WHEN THE WORMS INCREASE? Hear God!
DON’T CRY OVER THE WORM DAMAGE, SEEK RESTORATION.
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
THIS IS AT LEAST A TWO PART SERIES!
I. SOMETIMES LIFE IS HARD, THE EARTH SEEMS AS IRON, AND THE HEAVENS SEEM AS BRASS. THERE IS A TYPE IN THE BIBLE ABOUT HAVING TROUBLE --- IT IS THE WORM, CATERPILLAR, LOCUST, GRASSHOPPER, PALMERWORM AND THE CANKERWORM ---THEY HAVE GREAT HIDDEN MEANING!
Psalm 51:12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.
Job 14:1 Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.
Joel 1:1 The word of the Lord that came to Joel the son of Pethuel.
2 Hear this, ye old men, and give ear, all ye inhabitants of the land. Hath this been in your days, or even in the days of your fathers?
3 Tell ye your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children another generation.
4 That which the palmerworm hath left hath the locust eaten; and that which the locust hath left hath the cankerworm eaten; and that which the cankerworm hath left hath the caterpiller eaten.
5 Awake, ye drunkards, and weep; and howl, all ye drinkers of wine, because of the new wine; for it is cut off from your mouth.
A. REMEMBER IN EGPYT, THE EAST WIND (A TYPE) BRINGS IN THE LOCUST?
We can focus on the east wind that brought in the locust, but while we remember this, also remember God had A WEST WIND THAT TOOK AWAY THE LOCUST.
B. There was great trouble when the locust came, but God has mercy and limits the destruction.
C. THANK GOD FOR THE PLAN THAT BRINGS RELIEF.
D. REMEMBER THE OMER TEST AND THE WORMS?
Exodus 16:20 Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moses; but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and stank: and Moses was wroth with them.
The worms were a type of God’s displeasure for those that failed the OBEDIENCE TEST.
They were to get one omer per individual, no more --- no less.
E. DISOBEDIENCE BROUGHT ABOUT THE WORMS AND THE STINK!
F. DO YOU RECALL AN ANGRY PREACHER THAT WAS MAD AT GOD AND THE WHOLE WORLD?
God sent a WORM TO PREACH TO THE PREACHER?
G. A gourd plant was prepared to make A COMFORT ZONE for the disappointed preacher. The preacher loved his COMFORT ZONE OF SHADE AND REST.
H. GOD HAD A PLAN, GOD SENT A WORM TO TRY TO WAKE UP THE PREACHER.
Jonah 4:7 But God prepared a worm when the morning rose the next day, and it smote the gourd that it withered.
II. CAN YOU HEAR THE SPIRIT OF GOD? THERE IS A GREAT MESSAGE WE MUST ACCEPT, WHEN THE WORMS INCREASE --- GOD IS TRYING TO GET US TO OPEN OUR EYES AND ALLOW HIS RESTORATION POWER TO FREELY FLOW!
Amos 4:9 I have smitten you with blasting and mildew: when your gardens and your vineyards and your fig trees and your olive trees increased, the palmerworm
devoured them: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the Lord.
A. WOW, GOD’S MESSAGE IS POWERFUL AND REAL FOR US TODAY!
B. GOD CAN! GOD CAN USE MANY AREAS TO ACCOMPLISH HIS MESSAGE.
ARE THERE SOME AREAS IN YOUR LIFE TODAY THAT OUR GOD IS TRYING TO GET OUR ATTENTION AND BRING ABOUT CHANGE?
C. IF YOU WANT THINGS DIFFERENT THAN HOW THEY ARE, WE MUST SUBMIT TO CHANGE.
TO STAY THE SAME AND NOT GROW DEEPER CAN BE A DANGEROUS TRAP OF OUR ENEMY.
LET US REMEMBER, SOMETIMES THE ONLY WAY WE WILL REACH TO CHANGE IS WHEN IT IS TOO PAINFUL TO STAY THE SAME.
D. Will we hear God? When will we hear God?
III. CONSIDER YOUR WAYS? WHAT WILL IT TAKE TO MAKE US ISSUE AN HONEST MEASURE OF OUR MATURITY, UNITY, AND HARMONY IN OUR DAILY WALK?
