November 15, 2015 | Tom Dunham
Passage: Psalms 18:27-36
God Is My Personal Trainer! – Part 3
For Who is God, except the LORD? And Who is a Rock, except our God? It is God Who arms me with strength, and makes my way perfect. Psalm 18:31,32
Q1: What does the inventor of the MRI have in common with a king who reigned almost 3,000 years ago?
Q2: What do you and I have in common with this same king?
Hezekiah lived for God during a time when all the odds were against his doing so … and became great because he let God train him!
From Part 1: Hezekiah didn’t let the ‘low ceiling’ of his rotten father hold him down … we, too, can overcome dysfunction in our families …
From Part 2: Hezekiah tore down the idols and restored true worship to God … the lesson for us is to value worship/Communion …
Q2 first:
- The ‘sine wave’ of life brings temptations along the crests as well as the troughs … common to all – kings included …
- The victories/accomplishments of the crests bring temptations of pride … & God resists the proud – I Pet. 5:5b
- Hezekiah succumbed to pride at a crest: II Chr. 32:25 …
- But he righted/humbled himself: II Chron. 32:26 …
- There are many arenas in which we need to do the same
- The challenges of the troughs: discouragement …
- Hezekiah strengthened/encouraged himself – II Chr. 32:5
- We can do the same: pray the desperate prayer … recall past victories … & receive a ‘rhema’ from God’s Word …
Q1:
- They both used their abilities for God! …
- Hezekiah brought water to Jerusalem – an engineering feat! II Chr. 32:30 ...
- Raymond Damadian invented the MRI … & gave glory to God …
- How could a scientist achieve his goal of discovering the absolute truths that govern the natural world without the blessing of the Author of those truths?
- The true thrill of science is the search to understand a small corner of God’s grand design, and to lay the glory for such discoveries at the Grand Designer’s feet.
- The highest purpose a man can find for his life is to serve the Will of God.
Let God be your ‘Personal Trainer’ to navigate the crests and troughs of life, using your talents to build His kingdom!