GOD PROMISES, WE DIG, WE DIG, WE DIG AGAIN...
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
I take a shovel with me to the pulpit.
I. DO WE SEEK A SURE FOUNDATION?
VERY FEW DIAMONDS ARE FOUND FLOATING ABOVE GROUND, ONE HAS TO DIG.
VERY LITTLE GOLD IS FOUND ABOVE GROUND, ONE HAS TO DIG.
A. DEFINE:
DIG: to discover after a search, to bring to light,
break up, remove, or turn over...
Obtain or remove by digging,
PERSIST: to go or resolutely, in spite of opposition, warnings, or pleas...
PRESERVE: to last on and on, continue
Matthew 7:24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken
him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
[25] And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house;
and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
[26] And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto
a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
[27] And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house;
and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
B. The storms are coming, rain, wind, floods... THE LESSON IS ABOUT DIGGING.
C. QUIT SHORT OF THE MIRACLE...
A MAN IN THE MIDWEST FELT LIKE GOD HAD TOLD HIM TO GO DIG FOR GOLD.
He convinced his family and they invested everything they owned to commit to find gold.
They spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on equipment and start digging for gold.
3 months nothing? 6 months nothing? A year nothing? After 2 years of nothing, they lost
everything and decide to sell for pennies on the dollar and go home broken.
The man that bought all the equipment came one day and started the machines up,
he dug 10 feet and struck the largest seam of gold in the state.
THE FAMILY STOPPED 10 FEET FROM BEING MILLIONAIRES...
II. WE MUST DIG AND ARISE, DON'T GET STUCK IN NEGATIVITY...
WHAT IS YOUR ATTITUDE OF APPROACH... YOUR ATTITUDE WILL DETERMINE
YOUR ALTITUDE... IT IS ALL ABOUT DIGGING...
A. DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THE MULE THAT GOT REAL SICK AND COULD NOT EAT?
The owner finally called the vet, something is wrong our mule can't eat?
The Vet RAN HIS HAND AND ARM DOWN THE MULE'S MOUTH AND THROAT AND
PULLED OUT A STICK. Seems while the mule was eating off an apple tree, the stick
got stuck in the mules throat and thus he could not eat.
The mule would have starved to death with plenty of food around it...
B. What does my OUT-LOOK LOOK LIKE?
1. Looking back will impede all progress? (Ask Lot's wife?)
2. Looking down you can not see Jesus? ( Ask the two on the Emmaus Road?)
3. Looking at the BIG PROBLEMS will depress? (Ask Peter, he saw waves, felt the wind?)
4. JESUS OUT-LOOK SAYS: LIFT UP YOUR HEAD...
Luke 21:28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for
your redemption draweth nigh.
III. WHAT IS YOUR ATTITUDE OF APPROACH... YOUR ATTITUDE WILL DETERMINE
YOUR ALTITUDE... IT IS ALL ABOUT DIGGING... DIG IN PREPARATION...
Proverbs 23:7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee;
but his heart is not with thee.
A. What do we mean attitude of approach? YOUR PREPARATION CAN HAVE DEEP
AFFECTS ON YOUR ATTITUDE OF APPROACH...
There is a dark alley and you must walk down the alley...
1. You are a weak old lady that can't see very well in darkness is walking down
the dark alley.
2. You are a black belt in karate police officer and you have two pistols, a stun gun,
and a shot gun in the trunk of your patrol car. You have been trained 2 years at police
academy, you have 5 years experience in dark alleys...
Will these 2 individual have a different attitude approach as they walk down the alley?
B. LET US DISCUSS AGAIN THE ROLE OF ATTIITUDE...
Life is not success only journey... real life is not just a sunny day...
C. We pray to God for strength but we have resources we must use...
Ever hear someone say: I want you to pray I find a job? They sit by the phone all day, never
put in an application?
IV. THERE IS A TWO FOLD NEED: 1. WE NEED WATER; 2. THERE IS A POWERFUL ENEMY...
THIS LOOKS LIKE A PHYSICAL ISSUE, BUT THOSE WITH VISION SEE THIS IS
ETERNAL, THIS IS SPIRITUAL... GRAB YOUR SHOVEL, JUMP IN THE DITCH AND START
DIGGING... IT MOST BECOME OUR ATTITUDE APPROACH...
A. IT IS ALL ABOUT PREPARATION FOR THE VICTORY...
VICTEM OR VICTOR...
2 Kings 3:16 And he said, Thus saith the Lord, Make this valley full of ditches.
B. DIG: to discover after a search, to bring to light,
break up, remove, or turn over...
