Responding Positively When Trouble Arises

So today's sermon is on responding positively when trouble arises.

And, you know, we all have insurance policies that, or we should have.

If you don't, I'd advise, you know, you go out and buy some.

To protect ourselves in times of trouble and disaster can be car insurance,

home insurance, liability insurance, life insurance.

And, you know, in fact, to show how important insurance is, the government has

even mandated insurance.

So all of these insurances are good safety nets to have, but how are we to react

in times of trouble when the trouble comes into our life?

And Sharon is going to do her dramatic reading of how not to react in a time of trouble.

How many of you remember the story of Chicken Little?

Chicken Little, Henny Penny, Foxy Loxy, Goosey Lucy, I missed one, yes.

And Sharon is going to share the story with us this morning.

Good morning, everyone.

I am going to share, indeed, the story of Chicken Little, which you're all familiar

with, but there's a lesson in here for all of us.

So, once upon a time, there was a sweet hand named Chicken Little.

She lived on a shady lane in a quiet kingdom close to all her friends.

One day, as Chicken Little walked past a big oak tree, a strong gust of wind rustled the branches.

An acorn was blown loose, and it fell right on Chicken Little's head.

It gave her quite a scare.

The sky is falling, squawked Chicken Little. The sky is falling.

Oh, I must tell the king. He'll know what to do.

And so Chicken Little ran down the lane toward the king's castle.

Along the way, Chicken Little met her friend, Henny Penny. Henny.

Hello, Chicken Little, said Henny Penny. Why are you in such a hurry?

The sky is falling, Chicken Little replied. I'm going to tell the king.

Could the sky really fall?

Henny Penny wasn't so sure about this. How do you know the sky is falling, asked Henny Penny.

I felt a piece of it clonk me on the head, said Chicken Little.

That's terrible, Henny Penny clucked. You're right. We must tell the king.

Chicken Little and Henny Penny hurried down the lane and soon saw Turkey Lurkey.

Slow down, said Turkey Lurkey. Why are you, where are you dashing off to?

The sky is falling, Henny Penny said. Chicken Little told me.

It fell on my head, cried Chicken Little, and I heard it with my own ears.

Turkey Lurkey thought this was just terrible, so he joined Chicken and Little

and Henny Penny on their quest to tell the king.

The trio ran down the road as fast as they could and soon came upon Goosey Lucy.

What's the matter, Goosey Lucy asked the anxious birds.

The sky is falling, Turkey Lurkey gobbled. Henny Penny told me.

I heard it from Chicken Little, said Henny Penny.

It fell on my head, said Chicken Little.

I heard it with my own ears, and I saw it with my own eyes.

Golly, said Goosey Lucy, I always knew the sky would fall one day.

We're off to tell the king, said Chicken Little.

No time to chat, Turkey Lurkey added. Let's go.

And so Goosey Lucy joined the group honking loudly as she ran along.

Just then, Foxy Loxy stepped into the road.

Little birdies, cried Foxy Loxy, where are you going in such a rush, whatever is the matter?

We're going to see the king, Goosey Lucy announced. The sky is falling.

How do you know the sky is falling, Foxy Loxy asked.

Why, Turkey Lurkey told me, Goosey Lucy replied. He heard it from Henny Penny

who heard it from Chicken Little, and Chicken Little heard it with her own ears

and saw it with her own eyes.

Foxy Loxy looked up at the sky. It looked just like it always did,

and certainly didn't seem to be falling.

Besides, he could always take shelter in his den if it seemed to crumble.

Sure that the sky was not falling, the sneaky fox decided to lure the birds

to his den so he could eat them.

Follow me, friends, cried Foxy Loxy. I will show you the way to a secret shortcut.

It leads right into the castle courtyard so you'll soon be able to warn the king.

And so the birds ran after Foxy Loxy who led them to his den.

Step through here, said Foxy Loxy. Don't be afraid of the dark.

Just follow the tunnel and you'll soon pop out on the other end,

right in the castle courtyard.

Chicken Little and the birds looked at each other nervously.

They had to warn the king, but could they really trust Foxy Loxy?

Just then the birds and the fox heard loud barking. The king's hounds were running across the field.

The dogs were coming straight at them. As the birds squawked and flapped their

wings, Foxy Loxy bolted across the feeling.

Tricking the birds wasn't worth being caught by the king's hounds.

The hounds sniffed the entrance of the fox den. Then they sniffed Chicken Little and all her friends.

