Most people know the meaning of G. I. G. O. It’s computerese and it stands for “Garbage In, Garbage Out.” In reality computers can’t think for themselves and operate on the basis of data typed or programmed in. They put out what has been put in, so if we input stupid, wrong data (Garbage), we will output stupid, wrong data (Garbage).
We have also heard the statement, “You reap what you sow.” If we plant barley, that seed will not grow into corn stalks. It’s B. I. B. O. Barley In, Barley Out.
If you put in a cup of plaster of Paris in place of baking flour, you will bring out plaster biscuits. P. I. P. O. Yummy!
If you put water in a bucket, water is what will come out of the bucket. W. I. W. O.
It holds true morally, spiritually mentally and physically, too. The Bible says, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.” Galatians 6:7-9 (NASB).
If we sow seeds of discord the crop will be dissension. if we sow seeds of lust the crop will be immorality. If we sow seeds of Scripture the harvest will be salvation and the fruit of the Holy Spirit.
But, though it is normally true that what we put in is what will come out, there are exceptions, like putting rancid fast food cooking oil through a process called trans - ester- ifi -cation. Trans-ester-ifi-cation is the chemical process that transforms waste oil into diesel fuel. .. A small amount of catalyst – usually sodium chloride – is added to the mix to kickstart a chemical reaction. So it’s O. I. D. O. Oil In, Diesel Out.
There are also times when God alters the normal input - output process. He takes whatever is put into our lives and produces something quite a bit different than would normally occur. He makes G. I. G. O. mean Garbage In, Good Out.
When God goes to work, what goes in does not have to be what comes out. We will consider King Jehoshaphat and all of Judah as they relearned that lesson
“Now it came about after this that the sons of Moab and the sons of Ammon, together with some of the Meunites, came to make war against Jehoshaphat. Then some came and reported to Jehoshaphat, saying, ‘A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, out of Aram and behold, they are in Hazazon-tamar (that is Engedi).’ Jehoshaphat was afraid and turned his attention to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. So Judah gathered together to seek help from the LORD; they even came from all the cities of Judah to seek the LORD. Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the LORD before the new court, and he said, ‘O LORD, the God of our fathers, are You not God in the heavens? And are You not ruler over all the kingdoms of the nations? Power and might are in Your hand so that no one can stand against You. Did You not, O our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel and give it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever? They have lived in it, and have built You a sanctuary there for Your name, saying, Should evil come upon us, the sword, or judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house and before You (for Your name is in this house) and cry to You in our distress, and You will hear and deliver us. Now behold, the sons of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir, whom You did not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt (they turned aside from them and did not destroy them), see how they are rewarding us by coming to drive us out from Your possession which You have given us as an inheritance. O our God, will You not judge them? For we are powerless before this great multitude who are coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on You.’ All Judah was standing before the LORD, with their infants, their wives and their children. Then in the midst of the assembly the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, the Levite of the sons of Asaph; and he said, ‘Listen, all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: thus says the LORD to you, “Do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God’s. Tomorrow go down against them. Behold, they will come up by the ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the valley in front of the wilderness of Jeruel. You need not fight in this battle; station yourselves, stand and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out to face them, for the LORD is with you.”’" 2 Chronicles 20:1-17 (NASB)
Consider this text to see how God can make what comes out opposite to what goes in.
I. WHEN CONFUSION COMES IN HE WILL BRING OUT CERTAINTY:
A. Surrounded by enemies, the hearts of Jehoshaphat and all of Judah froze within them. The Ammonites and Moabites and those from Mount Seir came to attack. Jehoshaphat cried out, “O our God, will You not judge them? For we are powerless before this great multitude who are coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on You." 2 Chronicles 20:10-12 (NASB).
1. “Jehoshaphat was afraid and turned his attention to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.” 2 Chronicles 20:3 (NASB).
2. Jehoshaphat cried out to God, admitting they were powerless before the enemy.
3. Jehoshaphat confessed that he didn’t know what to do.
B. But though he said, “We don’t know what to do,” he almost by instinct does the right thing. He looks to God – he says, “our eyes are on You.”
C. Do you ever get confused and lack understanding?
1. Do you ever wonder why the wicked prosper and the righteous suffer?
2. Do you ever wonder why God's help seems delayed?
3. Do you ever wonder why you must suffer so much when you try to serve Him faithfully?
D. Whatever it is that confuses and dismays you:
1. Recognize and admit your lack of understanding and don’t rely on your own wisdom, but pray, “Lord, I can’t figure this out alone so please enlighten me.”
2. By faith, prayer and Scripture study, turn your eyes onto God who brings certainty out of confusion. Don’t look at the enemy or problem, look to God.
3. Like the poet, say,
“I cannot understand the why and wherefore
of a thousand things,
the burdens, annoyances and daily stings.
I cannot understand
but I can trust and perfect trusting
perfect comfort brings.”
