Could This Be A Blessing In Disguise?

COULD THIS BE A BLESSING IN DISGUISE?

FOR WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING?

DO WE FOCUS ON GROWTH?

By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com

I. WHAT DOES YOUR HEART DESIRE?

II Peter 3:18 But GROW IN GRACE, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever. Amen.

II. CAN YOU HEAR THE HEART OF ONE IN THEIR WORDS?

A. HAVE YOU EVER FELT USELESS, FOOLISH, OR EMPTY?

B. CAN YOU READ PAIN, HURT, AND THE FEELING OF USELESSNESS IN ONE’S WORDS?

C. CAN YOU REALIZE THAT SOME THOUGHTS ARE SO PAINFUL ONE CANNOT EXPRESS THE THOUGHTS THAT THEY ARE THINKING?

Ecclesiastes 1:1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, King of Jerusalem.

2. VANITY OF VANITIES, saith the Preacher, VANITY OF VAINITIES; ALL IS VANITY.

D. DEFINE:

VANE:

Trivial --- Having no real value, idle, worthless

Marked by futility --- Not effective, unsuccessful, useless

Foolish, silly --- Being without worth or significance

VANITY:

empty, valueless, --- Inflated pride or self worth

Excessive self opinion

E. SOLOMON CHASED MANY RAINBOWS, AND MUCH MATERIALISM,

AND CLOSE RELATIONSHIPS TO BUILD AND GROW, BUT WHEN ALL WAS SAID AND DONE, SOLOMON WAS STILL EMPTY.

F. SOLOMON HAD A CHOICE TO TRUST IN HORSES AND ALLIANCES.

Solomon had reason to fear some of his neighboring Kings.

G. SOLOMON KNEW THE VALUE OF BUILDING STRONG RELATIONSHIPS.

So Solomon learned he could marry that King’s daughter in a distant land, and that King would never attack his grandchildren.

Psalms 20:7 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses:

but we will remember the name of the Lord our God.

III. OFTEN TIMES WE WALK IN DISCOURAGEMENT, LONELINESS, AND FEAR.

A. A REAL HEARTACHE IS WHEN WE THINK OUR WORK IS IN VAIN?

Life is full of disillusion and heart break.

B. IS IT POSSIBLE TO DRAW THE CONCLUSION THAT MY FAMILY, THE CHURCH, OR THE WORLD OWES ME?

Psalms 119:28 My soul melted for heaviness: strengthen Thou me according to thy word! (KJV)

I AM FEELING TERRIBLE --- I couldn’t feel worse! Get me on my feet again. Father you promised, remember? (The Message, David Peterson)

Psalms 119:28 I weep with grief; my heart is heavy with sorrow; encourage me and cheer me with Your Words! (LB)

Psalm 119:28 My soul is weary with sorrow; strengthen me according to your word. (NIV)

Psalm 119:28 My soul weeps because of grief;

Strengthen me according to Thy word.

Psalm 119:28 My sad life is dilapidated, a falling-down barn; build me up again by your Word. (NASB)

IV. DISCOURAGEMENT COMES WHEN WE LOSE SIGHT OF THE

VISION IN GOD’S WORD --- THERE IS A PURPOSE FOR YOU!

THERE IS A PURPOSE FOR THIS!

A. One of the things our enemy wants to do is to get you to forget THAT GOD REWARDS FAITHFUL WORKERS!

Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please God, for he that cometh to God MUST BELIEVE THAT GOD IS, AND THAT HE IS A REWARDER OF THEM THAT DILIGENTLY SEEK HIM.

B. I recently preached a message how pure and undefiled religion reaches the fatherless and the widows. I spent the day taking two widow women to the doctor and sitting 6 hours waiting. I returned them home. One is very hard to push her wheelchair

up the ramp. It hurts to do this.

C. As I was leaving I called to report in with my wife, I told her, Linda, I am pretty down I just wasted a day sitting in doctors offices.

D. Linda said, Did you forget pure and undefiled religion before God is helping the widows and fatherless?

E. I said, Yes, Honey, I forgot! I forgot.

I would rather speak to a large crowd and hear a bunch of amens, but this is pure and undefiled. I forgot, this was for the Father.

V. SECULAR HUMANISM TEACHES THERE IS NO DEFINED ABSOLUTE TRUTH AND NO SIGNIFICANT REALITY BEYOND YOURSELF.

Luke 9:23 And Jesus said to them all: If any man will come after me, LET HIM DENY HIMSELF, and TAKE UP HIS CROSS DAILY, and FOLLOW ME.

A. WE ARE DOOMED WHEN WE FALL FOR THIS HUMANISM:

FOR GOD HAS A PLACE AND GOD HAS A PURPOSE IN YOUR LIFE.

B. LIFE IS MORE THAN SPORTS AND COMPETITIVENESS!

Compare self to self?

II Cor. 10:12 For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, ARE NOT WISE.

VI. THIS MAY BE A BLESSING IN DISGUISE?

A. TRIALS, PROBLEMS, TEMPTATIONS, HURT, PAIN, AFFLICTION CAN BE GREAT TEACHING TOOLS THAT REVEAL THE LIVING WORD OF GOD’S POSSIBLITITIES AND GOD’S PLAN AND PURPOSE.

B. FOR THE LESSON IS BEFORE US, THAT LIFE IS SELDOM EASY.