Mims Chapel Church
Lesson 8 • Third Week
Trusting God in
Perilous Times
Background Reading Devotional Reading
Proverbs 3:5-6; Psalms 125:1; 2 Corinthians 1:1-11
Jeremiah 39:18; James 1:2-4;
Romans 5:3-6
Central Verse
"This know also, that in the last days "You should know this, Timothy, that
perilous times shall come." in the last days there will be very dif-
2 Timothy 3:1, KJV ficult times." 2 Timothy 3:1, NLT
Key Terms
Overwhelmed—Overcome by force or numbers; completely overcome or overpowered by thought or feeling.
Precepts—A command or principle intended as a general rule of action; an order issued by a legally constituted authority to a subordinate official.
Perspective—The power to understand things in their true relationship to each other; the interrelation in which a subject or its parts are mentally viewed.
Introduction
Believers know that the End Times will bring many challenges, trials, and tribulations. With all the changes that are happening, they know that their hope, trust, and expectation must be in the Lord, Jesus Christ. Trust is an especially important element in the life of any believer. For they that trust in the Lord shall be like Mount Zion which cannot be moved. God has made many promises to the believer, but he must trust and obey God. If he trusts and obeys God, God will come through for him every time. Paul told the Saints that God would comfort them in their tribulation. He encouraged the Saints to remember how Jesus stood steadfast and remember that, with the power of God, they could do the same thing (2 Corinthians 1:1-7).
So, believers must trust in the Lord, for He is God, and Jesus is the King. God is the great "I Am," the everlasting Father, a fortress, a strong tower, and our very present help in times of trouble. When perilous times come, God will lead believers through the perils. Leadership requires trust. Proverbs 3:5 declares, "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart," meaning that the believer must trust God with every aspect of his life, for God knows them better than anyone. He is the Creator, and He holds the truth in His hands.
Discussion
Trust is a choice that God gives to each person. He allows each person to choose to put his trust and hope in man or the believer can choose to put his trust and hope in the Father. When a believer trusts in God, He makes the believer's path smooth and straight. When perilous times come the believer must never depend on his own understanding, but he must wholly depend and lean on God. The believer must make his decision to trust God when things are good and when they are bad. He chooses to delight in the Lord by disregarding the times that he lives in and surrendering his heart to Christ. Christ will align the believers' ways with His heart so they will reflect the character of His heart as He leads and develops the believer's heart.
Trust and obey, for there is no other way to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey Him. It doesn't matter what season the believer finds himself in, he must remember that he has been called to a life of trusting and obeying the call of God. God will help him navigate his life of obedience through the perilous, stressful, painful, and exhausting times. The Word encourages the believer to count it as joy when enemies come in perilous times, for he should know that God is working out something good in his life.
The Holy Ghost within the believer will meet him in times of fear, as well as meet his doubts with a sweet message of encouragement and tenderness. The Lord told Jeremiah to tell His people that He would bring His words upon the city where they were held, and that He would deliver them if they stayed strong and did not give in to fear and become afraid. God said that He would deliver them, and that they would not die by the sword of their enemies, as long as they trusted Him.
This is a fallen world that God's people live in. But God is not content to leave His children in brokenness. He comes to their rescue when they call Him. The stressors of daily life can quickly wear a believer out and cause them to feel overwhelmed. For in these times, God will offer guidance, perspective, and peace of mind. He will comfort His children and show them where and how they can find peace and rest amidst the craziness of the times. He allows believers to be led by His voice, principles, and precepts.
Men can certainly see that they are living in perilous times, where people are lovers of themselves and money, and they are boasters, proud, blasphemers, and disobedient to parents. They are also unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, and lovers of pleasures over God, and they have a form of godliness, but no power. These attributes can be seen daily, but believers must remember that when they trust God, they can stand on the promises of God.
Even though perilous times are here in this world, the believer must not allow his heart to be troubled nor afraid.
Conclusion
When life throws a curve ball in the believer's direction during perilous times, he must not allow hopelessness to grip his heart, but he can seek encouragement from the Lord. King David had to encourage himself to be steadfast in the Lord during one of the most devastating experiences in his life. It was so hurtful for him to know that the very men that he had slept, fought, and ate with wanted to stone him. David cried, for he had experienced extreme losses, but after crying, he had to get ahold of his spirit and talk to God. He knew that God was on his side and that He would always help him and carry him to safety. God promised never to leave nor forsake the believer, even during perilous times.
Questions
What happens when perilous times come?
Why is trusting God a choice?
What can believers do to help their situations have good results?
What does trusting God do for the believer?
Essential Thought- "If a person can't trust God in the bad times, then he can't trust God in the good times."
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