NOT EVEN A MINNOW!
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
I HAVE TRIED AND I STILL HAVE NOTHING TO SHOW FOR MY EFFORT?
Luke 5:5 And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have
taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.
Luke 5:5 (MSG) Simon said, "Master, we've been fishing hard all night and haven't caught even a
minnow. But if you say so, I'll let out the nets."
Did you hear about the new young rooster on the lot?
The rooster had just hatched out in the spring and he was the new kid on the block.
The young Rhoda Island Red rooster was walking around in a panic. The young rooster
was so worried and concerned. He just kept complaining and griping about the hard times
they were going through.
He was telling all the hens: I WANT YOU TO KNOW TIMES ARE REALLY TOUGH.
SEEMS IT GETS HARDER AND HARDER TO SCRATCH FOR FOOD. THE WORMS
ARE GETTING TO BE A RARE FIND? WHERE HAVE ALL THE BIG, FAT, JUICEY
WORMS GONE? DURING THE RAINS THERE WERE THOUSANDS OF WORMS,
BUT THESE DRY DAYS SEEM TO PREDICT OUR DOOM!
There was a old black hen wandering around the chicken lot and she kept listening to
the young rooster. She would scratch around and shake her head at the worry wart.
The hen just kept her beak closed. See, she had lived through the rain times when the
worms were plentiful. She had experienced floods, but she had survived many DRY TIMES.
The rooster was strutting around the lot all worked up in a frenzy and he was spreading panic
and fear around to the new hatchlings.
The old black hen just shook her head dreading hearing the young rooster's negative
garbage. So hen just jumped up on the grindstone and sharpened her nails real sharp.
Hen spoke to the rooster and said: I HAVE NEVER SEE THE DAY THAT WE DIDN'T
HAVE ENOUGH TO EAT. THERE ARE PLENTY OF WORMS TO BE FOUND.
So hen jumped down and walked over to a new spot of hard dirt. She started digging.
Little red rooster laughed at her and said: THERE ARE NO WORMS IN THAT HARD GROUND.
DON'T YOU KNOW WE ARE GOING TO STARVE TO DEATH. THE END IS NEAR.
Black hen just refused to listen to all the negative junk that red rooster was spewing.
She just shook her head and kept digging. In a few minutes she was using both feet
and throwing dirt up in the air. She looked the young rooster right in the eye and said:
WORMS WILL NOT ALWAYS COME TO YOU! SOMETIMES YOU MUST PUT FORTH
AN EARNEST EFFORT --- I MUST FIND THE WORMS AND NOT JUST WAIT FOR THE
WORMS TO COME TO ME... I HAVE LEARNED THEY WILL NOT COME.
Red rooster spent his day resting and wandering around the lot and spreading venom of
how terrible the days had become. He traveled around to where he had seen his last worm.
Nothing? Nothing? AT THE END OF THE DAY HE CRAWLED IN THE HEN HOUSE. HE
WAS SO COMPLAINING ABOUT THE TOUGH TIMES: THERE ARE NO MORE WORMS.
I AM HUNGRY. WE ARE ALL GOING TO DIE.
He climbed up in his roost and was telling everyone how bad and tough the times were.
When he looked at the black hen and said: YOU MUST REALLY FEEL TERRIBLE.
WHY AREN'T YOU COMPLAINING? AFTER ALL THAT STUPID DIGGING YOU DONE,
YOU MUST BE SO TIRED AS WELL AS HUNGRY? AT LEAST I RESTED WHILE YOU DUG.
YOU WORKED ALL DAY AND TAKEN NOTHING! YOU WASTED YOUR TIME DIGGING IN THAT
HARD SOIL. HE MOCKED HEN.
HEN CLIMBED TO THE HIGHEST PERCH AND CLOSED HER EYES AS SHE
LISTENED TO YOUNG ROOSTER COMPLAIN AND GRIP ABOUT TOUGH TIMES.
Hen was smiling so big. She said: I am so full as a tick on a St. Bernard. Young rooster
I hope you learn your standing idle and doing nothing will cost you dearly. The rooster
did not know it. But hen was belching with a full stomach and she was as happy as a
pig at the slop trough.
SHE THOUGHT TO HER SELF: DUMB, WORRIED TO A PANIC ROOSTER...
THE WORMS ARE ALWAYS THERE --- YOU HAVE TO LEARN TO DIG DEEPER.
Luke 5:6 And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their
net brake.
Luke 5:6 (MSG) It was no sooner said than done—a huge haul of fish, straining the nets
past capacity.
FAITH HAS LEARNED --- DO I BELIEVE?
PERHAPS THINGSARE NOT AS GOOD AS THEY SHOULD BE?
BUT I BELIEVE CHANGE IS POSSIBLE.
I BELIEVE THAT I CAN CHANGE.
I BELIEVE THAT CHANGE CAN HAPPEN AROUND ME.
I BELIEVE THAT CHANGE CAN HAPPEN THROUGH ME.
CHANGE IS POSSIBLE BY BELIEVING FAITH.
