Summary: God desires us to depend on him. What can I do? Sometimes all we can do is to stand still and allow God to bring deliverance.

WHAT CAN I DO? HAVING DONE ALL… MY PEA PATCH?

By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com (YouTube: Wade Hughes)

WHAT CAN I DO? WHAT FEAR TRIES TO REIGN OUR HEARTS DURING THE STORMS? FEAR, DOUBT AND WORRY WILL DRIVE OUR BOATS DURING THE FIERCE STORMS... DO WE FEAR THE CRUSHING, DASHING POWER OF THE NEGATIVE STORMS?

The best trained, experience ship captains cannot solve our problems. Hear the winds bow? We are all sick? We can’t eat? We are weak and tired? The visibility is zero? We don’t know where we are? We don’t know where we are going? We are doomed in this darkness? All our cargo has been tossed overboard? THE LIFE BOATS ARE WORTHLESS?

There are seasons of fear that the storms that our little boats seem to be doomed to sink. I can’t go forward? I refuse to go backwards! What can I do? That God choice is to DROP THE FOUR ANCHORS AND WISH FOR THE DAY! What day? The days of DIVINE DELIVERANCE ARE COMING…

Acts 27:29 Then fearing lest we should have fallen upon rocks, they cast four anchors out of the stern, and wished for the day.

276? GOD CARES FOR THE 276. WE ARE ANCHORED TO GOD’S WORD! WE KNOW WE HAVE ANCHORS…OUR ANCHORS WILL HOLD US STEADY IN ALL THE PROBLEMS THAT WILL CONFRONT US… GOD HAS A PLAN AND PURPOSE… GOD WILL NOT ALLOW ALL OUR LIVES TO DROWN.

WE HAVE SEVERAL ANCHORS TO STAND IN THE STORMS: 1. THE WORD OF GOD; 2. Personal relationship with Jesus; 3. The church ( Keep a piece of the ship); 4. HOPE, patience, trust, endurance.

YOU CAN STILL BE STANDING FIRM… RESIST THE ENEMY--- DRAW NEAR GOD…

In the midst of the storms there is more than RESISTING THE ENEMY’S ATTACKS. We must SUBMIT OURSELVES TO GOD.

James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

THE BEST WE CAN DO IS TO PREPARED FOR THE STORM AS BEST AS WE CAN… SOME STORMS THERE IS NOTHING WE CAN DO BUT TO LEARN “TO DO ALL WE CAN DO! SOMETIMES ALL WE CAN DO IS JUST STAND STILL.

Ephesians 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Ephesians 6:13 (MSG) Be prepared. You're up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it's all over but the shouting you'll still be on your feet.

Ephesians 6:13 (Amp) Therefore, put on the complete armor of God, so that you will be able to (successfully) resist and stand your ground in the evil day ((of danger), and having done everything (that the crisis demands), to STAND FIRM) IN YOUR PLACE, FULLY PREPARED, IMMOVABLE, VICTORIOUS)

WHAT WILL OUR LAST WORDS BE? WE TEND TO NOT FACE THE END OF LIFE SERIOUSLY. ONE DAY WILL BE YOUR FINAL ANSWER! LISTEN TO A WISE MAN?

2 Samuel 23:1 Now these be the last words of David. David the son of Jesse said, and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, said,

David was serious. He wanted to teach what he had learned to value. David was not telling jokes. He want to tell what was IMPORTANT TO HIM! Lesson to one’s last words with all your heart.

DAVID IS SPEAKING MORE THAN HUMAN WORDS… DAVID WAS SPEAKING IN THE SPIRIT.

2 Samuel 23:2 The Spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word was in my tongue. 3 The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.

STAND YOUR GROUND! UNDER THE ANOINTING DAVID WANTS TO TELL WHAT WAS IMPORTANT TO HIM. DAVID TELLS OF A FRIEND NAMED SHAMMAH. (SHAM ---mah)

2 Samuel 23:11 And after him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered together into a troop, where was a piece of ground full of lentiles: and the people fled from the Philistines. 12 But he stood in the midst of the ground, and defended it, and slew the Philistines: and the LORD wrought a great victory.

