THE PLAN, THE NUT AND THE PEARL By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
Falling down can be an accident, staying down is a choice. 1 Corinthians 1:27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
LITTLE THINGS: THE BIBLE TEACHES US TO NOT DESPISE THE DAYS OF SMALL THINGS. Zechariah 4:10 For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth.
In October 10, 1871, it had been a little season of dryness. There had been little rain in sometime. The little buildings were small little WOODEN buildings. A little couple named Patrick and Catherine O’Leary lived in their little house. The little lady got up early that morning. She got a little match and she lit a little oil lamp. Later she went out to the little barn to milk their little Jersey cow. There was a little wind blowing that morning. She got a little hay and placed it in front of the little cow to milk. The cow got excited and knocked the little dim lamp over and the little fire from the little lamp caught the little hay of fire. Quickly the little fire ignited the little barn. The wind carried the fire to their little house. The fire burned from Oct. 8 to Oct 10 out of control. 17,000 building were destroyed. 300+ people died, 100,000 people were left homeless. The fire burned a four mile long and one mile wide area of Chicago. Finally a little rain came blowing in and the rain helped the firefighters in their effort. Looting and lawlessness broke out and martial law was declared and many companies of soldiers were called to duty to establish control again. Today the Chicago Fire Department has a training academy on the property where all the little things came together at once to make a large disaster.
LITTLE THINGS MATTER, I may never do great things, but God has a plan that we can do small things in a great way… The Bible is absolutely full of stories where little things accomplished great and mighty things.
REMEMBER THE MUSTARD SEEDS?
REMEMBER THE ROD IN MOSES’ HANDS? THE ROD TURNED INTO THE ROD OF GOD…
REMEMBER THE CLOUD THE SIZE OF A HANDS HAND? THE ABUNDANCE OF RAIN….
REMEMBER THE WIDOW’S LAST MEAL FOR HER AND HER SON?
REMEMBER A LITTLE MAN CLIMBING IN A SYCAMORE TREE?
REMEMBER A BOY PICKING UP 5 SMOOTH STONES?
REMEMBER A LAD GIVING JESUS 5 BARLEY BISCUITS?
REMEMBER A LITTLE TWO MITE OFFERING OF THE WIDOW?
JESUS LOVES ME… THE GREAT GOD OF THE UNIVERSE LOVES ME AND HAS A PLAN.
WILL I ACCEPT GOD’S PLAN OR WILL I DO MY OWN THING? IS LIFE LIKE BURGER KING? WILL WE HEAR HIS VOICE?
John 10:4 And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
GOD LOVES LITTLE PEOPLE IN LITTLE PLACES… God’s plan is to ADOPT you and make you His child.
Hur lifting Moses’ arms?
Daniel prays 3 times a day?
The lady and her alabaster box?
Dorcas and her needle?
Those that held the basket for the spies and for Paul to escape?
Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV) For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Jeremiah 29:11 (MSG) I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.
THREE VERY OPINIONATED NUTS WERE IN A DISCUSSION: WHAT THEY WANTED TO BE WHEN THEY GROW UP? The acorns came from good stock and the sky is the limit for their plans. So they had developed some lofty plans. They knew what they desired.
1. THE FIRST ACORN WANTED TO BE A TREASURE CHEST AND HOLD GREAT GEMS, DIAMONDS AND GOLD! Nothing less.
2. THE SECOND ACORN WANTED TO BE A BIG SHIP THAT CARRIED THE KING.
3. THE THIRD NUT WANTED GROW TALL, HIGH ON A MOUNTAIN AND LIFTED UP SO THE WHOLE WORLD WOULD KNOW HIM. He desired great fame.
MANY YEARS GO BY, THE NUTS FALL INTO THE GROUND. They get cold and wet, is this the plan? They die, then THEY GROW AND GROW OVER MANY YEARS. THEN THEY ARE CUT DOWN AND LAY ON THE COLD DAMP GROUND. ONE DAY THEIR WORLD CHANGES.
