3.2 In Their Difficulties, They Relied On God

(2 Chronicles 14:7-13a)

He told the people of Judah, “Let us fortify the cities by building wall and towers, and gates that can be shut and barred. We have control of the land because we have done the will of the Lord our God.. He has protected us and given us security on every side.” And so they built and prospered. King Asa had an army of 300,000 men from Judah, armed with shields and spears, and 280,000 men from Benjamin, armed with shields and bows. All of them were brave, well-trained men.

A Sudanese named Zerah invaded Judah with an army of a million men and three hundred chariots and advanced as far as Mareshah. Asa went out to fight him, and both sides took up their positions at Zephathah Valley near Mareshah. Asa prayed to the Lord his God, “O Lord, you can help a weak army as easily as a powerful one. Help us now, O Lord our God, because we are relying on you, and in your name we have come out to fight against this huge army. Lord, you are our God; no one can hope to defeat you.”

The Lord defeated the Sudanese army when Asa and the Judean army attacked them. They fled, and Asa and his troops pursued them as far as Gerar.

3.1 Although Punished For Our Sins, We Can Turn To God

(Lamentations 5:1-21)

Remember, O Lord, what has happened to us. Look at us, and see our disgrace.

Our property is in the hands of strangers; foreigners are living in our homes.

Our fathers have been killed by the enemy, and now our mothers are widows.

We must pay for the water we drink; we must buy the wood we need to fuel.

Driven hard like donkeys or camels, we are tired, but are allowed to rest.

To get food enough to stay alive, we went to Egypt and Assyria.

Our ancestors sinned, but now they are gone, and we are suffering for their sins.

We are ruled by men who are no better than slaves, and no one can save us from their power.

Murderers roam through the countryside; we risk our lies when we look for food.

Hunger has made us burn with fever until our skin is as hot as an oven.

Our wives have been raped on Mount Zion itself; in every Judean village our daughters have been forced to submit.

Our leaders have been taken and hanged; our old men are shown no respect.

Our young men are forced to grind grain like slaves; boys go staggering under heavy loads of wood.

The old people no longer sit at the city gate, and the young people no longer make music.

Happiness has gone out of our lives; grief has taken the place of our dances.

Nothing is left of all we were proud of. We sinned, and now we are doomed.

We are sick at our very hearts and can hardly see through our tears, because Mount Zion lies lonely and deserted, and wild jackals prowl through its ruins.

But you, O Lord, are king forever and will rule to the end of time.

Why have you abandoned us so long? Will you ever remember us again?

Bring us back to you, Lord! Brings us back! Restore our ancient glory.

2.4 Prayer in Time of Distress and Thanksgiving

(Psalm 31:1-19)

I come to you, Lord, for protection; never let me be defeated.
You are a righteous God; save me I pray!
Hear me! Save me now!
Be my refuge to protect me; my defense to save me.
You are my refuge and defense;
guide me and lead me as you have promised.
Keep me safe from the trap that has been set for me;
Shelter me from danger.
I place myself in your care.
You will save me Lord;
You are a faithful God.

You hate those who worship false gods, but I trust in you.
I will be glad and rejoice because of your constant love.
You see my suffering; you know my trouble.
You have not let my enemies capture me; you have given me freedom to go where I wish.

Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am in trouble;
My eyes are tires from so much crying;
I am completely worn out.
I am exhausted by sorrow, and weeping has shortened my life.
I am weak from all my troubles; even my bones are wasting away.

All my enemies, and especially my neighbors, treat me with contempt;
Those who know me are afraid of me; when they see me in the street, they run away.
Everyone has forgotten me, as though I were dead;
I am like something thrown away.
I hear many enemies whispering: terror is all around me.

But my trust is in you, O Lord; you are my God.
I am always in your care;
Save me from my enemies, from those who persecute me.

How wonderful are the good things you keep for those who honor you!
Everyone knows how good you are, how securely you protect those who trust you.

2.3 We Share In Suffering And In Consolation

(2 Corintians 1:3-11)

Let us give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the merciful Father, the God from whom all help comes! He helps us in all our troubles, so that we are able to help others who have all kinds of troubles, using the same help that we ourselves have received from God. Just as we have a share in God’s great help. If we suffer, it is for your help and salvation; if we are helped, then you too are helped and given the strength to endure with patience the same sufferings that we also endure. So our hope in you is never shaken; we know that just as you share in our sufferings, you also share in the help we receive.

We want to remind you, brothers, of the trouble we had in the province of Asia. The burdens laid upon us were so great and so heavy that we gave up all hope of staying alive. We felt that the death sentence had been passed on us. But this happened so that we should rely, not on ourselves, but only on God, who raises the dead. From such terrible dangers of death He saved us, and will save us; and we have placed our hope in Him that He will save us again, as you help us by means of your prayers for us. So it will be that the many prayers for us will be answered, and God will bless us; and many will raise their voices to him in thanksgiving for us.

