Deuteronomy 8 1 6 1 Be careful to

Deuteronomy 8: 1 -6 1 Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today, so that you may live and increase and may enter and possess the land the LORD promised on oath to your ancestors.

Deuteronomy 8: 1 -6 2 Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands.

Deuteronomy 8: 1 -6 3 He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.

Deuteronomy 8: 1 -6 4 Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years. 5 Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the LORD your God disciplines you.

Deuteronomy 8: 1 -6 6 Observe the commands of the LORD your God, walking in obedience to him and revering him.

When Problems Aren’t A Problem Larry Cline – Hardin Valley Church Of Christ – 9/11/16

God has a purpose behind every problem.

1. God uses problems to Direct Me. • How? Problems change plans… put up roadblocks. • The mind of man plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps. (Proverbs 16: 9)

Proverbs 20: 30 • Stripes that wound scour away evil, And strokes [reach] the innermost parts. (NASB) Sometimes it takes a painful experience to make us change our ways. (Good News Version) •

When our pain exceeds our fear of change we get out of our rut. • Now I am glad I sent it, not because it hurt you, but because the pain caused you to repent and change your ways. It was the kind of sorrow God wants his people to have, so you were not harmed by us in any way. • (II Corinthians 7: 9)

Always ask where is this problem leading me?

2. God uses problems to Inspect Me. • “… You God inspect them every morning and test them every minute. ” (Job 7: 18 TEV)

• We are like tea bags – hot water shows what’s inside… • Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. (Deuteronomy 8: 2 NIV)

Always ask what is this problem revealing about me?

3. God uses problems to Correct Me • God corrects all of His children, and if He doesn’t correct you, then you don’t really belong to Him…God corrects us for our own good, because He wants us to be holy, as He is. (Hebrews 12: 8 -10 CEV)

Correction is proof that you are in God’s family.

“God whispers to us in our pleasure… but He shouts to us in our pain!” -C. S. Lewis • The truth will set you free but first it will make you miserable.

Always ask what is this problem teaching me?

4. God uses problems to Perfect Me After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen [and] establish you. • (I Peter 5: 10)

God changes things IN us so He can work THROUGH us.

3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. (Romans 5: 3 -4, NIV) Your problem is not your problem… your response is your problem!

Always ask how can the problem make me more useful?

God uses problems to: • Direct Me • Inspect Me • Correct Me • Perfect Me