Topic: TRUST IN THE LORD IN TIMES LIKE THESE [Church of God Mission International] Above Only Daily Devotional 27 June 2021
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ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOL MANUAL
DATE SUNDAY JUNE 27TH, 2021.
TOPIC: TRUST IN THE LORD IN TIMES LIKE THESE
TEXT ISAIAH 37:1-20 (Isaiah 36)
HYMN S, S & S 687, “Christian, seek not yet Repose…….. “
CENTRAL THOUGHT The believer should tenaciously/wholeheartedly trust in the lord in times like these.
INTRODUCTION
A proper observation of the events of our society today will reveal that satan our archenemy is mounting pressure on people to lower the standards of morality and
holy living. The church of today is under severe pressure to as never before, to compromise our heritage of
salvation. The devil knows very well that time is running out on him and that the second
coming of Christ is closer now than ever before. Consequently, there is a multiplied effort to attack Christians with all forms of distractions resulting in all forms of ungodliness, falsehood, hypocrisy, threat to
life, weakness, errors, persecutions and corruption of hearts and mind, especially
casting doubts in people’s minds not to trust or rely on God, The Almighty Father.
We are in crisis times, already indicated in the
Scriptures when men’s hearts are failing them, due to lack of trust in God. There is lack of confidence in God among families, friends, and even nations in this end time, hence
the need for this study on the place of trust in the LORD.
LESSON OBJECTIVES:
At the end of this lesson, we shall be able to:
1.explain what it means to trust in the Lord;
- identify the challenges we do encounter and how to handle the situations, using the life of King Hezekiah;
- list and explain the reasons why believers should trust in the Lord; and
- itemize and discuss the benefits of trusting in the Lord.
Q1.WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO TRUST IN THE LORD?
To trust in the Lord simply means to place
confidence in or reliance on God concerning anything presently or in the future. No one is
competent to carry out the responsibilities of God’s calling in his or her own strength. Our
trust should not be self-confidence but confidence in the sufficiency of God who empowers life and ministry in the reality of the new covenant.
To overcome the stress or pressure of our time and remain Christ witnesses, we need
the character and strength that only God gives. Recognize that the ability and power to minister comes from Him alone; so, trust
in Him for your daily victory
Q2(a). WHAT CHALLENGE DID HEZEKIAH FACE? ISAIAH 36
The historical setting of this chapter is the ill-fated invasion of Jerusalem by Sennacherib in 701 BC. Judah, under king Ahaz had made an alliance with and paid tribute to Assyria. Because of fear of
invasion by Assyria, Hezekiah alongside with leaders of other nations had wrongly made an
alliance with Egypt. Sennacherib invaded to put down the rebellion. Rabshakeh (An Aramic word denoting a title meaning “Cupbearer” or “field marshal” or “Chief of staff”) deridingly suggested that
Hezekiah had destroyed Yahweh’s places of worship. He further argued that Yahweh told
him to destroy Judah because of the destruction of His places of Worship.
Another challenge he had was that his people faced starvation since the city was under siege resulting in no going out and no coming in of the fenced cities. Rabshakeh made
his threats in Hebrew language rather than the Aramaic, the diplomatic language, in order to intimidate the soldiers on the
wall. He cast doubts on Hezekiah’s integrity and recalls Assyria’s seemingly endless
military victories. He tried to use threats, ridicule, demoralisation, campaign and blasphemy to
subdue Judah. In the same way, satan
tries to confuse or deceive us about what God wants. To avoid satan’s deceit, study God’s word carefully and regularly and when you know what God says, you will not fall for satan’s lies.
Q2(b). HOW DID HE HANDLE THE SITUATION? Isaiah 37:1-20; Eph. 6:10-18
(Ref. also to Dan. 2:4-23; 1 Kg. 17:17-24)
Prophet Isaiah gives us a picture of king Hezekiah’s faith- response to the intimidation,
accusation, and threats that came from the enemies of God’s people. Judah is compared to a woman trying to give birth to a child but who is too weak to deliver. When the situation
seemed hopeless, Hezekiah didn’t give up, instead, he asked the prophet Isaiah to pray that God would help His people.