IT IS HIGH TIME TO LOOK INWARD AND EVALUATE WHY ARE WE HERE?
WE HAVE SOME REAL PROBLEMS AND ISSUES OF THE HEART.
GOD IS CALLING WHEN THE WORMS INCREASE...
WILL WE BRING THE WEIGHTS AND WORDS AND ATTITUDES THAT ARE HINDERING US FROM RECEIVING THE FULLNESS OF GOD AND COME TO THE POWER OF RESTORATION?
2 Chron. 6:28 If there be dearth in the land, if there be pestilence, if there be blasting, or mildew, locusts, or caterpillers; if their enemies besiege them in the cities of their land; whatsoever sore or whatsoever sickness there be:
29 Then what prayer or what supplication soever shall be made of any man, or of all thy people Israel, when every one shall know his own sore and his own
grief, and shall spread forth his hands in this house:
30 Then hear thou from heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive, and render unto every man according unto all his ways, whose heart thou knowest; (for thou
only knowest the hearts of the children of men:)
A. THERE IS GREAT POWER IN PROJECTION OF GOD’S IMAGE IN US, OR EXCUSING AND PALLIATING AND ACCEPTING THE WORMS AS PART OF OUR NORM.
B. By FOCUSING ON the giants, we thus project a GRASSHOPPER MENTALITY.
Numbers 13:33 And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.
C. THE TYPE OF WORMS, PLAMERWORMS, CANKERWORMS, GRASSHOPPERS, LOCUSTS, MOLD, MILDEW IS HOW OUR ENEMY PROSPERS AND OUR FRUIT IS LIMITED, AND THE HARVEST WILL NEVER REACH IT’S POTENTIAL.
D. WILL WE DISCIPLINE OUR HEARTS?
JOY AND HAPPINESS ARE CHOICES? WHICH WILL YOU CHOOSE?
Haggai 1:5 Now therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts; Consider your ways.
6 Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm;
and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes.
7 Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Consider your ways.
IV. NOW, WE COULD STUDY ALL DAY ABOUT WHAT WORMS, CATERPIALLARS, PALMERWORMS, CANKERWORMS, MOLD AND MILDREW CAN DO --- OR WE CAN REALIZE WE SERVE A GOD THAT IS BIGGER AND BETTER THAN THE POWER OF ANY WORM. GOD IS CALLING US TO COME TO THE POINT OF RESTORATION AND WHOLENESS.
A. The story of the PIG PEN is so sad, but what is really said is staying in the PIGPEN. The Father has a plan of complete and total restoration.
Our we in the pig pen or is the pig pen in us?
Luke 15:22 But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:
B. The robe speaks of restoration of the ESSENTIALS AND NEEDS that this young man will face and the ability of the Father to meet his son’s needs.
C. This is symbolic of the restoration of AUTHORITY.
D. The shoes are symbolic of the restoration of SONSHIP.
The son was willing to return as a slave.
Slaves never wore shoes in this story, the shoes illustrate the TOTAL RESTORATION OF A YOUNG MAN TO THE BLESSINGS OF THE FATHER!
V. GOD KNOWS ALL ABOUT HIS PEOPLE AND THEIR HEART.
GOD GLADLY PROVIDES A PLAN OF HIS OUTPOURING AND BLESSINGS THAT WILL DO MORE THAN GLUE THE BROKEN BACK TOGETHER, GOD’S PLAN TOTALLY RESTORES ALL.
Joel 2:21 Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the Lord will do great things.
22 Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field: for the pastures of the wilderness do spring,
for the tree beareth her fruit, the fig tree and the vine do yield their strength.
23 Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month.
24 And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the fats shall overflow with wine and oil.
25 And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.
26 And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed.
27 And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the Lord your God, and none else: and my people shall never be ashamed.
28 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:
29 And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.
30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.
A. THERE IS A PATH TO TOTAL RESTORATION AND REVERSAL OF THE CURSE. GOD LEADS HIS PEOPLE --- ACCEPT HIS PLAN!
B. YOU ARE NOT THE PROBLEM! YOU AND GOD ARE THE SOLUTION!
C. God gives us the ability to CHANGE OUR SITUATIONS, OR AT LEAST CHANGE OUR WORDS AND ATTITUDES.
Psalm 23:3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
D. GOD RESTORES HIS PLAN, NOT OUR PLAN!
Psalm 51:12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.
