WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE? PROBLEMS HAVE PURPOSE!
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr Kyfingers@aol.com
A LESSON FROM MY DAD.
I was in the 8th grade and my Dad and I were traveling in East Tennessee.
My Dad asked me a question: WHAT IS THE HARDEST WORD IN THE WORLD TO SAY?
I knew this one --- ANTIDISESTABLISHMENTARAN!
I even knew what it mean. It means against the establish of a church.
My Dad said that is not it.
So I heard from the movie: SUPERCALIFRAGILISTICEXBEALIDOIOUS.
I was wrong again. I gave it my best shot.
Ok, what is the hardest word to say?
MY DAD SAID: NO! No was the hardest to say word in the English language!
I probably never understood that day, but today I KNOW NO IS OFTEN HARD TO SAY.
I have found my Dad's lesson to be very true...
LIFE IS MORE THAN A DESTINATION --- REAL LIFE IS ABOUT THE JOURNEY.
LEARN THE LESSON... PROBLEMS HAVE PURPOSE ---
We become the PRODUCT of our menial daily choices.
Life is 10% what happens TO YOU!
But know this fact: LIFE IS 90% OF HOW YOU HANDLE WHAT HAPPENS TO YOU.
The same thing that makes one person throw up their and quit ---
WILL CAUSE ANOTHER PERSON TO RISE TO GREATNESS...
WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOUR JOURNEY TAKES SOME STRANGE TWIST, AND I CAN
NOT UNDERSTAND, AND GOD DOES NOT EXPLAIN THIS MESS TO ME?
ASK JOB IF HE LEARNED THE LESSON... PROBLEMS HAVE PURPOSE---
Job was a blessed man. He had a wonderful family, 7 sons, 3 daughters...
In one day TERRIBLE STUFF happens...
Bad news comes...
1. The Sabeans come, enemy wins --- The swords destroys.
While he was talking more bad news...
2. Fire comes and kills his sheep.
While he was talking more bad news...
3. Chaldeans take all the camels...
While he was talking more bad news...
4. A terrible STORM kills the children.
While he was talking more bad news...
Job 1:20 Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground,
and worshipped, 21 And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither:
the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.
JOB WAS SICKER THAN EVER BEFORE... THERE WERE BOILS, SORES, PUSS RUNNING
FROM HIS HEAD TO HIS TOES... QUIT JOB?
JOB'S WIFE VERBALIZES HEART BREAK --- JUST QUIT, GIVE UP, GIVE IN...
Job 2:9 Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die.
WHILE JOB COULD NOT UNDERSTAND THE NEGATIVE, JOB WORSHIPPED GOD...
Three friends come and sit 7 days without saying a word...
His friends never helped his situation... JOB STAYED COMMITTED TO GOD.
JOB MAKES A CLEAR DECLARATION BY FAITH. THE LESSON... PROBLEMS HAVE PURPOSE.
Job 19:25 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the
earth: 26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God:
God challenged JOB, answer my question and I will answer yours?
Job had HOPE through HOLELESS situations.
The ANSWER was found in PRAYER...
Job 42:10 And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the LORD
gave Job twice as much as he had before.
PROBLEMS, TROUBLE, PAIN AND TEARS CLOUDED THE ISSUES...
THESE TRIALS WERE OPPORTUNITIES IN DISGUISE...
GOD NEVER FORGOT HIS MAN ---
HEAR MY SOUL, LISTEN --- GOD KNOWS HOW
GOD KNOWS HOW TO DELIEVER...
2 Peter 2:9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust
unto the day of judgment to be punished:
VICTORY, OH, HOW I LOVE VICTORY?--- HEY, OLD PREACHER HAVE YOU LEARNED THE
LESSON... PROBLEMS HAVE PURPOSE.
WATCH OUT --- VICTORY IS WONDERFUL --- BUT THE REAL LESSONS IN LIFE ---
MIRACLES ARE BIRTHED IN THE MIDST OF DARK NIGHTS AND HARD TIMES...
VICTORY? The King AHAB and wicked JEZEBEL ---
Take note: A TERRIBLE DROUGHT is coming...
GOD PROMISES DIVINE PROTECTION AND PROVISIONS...
WOW, I HAVE IT MADE --- I HAVE WATER! FOOD!
1 Kings 17:4 And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to
feed thee there.
GOD OPENS DOORS! GOD CLOSES DOORS! THE LESSON... PROBLEMS HAVE PURPOSE.
GOD DOES NOT WANT ELIJAH TO STAY IN HIS COMFORT ZONE...
GOD, DID YOU FORGET ME? WHERE ARE THE BIRDS?
ONE DAY THE RAVEN DID NOT COME? GOD ?
Elijah needed to rest and relax a while... This is nice...
GOD YOU TOLD ME YOU WOULD TAKE CARE OF ME?
Now, send me the meat and bread!!!
The BROOK has totally died up!
1 Kings 17:7 And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because there had been no
rain in the land.
WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOUR SOURCE DRIES UP?
Sit here and die?
LEARN THE LESSON... PROBLEMS HAVE PURPOSE ---
THE DOOR CLOSES AGAIN... GOD SAYS ELIJAH YOU HAVE TO LISTEN AND TRUST GOD...
GOD IS NOT FINISHED --- THIS PROBLEM IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY...
1 Kings 17:9 Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have
commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee.
God sends the Preacher to a meet a woman...
Elijah probably thought the LADY WOULD BE RICH AND HAVE A GREAT MEANS...
YET THE LESSON IS TRUST AND OBEY ---
ELIJAH HAS TO OBEY...
THE WIDOW HAS TO OVERRIDE HER EMOTIONS AND TRUST THE WORD...