E. Thinking about confusion reminds me of my good friend Willie Allen. When he was a tourist in Colombia, he was getting on a bus when he lost his footing and fell onto the floor. He said, “Soy embarrasado.” Now wouldn’t you think that would mean, “I am embarrassed.”? The people of Colombia knew what it meant and they giggled and cackled and chortled. You see, in his confusion he had said, “I am pregnant.” Well there is humor there but there was nothing to laugh about in the confusion of Judah. But with God it was Confusion In, Certainty Out. and:
II. WHEN FEAR COMES IN HE WILL BRING OUT COURAGE:
A. The prophet Jahaziel said, “Do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God's. Tomorrow go down against them. Behold, they will come up by the ascent of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the valley in front of the wilderness of Jeruel. You need not fight in this battle; station yourselves, stand and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out to face them, for the LORD is with you." 2 Chronicles 20:14-17 (NASB).
B. While we are certainly to fear God, we should not fear man. Jesus said, "Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Matthew 10:28 (NASB).
C. But we will lack courage and be fearful if we,
1. Like the 12 spies sent into the promised land, focus on the enormity of the enemy and count ourselves as grasshoppers in contrast to them.
2. Like Peter who stepped out of the boat and walked on water until he looked away from Jesus and focused on the storm and angry sea then he began to sink and to panic. .
D. We should remember:
1. No matter how great our troubles, they are not so great as God’s power.
2. Being disabled by fear is having more faith in the devil than in God.
3. As FDR put it, “We have nothing to fear but fear itself.
a. Fear is paralyzing.
b. Fear leads to bad decisions.
4. David said, “ When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You. In God, whose word I praise, In God I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid. What can mere man do to me? Psalm 56:3-4 (NASB)
5. That, as Eddie Rickenbacker said, “Courage is doing what you're afraid to do. There can be no courage unless you're scared.”
E. A little girl was afraid of the dark. One evening, Mom asked her to go to the pantry for a bag of sugar. The little girl said, “But it’s dark in there.” Mom said, “Honey, you know Jesus is with you and you don’t need to be afraid. Go in and pull the light cord and it won’t be dark anymore.” So wanting to please Mom, the little girl said, “Desus, oh, Desus I’m a-tomin!’” and in she went. For her it was Fear In, Courage Out.
Next to consider is that:
III. WHEN DEFEAT COMES IN HE WILL BRING OUT CONQUEST:
A. Standing alone, Judah had about as much chance of survival as a meat ball surrounded by a pack of Rottweilers. On their own, Judah was toast.
B. But, God was, and is, still God and as He said through the prophet Jahaziel He will say to you, “You need not fight in this battle; station yourselves, stand and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out to face them, for the LORD is with you." As it turned out the enemies fought among themselves and, the Ammonites and Moabites ganged up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir and destroyed them; and when they had finished off the inhabitants of Seir, they destroyed one another. When Judah came to the wilderness, they looked and saw corpses lying on the ground, and no one had escaped. 2 Chronicles 20:23-24 (NASB).
1. However difficult our task or how negative our circumstance or how powerful our temptations, yet it is still true, He is with us.
2. “Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, ‘For Your sake we are being put to death all day long; we were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.’ But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.” Romans 8:35-37 (NASB).
3. Even the enemy death cannot vanquish us, as Paul assures us, “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 15:55-57 (NASB).
C. Who or what seeks to intimidate, or harm, or overcome you? Just put yourself on God’s side and remember, “If God is for us, who is against us?” Romans 8:31 (NASB). And be assured: He is for us!
D. Be encouraged: because God was with them:
1. Samson found the jawbone of a donkey, and he killed a thousand Philistines with it.” Judges 15:15 (NASB).
2. Gideon’s 300 men defeated the multitude of oppressing Midianites.
3. David defeated Goliath with a sling and a stone.
4. Jesus defeated the devil and death by His resurrection.
E. Still sometimes we feel like the citizens of Feldkirch, Austria, who were in jeopardy. Napoleon's massive army was preparing to attack. A council of citizens was hastily summoned to decide whether they should try to defend themselves or display the white flag of surrender.
It happened to be Easter Sunday, and the people had gathered in the local church and the pastor said, "Friends, we have been counting on our own strength, and that has failed. As this is the day of our Lord's resurrection, let us just ring the bells, have our services as usual, and leave the matter in His hands."
The council accepted his plan and the church bells rang. The enemy, hearing the sudden peal, concluded that the Austrian army had arrived during the night to defend the town. Before the service ended, the enemy broke camp and left.
Though the Austrians were powerless and confused, not knowing what to do, they trusted God and He saved the day, bringing out of confusion, certainty; out of fear, courage; out of defeat, conquest.
He will do so for you if you cry out to Him and turn your eyes onto Him and in total surrender, come to Him. He can bring good out of evil, light out of darkness, hope out of despair, and acceptance out of rejection. He will not send you away.
