Illustration Examples
From Isaiah 43
:2 When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee …
waters … rivers … fire – the difficulties of life.
when – there’s no question of difficulties happening, it’s just a matter of "when".
through – God’s desire isn’t for us to go "around" these things, but "through" them.
Lesson
His presence in the fire.
Though the waters and fire can be a picture of all of life’s difficulties, I think it especially speaks of the hard times we go through as a result of doing what is right.
Illustration
Nebuchadnezzar was in the middle of an incredible head trip. He decided to make a huge golden statue and make all his people bow before the statue as an act of allegiance to him. All who refused would be thrown into a burning furnace. He had three Hebrew young men working for him who refused to bow.
(Dan 3:16-27 KJV) Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. {17} If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. {18} But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
They knew that God was able to deliver them. But they were determined not to bow down to the idol even if God did not deliver them.
{19} Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated. {20} And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. {21} Then these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. {22} Therefore because the king's commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. {23} And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. {24} Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. {25} He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.
They suffered the consequences of standing up for what was right. They even "got it" seven times more than they should have. But they weren’t alone in the fire. God promises "I will be with thee".
{26} Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth of the midst of the fire. {27} And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king's counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.
The only thing burnt by the fire was the ropes that had tied them.
It doesn’t always turn out like this. Some have gone through the fire straight into God’s presence. But either way, when we stand for what is right, He’s with us through the fire.
:19 Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it?
spring forth – tsamach – to sprout, spring up, grow up. It’s a word used of plants and hair growing. This "new thing" may not be a quick, overnight sensation. It may be something that comes over time.
Lesson
Watching for God’s work
Will you see the new thing when it happens?
Sometimes we are so focused on the past, that we’re unprepared for the future.
(Luke 5:29-38 KJV) And Levi made him a great feast in his own house: and there was a great company of publicans and of others that sat down with them. {30} But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners? {31} And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick. {32} I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. {33} And they said unto him, Why do the disciples of John fast often, and make prayers, and likewise the disciples of the Pharisees; but thine eat and drink? {34} And he said unto them, Can ye make the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? {35} But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days. {36} And he spake also a parable unto them; No man putteth a piece of a new garment upon an old; if otherwise, then both the new maketh a rent, and the piece that was taken out of the new agreeth not with the old. {37} And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish. {38} But new wine must be put into new bottles; and both are preserved.
Jesus was doing a new thing among the people. He ate with sinners. He feasted instead of fasted. The Pharisees had a hard time receiving it because Jesus didn’t fit their preconceived ideas of how God worked.
Illustration
Last week I went on a field trip with my son’s class to the mission at San Juan Capistrano. We took the train. On the way to SJC, the train was going backward. It was a weird feeling to be traveling 60 mph, backward. When you’re traveling backward, you’re unprepared to enjoy and anticipate the things that are coming at you. All you can do is look at what you’ve just passed by and missed. Are you riding backward or forward?
From Isaiah 44
:5 I am the Lord's … surname himself by the name of Israel.
(Isa 44:5 NLT) Some will proudly claim, 'I belong to the LORD.' Others will say, 'I am a descendant of Jacob.' Some will write the Lord's name on their hands and will take the honored name of Israel as their own.
For now, the Jews are a much hated race of people. Whenever you come across a bigoted person, among their list of people they hate will be the Jews. I’m sure the Jews aren’t totally innocent in this either. As we heard on Wednesday night from Samy Tanagho, they have done their share of things to make it easier for others to hate them.
But keep one thing in mind. God doesn’t hate the Jews. They are His people. Even when they are under His discipline, He still has chosen them and loves them. That’s been the whole theme through the last couple of chapters of Isaiah (Isa. 43:1,4).
But there will be a day when God will once more pour out His Spirit on Israel, and as a result, the Jews will suddenly become very popular. Everyone will want to be like the Jews.
(Zec 8:23 KJV) Thus saith the LORD of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.
Lesson
Do people want to be like you?
Illustration
A young girl became a Christian in an exciting revival at her church and was baptized the closing Sunday morning. That afternoon she ran through the house singing and dancing. Her sour grandfather rebuked her with these words, "You ought to be ashamed of yourself! Just joined the church and singing and dancing on the Lord’s Day!" Crushed by her grandfather’s attitude, the little girl went out to the barn, climbed up on the corral fence, and observed an old mule standing there with a sad, droopy face, and bleary eyes. As she reached over and patted the mule sympathetically, she said, "Don’t cry, ole mule, I guess you’ve just got the same kind of religion that grandpa has!"