1 Kings 17:13 And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof
a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son.
GIVE GOD THE FIRST CAKE, IF YOU GIVE GOD THE LAST IT WILL NOT BE THERE...
There are DIVINE LAWS, was Elijah being bold in saying: ME FIRST?
Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall
be added unto you.
THE OPEN DOOR WAS TEMPORARY TO ELIJAH AND TO THE WIDOW...
WHEN THIS DOOR CLOSES GOD WILL OPEN ANOTHER...
THE LESSON IS CLEAR... PROBLEMS HAVE PURPOSE!
1 Kings 17:14 For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall
the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth.
God is trying to teach us.
Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
AFTER ALL THE MIRACLES, ELIJAH DOUBTS HIMSELF AND THROWS A PITY PARTY...
HE IS LEARNING THE LESSON... PROBLEMS HAVE PURPOSE, WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?
1 Kings 19:4 But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a
juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take
away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.
FAITH MUST ASK THE QUESTION: WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE...
1 Kings 19:6 And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water
at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again.
THE WIND SHAKES ALL AROUND THE PREACHER --- NOT GOD
THERE WAS AN EARTHQUAKE --- THAT WAS NOT GOD...
THERE WAS A FIRE --- THAT WAS NOT GOD...
GOD'S LESSON OF OPEN AND CLOSED DOORS CAN GIVE A SECOND CHANCE...
1 Kings 19:13 And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out,
and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said,
What doest thou here, Elijah?
LEARN THE LESSON... PROBLEMS HAVE PURPOSE,
LEARN THE LESSON PROBLEMS HAVE PURPOSE... NOT TIME YET?
THE TEST WILL COME AND GO... THIS LESSON OF THE DOVES...
First dove release: FLIES AROUND AND AROUND...
The bird flies back and lands on Noah's hand.
LEARN THE LESSON... PROBLEMS HAVE PURPOSE, wait and wait again...
NO SIGNS JUST TRUST...
Genesis 8:8 Also he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters were abated from off the face of the
ground; 9 But the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot, and she returned unto him into the ark, for the
waters were on the face of the whole earth: then he put forth his hand, and took her, and pulled her in unto
him into the ark.
WE WAITED, SEVEN DAYS SEEMS LIKE A LONG TIME WHEN YOU ARE IN A BOAT WITH
A LOT OF STINK?
Genesis 8:10 And he stayed yet other seven days; and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark;
11 And the dove came in to him in the evening; and, lo, in her mouth was an olive leaf pluckt off: so Noah
knew that the waters were abated from off the earth.
THE THIRD TIME IS A CHARM... THE HOPE WAS THERE... THE DOVE'S NON-RETURN
IS THE TESTIMONY --- IT IS TIME TO STEP OUT OF THE ARK...
Genesis 8:12 And he stayed yet other seven days; and sent forth the dove; which returned not
again unto him any more.
ARE WE LEARNING THE LESSON... PROBLEMS HAVE PURPOSE...
GOD KNOWS HOW TO ACCOMPLISH HIS PLAN...
THIS THORN IS TERRIBLE... THIS THORN MAKES NOT FLESHLY SENSE TO ME...
3 TIMES I DEMANDED THIS THORN REMOVED IN JESUS NAME?
WHEN I AM WEAK --- JESUS IS STRONG...
2 Corinthians 12:7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations,
there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted
above measure. 8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.
Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
ARE WE LEARNING THE LESSON... PROBLEMS HAVE PURPOSE...
Joel 3:10 Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears:
let the weak say, I am strong.
CONCLUSION: I was playing football while in college. I broke my right ankle real bad.
I was on CRUTCHES for many months. The doctor said I may never walk again on that foot.
I was totally dependant on my crutches.
For Christmas we traveled to Springfield, Illinois. It snowed that morning as we went to
church. AS my crutches and I walked across the ice and snow something happened and
I dropped my crutch. I was walking on my foot with no pain. I wonder how long could I
have been walking without my crutches, see I was afraid to try to put weight on my
foot as it hurt so bad? I did not know? I gave my crutches away. Today, 40 years later,
I do not uses crutches. I wonder how long would I have used them if it had not been
for the slip? Maybe we should try to GET UP, ARISE FROM THE DRY BROOK?
Did you hear about the two frogs that fell into the cream bucket?
They were swimming for their life, it appeared impossible for them to get out of
the bucket. They kicked and kicked and kicked, they were so exhausted. Their muscles
hurt so bad. After several hours, the one frog said: THERE IS NO WAY OUT. We have tried
for hours to escape. LET US JUST QUIT TRYING AND DIE.
Slowly the frog sank to the bottom of the bucket and a few bubbles went to the top.
The HOPELESS FROG DIED...
The other frog said: I REFUSE TO QUIT... He kicked and kicked and kicked.
He rested a while and sank to the bottom of the bucket and saw his dead friend.
He then said: I REFUSE TO GIVE UP AND QUIT. He rested and went back to the top
of the bucket. And swim the breast stroke, the back stroke, he started singing as he
kicked and kicked. After a while the frog got a second wind and kicked more.
After some time the CREAM TURNED INTO BUTTER, AND THE PERSISTANT FROG
JUMPED OUT OF THE BUCKET AND RETURNED HOME TO HIS WIFE AND TADPOLES.
THE VICTORIUOS FROG OFTEN TAUGHT OTHERS: NEVER QUIT, NEVER GIVE IN...
THE MORE YOU KICK THE STRONGER YOUR MUSCLES WILL GROW AND YOU WILL
BE ABLE TO TEACH OTHERS... NEVER QUIT.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
