Summary: Often what appears as hopelessness is God’s opportunity to show His stuff!

Dry Morsels or Sweet Relish?

By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr,

Kyfingers@aol.com

I have a carrot, an egg, and a tea bag.

I asked what does hot water over a period of time do to these three things.

The carrot gets soft.

The egg gets hard.

The tea bag brings out flavor.

I have learned that some times, the worse thing that

has ever happen to me, was the best thing that could

have happened. What appeared hopeless was an

opportunity to trust God.

I ponder DRY MORSELS OR SWEET RELISH?

...It is so easy in life to waste precious time and lose the joy in living while walking through menial daily chores.

We are warned not to despise the day of small things

Zech. 4:10.

Remember the old preacher waiting in a cave in

1 Kings 19:11 -12? Seems the Lord was not in the

earthquake, the wind, or the fire.

God spoke in a little small voice.

Many search for some emotional high, some

entertainment, and there appears little purpose in

what I am going through today?

Many people of God lose all joy in ministry and

become overly burdened dealing with peoples’

problems.

Why have we been called?

Our text: Ecc. 9:4, For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion.

Take care of your life ... God will take care of

death and what you can’t handle.

We must develop a complete trust in the leadership

of God and avoid developing explosive attitudes that

lead to self-destruction.

Garth Brooks was asked about making it in Nashville. He is a millionaire and had many hit songs. People know his face and voice around the world.

A reporter asked him, How does it feel to be a star known in Nashville? He answered, OZ IS ONLY OZ TO THOSE THAT DON’T LIVE IN OZ!

Ezek.37 has a neat lesson about some dry bones.

When all hope was gone for the dry bones,

God saw the potential in dry, hopeless situations.

Life is to be more than dry morsels and crumbs from

the table!

There can be dry seasons where the emotions play

games with our faith. Hope eludes us.

Some think just because they are busy they should be

praise? After all, don’t we praise the busy honey

bee?

Yes, but we swat a busy mosquito?

There is more than dry morsel for the children of

God! God has a sweet plan, the journey will take many

strange twist, but God leads us to still waters and

green pastures.

Often life has a way of wishing to be else where, to

dream of being another is to waste who you are.

1. THE TWO FROGS IN THE CREAM.

Proverbs 24:10 If thou faint in the day of adversity,

thy strength is small.

I love the story of the two frogs that fell in the ten gallon milk bucket. They swam for hours.

The one frog said, "What is the use?" and he gave up and drowned.

The other frog said, I cannot afford to give up. So the frog kicked and kicked until the cream turned into butter and then he jumped out of the can.

If the two frogs would have kicked together, the cream would have become butter quicker? Just because some around you see the negative, you cannot afford to quit!

Your life is a song, the words and tune --- are your choice. Your song is sweet, lovely, glad, or it is bitter, angry, and hopeless? You choose the song and how it will be sung!

Some will laugh, others mourn; some will work, others will pray; one gives up and dies, one runs away, what will you do?

2. WHAT MAKES A GARBAGE CAN A GARBAGE CAN?

I WORKED WITH CLAY WHILE IN AN ART CLASS IN

COLLEGE?

ONE TIME, MY PROFESSOR SUGGESTED I WORK WITH A

DIFFERENT CLAY, THE CLAY I LIKED WOULD NOT TAKE THE

HEAT OF THE KILN.

I worked very hard making a vase that was heart

shaped at the top, and the base was shaped like a

butterfly.

When the vase came out of the kiln it was reduced to

a little ugly wad.

I should have listened?

There are many kinds of vessels, some to honor, some to dishonor ... of course the Potter’s hands come in reason, but also the pliability of the clay? The type of clay? Read Romans 9:21.

Thommy Miller wrote me that while working in various restaurants, he saw flour, salt, lettuce, and slaw stored in garbage cans,

--- While some garbage cans were stinky and dirty filled with garbage, some were food sources? Some were for garbage?

What made the difference?

God can change the marred clay --- Jeremiah 18:4.

What are your attitudes growing?

Many want to sit on the beach and be professional

sport’s stars?

3.MAN IS A VESSEL OF LIFE, HE IS NOT LIFE, GOD IS LIFE!

We are a product of our daily choices.

Each breath is a gift of God. Every missed

opportunity cannot be given again? Honor the life

that God gives, and make something of joy and beauty.

4. THE PURPOSE OF LIFE IS MORE THAN FOOD, EDUCATION, LIFE ...

There must be more to life than smart minds and full bellies!

What are the goals before you? What is your mission?

Ponder John the Baptist, what did they go out to

see?

Ponder Noah’s huge work and only 8 souls in the

boat?

Mat. 6:25, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought

for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall

drink, nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on.

IS NOT LIFE MORE THAN MEAT, AND THE BODY THAN

RAIMENT? Consider the BIRDS --- The lilies?