You do not have to change? You can be stubborn and selfish...
Psalm 78:8 And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a
generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God.
STUBBORN: REFUSING TO CHANGE your ideas or refusing to stop doing something,
difficult to deal with, unyielding, difficult to handle,
Bullheaded, mulish, hardheaded, inflexible, self-willed, selfish, self-opinionated.
ESAU TRIED TO CHANGE HIS BROTHER ---
ESAU TRIED TO CHANGE HIS MOM AND DAD ---
BUT ESAU NEVER SEEMED TO DESIRE SELF-CHANGE... NO CHANGE OF MIND!
Hebrews 12:17 For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing,
he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.
Hebrews 12:17 (NIV) Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was
rejected. He could bring about no change of mind, though he sought the blessing with tears.
Hebrews 12:17 (MSG) You well know how Esau later regretted that impulsive act and wanted
God's blessing—but by then it was too late, tears or no tears.
ESAU WAS ANGRY AND BITTER... He willfully sold his birthright for a bowl of soup.
Then stayed angry at his brother and promised to kill him.
HIS DESCENDANTS ARE THE EDOMITES...
The Edomites refused Moses and God's people passage, water.
Remember DOEG the Edomite, in anger killed all the Preachers save one.
THE POWER OOF HABIT BECOMES SO STRONG THE MORE YOU FEED IT.
THEN THE FORCE OF HABIT WILL POSSESS US TO BE BASICALLY POSITIVE
OR BASICALLY NEGATIVE.
Matthew 13:15 For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their
eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears,
and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.
A negative person will fight to defend and justify their poor attitudes, negative words and
negative thinking patterns.
A positive person can see beyond today and our current state.
They will see this problem or situation has great opportunities and possibilities.
DANIEL WAS IN A TERRIBLE DARK TIME. HE WAS A CAPTIVE FAR FROM HOME.
DANIEL'S ATTITUDES WAS GOD CAN HANDLE THIS... THIS DIFFICULT PROBLEM
HAS A SOLUTION.
Daniel 5:12 (NIV) This man Daniel, whom the king called Belteshazzar, was found to have a keen
mind and knowledge and understanding, and also the ability to interpret dreams, explain riddles
and solve difficult problems. Call for Daniel, and he will tell you what the writing means."
Daniel 5:16 (NIV) Now I have heard that you are able to give interpretations and to solve difficult
problems. If you can read this writing and tell me what it means, you will be clothed in purple and
have a gold chain placed around your neck, and you will be made the third highest ruler in the
kingdom."
JOSEPH WAS ABUSED AND HATED BY HIS BRETHREN.
THE TIME OF HIS LIFE WAS TOTALLY HOPELESS AND FULL OF PROBLEMS...
JOSEPH LEARNED TO TRUST GOD FROM THE PIT TO THE PALACE.
Genesis 41:16 (NIV) I cannot do it," Joseph replied to Pharaoh, "but God will give Pharaoh the
answer he desires."
God's will? There is more than doing God's will?
We must find God's will? THEN WE MUST WILLINGLY DO GOD'S WILL.
THIS HAS TO BE GOD...
BALAAM HAD A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO BECOME THE GREATEST PREACHER
OF HIS DAY? HE WAS OFFERED A NATIONAL LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITY
AND A GREAT WEALTH OF MONEY AND POSSESSIONS. THIS IS GOD?
Instead of Balaam being obedient and changing...
This opportunity can only happen IF WE CAN GET GOD TO CHANGE?
Numbers 22:8 And he said unto them, Lodge here this night, and I will bring you word again,
as the LORD shall speak unto me: and the princes of Moab abode with Balaam.
Balaam's attitude develops into a terrible problem. The New Testament has nothing good to
say about Balaam.
I HAVE A BIG PROBLEM---
GUEST HAVE COME TO SPEND THE NIGHT AND THEY ARE HUNGRY.
I CAN'T FIX IT?
Luke 11:5 And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at
midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves; 6 For a friend of mine in his journey is
come to me, and I have nothing to set before him? 7 And he from within shall answer and say,
Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee.
8 I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his
importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth. 9 And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall
be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
IMPORTUNITY: REPEATED, ANNOYING DEMANDS.
If the problem persist ---- the solution must persist...
PROBLEMS ARE JUST WAITING FOR SOLUTIONS.
CHANGE IS POSSIBLE --- YOU CAN IF YOU SO DESIRE...
Some see things as they are and wonder: WHY?
Others see things they way they could be a wonder: WHY NOT?
Matthew 19:26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with
God all things are possible.
CHANGE IS CONDITIONAL ---
Mark 9:23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.
CONCLUSION:
There are problems all around us. Small problems? Big problems?
We normally focus on problems... GOD SAYS COME TO ME: I HAVE THE SOLUTION.
Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
You can change this situation. A problem well stated is the beginning of the solution.
QUIT LISTENING TO EVERY YOUNG RED ROOSTER ---YOU ARE NOT THE PROBLEM.
God can! God can help us to change and grow our faith--- Lazarus come forth!
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
