The path to where we want to be is often through someplace that we do not want to be. As we all find ourselves self-quarantined and isolated, we can look forward to returning to a brand new building in which to worship. We are at this place, because of an unwanted flood. As we cleaned up after that flood, little did we realize what God had for us and where He would lead us. We prayed for God’s direction and when He revealed it, the path to the new building has not been easy or comfortable. There have been disruptions, fear, work, and frustrations to get to the place where we are about to realize a great blessing of God. In our text, Paul describes a path to favor with God. It begins with tribulation. None of us would want to start with tribulation, but that is often the case. The word tribulation traces its origin back to a device used to separate the wheat from the chaff on the threshing floor. The grain of wheat does not want to be threshed, but it is a required step to make it into something that is useful. Our text is an encouragement to not be discouraged by our present circumstances. We cannot become trapped at the moment. Whatever the current pressure may be, it will not last forever. Out text tells us to not limit our life based on our current situation. Finally, our text tells us not to become lost in what we may be living through at the moment. It will produce something Good. Joseph said what you meant for evil, God meant for good. God can take any circumstance and use it for His glory. If we will continue on the journey, God will see us through to something better.

The path to where we want to be is often through someplace that we do not want to be. As we all find ourselves self-quarantined and isolated, we can look forward to returning to a brand new building in which to worship. We are at this place, because of an unwanted flood. As we cleaned up after that flood, little did we realize what God had for us and where He would lead us. We prayed for God’s direction and when He revealed it, the path to the new building has not been easy or comfortable. There have been disruptions, fear, work, and frustrations to get to the place where we are about to realize a great blessing of God. In our text, Paul describes a path to favor with God. It begins with tribulation. None of us would want to start with tribulation, but that is often the case. The word tribulation traces its origin back to a device used to separate the wheat from the chaff on the threshing floor. The grain of wheat does not want to be threshed, but it is a required step to make it into something that is useful. Our text is an encouragement to not be discouraged by our present circumstances. We cannot become trapped at the moment. Whatever the current pressure may be, it will not last forever. Out text tells us to not limit our life based on our current situation. Finally, our text tells us not to become lost in what we may be living through at the moment. It will produce something Good. Joseph said what you meant for evil, God meant for good. God can take any circumstance and use it for His glory. If we will continue on the journey, God will see us through to something better.

The path to where we want to be is often through someplace that we do not want to be. As we all find ourselves self-quarantined and isolated, we can look forward to returning to a brand new building in which to worship. We are at this place, because of an unwanted flood. As we cleaned up after that flood, little did we realize what God had for us and where He would lead us. We prayed for God’s direction and when He revealed it, the path to the new building has not been easy or comfortable. There have been disruptions, fear, work, and frustrations to get to the place where we are about to realize a great blessing of God. In our text, Paul describes a path to favor with God. It begins with tribulation. None of us would want to start with tribulation, but that is often the case. The word tribulation traces its origin back to a device used to separate the wheat from the chaff on the threshing floor. The grain of wheat does not want to be threshed, but it is a required step to make it into something that is useful. Our text is an encouragement to not be discouraged by our present circumstances. We cannot become trapped at the moment. Whatever the current pressure may be, it will not last forever. Out text tells us to not limit our life based on our current situation. Finally, our text tells us not to become lost in what we may be living through at the moment. It will produce something Good. Joseph said what you meant for evil, God meant for good. God can take any circumstance and use it for His glory. If we will continue on the journey, God will see us through to something better.

With the worldwide impact of the Coronavirus, we have lost so much. The stock market is down, and many are facing economic challenges. We are concerned about being infected by the virus, but we are more likely to be infected by a greater threat: fear. It is times like this than can define us. It is moments like this that we have to look and focus on the things that really matter. The best lessons we learn come in times of trouble and trial. Our text today was written at a time when Isreal had come out of a time of adversity. The psalmist knew things would get better, and he was envisioning in his mind how things would look. Our text also highlights the challenge before him. In order to get to the place where he needed to go, he would have to pass through the valley of Baca. Scholars do not know the exact location of Baca, but they agree that the journey was through a difficult place. Our attitude about the situation will determine how we walk through that valley. Many will complain the whole time, and that will make the journey that much more difficult. The psalmist chose to be optimistic. It is more than just an attitude that it will get better. We have to make a little bit of heaven in the midst of our current hell. In the midst of misery, let there be music and singing. If we simply look around, there is a divine opportunity where we are right now. We may have to look for it, but we have to make up our minds to find the blessing in every situation. We are going somewhere. There is a purpose and a plan. We do not move through life randomly, we are being led somewhere. God is not surprised by this global pandemic. He has a plan and direction for all of this. We are not here by accident, it is a passageway to someplace He wants us to be. Too many people are standing around waiting for something to happen, we have to make something happen. What we make of life is more important than what we find in life. These times are not just to be endured, but to learn and grow. It is hard to have a vision in the valley. It is easier to see a vision on the mountain top, but it is more important to have a vision in the valley. We have to do more than get through this, we have to let it make us better. We should come out of this a better person, a better saint, a better child of God. Israel faced the treacherous journey without a map, a compass, or a GPS. All they had was God, and that was enough. They made the journey without the loss of one person. God took care of all their needs and He will take care of ours. God got them to their promised land, and He will get us to ours if we trust and seek Him just as Isreal did.

