that place no one ever wants to be.
The thing we have to fight is
agreeing with the enemy. We must not agree with the Devil, because God has us in his control.
The devil knows the power of words, he knows the power of our self-talk (what we say to ourselves), and he wants you to line up your confession with your circumstances-he knows that if you focus on your circumstances that you will just get depressed. But God wants you to line up your confession with His Word.
Fear says: I can’t pay the bills.
Faith says: The LORD will provide!
Fear says: I am going to lose my
job.
Faith says: The LORD will direct my
family!
Fear says: It’s over, there’s no way out.
but…
Faith says: I don’t know what God is going to do and I don’t know how He’s going to do it…
but I know God has it all under control.
Exodus 14:4 -
Exodus 14:13-14 -
And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.
14 The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace. There is an enemy in your life, a battle that has been going on, it seems like you’ve got it under control, but you turn around and it’s there again, You pray and pray and you felt like you’ve got the victory but just when you start to make some progress there it is again.
God said: “The Egyptians whom you have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.”
You’ve done everything you know to do, you’re exhausted, you’re at the point of giving up… “what’s the use? it’s hopeless, I can’t do it.”
It’s when you get to that point that
you’re finally in position for a miracle! You’re finally in a position for God Almighty
to do what you could never do. He’s just been waiting for you to
recognize YOUR weakness, and HIS strength. You’ll
never know His strength till you recognize your weakness.
The Lord used the Apostle Paul to illustrate this point:
The Lord used the Apostle Paul to illustrate this point:
2 Corinthians 12:7-10 - And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. 8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. 9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
Paul had to realize that God is in control.
He also used his twelve in the gospels of Matthew and Mark:
The Lord saw the disciples out on the sea fighting a violent storm, but Scripture says that He waited till the forth watch of the night to come to them on the water.
why?
#1 – Because they didn’t need him yet. Some of them were experienced fishermen who had no doubt been through a storm or two in their lives. They could handle a storm. So why did He wait? Because they still had strength, and as long as THEY had strength they didn’t need HIS strength.
The disciples had to realize that God is in control.
Also…
#2 – It is more than likely had they still had strength, they wouldn’t have received Him in the way that He came to them.
God may want to do something new and incredible in your life, but He can’t get it through to you until He gets you in a place where you can’t do anymore.
God wants to do something in your life that He has never done before, and to do that He has to bring you to a place you have never been before.
You and I have to realize that God is in control.
#2 – It is more than likely had they still had strength, they wouldn’t have received Him in the way that He came to them.
God may want to do something new and incredible in your life, but He can’t get it through to you until He gets you in a place where you can’t do anymore.
God wants to do something in your life that He has never done before, and to do that He has to bring you to a place you have never been before.
You and I have to realize that God is in control.
Exodus 14:21-22 - And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. 22 And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.
Notice how Moses acted on FAITH and God MOVED. Notice it was Moses’ hand outstretched and not God’s, but at the same time we can see that it wasn’t Moses’ strength that was used but God’s. Moses did everything he could do and then God did the rest.
Because Moses realized that God is in control.
Here is a lesson that I believe will change your life – God is certainly using it to change mine – if you don’t get anything else I am saying this morning, get this:
While many are sleeping, God works the night shift!
The greatest miracle of your life may be just one hour away. It always gets the darkest just before the dawn. When the light seems the farthest away, you can bet that it’s also just around the corner!
Here is a lesson that I believe will change your life – God is certainly using it to change mine – if you don’t get anything else I am saying this morning, get this:
While many are sleeping, God works the night shift!
The greatest miracle of your life may be just one hour away. It always gets the darkest just before the dawn. When the light seems the farthest away, you can bet that it’s also just around the corner!
When the children of Israel were in their darkest hour they had mountains on either side, an Egyptian army on their heels and there was the Red Sea in front of them – but when God started to work, when they opened their eyes in the morning, there was no longer a Red Sea but an eight lane highway!
PRAISE GOD He is in control!
Exodus 14:29-31 -
Exodus 14:29-31 -
The children of Israel saw with their physical eyes that God
is in control!
And here is one of the most awesome things;
they went through the midst of the Red Sea…
with dry feet.
Not only can God bring you out of trouble, but He can bring you out without even a trace of what you have been through.
Exodus 14:30-31 - Thus the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore. 31 And Israel saw that great work which the LORD did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD, and his servant Moses.
with dry feet.
Not only can God bring you out of trouble, but He can bring you out without even a trace of what you have been through.
Exodus 14:30-31 - Thus the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore. 31 And Israel saw that great work which the LORD did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD, and his servant Moses.
An excellent example of this is the
account of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed–nego. The fiery furnace was made so hot
that it instantly killed the soldiers who were commanded to throw them into it,
and yet when those three Hebrew boys WALKED out of it, not only did they not
have even a single hair singed, but they didn’t even smell like smoke!
Listen church! I don’t know what you may be facing today, but the Lord told me to tell you, He’s got it all under control! And if you’ll just quit worrying, and complaining, and fretting, and fuming, and start trusting and praising Him, He’s going to turn it all around.
There are even some enemies that you
have been fighting that you are not going to have to fight anymore.
Exodus 14:13-14 - And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. 14 The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.
Exodus 14:13-14 - And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. 14 The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.
and you don’t have to turn but…
2 Chronicles 20:17 says,
Ye shall not need to fight in this
battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord
with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go
out against them: for the Lord will be with you.
...Stand still church and see the
salvation of the Lord!
…Stand still church and see that the Lord is in control!
…Stand still church and see that the Lord is in control!
The Word of the LORD is the same
today as it was back then: God has it
all under control.
It’s time to move over and let Him fight your battles.
If you’ll just stand there right where you are, and if you’ll just lift your voice and begin to praise him, the El-Elohim, Jehovah-Jireh, The Great I AM, The Creator of Heaven and Earth, God Almighty Himself, will step right between you and your enemies, and He is going to fight the battle for you.
Paul and Silas were locked up in prison, backs beaten and bleeding, cast into the inner prison, their feet held fast in stocks, couldn't go left, or right, couldn’t go forward or backward, but they knew a secret (God has it all under control, and God works the night shift). And so at midnight, when all the other prisoners had succumb to their fate, Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises unto God. God heard their song, and sent an earthquake, shook the bands from off of their arms and feet, shook the doors off their hinges, and ended up saving the jailer and his entire house!
It’s time to move over and let Him fight your battles.
If you’ll just stand there right where you are, and if you’ll just lift your voice and begin to praise him, the El-Elohim, Jehovah-Jireh, The Great I AM, The Creator of Heaven and Earth, God Almighty Himself, will step right between you and your enemies, and He is going to fight the battle for you.
Paul and Silas were locked up in prison, backs beaten and bleeding, cast into the inner prison, their feet held fast in stocks, couldn't go left, or right, couldn’t go forward or backward, but they knew a secret (God has it all under control, and God works the night shift). And so at midnight, when all the other prisoners had succumb to their fate, Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises unto God. God heard their song, and sent an earthquake, shook the bands from off of their arms and feet, shook the doors off their hinges, and ended up saving the jailer and his entire house!
Because God has it all under control.
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