What are you doing here? asked one of the hounds. Please take us to see the

king, Chicken Little pleaded. We must tell him the sky is falling.

The hounds had never heard of a sky falling. However, the king was a very smart

man, so the hounds were sure he would know what to do.

The hounds led the fine feathered friends back to the castle.

The birds were brought before the king, who was curious to know why they had traveled so far.

Hello, Chicken Little, said the king. I heard that you traveled a great distance to see me.

Oh, your majesty, cried Chicken Little. We've come to warn you that the sky is falling.

How do you know the sky is falling, asked the king. It fell on my head, said Chicken Little.

I heard it with my own ears and I saw it with my own eyes.

Where were you when this happened, the king asked. I was walking past a big

oak tree, Chicken Little replied.

Then it got really windy and a piece of the sky fell on my head.

And did any other person, any other pieces of the sky fall on you as you traveled here?

No, Chicken Little replied. Well, said the king, it seems to me that the sky is not falling.

In fact, there is a very simple explanation.

The birds twittered excitedly. They knew the king would figure out what was going on.

It wasn't a piece of sky that fell on your head, said the king. It was merely an acorn.

The birds couldn't believe it. Was all the panic really caused by a single acorn?

They asked the king how he figured it out.

Because Chicken Little was standing under an oak tree on a windy day, the king replied.

The birds all laughed. They were so happy that the sky was not falling.

Before the birds went back home, the king gave Chicken Little an umbrella.

From that day forward, she always carried the umbrella while she walked about.

And if an acorn fell, Chicken Little didn't mind one bit.

Thank you, Sharon. Now, I know we all raised our hand, we're familiar with that

story, but there's been changes in it from when I was a kid,

because I remember an ax,

you know, kind of more gruesome, but as time changes, they kind of rebuild the stories for children.

But there's a book to tell us how to respond in times of trouble that has never changed.

Changed and so we're going to look at that today because we don't want to fret

and become panicky like chicken little we want to be able to get stronger and

be able to face our dilemmas head on,

so we're going to look today as we find the answers in these stories we don't

want to be chicken little we're going to look in psalms and james today that

gives us the answer we need on how to respond in our times of trouble.

Psalms 37 verses 1 to 11 says, Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong.

Psalms 37:1–11

For like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away.

Trust in the Lord and do good. Dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.

Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the Lord. Trust in him and he will do this.

He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him.

Do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.

Refrain from anger and turn away from wrath.

Do not fret, it leads only to evil. For evil men will be cut off,

but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.

A little while and the wicked will be no more. Though you look for them,

they will not be found, but the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace.

Today's passage warns against false solutions to trouble.

Verses 1 and 8 says, do not fret because of those who are evil.

Refrain from anger and turn from wrath. Chicken Little automatically assumed

the sky was falling, and due to the panic, felt she needed to tell the king.

So then she went on her little walk to the kingdom.

This is called a reflex action, and we must avoid reflexive actions.

Don't jump to conclusions as Chicken Little did.

We also need to avoid anger. I know my kids tell me I have road rage.

I get angry when somebody cuts me

off I get angry when I'm on

80 doing 60 miles an hour and somebody passes me like I'm standing still but

we need to avoid that a hostile response is not the proper way to deal with

trouble we can't let emotions get the best of us and be allowed to take control of the situation.

Don't let yourself emote. And I know that's harder to do than just saying it,

because I find myself in that same place a lot of times, as I'm sure we all do.

By assuming the worst and letting her emotions take control,

Chicken Little and all her followers allowed themselves to be taken advantage of by Foxy Loxy.

When you allow your emotions to take control and take that reflexive action,

you allow Satan to enter in and lead you astray.

Foxy Loxy in this story represents Satan leading them astray,

took them off their path to see the king because he had a better plan.

Today's passage also offers guidelines for time of trouble.

Verses 3 through 7 again state, Trust in the Lord and do good.

Dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.

Take delight in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the Lord. Trust in him and he will do this.

He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn.

Your vindication like the noonday sun. done. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him.

Do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.

That is hard. You know, you go back to that old adage, an eye for an eye.

We need to sit back because they'll get what's due them. We're not the judge.

We need to trust in God's character.

Trust in the Lord and do good.

We need to trust in God's words. 2 Samuel 22 31 says, As for God, his way is perfect.

The Lord's word is flawless.

He shields all who take refuge in him. We need to trust in God's purpose.

Proverbs 19.21 Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails.

We need to trust in God's promises. Psalm 85.8 I will listen to what God the Lord says.

