When your are on a downward spiral, God is silent and the desert is empty, and you face more of nothing, nothing, nothing ... then suddenly a something ...
5. With similar phase patterns
Last year I did
grade 9 or left
school
This year
grade 10 or
college
6. It was the inverse for Jacob with a
hasty, somewhat sudden recovery
Blessed
On the run
Laban’s abuse
Broken
Speedy
return
7. It was more accentuated for Joseph
– better at graphs & more colorful
Dream
Betrayed
Sold
Dungeon
Open door,
Sudden
promotion
Potiphar’s wife
8. Same again for Moses … just a
different scale i.e. 40 years
Kills guard
Flees
Midian
Burning
Bush
Hey boys,
I’m back
Career change:
shepherd
9. God also drew graphs – we just can’t
agree on what they look like
Exit Egypt
Down
Mt Sinai
Canaan
Wanderings
Crossing
The traditional route – a more gradual chart
10. A more deliberate chart
But the contemporary view is more
like the charts of other biblical souls
Exit Egypt
Mt Horeb,
Canaan
Wanderings
Crossing
11. But sir, what about Abraham?
Because his downhill was an uphill!!
As he went down
hill physically, he
climbed mountains
spiritually
The
lowest
point in
his life,
was the
pinnacle
moment
in his faith
12. A typical spiritual journey – nothing,
nothing, nothing … everything
Crisis
Less than Nothing
Recovery
Nothing
+ silence
Everything
Seemingly
Nothing
13. Like Elijah’s coming rain
6 nothings then a small
cloud and then the
sound of rain ….
Before God suddenly
ended a long, deep
drought
14. But why Lord? Sometimes, like the
cat, down seems up, up seems down
Need to change
Prepare
Now it makes
sense
Grow
Apply
Learn
15. Because that is the way of the cross
A time to die
Bury, let go
Rise again
A wilderness
of the soul
16. Don’t expect steady progress, but
don’t underestimate your nothings
• It will go down gradually
• It will get dry, lonely, empty and silent
• Nothings will compound
• It plots a trend to sure failure and death
• Then a door, burning bush, parting of waters,
a knock - and suddenly, nothing = everything
• See next slide for evidence of the God of the
Suddenlies