HARD SHOES TO FILL! BEWARE OF FEAR!
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
I. LISTEN TO THE WORD: STAY WITH GOD! TAKE HEART! DON'T QUIT!
Psalm 27:14 Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait,
I say, on the LORD.
Psalm 27:14 (NIV) Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.
Psalm 27:14 (NLT) Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently
for the Lord.
Psalm 27:14 (MSG) Stay with God! Take heart. Don't quit. I'll say it again: Stay with God.
A. STRENGTH IS MORE THAN MUSCLES AND BACK-BONE.
STRENGTH IS BEING STRONG=== MENTALLY, MORALLY, EMOTIONALLY, PHYSICAL
AS WELL AS SPIRITUALLY.
B. Strength requires MENTAL AND SPIRITUAL POWER...
Strength requires SELF-CONTROL...
C. We must learn to OVERCOME OBSTACLES and RESISTANCE.
Strength is the ability to resist being moved or broken by force.
It is the power that ALLOWS PEOPLE TO DEAL WITH PROBLEMS in a determined and
effective way.
II. WE CAN CLEARLY IDENTIFY MAN'S BATTLES ARE ABOUT ATTITUDES AND
CHOICES. WHAT BUILDS SOME, CAN DESTROY OTHERS?
A. We must quit BLAMING our CIRCUMSTANCES and ENVIROMENT for where we are.
IF WE MAKE THE CHOICE TO REJECT THE BUILDING STONES, they will become
STUMBLING BLOCKS.
B. Often the difference in a STUMBLING BLOCK and a CORNERSTONE can be our
STRENGTH, DETERMINATION AND DAILY MENIAL CHOICES...
Matthew 21:42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone
which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the
Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? 43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of
God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.
44 And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall,
it will grind him to powder. 45 And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables,
they perceived that he spake of them.
C. HUMBLE SURRENDER vs. DESTRUCTION...
Consider your ways? Consider your choices...?
D. STRENGTH IS THE CAPACITYFOR EXERTION OR ENDURANCE.
Marathon and long-distance runners have a term: SPLATTING..
To splatting is coming to the point of exhaustion and every muscle and fiber and WILL POWER
is at the BOTTOM and one so desires to quit that their body wants to shut down.
E. Any serious athlete that trains has LEARNED RESISTANCE is how to prepare and build
power of ENDURANCE to overcome OBSTACLES. Most people learn to AVOID OBSTACLES
and RESISTANCE.
F. Did you know the WORLD LOVES TO WATCH PEOPLE THAT HAVE PRACTICE AND
PRACTICED until they OVERCAME... People will pay big money to watch disciplined people
in sports, music... until they have developed extra-ordinary talent.
G. WE MUST BE MORE THAN JUST TOUGH. TOUGH IS A BISTER & CALLOUSES ON YOUR
HAND. TOUGHNESS IS A HEAVY BURDEN... Toughness can lead to a lose of feelings
and cruel behavior.
NEVER CONFUSE TOUGHNESS WITH STRENGTH ---
TOUGHNESS IS PAIN AND DREAD AND HEAVINESS ---
STRENGTH BRINGS JOY, LIFE AND ACHIEVEMENT OF REAL GOALS.
III. WHAT BRINGS VICTORY?
STRONG? SPEED? SIZE? FINANCES? POWER? WISDOM?
Ecclesiastes 9:11 I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the
battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor
yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.
A. LET US REASON WHAT BRINGS VICTORY?
SISERA--- THE STRONG GENERAL ---
RA was one of gods of Egypt...Sisera was a worshipper of RA.
Sisera was a MIGHTY GENERAL and he was used my God to come against a backslidden Israel.
No one could defeat Sisera ---
SISERA THE MIGHTY, UNDEFEATED GENERAL WAS WHIPPED BY A LITTLE WOMAN
WHEN SHE DROVE THE TENT STAKE THROUGH HIS HEAD.
B. SAMSON WAS CALLED OF GOD IN A MIGHTY WAY.
WE ALL KNOW HOW STRONG HE WAS!
Deliah a weak woman was the beginning of the end.
C. SOLOMON WAS STRONG AND WISE...
Yet he was WEAK AND FOOLISH... His wives' false gods in the back yard?
IV. STRENGTH IS USING GOD GIVEN TALENTS AND RESOURCES TO ACCOMPLISH.
WE ARE JUST USING GOD'S GIFTS --- WE DO NOT POSSESS ANYTHING...
WE MUST NOT TRAPPED BY SITUATIONS AND HABITS...
BE STRONG --- NEVER STUMBLE BUT GROW...
2 Corinthians 10:4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to
the pulling down of strong holds;)
V. GOD CALL SEEMS IMPOSSIBLE AND THE SHOES WE ARE CALLED TO FILL
SEEM SO BIG, I CAN'T DO THIS WORK...
A. NOW MOSES IS DEAD...
ASK ANY JEW --- MOSES WAS THE GREATEST LEADER EVER...
Joshua 1:5 There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I
was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
B. GOD, WHO ARE YOU KIDDING? I CAN'T TAKE MOSES' PLACE.
VI. THE CALL IS CLEAR --- THIS CALL IS NOT MOSES, THIS CALL IS NOT
ABOUT YOU --- THIS CALL IS ABOUT GOD --- BE STRONG...
Joshua 1:6 Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance
the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them.
7 Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law,
which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou
mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.
VII. JOSHUA STAY IN THE WORD OF GOD...
THE WORD OF GOD DOES THE WORK OF GOD...
YOUR STREGTH SHALL BE GOD...
Joshua 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein
day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou
shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
VIII. JOSHUA IT IS NOT ABOUT FILLING SHOES...
THIS CALL IS TRUSTING BY FAITH THE PROMISES AND PLANS OF GOD...
SON, THE CALL IS CLEAR, THE 3RD TIME ---
Joshua 1:9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither
be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.
IX. JOSHUA, THIS MEANS TRUSTING IN GOD'S PURPOSE AND PLAN...
JOSHUA SAW THE NEGATIVE REACTION OF THE TEN SPIES...
NOW --- GOD --- NOW!
Joshua 3:7 And the LORD said unto Joshua, This day will I begin to magnify thee in the sight of all
Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee.
CONCLUSION: We are walking daily in the darkness of FEAR and DESPAIR...
Luke 21:26 Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are
coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
ONLY BE STRONG AND BELIEVE. GOD IS NOT CAUGHT BY SURPRISE BY ANY ELECTION,
PERSONALITIES, OR SIN... GOD CAN HANDLE THIS... JUST BE STRONG! Weak men wait
for opportunities, strength makes opportunities come.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
