WHEN YOU HIT THE ROCK BOTTOM… DO WE HAVE ENOUGH?
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
I have a small barrel on a table in front of the church. I discuss “HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH?” I do not discuss what is in the barrel. The barrel has 3 measures of meal in the barrel.
IN 1501 TO 1504 THE ARTIST MICHELANGELO STARTED TO WORK WITH A SINGLE BLOCK OF WHITE MARBLE THAT HAD BEEN REJECTED BY SEVERAL OTHER ARTISTS.
Michelangelo’s work is listed as one of the greatest sculptures ever created. The statue of KING DAVID is 14 feet tall. It is a great masterpiece. He was asked: HOW DID YOU DO IT? HOW DID YOU CREATE SUCH A WORK OF ART? Michelangelo said: I JUST TOOK THIS BLOCK OF WHITE MARBLE THAT DAVID WAS TRAPPED IN, AND I SET HIM FREE.
Jesus we need you to knock every piece of the hard rock that does not look like you and make us your masterpiece.
WHAT DO I DO WHEN MY LIFE GETS CUMBERED? EVER HAVE A CLOGGED DRAIN?
*CUMBERED: troubled, weighed down, heavy, impede, hampered, a lack of trust, restricted, burdened, loss of joy.
Luke 10:40 But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. 41 And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:
Many call Martha the “WORRIED HOUSEKEEPER.” Others call her “TATTLE TAIL.” One thing we know about Martha was she had bad attitudes and lost her sight on WHAT HER FOCUS SHOULD BE. Martha was a complainer and a murmurer.
MARTHA HAD A SISTER NAMED MARY. THEY HAD THE SAME MOTHER. THE TWO GIRLS WERE RAISED IN THE SAME HOUSE. CAN WE SEE THEIR FOCUS WAS MUCH DIFFERENT?
Luke 10:42 But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.
Martha and Mary had different attitudes. The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing. Martha’s main thing was a dust free home and a big meal. Mary’s main thing was her presence at Jesus’ feet. AT LEAST THREE TIMES MARY IS FOUND AT JESUS’ FEET JUST LISTENING TO HIS WORDS. Mary learned THE MAIN THING IS TO SPEND ALL THE TIME POSSIBLE AT JESUS’ FEET.
MARY WAS KNOWN FOR BEING AT JESUS’ FEET… MARY FOUND GOLD, SILVER AND PRECIOUS STONES AT JESUS’ FEET.
1. MARY WASHED JESUS FEET… SHE PERFORMED A SERVICE OF CRYING AND WASHING HIS FEET. MARY WAS ANOINTING JESUS’ FEET… UNREALIZED SERVICE.
2. MARY WAS AT JESUS’ FEET AS A STUDENT, HE WAS THE TEACHER AND MARY WAS A LEARNING STUDENT.
3. MARY’S HIGH PRIORITIES BROUGHT HER TO JESUS’ FEET WHEN LAZARUS HER BROTHER WAS DEAD. MARY FOUND GREAT PEACE AND COMFORT AT JESUS’ FEET.
Many have learned the main thing of being at Jesus’ feet. The sick, blind, lame, deaf people were healed at Jesus’ feet. Jairus daughter was dying, he fell at Jesus’ feet. A lady who had been sick 12 years came to Jesus’ feet and touched the hem of his garment and she was healed. WILL WE REALIZE JESUS WILL MEET US WHEN WE ARE AT OUR ROCK BOTTOM?
APB!! WHEN THE PREACHER PREACHES HIS BEST SERMON --- THEN HE HITS ROCK BOTTOM… HE HAS TO RUN FOR HIS LIFE?
