It Is What It Is!

Scripture Reading: Psalm 42

Scripture Reading: Psalm 43

SERMON: It Is What It Is

In the last few weeks we have been looking at ways to increase our faith. We have looked at Abraham, Job, and Daniel and how their language helped to sustain their faith. As we come to worship today, we cannot help but think about all that is happening in our world both here locally with such tragedies and in the United States and globally. There are wars, we hear of attacks on various groups of people, we are dealing with up and downs of financial gains and woes in the news! Perhaps your own struggles of one kind or another. And all these things, including the political turmoil in our nation today—can bring us to the point of our Psalmist—WHY ARE YOU DOWNCAST MY SOUL—WHY ARE YOU SO DISCOURAGED WITHIN ME-- if we do not guard our own hearts, thoughts, and feelings.

It is now hurricane season, and they will come—we have no control! It is what it is.

Lack of various items in the supply chain—we have no control! It is what it is.

A new potential virus strain from COVID—we have no control! It is what it is.

Long lines in the stores, road construction--we have no control! It is what it is.

People’s attitudes—we have no control! It is what it is.

Spring and summer thunderstorms—we have no control over the weather! It is what it is.

In the Fall you just get the yard mowed and mulching all your leaves and the wind comes up and the leaves come down like rain and it looks like you did nothing—you have no control of the wind! It is what it is!

The answer—it is what it is! The list could go on!

I would like to share with you just a little bit of Christian world history this morning as we prepare to encounter our Scripture today. The city of Caesarea had already endured much with famines and wars. But as if that were not enough, at the beginning of the 4th century came the plague of Justinian, which according to records killed 26% of the inhabitants worldwide. The population was not in a position to withstand this additional scourge. So, the reaction was very predictable: people stared fleeing to find refuge in the fields.

But one group of people stayed…the Christians.  Eusebius, a church historian, and also bishop in Caesarea, recorded the following about Jesus’ followers during the plague. “Every day some continued caring for and burying the dead, for there were multitudes who had no one to care for them; others collected in one place those who were afflicted by the famine, throughout the entire city, and gave bread to them all…as a result it became reported abroad and they glorified the God of the Christians.”

A couple decades later, Emperor Julian, the last pagan ruler of the Empire, acknowledged the sick and poor were neglected by the pagan priests but cared for by the Christians.

At the time, Christian compassion amidst the disease caused so much impact on the population that it brought significant conversions to the faith.

Times like these cause us to put things in perspective how fragile life can be. In light of all that is going on around us, what would be one way in which the church can respond? We need to be advised that our Christian testimony should be seen less as panic based on self-preservation and more as an attitude of service toward others. How we face life situations—whether we are aware of the impact on others or not—makes a difference.

As we come to our Scripture today, we see a struggle between trusting God, longing for God, versus discouragement and fear.

Augustine wrote “Thou hast made us for Thyself, O God, and our hearts are restless till they find rest in Thee.”

Considering our times today, the Psalmist invites us to discover a fresh longing for God. As the deer thirsts for water so our souls need to be longing for God.

The hearts of humankind are created in such a way by God that we are not complete until God fully occupies His rightful place in our lives. If Christ doesn’t have first place in our lives—then what place does He have?

The desire of the psalmist was for a new and deeper awareness of the reality of God in this life.

The language of these psalms share with us the struggles we can often have…

Discouragement, loneliness, struggle with negative thoughts, wondering where God is in the midst of all we are feeling, thinking, doing, and experiencing.

Asking ourselves “why am I so discouraged?” And yet the voice of the spirit deep inside us proclaims…I will yet hope in God! I will praise Him because my salvation comes from God and from no other source!

The psalmist vacillates between being discouraged and thinking God is far away to speaking by faith that God is near.

The psalmist remembers times of feeling God so close and having an active and strong walk with God to wavering and struggling.

