IT IS NOT HAPPENING TOO ME, IT IS HAPPENING FOR ME…
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com (YouTube Wade Hughes)
Text:
Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28 (MSG) That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.
I read a story about a man that loved to sail in his little boat. One day the little sail boat got trapped in a rip tide and was carried miles off shore. He was trapped several days drifting many miles off shore. He had supplies on his little sail boat and he was an expert survivalist . After several days he saw a little island and he guided the sail boat to run aground on the island. He made the best of the situation. He hunted and fished and there was an abundance of fresh water. He knew sooner or later he would be rescued. He took dried wood that he had gathered and build a nice little shack near the shore to protect him from the weather and the sun. Day after day we would be busy gathering food and getting prepared for the long haul stay.
One evening he was on the other side of the island and he returned to find his beautiful little shack was burned to the ground. He was angry with God and in his prayers that night he seriously questioned God. He I am a cast away on this island for several months and everything I had was destroyed by the fire. WHY? WHY? WHY? WHY GOD DID YOU ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN? He cried himself to sleep that night. The next morning the cast away heard some strange noises he had not heard before. He looked out and saw a big ship out in the deep. There was a small life raft with two men. They said: WE ARE HERE TO TAKE YOU HOME.
The man was very inquisitive HOW DID YOU KNOW I WAS HERE? The captain said: that was a might big fire you had prepared for us to see. We first saw the smoke and as we neared we saw the fire. So we dropped anchor and at the first of light today we came to rescue you. Seems that what the man thought was terrible punishment of God was actually the gift that identified the CAST AWAY that had been trapped. If the hut had not burned the cast away might have been trapped for years. YOU SEE WHAT APPEARED TO BE HAPPENING TO HIM WAS ACTUALLY HAPPENING FOR HIM.
MOSES HAD MANY THINGS THAT HAPPENED TO HIM, BECOME WHAT HAPPENED WAS FOR HIM.
After forty years on the back side of the desert something happened to Moses. Moses saw the burning bush that was not consumed that opened a conversation with the mighty I AM, THE I AM THAT I AM. This 40 year trap in the desert never happened to Moses … It HAPPENED FOR MOSES. 40 years in the palace Moses was living a life of ease in the palace. Moses thought he was A VIP, A VERY IMPORTANT PERSON. These 40 years did not happen to Moses, they happened for Moses. He learned leadership skills. God was preparing Moses. THE NEXT 40 YEARS never HAPPENED TO MOSES, THIS TIME WAS WORKING FOR MOSES TO TEACH HIM SERVANTHOOD. Moses learned submission. The next 40 years never happened to Moses, they happened for Moses, his people’s deliverance and for God. GOD HAD A PLAN NOT THAT LIFE HAPPENED TO A BABY IN A BASKET. GOD WAS PREPARING MOSES FOR WHAT GOD HAD PLANNED.
THERE WAS SOMETHING TERRIBLE HAPPENED TO MOSES WHILE LEADING GOD’S PEOPLE. BUT WHAT HAPPENED TO MOSES WAS IN REALITY WHAT HAPPENED FOR MOSES.
God’s people had seen the miracle BUT THERE CAME A TEST: TO ME VS FOR ME…
Exodus 15:22 So Moses brought Israel from the Red sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water. 23 And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah. 24 And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?
The people started murmuring… THIS IS A TEST, THIS IS ONLY A TEST.
Exodus 15:25 And he cried unto the LORD; and the LORD shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them,
THE TEST WAS CLEAR: WHAT IS HAPPENING TO ME? NO, WHAT IS HAPPENING FOR ME… God shows Moses a tree, a cure, an antidote.
WE GET SO HUNG UP ON WHAT IS HAPPENING TO ME THAT WE LOOSE FOCUS ON WHAT IS HAPPENING TO ME…MY FRIEND YOU MATTER TO GOD… WE MIGHT NOT MATTER TO THE WHOLE WORLD BUT YOU MATTER REALLY BIG TO SOMEONE.