Hezekiah did exactly what prophet Isaiah had been calling the people to do (Chapter 1-35),
He turned to God and watched him come to Judah’s aid. Hezekiah went to the’ house of
the Lord and inquired of the
Lord. He is an excellent example of what a believer should do when threatened by an enemy.
He did not react to the threats of
Sennacherib, but cried out to God for help. Upon receiving the letter from Sennacherib,
Hezekiah took it and spread it out
before the Lord in prayer.
In Hezekiah’s case, a physical act of trust, that is, spreading his case (letter) before the Lord, established a foundation faith upon which
Hezekiah prayed. We too face attacks and like Hezekiah should Seek the Lord and put our faith and trust in Him. Look to Him for
protection, direction, strategy and comfort in times of threat/attack. Take your concern
to the Lord in prayers. Speak truth and worship God to align yourself your mind and
emotions with what God says is truth and right. Place your faith in God’s ability to defend and deliver. Learn from Hezekiah’s
response to slander. He did not return evil for evil, but humbled himself and went directly to the Lord. Recognise that the enemy will try to intimidate and undermine your faith in God. Don’t allow yourself to believe him. Reject satanic lies always. Daniel and his three Hebrew brothers confidently believed
that God would tell them all the king wanted to know, even when faced with the challenge of death. from Nebuchadnezzar’s decree
on all the wise men.
Q3, WHY SHOULD THE BELIEVER TRUST IN THE LORD? Psalms 18:30-31; 62:11-12; Isaiah 26:4; 1 king 17:2-7
God is indeed a shield and buckler to protect all those. who trust in Him in times of
trouble. He strengthens, protects and guides all who put their trust in Him. The power and mercy needed to sail through the harsh
wind/current of this world, belong to God and they are available to those who trust Him.
Elijah trusted God at all times and God made all provisions available for Him even in times of draught.
Similarly, the three Hebrew children in Babylon (Dan. 3:16-27) also trusted God for
deliverance from the fiery burning fire and God gave them a miraculous deliverance. Nothing shall be impossible for those who
put their absolute trust in God.
Q4. WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF TRUSTING IN THE LORD? Psalm 31:199
God has laid up His rewards for those who fear and trust Him. The following are a few of the benefits of trusting in the Lord:
(a) None of those who trust in
the Lord shall be condemned or
desolate (Psalm 34:22)
(b) In Psalm 37:40, the LORD will help, deliver those who trust in Him.
(c) God is a help and shield
to those that fear and trust Him.
(d) Commit your ways unto
the Lord, trust also in Him and he
shall bring your desire according
to His will to pass (Ps. 115:11).
(e) They that trust in the Lord
shall be delivered and saved from
the wicked (Ps. 37:3, 5).
(f) When we are devoted to (trust) God, our whole attitude will be steady and stable for
continuous relationship with the Godhead.
(g) Real trust in God brings
consistency of character (Psalm
125:1)
(h) God will always keep those whose minds are stayed on Him in perfect peace by all
means (Is. 26:3).
(i) Trusting God spares us much griefs in times like this in the world of uncertainty.
DAILY LIVING APPLICATION
Are you willing to trust God to guide you through and through in the affairs of life and
to our eternal destination?. Uphold your trust in the Lord. The secret of consistency is to
trust in God because He never
changes. He is completely reliable and will keep us steady.. The believers in Christ should guard their absolute trust in the
Lord more tenaciously in times like these. Lack of trust in God leads to avoidable stress; failure to trust God brings
Overwhelming problems. Trust
God at all times. Remember to keep worry out of your life as it affects our trust in God. Lack of trust keeps us from receiving
God’s best for us.
MEMORY VERSE: ISAIAH 26:3
“Thou wilt keep him in perfect Peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in
thee”