E. WE CAN PRACTICE ANGER AND BITTERNESS BECAUSE OF THE WORMS DESTRUCTION, OR WE CAN SET A PRISONER FREE BY GIVING FORGIVENESS.
You will be the prisoner set free!
F. YOU CANNOT FAIL AS LONG AS YOU LOVE AND FORGIVE.
Love never fails!
VI. HOW MANY BIBLICAL CHARACTERS SEEMED TO FACE FAILURE, DISAPPOINTMENTS, AND HEARTACHES TO FIND THIS WAS AN OPPORTUNIITY TO RELEASE THE GOD OF RESTORATION?
A. God does not require perfection. God searches for growth and overcoming.
B. WOULD WE HAVE EVER SEEN THE FOURTH MAN IN THE FIRE, UNLESS THREE MEN WERE THROWN TO GOD’S MERCY?
C. DAVID AND HIS MEN HAVE HAD GREAT VISTORY AFTER VICTORY.
They are coming home for some R&R, rest and relaxation.
They top the hill and see smoke reaching the sky.
D. 600 TIRED MEN, 200 READY TO FAINT --- AND IT APPEARED ALL WAS LOST.
In the victory seemed to come defeat?
1 Samuel 30:6 And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the
Lord his God.
E. DAVID SOUGHT GOD’S PLAN --- DAVID’S ONLY HOPE IS GOD.
1 Samuel 30:8 And David enquired at the Lord, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all.
F. OUR GOD’S RESTORATION IS MORE THAN ENOUGH!
God has a plan of total restoration and God gives ENOUGH, BEYOND THE NEED!
1 Samuel 30:18 And David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away: and David rescued his two wives.
19 And there was nothing lacking to them, neither small nor great, neither sons nor daughters, neither spoil, nor any thing that they had taken to them:
David recovered all.
VII. WHAT WE CALL ADVERSITY, GOD CALLS OPPORTUNITY!
GOD SAYS GIVE ME A CHANCE TO SHOW YOU MY POWER OF RESTORATION AND REGENERATION.
A. WE MUST OVERCOME FEAR!
FEAR CAN GIVE BIRTH TO AN INFERIOR FEELING AND RELEASE NEGATIVE WORDS OF DOUBT.
B. Inferior feelings of self value can breed a SPIRIT OF FAILURE.
C. A spirit of failure and doubt must die to a growth of maturity that will develop a POSITIVE MENTAL and SPITUAL ATTITUDES.
D. A POSTIVE MENTAL ATTITUDE WILL CHANGE OUR WORDS AND OUR THINKING AND BEHAVIOR PATTERNS FROM FEAR OF THE WORMS, CATERPILLARS, MOLD AND MILDEW TO GREAT FAITH AND EXPECTATIONS OF MORE!
THE GOD OF RESTORATION!
AS A MAN THINKETH
TODAY I WILL THINK LIKE A DYNAMIC SERVANT OF GOD,
BECAUSE I AM WHAT I THINK!
I AM NOT WHAT I THINK I AM,
I AM WHAT I THINK!
I AM NOT WHAT I EAT,
I AM WHAT I THINK!
CLOTHES DO NOT MAKE A MAN,
I AM WHAT I THINK!
THERFORE I WILL KEEP MY THOUGHT PROCESSES
ACTIVE AND OPEN TO THE VOICE OF GOD!
BY FAITH I RELEASE THE GOD OF RESTORATION!
2 Chron. 7:13 If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts
to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people; 14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 15 Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made
in this place.
E. GOD IS WAITING ON YOU!
GOD IS EARNESTLY SEEKING MEN TO BELIEVE AND RECEIVE.
F. SUCCESS COMES IN CANS, FAILURE COMES IN I CAN’T’S!
2 Chron. 16:9 For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth,
to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.
Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.
G. AT FIRST YOU MAKE YOUR HABITS, THEN YOUR HABITS MAKE YOU!
GOD TAKES SMALL THINGS, GOD CHOOSES SMALL THINGS,
WILL WE ALLOW GOD TO ARISE?