The Preacher’s name is ELIJAH. The King’s name is AHAB. The Queens name is JEZEBEL. Ahab and Jezebel made their life choices. Their life choices caused them to HATE THE WORD OF GOD. When you hate God’s message YOU WILL ALWAYS HATE THE MESSENGER OF GOD… There is coming a 3 year DROUGHT and there will not even be dew. AHAB and JEZEBEL were so angry with the message and the PREACHER. JEZEBEL put out an APB… (All-Points Bulletin) broadcast to every person that contains information of the person of interest, the crime. THE ORDER IS CLEAR WE WANT ELIJAH DEAD. MAY ELIJAH NEVER PREACH ANOTHER MESSAGE AGAINST AHAB AND ME!
ELIJAH IS AT HIS ROCK BOTTOM… HE IS DOOMED. ELIJAH RAN FOR HIS LIFE… WHY RUN FOR YOUR LIFE IF YOU WANT TO DIE? THERE IS A DEATH WARRANT. ELIJAH DID NOT WANT JEZEBEL THE WOMEN’S LIBER TO KILL HIM.
There is a solution. Go EAST to the BROOK CHERITH. Angels will protect your life. RAVENS will bring you food and you will have water out of the creek. Well PRAISE GOD… WAIT THIS IS A SHORT TERM SOLUTION, THEN HERE WE GO AGAIN… BACK TO ROCK BOTTOM AGAIN?
I AM AT THE ROCK BOTTOM AGAIN… THE BROOK GOES DRY AND THE RAVENS QUIT BRINGING ME FOOD… SO GOD HAS A BOTTOM OF THE BARREL SOLUTION… THE SOLUTION SURE IS NOT MUCH OF A SOLUTION… ENOUGH?
SEEMS THIS TIME WE ARE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL?
God I would like a second opinion please. This is not enough.
1 Kings 17:12 And she said, As the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.
Now I go back to the BARREL. I HAVE a MEASURING CUP AND 3 CUPS OF MEAL in the barrel, THREE small bowls. Do you imagine Elijah was a “FAT PREACHER?” Remember Elijah is hungry? The birds flew away.
DO WE REALLY TRUST GOD? I TRUST GOD WHEN MY BARREL IS FULL. LISTEN TO THE PREACHER… GOD IS ENOUGH!
GOD IS MORE THAN ENOUGH.
Is Elijah stupid? Is the Preacher greedy? ELIJAH UNDERSTOOD GOD’S LAWS. Elijah understood the LAW OF SOWING and REAPING. ELIJAH HAD TO TRUST FOR HIMSELF, BUT NOW FOR THE WIDOW AND THE SON.
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.
ELIJAH LEARNED GOOD GIVING IS NOT BASED ON WHAT YOU HAVE… GIVE YOUR LITTLE AND GOD WILL STRETCH WHAT YOU HAVE TO BE ENOUGH? MORE THAN ENOUGH.
NOW WE ARE BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE! SEEMS WE ARE AT THE ROCK BOTTOM. I PASS OUT THREE LITTLE BOWLS AND THREE FORKS… I HAVE A LITTLE OIL.
I pass out the three bowls to three hungry people. I pour a little oil in the plate and then I will pour three cups of meal in the 3 plates. It appears to be THE END! I LOOK IN THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL AND I HAVE PAINTED GOD… I HAVE A PIECE OF POSTER THAT SAYS: MIRACLE IN THE BOTTOM WHEN ALL THE MEAL IS GONE. I then have painted in the bottom: GOD. GOD CAN… THIS IS A GOD CAN. I HAVE ALSO PAINTED IN THE BOTTOM OF THE TOP OF THE CAN GOD…
SO WHEN WE ARE AT THE ROCK BOTTOM, GOD HAS A GOD CAN. It is not a forever can. It will last until the need passes.
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.
CONCLUSION: UNTIL THE DAY. God is enough. You can. I can. We can. God can. GOD IS MORE THAN ENOUGH EVEN WHEN WE ARE AT ROCK BOTTOM. God can reach down to your need. The Preacher learned: TRUST GOD. The Momma learned to trust God. There was a son that learned he could trust God… THE QUESTION IS WHEN I AM AT THE ROCK BOTTOM WILL I TRUST GOD?
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
WHAT ARE YOU TEACHING?
