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 ...

1. God of the suddenlies
© Peter Missing @ bethelstone.com

2. Startup
Growth
Maturity
Decline
This is generally how businesses,
teams, nations evolve over time

3. It’s a bit more predictable over the
short or medium term
We did this
last year
Expect more
of the same

4. Its generally similar for life
Child
Youth
Mature adult
Ageing
Birth
Death

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

17. • In Acts 12:7 “An angel of the Lord suddenly appeared to Peter in prison. “
• Acts 16:25 “About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise
to God. . . and suddenly there came a great earthquake.”
• John 6:21 “They willingly received Him into the boat, and immediately the boat
was at the land where they were going.”
• Suddenly, a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and took Elijah to heaven in a
whirlwind (II Kings 2:11).
• Suddenly, the perverse (or our enemies) will fall (Proverbs 28:18).
• God suddenly acts and His word to us is fulfilled (Isaiah 29:5-6).
• Jesus will suddenly appear and meet us spiritually in our circumstances as we seek
Him (Malachi 3:1, Luke 13,14).
• In the midst of our fears, Jesus suddenly meets us there (Mt. 28:8-10).
• When alone, suddenly we experience His presence (Mark 9:8).
• When you least expect it and there seems to be no hope, suddenly Jesus appears in
power. (Mark 13:35-37)
• As we press into God for more; suddenly, He fills us with his Spirit (Acts 2:2).
• When we need rescue, suddenly He sends help (Acts 12:6, Acts 16:26, John 6:19).
• Suddenly, He will return to take us to our eternal home (I Thess. 5:2-3).
© Peter Missing @ bethelstone.com