Where Do You Turn When Life Has Caved In? | Dr Tony Evans | Sermon Notes — Hello Pastor

Sermon Notes

Where Do You Turn When Life Has Caved In?

Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship • Nov 22, 2023 • 18 min

Start a Devotional

Take this message with you through a journey of Scripture, reflection, and prayer.

Summary

When life caves in and leaves us exhausted, God promises to supply new strength to those who wait on Him. Waiting on the Lord is not passive sitting, but actively intertwining every area of daily life with His presence—like plaiting hair tightly so it is not blown around by life's winds. As believers stay connected to God through worship and Scripture, He renews their strength through miraculous intervention, endurance to keep running, or internal transformation when circumstances do not change.

Themes

Waiting on the LordDivine StrengthPerseverance in TrialsWorship vs. ComplainingGod's Intervention and Encouragement

Pastor's Points

1.

Mounting up with wings like eagles: God's divine intervention where He swoops in and lifts you out of the crisis.

2.

Running and not getting tired: God's enablement where He allows you to run through the trial with a second wind.

3.

Walking and not becoming weary: God's divine encouragement where He changes you inside the problem when the situation stays the same.

Key Points

1.
To 'wait' on the Lord comes from a Hebrew concept meaning to 'plait' or intertwine—braid your schedule, goals, and struggles tightly with God.
2.
Waiting is active engagement, not passive sitting; it means refusing to go outside of God's boundaries to fix your problems.
3.
True waiting is evidenced when you spend the majority of your time worshipping rather than complaining.
4.
You must build the habit of 'plaiting' your life with God before a crisis hits so you are prepared when trial arrives.
5.
Just as a depleted phone must sit on a charger to recover its power, believers must stay plugged into God's presence to receive new strength.
6.
Mounting up like eagles represents God's supernatural intervention when He turns a situation around completely.
7.
Running without growing weary represents God giving you a spiritual 'second wind' to endure a long, difficult process.
8.
Walking without fainting represents divine encouragement—when God doesn't change the circumstance, but changes your heart so you can endure it.

Sermon Moments

“The Hebrew illustration of waiting as 'plaiting' hair or intertwining strands into a strong rope.”

“The contrast between loose hair blowing in the wind and plaited hair that remains secure.”

“The Biblical reminder that waiting is common to Sarah, Noah, Joseph, Ruth, Hannah, and the disciples.”

“The benchmark test of waiting: spending time worshipping instead of complaining.”

“The cell phone charger analogy—plugging into power when life drains your energy.”

“The mother eagle swooping down to catch a falling eaglet on her wings.”

“Running on a treadmill with eyes on the news to receive a second wind.”

“The cool-down walk on a treadmill as an analogy for God giving divine encouragement when you can no longer run.”

This Week

Practice 'plaiting' your weekly schedule with God by connecting with Him Monday through Saturday, not just on Sunday morning.

Catch yourself when you begin complaining about a crisis, and intentionally shift that time into worshipping God.

Turn to Scripture passages like Isaiah 40, Psalm 42, or Lamentations 3 when you feel your emotional and spiritual strength draining.

Refuse to look for ungodly or worldly shortcuts to fix a painful situation before God acts.

Set aside quiet time daily to sit on God's 'charger' through prayer and reflection before your energy hits zero.

Keep your spiritual eyes focused on God during long trials to receive the 'second wind' needed to keep going.

Ask God to transform your attitude and heart in situations where He chooses not to change the outward circumstances.

Remember This

Waiting on the Lord means tightly intertwining your daily life with Him, allowing His power to renew your strength whether He removes the trial, carries you through it, or transforms you within it.

A Challenge for You

Build the habit of plaiting your life with God today so that when life caves in, you are already connected to the only source of new strength.

These are personal sermon notes shared to help you remember the message — not a replacement for Scripture, your church, or your pastors.