RENEWAL: UNSEEN BY THE EYE! WALK AWAY EMPTY?
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
Luke 12:34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Luke 6:45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.
I JUST CAN’T SEEM TO SEE THE PROBLEM? WALK AWAY EMPTY?
I once read the story of a man walking down the sandy beach of an island finding a large, ancient TREASURE CHEST. The treasure chest was beautiful and a hand carved work of art. The man tried to lift the TREASURE CHEST and found it to be so very heavy. The man thought, wow this must be full of gold. I will be so rich. After several hours of hard work to not damage the chest, the man opened the TREASURE CHEST to find NOTHING BUT SAND and a pretty glass bottle. The man ran his hands though the sand, that was nothing but sand. The man was so disappointed at all the sand. So he picked of the bottle and rubbed the sand off. When all of a sudden a GENIE APPEARED. The genie said: I HAVE A FEW SECONDS WITH YOU, THEN I WILL DISAPPEAR FOREVER. COME, OPEN THE CHEST AND I WILL FILL THIS TREASURE CHEST WITH AS MUCH GOLD AND DIAMONDS AND PEARLS AND RARE JEWELS AS IT WILL HOLD. THE MAN STOOD THERE COMPLAINING ABOUT ALL THE SAND FILLING THE TREASURE CHEST. AND HE ASKED, WHY IS IT NOT GOLD?
The genie again warned him my time is very brief here. I WILL FILL THE TREASURE WITH AS MUCH GOLD AND JEWELS AS IT WILL HOLD.
The man thought: WHAT A GREAT OFFER, HE STARTED PLANNING HOW HE WAS GOING TO SPEND HIS GOLD. Suddenly, the genie disappeared. He was gone as fast as he had appeared. All that was in the TREASURE CHEST was the SAND. The man was very disappointed, as he thought what might have been? If he would have just emptied the sand and made room, it would have been full of gold and jewels. He would have been rich.
THE PROBLEM WAS CLEAR: THE SAND FILL THE CHEST. THERE WAS NO PLACE, NO ROOM FOR THE GOLD AND THE GEMS.
THE LESSON IS CLEAR: YOU CAN FILL YOUR LIFE WITH WHAT EVER YOU THINK IS IMPORTANT. IT IS UP TO YOU WHAT YOU TREASURE? WHAT YOU TREASURE YOU WILL FIND THE TIME FOR IT. IT IS YOUR CHOICE? SAND OR GOLD? IS WHAT YOU THINK IS IMPORTANT --- IMPORTANT TO GOD?
Luke 1:53 He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.
SEEMS WE HAVE A PROBLEM… IF YOU ARE FULL OF THIS WORLD THERE WILL BE LITTLE ROOM FOR GOD?
Are you hungry? For what are you hungry?
Are we hungry for football? Basketball? Entertainment?
Matthew 5:6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
I AM FULL --- WHERE IS OZ? I AM CHASING THE RAINBOW?
Are we searching for OZ? Are we searching this world over for the WIZARD?
There is coming an ANTI-CHRIST that will have the appearance of THE ANSWERS?
Dorothy is looking for HER WAY HOME?
The lion is searching for COURAGE?
The tin man is searching for a HEART?
The scare crow is searching for a BRAIN?
COME TO FIND OUT THE WIZARD OF OZ WAS A LITTLE, UGLY DUDE AND HE HAD A PROGRAM AND AGENDA OF PLAYING THE GAME.
THEN THE FOUR LEARNED: THE ANSWER IS IN CHOICE AND YOU CAN FIND IT IF YOU WANT TO…
DOROTHY JUST HAD TO CLICK HER HEELS TOGETHER?
WE ARE ALL ON A JOURNEY, WE BECOME A SUM TOTAL OF OUR MENIAL DAILY CHOICES…
CHANGE OUR CHOICES AND LIFESTYLES AND WE CAN CHANGE THE WORLD…
WE ARE NOT HUNGRY FOR THE THINGS OF GOD…
WE USED TO SING THIS SONG --- Searching, Searching, Kept on Searching until I found him…
What are you searching for? Are we searching for happiness until we are miserable?
Matthew 19:16 And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH? WHAT AM I LACKING? I AM LOOKING FOR SOMETHING THAT I DO NOT HAVE? WHAT AM I MISSING? WHERE DO I HAVE A DEFICIENCY?
Matthew 19:20 The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?
21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. 22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.
The young man went away --- tears in his eyes.
He had everything but ---
UNSEEN BY THE EYE… THE TREASURES OF LIFE…
Isaiah 41:1 Keep silence before me, O islands; and let the people renew their strength: let them come near; then let them speak: let us come near together to judgment.
Isaiah 41:1 (MSG) "Quiet down, far-flung ocean islands. Listen! Sit down and rest, everyone. Recover your strength. Gather around me. Say what's on your heart. Together let's decide what's right.
Everything living in this world has to come to a renewal or refreshing stage. Every relationship needs renewing from time to time. Not one of Good’s creation can continue by itself… NO MAN IS AN ISLAND TO HIMSELF.
Days come and go, days turn to weeks, to months and then to seasons. Everything appears to be dead and lifeless by the end of fall. The color of the beautiful leaves fades and falls to the ground. They dry up and life seems so far away. The trees do not worry and fret. They have been here before.
The ground starts to warm ever so slowly. The day light lengthens. The cold bitter air yields to warmer and warmer air. The old, dead looking tree starts drinking the warm spring rains. Unseen by the eye, the trees start
drinking the HIDDEN TREASURES OF THE SOIL.