WHY WOULD DYING DAVID MENTION A PEA PATCH? WHY WOULD DAVID MENTION A MAN NAMED SHAMMAH AND HIS LITTLE PEA PATCH? LET US REASON THIS OUT.

1. THERE WAS MANY OBSTACLES AND ENEMIES THAT GOD’S PEOPLE WERE FACING.

The Israelites would till and plant big gardens. This gardens were a LIFE-LINE to their families. When the harvest was ripe there was fresh foods to eat. Not only would this feed the families. They would can? Dry? And prepare food for the winter that would sustain their family until spring. We must learn to thrive when things oppose and stand in our way.

THE MEAN, BAD PHILISTINES WOULD RAID AND STEAL THE FOOD AT HARVEST TIME!

2. THIS PEA PATCH WAS MORE THAN A GARDEN. THIS PIECE OF LAND BELONGS TO MY FAMILY. THIS PEA PATCH (LENTILS: split pea) BELONGS TO ME AND MY FAMILY!

The Philistines were not only mean, they stole what was not theirs. MY FAMILY WILL GO HUNGRY AND MAYBE STARVE TO DEATH UNLESS I STAND STILL.

3. THIS YEAR IT IS A BUMPER CROP…

2 Samuel 23:11 … where was a piece of ground full of lentiles:

4. ALL MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY ARE RUNNING AWAY IN FEAR. NO ONE IS STANDING THEIR GROUND BUT ME. All my family will want to eat but no one wants to help me.

2 Samuel 23:11 … and the people fled from the Philistines.

WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH, THE TUFF GETS GOING IS A LIE! When the going gets tough there is a RUN-AWAY SPIRIT. Beside all that this is JUST A LITTLE PEA PATCH…

5. WE LOOK FOR THE KING, THE FRIENDS AND FAMILY TO DEFEND AND PROVIDE FOR US? SHAMMAH HAD TO STAND HIS GROUND WHEN OTHERS WERE RUNNING. SHAMMAH KNEW GOD PROVIDED THROUGH HIS HANDS.

Many will eat at my table. God provides but I MUST TAKE A STAND. 0x0=0!

6. SHAMMAH STOOD HIS GROUND AND DEFENDED HIS GROUND AND HIS FOOD.

2 Samuel 23:12 But he stood in the midst of the ground, and defended it,

7. WHEN SHAMMAH STOOD HIS GROUND WHEN ALL WAS RUNNING AWAY… SHAMMAH WAS JOINED BY THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, ISAAC, ELIJAH AND ELISHA.

2 Samuel 23:12 and the LORD wrought a great victory.

SPIRITUALLY SOMETIMES IT IS HARD TO STAND STILL WHEN YOU SEE THE DUST FROM PHAROAH’S ARMY.

Exodus 14:13 And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.

14 The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.

WE MUST SET THE EXAMPLE IN TRUSTING GOD’S PLAN AND STAND STILL.

Psalm 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

WE TEND TO WANT TO JUMP CONCLUSIONS AND RUSH INTO THE MESS. MAYBE WE WANT THE MESS AND WANT TO THROW IN THE TOWEL AND QUIT. THIS IS HARD? THIS IS TOO HARD FOR ME? GOD CONSISTANTLY ASK HIS PEOPLE BE STILL! STAND STILL! HOLD FAST!

Psalm 27:14 Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.

CONCLUSION: GOD ALWAYS CALLED THE CHILDREN OF ISREAL CHILDREN. NEVER ONCE DOES GOD CALL THEM THE ADULTS OF ISRAEL. GOD DESIRES HIS PEOPLE TO DEPEND ON HIM. God’s plan is for us to learn to obey and trust Him by Faith. Our strength and deliverance comes from the Lord. When we trust his word we learn to STAND STILL and be quiet and depend on His word. WE ARE NOT OR OWN.

1 Corinthians 6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

WILL WE STAND FAITHFULLY IN OUR PEA PATCH.

2 Chronicles 20:15 And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the LORD unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's.

2 Chronicles 20:17 Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the LORD will be with you.

His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com (YouTube: Wade Hughes) Facebook.