Zech. 4:10 For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the Lord, which run to and fro through the whole earth.
H. We are well able, I don’t care what the worms have destroyed,
LET GOD ARISE --- LET HIS ENEMIES BE SCATTERED.
BEFORE THE GRASS HOPPER SPIRIT IS RELEASED IN VERSE 33,
A MAN ARISES AND SAYS: MY GOD CAN!
Numbers 13:30 And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.
VIII. THEY CONQUER WHO THINK THEY CAN!
OUR ENEMY’S GOAL IS TO GET YOU TO ACCEPT THE DAMAGE OF THE WORMS AS AN ACCEPTABLE NORM. THEN YOU WILL QUIT REACHING AND TRYING!
YOU ARE DESIGNED TO BE "MORE THAN A CONQUEROR!"
A. THE ONLY WORSE THING THAN A QUITER --- IS ONE THAT NEVER TRIES!
B. WILL YOU NELGECT YOUR ABILITY?
C. For many years there was a man that worked for Ringling Brothers and Barnum, and Bailey --- he was a clown --- you have heard of him --- BOZO?
Bozo was known as the man that made a billion people laugh.
Bozo helped the American Cancer Society in his latter years.
Bozo closed his show saying:
BYE, BYE NOW --- AND BE SURE TO HAVE YOUR DOCTOR CHECK FOR CANCER.
Bozo warned many people to have a cancer screening check up.
Bozo knew how important it was to do cancer screening.
Bozo finished a performance one night and got very sick.
The next day the doctors started running tests and they found Bozo had cancer beyond cure, he was helpless and hopeless.
SEEMS BOZO NEVER FOLLOWED HIS OWN ADVICE.
D. Don’t neglect God’s word, trust God to restore all the years that the cankerworm, palmerworm, mold and mildew has destroyed.
IX. OUR GOD CAN EVEN RESTORE YOUR HEALTH!
A. Chronic illness can be a dream destroyer!
B. We have a RESTORER.
Jeremiah 30:17 For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith the Lord; because they called thee an Outcast, saying,
This is Zion, whom no man seeketh after.
Isaiah 57:18 I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners.
Jeremiah 30:17 For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith the Lord; because they called thee an Outcast, saying,
This is Zion, whom no man seeketh after.
C. GOD CAN RESTORE YOUR FAMILY!
Ruth 4:5 Then said Boaz, What day thou buyest the field of the hand of Naomi, thou must buy it also of Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance.
X. THE PREACHER WAS TELLING THE KING ABOUT THE WIDOW WOMAN AND HER SON AND GOD BRINGS A COMPLETE RESTORATION!
A. Was this by chance that the Preacher started talking about what God had done?
2 Kings 8:1 Then spake Elisha unto the woman, whose son he had restored to life, saying, Arise, and go thou and thine household, and sojourn wheresoever
thou canst sojourn: for the Lord hath called for a famine; and it shall also come upon the land seven years.
B. This day the widow just "happened" to walk up to the King and the preacher?
God had a plan for more than restoring the son!
2 Kings 8:5 And it came to pass, as he was telling the king how he had restored a dead body to life, that, behold, the woman, whose son he had restored to life, cried to the king for her house and for her land. And Gehazi said, My lord, O king, this is the woman, and this is her son, whom Elisha restored to life.
C. The King did more than restore the son, the King restored all to the faithful little widow woman.
2 Kings 8:6 And when the king asked the woman, she told him. So the king appointed unto her a certain officer, saying, Restore all that was hers, and all
the fruits of the field since the day that she left the land, even until now.
XI. WILL YOU BE AN AGENT OF RESTORATION?
GOD NEEDS YOU AS A VEHICLE OF TRUTH.
A. God wants to restore all to you.
God wants to restore all the years that the enemy has taken.
B. Come Lord and restore your people.
Galatians 6:1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou
also be tempted.
C. PROMOTE LOVE AND UNITY THEN TRUST THE LORD.
DON’T FOCUS ON WHAT WE CANNOT DO!
GIVE HOPE AND PASS ON BLESSINGS!
LORD, PLEASE SHOW YOURSELF STRONG HERE.
THE WEAK CAN BE STRONG!
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
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