One of the things that the psalmist struggled with was the discouraging talk of others that contributed to his own discouragement. How often are you around a “negative Nellie” and it takes all you have to not join in with the negativity? To not let another’s fear become your own? We all know what it is like to feed off another’s negativity, doubts, and fears.

But it also makes us evaluate ourselves and understand what our conversation with others is like…do we bring others down by our own conversations etc. or do we through our words and actions lift others up? The language of faith within each of us is crucial to maintain our walks with Jesus. Granted, when we are struggling, we need the listening ears and heart of a select few that truly listen and understand and allow the space to be honest with what you are dealing with.

Both Psalms today and everything that is happening in our world boils down to two things: faith vs. feelings!

We need to feed our faith and not our feelings! We need to believe that God will get us through no matter what the circumstance may be. We are invited to live by the Spirit’s power in our world today—no matter what is going on in our world. We need to saturate ourselves with the Word of God, spend time in prayer and relationship with the Lord, and work on encouraging one another and not spreading undo fear or negativity.

Rick Renner says, “When you heart the Scripture expounded by the anointing of the Holy Spirit and take it by faith in your heart, it’s supernatural power is unleashed. When that happens, every part of your being—your heart, will, thoughts, emotions, and memories all are touched by God’s power.”

We love each other by speaking faith and not fear. We love each other by staying home when we are sick. We love each by not judging one another but supporting one another in our struggles and whatever else we may be facing in this life.

Faith is common sense walked out in our daily lives. It is knowing that we belong to God and that He alone is the one that can satisfy the longing soul. He alone can meet the needs of a discouraged heart. He alone can lift us up when we are down. He alone loves us so deeply that no matter what we may be facing in this life…He is present with us…he is the water that satisfies our souls.

We are in the season of summer—people are traveling, families are coming to visit you here at the lake etc. There are often many different activities that happen now compared to the fall and winter.

I love this time of year when in the early morning with my first cup of coffee and my Bible I can sit outside on my deck, enjoy the start of the day and the symphony of nature all around me.

No matter the season, it is important to draw near to God and let him be the very one who we alone lean on to find the strength, joy, and satisfaction needed to fill us to the brim with His goodness and joy!

In my life I have had good days that caused my heart to praise. I have had bad/hurtful days that reminded me how very much I need the Lord’s strength. But I have never had a single day without Jesus and the assurance that He is with me and for me—all of it for His glory—no matter the “it is what it is!”

The Psalmist kept asking—why are your cast down, O my soul? Why are you discouraged within me? But then, pulling himself up by his own bootstraps says, HOPE IN GOD—FOR I SHALL AGAIN PRAISE HIM!

The Psalmist says, “My soul is cast down within me—therefore I will remember you!”

How have you seen God work in your life? How have you watched the Lord work in other people’s lives? Remember!!! Let the truth of the love of God penetrate your soul. Let the Word of the Lord sink deep into your thoughts. Let the Holy Spirit rule and reign in the realm of your feelings.

No matter the “it is what is is”—let us do exactly what the Psalmist did—soul—hope in God for I shall again praise Him, my salvation and my God! Proclaim as the psalmist—FOR YOU ARE MY GOD IN WHOM I TAKE REFUGE—SEND OUT YOUR LIGHT AND YOUR TRUTH—LET THEM LEAD ME, LET THEM BRING ME INTO YOUR PRESENCE!

No matter the “It is what it is”, there are so many things in this life that we have absolutely no control of—but we do have the opportunity to speak the words of the Lord to our hearts. We do have the opportunity to be the love of Jesus and encouragement to one another. We do have the power to control our own thoughts and feelings. We do have the opportunity to spend the time needed in prayer and in our Bible reading to receive the words of the Lord to build up our faith and to tear down our fears and doubts. We do have the opportunity to speak to our own souls and if we must—to raise our voices and shout to our inner selves—SELF--HOPE IN GOD—FOR I SHALL AGAIN PRAISE HIM!