5. WE CALL LIFE A VALLEY OF TEARS?

But God’s plan is HAPPY VALLEY! God is not pleased

with those that think there is more wrong than right

in the church. Many think there is NOTHING right

anywhere! All are hypocrites?

Criticism can be the death gargle of the dying!

With thousands of things to praise God for, why call

this world a place of torment and sorrow?

To have an unhappy life is to say God has failed,

life is an error, and cause the angels to weep on

your death bed because you missed the point!

Life is more than agitation, worry and fear.

Laughter is as medicine!

6. LIVE EVERY DAY AS IT WERE YOUR LAST!

Drive like the state police are right behind you!

Work hard, honest labor for honest pay?

Remember God knows and keeps good records.

You are accountable!

Slip shod works and ministries are hurting many

churches.

7. MANY WASTE THEIR LIFE BY DREAMING OF WHAT THEY HAVE NOT!

Mat. 10:39 He that finds his life shall lose it, and he that loses his life for my sake shall find it. To count your blessings, you cannot count what you do not have.

Many know I had a super arrow head collection from

Virginia. Someone broke into the church and stole it

off my office wall.

Today the only arrow heads I own are those that

down through the years, I gave away.

Some friends heard of the robbery and felt to return

the arrow heads I gave them.

All I have today is what I gave away!

8. LIFE IS A MISSION.

We are all sent!

We have a commission from God to live in faith and

trust Him completely. What is your assignment?

Any other definition of life that excludes a mission

is false!

Are we dead fish aimlessly drifting with the current?

9. THE FINAL TEST OF LIFE WILL NOT BE HOW MUCH WE HAVE LIVED, BUT HOW DID YOU LIVE?

Have the trials, troubles, and stresses of life made

you bigger, better, and stronger?

Or were you a quitter?

Live your life so the minister can tell the truth at

your funeral.

The people that say it cannot be done will be ran

over by those doing it!

10. We live in a ROCKET AGE!

We must have something to live by, live on, and to

live for.

Our enemy wants you to hate!

Some little one syllable words are what matter ...

hope, faith, love, care, kind, peace, joy, child,

life, death, home!

Life is not like instant coffee and instant mashed

potatoes, you must invest effort, sweat, and hard

work.

11. LIFE HAS MUCH QUICKSAND AND MANY TRAPS.

Our enemy wants you to waste your life chasing

rainbows and butterflies.

Prayer will hold you, keep you, and cause you to

advance.

You can’t guard yourself, but God’s Holy Spirit can!

Pray that you enter not into temptation.

12. LIFE’S INVITATION AND CURRICULUM IS IN THE WORDS OF JESUS FOUND: LEARN OF ME!

Jesus understands.

Anything that dims your vision of Christ and the

Cross, that cramps your prayer life, or hinders

your Bible study is wrong!

Turn away from it!

Bad attitudes, negative words, poor friendships,

wrongful focuses --- the trail to Hell is easy.

13. GOD AND LIFE’S PROMISES ARE GOOD, BUT GOD’S PRESENCE IS MUCH BETTER.

Are you submitted to Him?

A little selfishness, little lies, little bad jokes,

little cutting remarks, cause much grief.

Little acts of kindness, little words of

encouragement, little expressions of love, little

self-denials, become threads of gold weaving a

beautiful life.

No act of kindness, no matter how small is ever

forgotten.

14. LIFE MUST TEACH US UNDERSTANDING AND PATIENCE. Prov. 13: 15.

Abigail had more understanding than her husband.

1 Sam. 25: 3, Nabal wanted everything handed to him

on a silver platter.

Abigail knew life is not all games and other’s

responsibilities.

Solomon wanted to be understanding and thus pleased

God. 1 Kings 3: 9 -12.

Do you have understanding?

Do spouses understand their mates?

Parents understand their children? Why not?

We have selfish motives?

Well, I don’t want to have understanding because no

one understands me?

I say again: IF YOU DO NOT LIKE WHAT YOU ARE

GETTING, CHANGE WHAT YOU ARE GIVING!

15. LIFE HAS A WAY OF CAUSING US TO BE HARD AND INDIFFERENT.

Occasionally one needs to take the boat out of the

water to clean the dirt away.

The ship will be slowed and more fuel required to

operate with a dirty hull.

The bud must open before fruit can develop.

Tunnel vision will limit our life?

A closed umbrella does very little to keep one dry?

16. RIPPLE EFFECT.

When one small rock breaks the surface,

theoretically every molecule in the pond is

effected.

Have a positive ripple effect!

Please clearly identify who the enemy really is?

Mat. 6:33, The main thing is to keep the main thing

the main thing!

Is life a sweet relish or is it a dry morsel?

His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr

Kyfingers@aol.com