With the worldwide impact of the Coronavirus, we have lost so much. The stock market is down, and many are facing economic challenges. We are concerned about being infected by the virus, but we are more likely to be infected by a greater threat: fear. It is times like this than can define us. It is moments like this that we have to look and focus on the things that really matter. The best lessons we learn come in times of trouble and trial. Our text today was written at a time when Isreal had come out of a time of adversity. The psalmist knew things would get better, and he was envisioning in his mind how things would look. Our text also highlights the challenge before him. In order to get to the place where he needed to go, he would have to pass through the valley of Baca. Scholars do not know the exact location of Baca, but they agree that the journey was through a difficult place. Our attitude about the situation will determine how we walk through that valley. Many will complain the whole time, and that will make the journey that much more difficult. The psalmist chose to be optimistic. It is more than just an attitude that it will get better. We have to make a little bit of heaven in the midst of our current hell. In the midst of misery, let there be music and singing. If we simply look around, there is a divine opportunity where we are right now. We may have to look for it, but we have to make up our minds to find the blessing in every situation. We are going somewhere. There is a purpose and a plan. We do not move through life randomly, we are being led somewhere. God is not surprised by this global pandemic. He has a plan and direction for all of this. We are not here by accident, it is a passageway to someplace He wants us to be. Too many people are standing around waiting for something to happen, we have to make something happen. What we make of life is more important than what we find in life. These times are not just to be endured, but to learn and grow. It is hard to have a vision in the valley. It is easier to see a vision on the mountain top, but it is more important to have a vision in the valley. We have to do more than get through this, we have to let it make us better. We should come out of this a better person, a better saint, a better child of God. Israel faced the treacherous journey without a map, a compass, or a GPS. All they had was God, and that was enough. They made the journey without the loss of one person. God took care of all their needs and He will take care of ours. God got them to their promised land, and He will get us to ours if we trust and seek Him just as Isreal did.

With the worldwide impact of the Coronavirus, we have lost so much. The stock market is down, and many are facing economic challenges. We are concerned about being infected by the virus, but we are more likely to be infected by a greater threat: fear. It is times like this than can define us. It is moments like this that we have to look and focus on the things that really matter. The best lessons we learn come in times of trouble and trial. Our text today was written at a time when Isreal had come out of a time of adversity. The psalmist knew things would get better, and he was envisioning in his mind how things would look. Our text also highlights the challenge before him. In order to get to the place where he needed to go, he would have to pass through the valley of Baca. Scholars do not know the exact location of Baca, but they agree that the journey was through a difficult place. Our attitude about the situation will determine how we walk through that valley. Many will complain the whole time, and that will make the journey that much more difficult. The psalmist chose to be optimistic. It is more than just an attitude that it will get better. We have to make a little bit of heaven in the midst of our current hell. In the midst of misery, let there be music and singing. If we simply look around, there is a divine opportunity where we are right now. We may have to look for it, but we have to make up our minds to find the blessing in every situation. We are going somewhere. There is a purpose and a plan. We do not move through life randomly, we are being led somewhere. God is not surprised by this global pandemic. He has a plan and direction for all of this. We are not here by accident, it is a passageway to someplace He wants us to be. Too many people are standing around waiting for something to happen, we have to make something happen. What we make of life is more important than what we find in life. These times are not just to be endured, but to learn and grow. It is hard to have a vision in the valley. It is easier to see a vision on the mountain top, but it is more important to have a vision in the valley. We have to do more than get through this, we have to let it make us better. We should come out of this a better person, a better saint, a better child of God. Israel faced the treacherous journey without a map, a compass, or a GPS. All they had was God, and that was enough. They made the journey without the loss of one person. God took care of all their needs and He will take care of ours. God got them to their promised land, and He will get us to ours if we trust and seek Him just as Isreal did.