The Bible says,
(Psa 34:8 KJV) O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.
If the Lord is at work in us, then when people get close enough for a taste, what they should taste should be sweet. This too comes from the Holy Spirit.
From Isaiah 45
:7 I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.
evil – ra’ – evil, distress, misery, injury, calamity
(Isa 45:7 NASB) …Causing well-being and creating calamity
Many of the ancient cultures had different gods that did different things. There were gods that brought prosperity and there were other gods who brought difficult times. God is saying that He’s the only one in charge and He does it all.
This isn’t implying that God is the author of moral evil.
(James 1:13 NLT) And remember, no one who wants to do wrong should ever say, "God is tempting me." God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else either.
Be careful about not falling into the trap of thinking that God is somehow a part of your being tempted into sin. That’s the responsibility of you and Satan.
But God isn’t just in charge of all the goodies that come our way. Sometimes God will also send a bitter pill our way as well.
Job was a man who experienced some of the greatest troubles anyone has ever faced. He lost his kids, his possessions, and his health.
(Job 2:9-10 NASB) Then his wife said to him, "Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die!" {10} But he said to her, "You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?" In all this Job did not sin with his lips.
Lesson
Taking the good and the bad.
Sometimes I think we miss out on a lot of what God has for us because we spend so much time arguing with Him and resisting the things that He’s trying to do in our lives.
Paul apparently had some sort of eye disease that he wasn’t too happy about.
(2 Cor 12:8-10 NLT) Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. {9} Each time he said, "My gracious favor is all you need. My power works best in your weakness." So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may work through me. {10} Since I know it is all for Christ's good, I am quite content with my weaknesses and with insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Paul asked God to take away the problem. But God said "no", and Paul eventually accepted God’s answer.
God didn’t change the situation, but instead worked in an even greater way through Paul’s life because of the situation.
Be willing to yield to what God wants to do in your life.
Illustration
Sometimes when you discipline a child, they will respond with something like, "Well if you do that to me, I won’t love you anymore." When you hear such a serious response, it can make you want to back up and give in to what the child is asking for. But the problem is that the child isn’t going to learn the lesson you were intending to teach them.
God is a much better parent than I will ever be. He knows exactly what I need. He never makes a mistake when He disciplines me. And He knows how to be firm and not give in when I act like a crying, begging child.
Illustration
In her allegorical story, Hind’s Feet on High Places (pg.66-67), Hannah Hurnard tells of the little crippled creature named Much Afraid and her trip to meet the Shepherd on the High Places. It’s a story about growing up as a Christian. For her journey, the Shepherd gives her two companions to help her. Their names are Sorrow and Suffering. Here’s little Much Afraid’s response:
"I can’t go with them," she gasped. "I can’t! I can’t! O my Lord Shepherd, why do you do this to me? How can I travel in their company? It is more than I can bear. You tell me that the mountain way itself is so steep and difficult that I cannot climb it alone. Then why, oh why, must you make Sorrow and Suffering my companions? Couldn’t you have given Joy and Peace to go with me, to strengthen me and encourage me and help me on the difficult way? I never thought you would do this to me!" And she burst into tears.
A strange look passed over the Shepherd’s face as he listened to this outburst, then looking at the veiled figures as he spoke, he answered very gently, "Joy and Peace. Are those the companions you would choose for yourself? You remember your promise, to accept the helpers that I would give, because you believed that I would choose the very best possible guides for you. Will you still trust me, Much-Afraid? Will you go with them, or do you wish to turn back to the Valley, and to all your Fearing relatives, to Craven Fear himself?"
Much-Afraid shuddered. The choice seemed terrible. Fear she knew only too well, but Sorrow and Suffering had always seemed to her the two most terrifying things which she could encounter. How could she go with them and abandon herself to their power and control? It was impossible. Then she looked at the Shepherd and suddenly knew she could not doubt him, could not possibly turn back from following him; that if she were unfit and unable to love anyone else in the world, yet in her trembling, miserable little heart, she did love him. Even if he asked the impossible, she could not refuse.
She looked at him piteously, then said, "Do I wish to turn back? O Shepherd, to whom should I go? In all the world I have no one but you. Help me to follow you, even though it seems impossible. Help me to trust you as much as I long to love you."