1. The first tree was cut into small pieces that was not the plan? The wood lay in a barn for a long time, the dream was hopeless. The plan was a failure. One day an old farmer nailed the wood together and made a manger for the cows to eat out? The dream failed.
2. The second tree wanted to be the King’s ship. The carpenter made a little boat and fisher men fished out of her. This little fish boat had a smell of fish all the time.
3. The third tree just laid around and was cut into big rough lumber. For years the hewn lumber just lay by the road.
EACH ONE’S DREAMS HAD FAILED.
1. THE COWS ATE OUT OF IT. THERE WAS NO TREASURE CHEST, NO DIAMONDS OR RUBIES? ONE DAY THE BARN GETS SO BUSY, PEOPLE ARE ALL AROUND. A LADY NAMED MARY STEPS INTO THE BARN AND LAYS BABY JESUS IN THE MANGER. THE GREATEST RAREST JEWEL OF ALL HISTORY. The manger wood that God did have a plan for me…
2. THE SECOND TREE WAS JUST A DUMB OLD COMMON FISHING BOAT. ONE DAY THE FISHING BOAT WAS SITTING ON THE SHORE AND THE KING OF THE AGES SET HIS FOOT IN THE LITTLE BOAT AND PUSHED OUT. JESUS TAUGHT PEOPLE OUT OF THE BOAT. A KING RODE. ANOTHER DAY JESUS WALKED UP TO THE BOAT AND PETER WALKED ON WATER. THE BOAT FELT A FAILURE BUT HIS DREAM CAME TRUE.
3. THE THIRD TREE REALLY FELT LIKE A BIG FAILURE. HE JUST SAT THERE BY THE ROAD AS THE ROMAN SOLDIERS MARCHED BY. NOBODY WANTED THAT ROUGH OLD TIMBER. ONE DAY A ROMAN SOLDIER HAD HIS SLAVES PICK UP THE OLD TIMBER AS A LARGE CROWD GATHERED AROUND… JESUS DRUGGED THE TREE ALONG. THE CALLED ON A MAN TO HELP CARRY THE LUMBER UP THE HILL. EVERYONE WAS SCREAMING CRUCIFY, CRUCIFY.
THEY NAILED THE SON OF GOD TO THE CROSS. THE WHOLE WORLD SAW THE KING, GOD’S SON. THE CROSS BECAME THE MOST FAMOUS NUT THAT EVER STOOD ITS GROUND. LOOK SEE THE CROSS HANGING ON PEOPLE’S NECKS…
JUST AS GOD HAD A PLAN… GOD KNEW THE TREE THAT WOULD BE USED TO MAKE THE OLD RUGGED CROSS. GOD HAS A PLAN FOR YOU! WHAT WILL I DO WITH GOD’S SON? HIS CROSS IS DESPISED BY THE WORLD. DO I KNOW GOD’S PLAN FOR ME?
Matthew 27:22 (NIV) "What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called Christ?" Pilate asked. They all answered, "Crucify him!"
THE CROSS, THE CROSS, THE OLD RUGGED CROSS, JESUS DIED… NOW WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH JESUS? Let us sing the old rugged cross together. I have a cross to give each person.
THERE ARE TWO APPOINTMENTS SET, ARE YOU READY?
Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
THERE IS A BEAUTIFUL LESS THAT COMES FRO M THE OYSTER. Ponder it! As the oyster lays on the bottom of the ocean bed there comes some foreign matter that creeps into the shell. That irritant will kill the little oyster. But God has a plan. God knew that little oyster would have this problem. God’s plan is clear, that oyster takes what would kill it and make a beautiful white pearl. What was meant to destroy makes the oyster have great value. In the Biblical times pearls were more rare than diamonds, rubies or gold.
DO THE LESSON OF THE IRRITANT THAT COULD KILL THE OYSTER. The dirt, the problem, the trial… THE PROBLEM BECOMES THE PEARL OF GREAT PRICE… WHAT SHALL I DO WITH THIS JESUS WHO IS GOD’S SON?
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
