LIFE: FACING ADVERSE CHANGES 

2 Samuel 22:1-51

Reading: 

Songs: 

Theme: overcoming fear in changes that enter our lives

INTRODUCTION

           A.        It can be a fascinating study analyzing the changes that have come over time. At the same time it would also be a disheartening study because of the bad changes which have come. The story is told of a mother and her teenage daughter who were together watching an old 1930's movie. It was a nice romantic, melodramatic movie. As it came to an end and the couple in the movie walked off the screen holding hands, the daughter turned to her mother and stated, "Mother, your movies end where our [younger people] movies begin." Many such adverse changes have come to the world. Each of us will face many changes in our lives, some good, some adverse. We have all had changes in our hair via the color or the amount of it on our heads. We have all changed in our physical weight. There are many other ways in which each of us has changed or will change. Some of the changes will have been, or will be adverse changes.

           B.        One day as a man walked down a street, on his way to work, dogs on both sides of the street barked at him as he walked passed them. However, there was one dog that just sat whimpering, whining and moaning. The next day as the man again walked down the street, the dogs barked at him as he passed. The same dog that was moaning on the previous day was again moaning. The man walked the same route for an entire week and every day it was the same thing. Finally, his curiosity motivated him to investigate. He knocked on the door where the moaning dog was and asked the person who came to the door if he owned the dog. “Yes,” was the answer but upon inquiring as to why the dog was constantly whimpering and moaning, while the dogs were barking, the owner said, "Well, he's sitting on a nail." The man making the inquiry asked, "Why doesn’t the dog get up off the nail?" The owner said, "Well, I guess it just doesn't hurt him enough to change." [ Jerry Clark - adapted]

           C.        Many people will change only if the alternative is worse than the change. Many people are like that dog sitting on a nail. Instead of just getting of that nail, because they're not sure what will happen when they do, they remain where they are sitting. At least there they know what to expect. One man said, “The only person who likes change is a wet baby.” [Mark Twain]

           D.        Some explain change in terms of the growing up process: "Growing up is the transition from praying that your skin will clear, to praying that your check will clear.

           E.        Change can be unpleasant, especially when it affects our health, family life, schooling or job. God nowhere promises to insulate us from the possibilities of changes and challenges, nor does he stop to explain specifically why adverse changes are allowed in our lives. What can we do when adverse changes come into our lives? Let's consider how to successfully cope with adverse changes in our lives.

           F.        There are at least three basic things we need:

Body

I.         WE NEED STABILITY.

           A.        There are Many examples in the Bible of people who have had to face change for their lives.

                       1.        Noah in going through the open door of the ark faced incredible change to his world.

                       2.        Esther going through the open door of the throne room faced fear over possible changes to her life.

                       3.        Job in going through the door of his house to the ash heap, faced affliction and uncertainty over the changes in his life.

                       4.        Shadrach, Meshach and Abednigo (ab-ade’ neg-o’ ) went through the door of the furnace as a change in their lives.

                       5.        Have you gone through any doors of change in your life?

                       6.        Abraham faced change in his life when the Lord told him, “Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee (Gen 12:1).

                                   a.        Consider in your mind the transition Abram would have had to go through in order to face the change that was before him. He might have thought that he was never again going to see his parents, brothers and sister, other relatives, the familiar environment of his youth while at the same time he was going to go into a strange land.

                                   b.        Have you ever had to consider such changes and wrestle with the transition to accepting them rather than fighting with them?

                                   c.         Abram’s change was not an ending but the promise of a new beginning (Gen 12:2-3).

                                               (1)       To succeed with change we need to not focus on change not as an ending but as the launching point of a new beginning.

                                               (2)       With a new beginning, we turn change into a plan for a new start in our lives.

                                   d.        So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him (Gen 12:4).

                                               (1)       Noah was on the ark about a year to see his new beginning.

                                               (2)       Israel was forty years wondering in the wilderness before they his new beginning.

                                               (3)       Abram waited upon the Lord, about twenty-five years, before seeing some fulfilment to his new beginning (Gen 21:5).

                                               (4)       Each of these people, like Abram, trusted in God’s guidance and clung to his faith as a stabilizer (Rom 4:16-22).

                                               (5)       Each of these people found a new beginning having gone through the doors of change but looked to the Lord and found stability.

                                               (6)       While you waiting patiently and faithfully upon God, use the time to draw close to him for stability, rather than drift from him (1Pe 1:13-16; 2Pe 3:13-14).

           B.        David had just survived the changes that had then come into his life as he fled for his life from King Saul (2Sam 22:1-20).

                       1.        Change brings instability in our lives but David knew the beginning source of renewed stability (2Sam 22:1-4).

                       2.        When the changes were getting too great for David he turned to the Lord (vs 5-7).

                       3.        It was stability the Lord brought back into David’s life (vs 8-20).

           C.        Change, which is what happens to us on the outside, seeks to conform us to it on the inside.

                       1.        Transition is what happens on to us on the inside as our minds come to terms with the new situation, adverse change causes us.

                       2.        It is that change on the inside, in our minds, which, if we turn to the Lord whole heartedly, will result in a renewed stability in our lives.

Transition: Stabilized, we can plan for success, rather allow the change to take us over for the worse. However, struggling with adverse change can be difficult so we will need help.

II.        WE NEED STRENGTH.

           A.        Struggling with adverse change, whatever it is, can leave us numb to the world, weak physically, and exhausted both mentally and spiritually.

           B.        In trying to cope with the changes we need strength to continue.

           C.        David found his strength in the Lord (2Sa 22:31-46).

           D.        The apostle Paul found his strength in the Lord (2Co 13:9-10).

           E.        You and I also can find our strength in the Lord if we will turn our lives over to him.

Transition: Having strength to continue we will also need something to carry us toward the future, if we’re to survive the adverse changes.

III.       WE NEED HOPE (22:47-51).

           A.        Hope is the motivation we need to see through to tomorrow, to overcome our apprehension to continue, when today is filled with unwanted change.

                       1.        God is our anchor (Heb 6:18-19).

                       2.        It will give us cause to rejoice in praise of God (2Sa 22:47-51).

Conclusion:

The greatest change we will face in life and must face is that of turning from trying to run our lives to placing God as the director over our lives. Part of the process occurs in obedience to the gospel of Jesus Christ. I don’t know what you are facing in your life that scares you about change but I do know where you need to start for help. If your looking for help in overcoming difficulties in your life, if your seeking stability, if your seeking strength, if your seeking hope, it all begins with obedience to the Lord’s will.

Prayer: Almighty God and loving Father, we know change will come into our lives. When it does, please help us as we give ourselves to your guidance, to come safely through the changes. Help us to see how we can use it to move onward to greater things rather than to give up. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Sources:

Eddie Tupai, Open Doors - Dealing with Change in Your Life

??, "Handling Change", LIVING A GOD-HONORING LIFE – NO. 10

in charity through Christ, Raymond Wiseman

Global View of change and concerning changes
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