He promises peace to his people, his faithful servants, but let them not turn to folly.

We need to trust in God's power.

1 Chronicles 29 11. Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory

and the majesty and the splendor.

For everything in heaven and earth is yours.

Yours, Lord, is the kingdom. You are exalted as head over all.

The greater our trust, the greater the possibility for peace.

That inner peace that we are all looking for. So we're not frantic.

So we're not emotionally upset.

We are all looking for that inner peace, and it can be found in our trust with God.

Delight in the Lord. And this is a command with a promise.

Verse 4 says, take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

We all delight in something. It can be sports cars, crafts, hobbies, our family.

There's something we all take pride in.

The object of our affection becomes a magnet that draws us to it.

The extent of our delight determines the strength of our desire.

The object of our supreme desire will control our thoughts, our aims, and our actions.

What do you focus on most? Is it the next donut you can have?

Is it saving your money for that retirement home?

Or is it on eternal life with Jesus Christ?

The objects of our desires can either draw us closer to God or separate us from God.

An example of that is, you know, when football season and the Packers have a

noon start and you're in church, is your mind on the sermon or is your mind

on getting home, having a quick dinner and watching the football game?

The simple action of an acorn falling on Chicken Little's head kept her from

the truth and thinking rationally.

We need to commit to the Lord. Verse 5 says, commit your way to the Lord,

trust in him and he will do this.

We must give our will, desires, and plans over to the Lord and ask for his guidance.

Our troubles are often the result of following our own ways instead of his.

I know I can solve this and I know if I do it this way, it'll be right.

And we don't bother to go to the Lord in prayer and say, how should I handle

this? because after all, I know everything.

We need to rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him. Verse 7.

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him.

Do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.

We need to be in silent reverence before the Lord without making a noise of impatient clamor.

Don't be a chicken little Little, presuming the worst. Take time to pray.

Chicken Little, an acorn falls on her head and she just runs off.

What will you do when an acorn falls on your head?

And life's troubles get in your way. We need to wait on the Lord without presumptuous

interference in his ways.

Don't presume the sky is falling when only a bump in the road of life hits you.

In other words, don't get in his way.

God has given his promises for those who trust him in times of trouble.

Verse 3 talks of security.

Psalm 112.8 says their hearts are secure.

They will have no fear in the end, and they will look in triumph on their foes.

It also talks of satisfaction. Psalm 103.5 says who satisfies your desires with

good things? Who does satisfy your desires in your life?

Such your best friend? Such your parents? Or are you trusting that to God?

Verse 4 talks about the promise of joy as a result of God's blessing.

Deuteronomy 16.15 says.

And in all the work of your hands, and your joy will be complete.

Not where I choose, it's where God chooses. God has a plan for your life,

and it's a much better plan, I assure you, than you have for your own life.

Verse 5 talks about the promise of hope.

Psalm 33, 18-21 says, But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, and those whose hope.

So what I'm asking you to do today is to not live in fear of trouble that may never come.

Don't be a chicken little imagining the worst.

Don't be so naive as to believe that loving the Lord means that no trouble shall befall you.

In fact, your troubles will be greater because Satan doesn't have to tempt and

destroy those that are following his ways.

He works hard to gain your trust, which means you are going to be facing even

harder times the closer you get to God and his mission.

Don't give in and take the easy way out. following Foxy Loxy.

Develop a faith in the Lord's person, presence, promise, and power so that you

will be stabilized and victorious when trouble does come your way.

Take the umbrella the King of Kings is offering you and be prepared for what life dishes out.

James chapter 1 verses 2 through 8.

James 1:2–8

States, Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many

kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.

Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

If any of you lacks wisdom, him, he should ask God who gives generously to all

without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like

a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.

That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord.

He is a double-minded man, unstable in all the dues, or all he does, excuse me.

Lord, we just ask you today to keep us mindful that it's not about us. It's not about our plan.

And when things in our life don't go the way we think they should,

that means that we haven't given you control.

Remind us, Lord, that you are the one in control and we need to turn to you,

trust you, and believe in the promises that you have set before us.

May we find that quiet place in our life to find peace, that inner peace that

we all are looking for, that you may strengthen us.

That we don't fret, that we don't become that chicken little,

but that we become that strong soldier, that disciple that you are asking us

all to be, and that we don't turn to the ways of,

Foxy Loxy, the Satan in our life, that we maintain the strength of the soldier we are called to be.

In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.