Sometimes life calls for us to walk through difficult to understand places. The dictionary defines strange as unexpected. Strange is a place where we are ill at ease. At some point in life, we will all walk through a strange place. When there is so much unexplained in our lives, it is easy to question if we are living in the will of God. Strange places are places to live through not to give up. The place may be strange to us, but it is not to God. The word of God proves the answer to the strange times in which we live. Peter says to rejoice. The word rejoice is more than being cheerful and acting like everything is okay. It literally means to be calm. When we find ourselves in a strange place, we must remain calm because God is with us every step of the way. Abraham teaches us that when we are in a strange place, we walk by faith and not by sight. In a strange place, we have to live by what we know, not what we hear in the moment. Finally, Psalms 137 teaches us to keep singing the Lord’s praises. Even in a strange land, we have to sing and rejoice to the Lord. If there is ever a time that we need to sing, it is in a strange place. When we can sing the song of the redeemed in the presence of our enemies, we send a powerful message that they have not won! When we are in a strange place, that is when we need to sing the loudest.

Sometimes life calls for us to walk through difficult to understand places. The dictionary defines strange as unexpected. Strange is a place where we are ill at ease. At some point in life, we will all walk through a strange place. When there is so much unexplained in our lives, it is easy to question if we are living in the will of God. Strange places are places to live through not to give up. The place may be strange to us, but it is not to God. The word of God proves the answer to the strange times in which we live. Peter says to rejoice. The word rejoice is more than being cheerful and acting like everything is okay. It literally means to be calm. When we find ourselves in a strange place, we must remain calm because God is with us every step of the way. Abraham teaches us that when we are in a strange place, we walk by faith and not by sight. In a strange place, we have to live by what we know, not what we hear in the moment. Finally, Psalms 137 teaches us to keep singing the Lord’s praises. Even in a strange land, we have to sing and rejoice to the Lord. If there is ever a time that we need to sing, it is in a strange place. When we can sing the song of the redeemed in the presence of our enemies, we send a powerful message that they have not won! When we are in a strange place, that is when we need to sing the loudest.

Sometimes life calls for us to walk through difficult to understand places. The dictionary defines strange as unexpected. Strange is a place where we are ill at ease. At some point in life, we will all walk through a strange place. When there is so much unexplained in our lives, it is easy to question if we are living in the will of God. Strange places are places to live through not to give up. The place may be strange to us, but it is not to God. The word of God proves the answer to the strange times in which we live. Peter says to rejoice. The word rejoice is more than being cheerful and acting like everything is okay. It literally means to be calm. When we find ourselves in a strange place, we must remain calm because God is with us every step of the way. Abraham teaches us that when we are in a strange place, we walk by faith and not by sight. In a strange place, we have to live by what we know, not what we hear in the moment. Finally, Psalms 137 teaches us to keep singing the Lord’s praises. Even in a strange land, we have to sing and rejoice to the Lord. If there is ever a time that we need to sing, it is in a strange place. When we can sing the song of the redeemed in the presence of our enemies, we send a powerful message that they have not won! When we are in a strange place, that is when we need to sing the loudest.

We live in a world under siege. Fear comes down the streets of every city orchestrated by evil minds bent on tearing down God’s creation. Troubling times sometimes bring out the worst in people. Our world is now consumed with the spread of the Coronavirus. If there has ever been an hour for the church to shine a light to the world, it is now. None of us are immune to trouble and adversity, but we can all live in peace in these troubled times because of the presence of God. Our text today was written during a time of national crisis and is a source of great encouragement. Amid the perils of life’s journey, this Psalm describes the attitude we must have in troubling times. It is more than the assurance that God can keep us from trouble, but that He can keep us amid trouble. It is not an advocation of being reckless and assuming that God will protect. We can, and should, live pragmatically and with wisdom, but doing all the pragmatic and wise things will not keep things from coming into our life. God’s promise in Psalms 91 is that, even amid peril and disease, faith shows itself to be a reliable source of peace and preservation. If we can learn to live in faith like described in Psalm 91, we can have peace and calm in troubling times. It is time to let faith speak.