As the old leaves dried up and decayed into the soil, what looked like death will become NEW LIFE. The next thing will occur ever so slowly, the sap will begin flowing upward. Life sustaining nourishment will climb the tree and reach the highest and widest branches. It is amazing there is no heart or there is no pump, but ever so slowly the new life climbs hundreds of feet in the air. Each day new nourishment is drawn FRESH from the soil. New buds sprout. Those buds open to be the lovely beautiful green leaves. UNSEEN BY THE EYE NEW LIFE AND NEW HOPE EMERGES. New spring winds will blow and try to destroy the new tree, but the TREE THAT HAS RENEWED ITSELF WILL THRIVE. THE ROOTS DEEP IN THE SOIL AND WRAPPED AROUND THE ROCKS WILL AGAIN ARISE TO NEW HEIGHTS AND GREATER DEPTHS.
THE RENEWAL SYSTEM WILL NOT CAUSE THE OLD OAK TREE TO WORRY --- FOR ALL THE MIGHTY OAK WAS ONCE A NUT THAT STOOD HIS GROUND. No storm will hinder or threaten, it has become like a tree standing by the river. The rains bring new life. The deep roots will sustain through the hot heats and the dry droughts.
THE TREE HAS LEARNED A LESSON THAT THE EYES CAN NEVER SEE… AND MANY HEARTS REFUSE TO LEARN. WE STAND ON THE SURE PROMISES OF A MIGHTY GOD.
THERE IS ANOTHER LESSON TO BE LEARNED: BLOOMS TODAY CAN GROW INTO TASTEY FRUIT. NO BLOOMS, NO FRUIT. We need to understand that juicy peach or sweet apple was once on a tree that appeared dead.
I am told the ground hog that was so active, hibernates in a deep sleep and appears to be dead. The heart rate falls from 100 beats a minute to around 4 beats a minute. Life seems to be over. But there is a renewal occurring that cannot be seen my the natural eye, Seasons come and go.
RENEWED TREASURES AND RENEWED HOPES? WHERE IS YOUR TREASURE? CHANGE? GROWTH? WE CAN NOT ALWAYS SEE AND UNDERSTAND GOD HAS A REAL PLAN FOR MANKIND. YOU WILL CHANGE --- LIKE IT OR NOT… ONE DAY THE PROVISIONS
Spies saw the promise and testified of the promise. BUT…
SHEEP MAY BITE EACH OTHER, BUT GOATS BUTT. GOATS HAVE HORNS… are you always say: BUT?
Under Moses and Aaron’s leadership, God lead the people out of Egypt’s bondage in one day. But it took God 40 years to get Egypt out of the people.
THE PEOPLE HEARD OF GOD’S PROMISE LAND AND REST. But somehow the people THE WANDERING OF 40 YEARS SEEMED ACCEPTABLE… BUT?
The promise? WHY 40 YEARS?
Numbers 14:34 After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise.
NEVER FORGET ONLY THOSE THAT BELIEVE ENTER INTO GOD’S PROMISES AND HIS REST.
TWO FAMILIES OUT OF A MILLION TASTE THE PPROMISED REST? BAD ODDS?
UNBELIEF TAKES MANY FORMS. REMEMBER 40 YEARS WEARY, TIRED, A LONE REFUSING TO CROSS THE JORDAN RIVER? REMEMBER THE BIG MOUTHS COMPLAINING, GRIPING, AND UNDERMINDING GOD’S MEN? Remember the fault finding?
Just image living in tents 40 years? Moving on a regular basis? Remember the fiery serpents from complaining and bellyaching? Remember no visible water source? Remember no food source?
GOD MAY DRY UP OUR SOURCE TO GET US TO CHANGE OUR ATTIITUDES AND BE RENEWED.
Imagine a million plus mouths loudly complaining about everything? Can you imagine reading their facebook post? BUT GOD LEADS AND CHANGE AND RENEWAL WILL COME.
Joshua 5:12 And the manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land; neither had the children of Israel manna any more; but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.
GOD MAKES A WAY UNTIL…
Joshua 5:12 (MSG) And then no more manna; the manna stopped. As soon as they started eating food grown in the land, there was no more manna for the People of Israel. That year they ate from the crops of Canaan.
WE NEED DAILY MENTAL VENTILATION… CLEAR IT OUT….
THERE IS GREAT POWER IN RENEWAL, REGENERATION…
I AM SO THANKFUL GOD DESIGNED LIFE NOT AS A WHOLE DAY, WE LIVE LIFE ON DAY AND DIE THE NEXT?
Let us say: a day as a 70 years long.
If you mess up that day, wow, it is over.
New season… I watch as people that complain about the hot summer tend to complain about the cold?
God made years, December 31 then January 1 --- new year and a new chance.
Every month yields to a new month! We live one day at a time.
If you mess this day up, you may have a new day tomorrow!
Ephesians 4:23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
Ephesians 4:23 (NIV) to be made new in the attitude of your minds;
Ephesians 4:23 (NLT) Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.
Ephesians 4:23 (MSG) a life renewed from the inside.
As the eagle ages, they will hide in the cliffs, pluck out the feathers, rub the talons and beak away. Then they will change and one day fly from the cliff looking as a young bird.
Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
CONCLUSION: COME AWAY WITH ME. Soon we will be planting gardens and flowers. Soon we will see nature’s growth and life begin anew. Find a place, a war room with me. Let us find a renewal, a revival, a new hope, a new peace, new joy. Renew your love with your spouse. Renew the laughter in your family. Renew your relationship with friends. But most of all, COME LET US RENEW OUR HEART STRINGS WITH THE FATHER. Renew yourself to prayer and Bible reading.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
I would love to hear a word from you?