Obtain or remove by digging,
B. WE ARE FACING TWO IMPOSSIBLE ODDS: IS THIS PHYSICAL OR IS THIS SPIRITUAL?
WHAT WILL OUR ATTITUDE APPROACH BE? WE HAVE TWO BIG PROBLEMS...
VI. PREPARE FOR GOD'S BLESSINGS... ABRAHAM HAD A PROMISE...
THIS PROMISE WAS TO ISSAC HIS SON... THIS PROMISE IS TO YOU... BUT YOU HAVE TO
PREPARE FOR THE BLESSING...
A. GOD GIVES US THE PROMISE...
Genesis 26:3 Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto
thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father;
[4] And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these
countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;
B. GOD'S BLESSING BECOME REAL...
Genesis 26:12 Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold:
and the Lord blessed him.
[13] And the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great:
VII. WHILE GOD'S PROMISES ARE REAL, HIS BLESSINGS ARE NOT ALWAYS EASY...
SOME PEOPLE LOVE TO STOP UP YOUR WELLS...
Genesis 26:15 For all the wells which his father's servants had digged in the days of Abraham his
father, the Philistines had stopped them, and filled them with earth.
1. THE PROMISE, THE PROBLEM, THE PROVISION...
A. We have the REAL Promises, BUT THERE ARE SOME REAL PROBLEMS...
B. WHAT IS THE WELL A SYMBOL OF?
C. WHY WOULD ANYONE ENJOY FILLING ANOTHER MAN'S WELL?
2. WHY NOT FIGHT THE PEOPLE THAT STOP UP YOUR WELL? WE COULD WIN!
Genesis 26:13 And the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great:
A. STRIFE IS NEVER RIGHT
Proverbs 10:12 Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.
Proverbs 13:10 Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom.
Proverbs 26:17 He that passeth by, and meddleth with strife belonging not to him, is like one that
taketh a dog by the ears.
Romans 12:19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is
written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
2 Tim. 2:24 And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach,
patient,
3. IF I CAN'T FIGHT AND BE RIGHT --- WHAT CAN I DO? YOU DIG AGAIN...
Genesis 26:18 And Isaac digged again the wells of water, which they had digged in the days of
Abraham his father; for the philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham: and he
called their names after the names by which his father had called them.
A.GOD'S BLESSINGS HONOR AND THE WATER GETS BETTER
Genesis 26:19 And Isaac's servants digged in the valley, and found there a well of springing water.
4. THE BATTLE GOES ON... THE PEOPLE FORGET THE BLESSINGS AND WORK
OF ABRAHAM AND ISSAC... THEY FORGET AND LIE...
Genesis 26:20 And the herdmen of Gerar did strive with Isaac's herdmen, saying, The water is
ours: and he called the name of the well Esek; because they strove with him.
5. WHAT DO WE DO? REMIND THEM THE PAST? NO, DIG AGAIN...
Genesis 26:21 And they digged another well, and strove for that also: and he called the name of
it Sitnah.
6. THE MEANNESS CONTINUES, DIG AGAIN... NOW THE LORD HAS MADE ROOM...
Genesis 26:22 And he removed from thence, and digged another well; and for that they strove
not: and he called the name of it Rehoboth; and he said, For now the Lord hath made room
for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.
7. NOW THE WELL AND AN ALTAR...
Genesis 26:25 And he builded an altar there, and called upon the name of the Lord and pitched
his tent there: and there Isaac's servants digged a well.
8. THE ENEMY RECOGNIZES GOD'S BLESSINGS AND THEY DON'T HAVE TO FIGHT...
Genesis 26:28 And they said, We saw certainly that the Lord was with thee: and we said,
Let there be now an oath betwixt us, even betwixt us and thee, and let us make a covenant
with thee;
[29] That thou wilt do us no hurt, as we have not touched thee, and as we have done unto thee
nothing but good, and have sent thee away in peace: thou art now the blessed of the Lord.
9. GOD'S PROMISES REQUIRED A LOT OF DIGGING AND DIGGING,
ISSAC DIGGED OVER 7 WELLS... WE HAVE FOUND WATER!!!
Genesis 26:32 And it came to pass the same day, that Isaac's servants came, and told him
concerning the well which they had digged, and said unto him, We have found water.
CONCLUSION: OTHER PEOPLE DO NOT CONTROL YOUR DESTINY.
WE DIG WELLS, GOD SENDS THE WATER...
THE END VS THE MEANS? THE MEANS IS GOD CAN FILL THE WELL WITH WATER
FROM BELOW OR HE CAN FILL IT WITH WATER FROM BELOW...
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