2.2 God Saves The One Who Trusts In Him During Time of Suffering

(Jeremiah 39:15-18)

While I was still imprisoned in the palace courtyard, the Lord told me to tell Ebedmelech the Sudanese that the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, had said” “Just as I said, I would, I am going to bring upon this city destruction and not prosperity. An when this happens, you will be there to see it. But I. the Lord, will protect you, and you will not be handed over to the men you are afraid of. I will keep you safe, and you will not put to death. You will escape will your life because you have put your trust in me. I, the Lord have spoken.”

2.1 In Their Affliction The Lord Saved Them

(Isaiah 63:7-9)

I will tell of the Lord’s unfailing love;
I praise Him for all He has done for us.
He has richly blessed the people of Israel
because of his mercy and constant love.

The Lord said, “They are my people; they will not deceive me.”
And so He saved them from all their suffering.
It was not and angel, but the Lord himself who saved tehm.
In His love and compassion He rescued them. He had always
taken care of them in the past.

1.5 Lament Over Corruption

(Psalm 53)

Fools say to themselves,
“There is no God.”
They are all corrupt,
and they have done terrible things;
there is no one who does what is right.

God looks down from heaven at mankind
to see if there are many who are wise,
any who worship Him.
But they have all turned away;
they are all equally bad.
Not one of them does what is right,
not a single one.

“Don’t they know?” God asks.
“Are these evildoers ignorant?
They live by robbing my people,
and they never pray to me.”

But then they will become terrified,
as they have never been before,
for God will scatter the bones
of the enemies of His people.
God has rejected them,
and so Israel will totally defeat them.

‘How I pray that victory
will come to Israel from Zion.
How happy the people of Israel will be
when God makes them prosperous again!

1.4 Act According To Our Different Talents

(Roman 12:3-8)

And because of God’s gracious gift to me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you should. Instead, be modest in your thinking, and judge yourself according to the amount of faith that God has given you. We have many parts in the one body, and all these parts have different functions. In the same way, though we are many, we are one body in union with Christ, and we are all joined to each other as different parts of one body. So we are to use our different gifts in accordance with the grace that God has given us. If our gift is to speak God’s message, we should do it according to the faith that we have; if it is to serve, we should serve; if it is to teach, we should teach; if it is to encourage others, we should do so. Whoever shares with others should do it generously; whoever has authority should work hard; whoever shows kindness to others should do it cheerfully.

1.3 We Will Be Measured the Way We Measure Others

(Luke 6:38)

“Give to others, and God will give to you. Indeed, you will receive a full measure, a generous helping, poured into your hands-all that you can hold. The measure you use for others is the one that God will use for you.”

1.2 Usage of Just Measures

(Deuteronomy 25:13-16)

“Do not cheat when you use weights and measures. Use true and honest weights and measures, so that you may live a long time in the land that the Lord you God is giving you. The Lord hates people who cheat.”

1.1 Parable of the Silver Pieces

(Matthew 25:14-29)

“At that time the Kingdom of Heaven will be like this.
Once there was a man who was about to leave home on a trip; he called his servants and put them in charge of his property. He gave to one according to his ability: one he gave five thousand gold coins, to another he gave two thousand, and to another he gave one thousand. Then he left on his trip. The servant who had received five thousand coins went at once and invested his money and earned another five thousand. In the same way the servant who had received two thousand coins earned another two thousand. But the servant who had received one thousand coins went off, dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master’s money.

“After a long time the master of those servants came back and settled accounts with them. The servant who had received five thousand coins came in and handed over the other five thousand. ‘You gave me five thousand coins, sir’, he said. ‘Look! Here are another five thousand that I have earned.’ ‘Well done, you good and faithful servant!’ said his master. ‘You have been faithful in managing small mounts, so I will put you in charge of large amounts. Come on in and share my happiness!’ Then the servant who had been given two thousand coins came in and said, ‘You gave me two thousand coins, sir. Look! Here are another two thousand that I have earned.’ Well done, you good and faithful servant!’ said his master. You have been faithful in managing small amounts, so I will put you in charge of large amounts. Come on in and share my happiness!’ Then the servant who had received one thousand coins came in and said, ‘Sir, I know you are a hard man; you reap harvests where you did not plant, and you gather crops where you did not scatter seed. I was afraid, so I went off and hid your money in the ground. Look! Here is what belongs to you.’ ‘You bad and lazy servant!’ his master said. ‘You knew, did you, that I reap harvests where I did not plant, and gather crops where I did not scatter seed? Well, then, you should have deposited my money in the bank, and I would have received it all back with interest when I returned. Now, take the money away from him and give it to the one who has ten thousand coins. For every person who has something, even more will be given, and he will have more than enough; but the person who has nothing, even the little that he has will be taken away from him.”