Jeremiah had spoken clearly the word of God. Jeremiah’s message was reject to the point that his message was hated. More than that Jeremiah was hated. IT APPEARS BAD STUFF IS HAPPENING TO THE MAN OF GOD? FOCUS ON THE REALITY… GOD IS ALLOWING SOMETHING TO HAPPEN FOR JEREMIAH. It looks helpless and hopeless. THEY PLACE JEREMIAH IN STOCKS AND IN PRISON.
JEREMIAH IS SO HURT HE SAYS: LOOK WHAT HAPPENED TO ME… I SHALL NEVER SPEAK HIS NAME AGAIN!!! LOOK WHAT HAPPENED TO ME! WAIT GOD IS DOING SOMETHING IN JEREMIAH FOR JEREMIAH.
Jeremiah 20:9 Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.
WHEN SOMETHING BAD HAPPENS IT CAN IGNITE A MIGHTY MOVE OF GOD… I CAN’T QUIT. THERE IS A FIRE SHUT UP IN MY BONES. I SEE THIS HAS HAPPENED FOR ME… MY FAITH AND TRUST GROWS.
EGGS? In 1797 THERE IS A LESSON ABOUT BROKEN THINGS… EVER HEARD OF HUMPHREY DUMPTY.
Humpty Dumpty sat on the fall. Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. All the kings’ horse and all the king’s men and all the king’s horses, couldn’t put Humpty together again.
SEEMS SOMETHING HAPPENED TO HUMPTY , HE WALKED ON THE WALL EVERYDAY. HE GOT PUSHED OFF THE WALL. He never jumped. As Humpty Dumty HAD A GREAT WALL OF PROTECTION. IT SEEMS HE IS PRESERVED, SAFE. But something happened that was not what they expected… The King Humpty had a great fall. All of the protection surrounding Humpty was VAIN. THE FRAIL EGG OF LIFE FELL OFF THE WALL. It is not what happened to Humpty. It is what happened in Humpty. He was broken.
The lesson is politicians, government and fleshly actions CAN PUT HUMPTY DUMPTY TOGETHER AGAIN. Society and Life at best are very fragile and modern and we must stay away from the wall. LIFE IS MORE THAN WHAT HAPPENS TO YOU… IT IS WHAT HAPPENS FOR YOU. WHAT HAPPENS IN YOU. Often we allow the fall to define us.
GOD CAN REVEAL HIMSELF IN THE WHAT HAPPENS TO YOU CAN HONESTLY IF IT IS YOU? THIS STORM IS NOT TO SINK YOUR BOAT. THIS STORM IS A LESSON… IT IS NOT HOW MUCH WATER YOUR BOAT IS IN… THIS STORY IS ABOUT HOW MUCH WATER IS IN YOUR BOAT!
Matthew 14:28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.
Peter would have never known FAITH WITHOUT THE FEAR… THE STORM CAN DESTROY. What happens to you can push you to a new level of FAITH.
YOU CAN’T BE SO MESSED UP, MARRED: IMPAIRED, GOD NEVER THROWS THE CLAY AWAY. WE MUST LEARN THAT THIS THING THAT IS HAPPENING TO US, JUST MIGHT BE WHAT IS HAPPENING FOR US… SOMETIMES THE WORSE THING THAT COULD HAPPEN TO YOU MIGHT BE THE RELEASING OF GOD’S PLAN.
START OVER AGAIN… MAKE IT AGAIN…GOD IS IN CONTROL… NOTHING WILL SURPRISE GOD…
Jeremiah 18:4 And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.
GOD’S PLAN IS TO TAKE THE THINGS THAT TROUBLE US TO GROW AND STRETCH US TO GREATER DEPTHS AND NEW HEIGHTS… NOT WHAT HAPPENS TO US… WHAT HAPPENS FOR US…
We may be in doubt, not doubting God but doubting others and then doubting self.
2 Corinthians 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. 8 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;
CONCLUSION: We have never dreamed, it has not appeared to us what God can do to us, for us and in us…WE SHALL BE LIKE HIM! God has a divine plan for you. It is time to dream above what happens to us. We know must know and trust God will make this to his glory.
1 John 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com (Youtube Wade Hughes)
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