PROVOKED AND MISERABLE, BUT I AM NOT STAYING THIS WAY.
GOD HAS PROVIDED SOMETHING BETTER!
Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
I do this in 3 parts, Sunday AM, PM, Wednesday.
TEXT:
Hebrews 11:40 God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.
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.
I. PROVOKED AND MISERABLE AND BITTER, BUT I AM NOT STAYING HERE. THIS MISERABLE PROVOCATION HAS GONE ON SEVERAL YEARS, AND IT IS TIME TO COME AND ALLOW GOD TO DO HIS WORK.
A. Let us listen to one of the greatest philosophers of all time.
You probably know him, his name is BARNEY FIFE.
BARNEY FIFE SAID: NIP IT, NIP IT IN THE BUD.
B. Well, this good, God fearing woman had a dysfunctional home, and her enemy often provoked her until her days were miserable.
1 Samuel 1:5 But unto Hannah he gave a worthy portion; for he loved Hannah: but the Lord had shut up her womb. 6 And her adversary also provoked her sore,
for to make her fret, because the Lord had shut up her womb. 7 And as he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of the Lord, so she provoked her; therefore she wept, and did not eat.
C. Let me quote another great philosopher of our day.
HE SAID: ENOUGH IS ENOUGH, ME’S HAD ALL ME’S CAN STAND,
ME’S CAN’T STAND NO MORE.
Then Popeye would reach for the can of Spinach, minus the E Coli, and gain power and strength and reach to V-I-C-T-O-R-Y!
D. Hannah has had enough, it is time to touch a merciful and gracious God.
1 Samuel 1:10 And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore.
E. HANNAH WENT TO THE ONLY PLACE SHE KNEW, SHE WENT TO THE CHURCH, AND WHEN ELI THE PREACHER WAS OUT OF TOUCH, --- HANNAH WAS MORE DETERMINED, --- I MUST TOUCH GOD.
1 Samuel 1:11 And she (Hannah) vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me,
and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no
razor come upon his head.
F. HANNAH HAD A CHANGE OF HEART AND A CHANGE OF ATTITUDE, 9 MONTHS BEFORE SHE WAS ABLE TO HOLD HER MIRACLE.
1 Samuel 1:18 And she said, Let thine handmaid find grace in thy sight. So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad.
19 And they rose up in the morning early, and worshipped before the Lord, and returned, and came to their house to Ramah: and Elkanah knew Hannah his
wife; and the Lord remembered her.
G. HANNAH KNEW THERE WAS A PROCESS OF TIME AND THAT WE ASK AND WE WAIT.
1 Samuel 1:20 Wherefore it came to pass, when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bare a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of the Lord.
H. WITH GOD IT IS NOT OVER WHEN IT APPEARS TO BE OVER.
TO SEEK GOD, AND TO WAIT AND EXPECT MIRACLES WILL RELEASE MIRACLES. GOD DID MORE THAN HANNAH DREAMED.
1 Samuel 2:21 And the Lord visited Hannah, so that she conceived, and bare three sons and two daughters. And the child Samuel grew before the Lord.
II. THE LONE RANGER USED TO CARRY A SILVER BULLET. WHAT DO WE CARRY? THE ONLY EFFECTIVE BULLET THAT YOUR ENEMY CAN USE AGAINST YOU: IS THE BULLET YOU DESIGNED AND MADE AND GAVE HIM.
Isaiah 66:4 I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spake, they did not hear: but they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not.
A. AURA:
Distinctive atmosphere, Subtle emanation or aroma.
Air, feeling, mood, ambience.
B. EMANATE:
Emit, send forth, issue, originate
C. I UNDERSTAND A DOG CAN SENSE OR SMELL FEAR IN AN INDIVIDUAL.
D. RUNNING IN FEAR? THEY ARE AFTER ME.
MY WIFE HAS A TERRIBLE FEAR OF ALL BIRDS.
WE HAD 100 CHICKENS AND SOLD THE EGGS TO JAPANESE PEOPLE EVERY FRIDAY.
When I was gone with the boys, my wife had to feed the chickens.
We often times let the chickens out during the day.
They would eat bugs, grass and stuff and supplement their diet.
We fed the chickens cracked corn, oyster shell, and scraps from the table.
I let the chickens out one morning, and during the day my wife took a bucket of feed for them. The chickens saw my wife coming and they came to greet her and
await their food.
When my wife saw the chickens coming toward her, she started running in great fear. The chickens started running after her. She was screaming and running the chickens were after her? She ran --- they ran after her.
We pulled in the drive way toward the barn and there was my wife running and screaming, --- the chickens are after me!
I rolled down the windows and yelled, throw down the bucket, THROW DOWN THE BUCKET.
SHE THREW DOWN THE BUCKET AND KEPT RUNNING, THE CHICKENS WENT TO THE BUCKET AND STARTED EATTING.
My wife thought the chickens were from Alford Hitchcock and were out to kill her.
She was tired, red faced, and afraid.
The chickens were not after her, all they wanted was their food.
E. THE PRE-EXISTING ATTITUDE OF FEAR OF BIRDS DROVE MY WIFE TO THINKING THE CHICKENS WERE OUT TO HARM HER. THIS WAS ABSOLUTELY NOT TRUE, BUT BECAUSE OF HER FEAR IT WAS REAL TO HER.
F. CAN THIS MAKE ME HURT MYSELF?
Reminds me of the story, an old drunk grave digger woke up laying among the tombstones in the local cemetery. It was very dark. He was afraid and started running in his drunk state.
In the darkness, he ran and fell in the grave that he had been digging during the day.
He jumped up out of the grave and ran into a tombstone, this happened several times.
He finally made it to his house.
He was bruised and bleeding.
His wife asked him what had happened?
He told her of his experience in the dark graveyard.
She replied, THERE AIN’T NOTHING THERE THAT CAN HURT YOU!
He informed her: THAT MAY BE TRUE, BUT WHAT IS THERE CAN SURE CAN MAKE YOU HURT YOURSELF.
G. WHAT IN LIFE HAS YOU IN FEAR RUNNING AND HURTING YOURSELF AND OTHERS?
III. CAN GOD? OR GOD CAN! WHAT ARE WE REFLECTING?
WHAT ARE WE PROJECTING?
A. REFLECT:
TO THROW BACK, to mirror, to echo.
I have always been amazed the moon has no light what so ever on it.
The moon just reflects the light of the sun to us here on earth.
The eclipse is when the earth comes between the light of the sun and the moon.
B. PROJECT:
To hear or see at a distance.
To cast a shadow.
To plan, to undertake an assignment.
To cause,
To express or promote forcefully or effectively.
Numbers 13:33 And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.
IV. WHAT ARE WE? DO WE RUN AROUND LIKE A CHICKEN WITH IT’S HEAD CUT OFF?
A. I once read where a chicken lived 60 days with it’s head cut off.
The owner would catch the body of the chicken and force food and water down the chicken’s esophagus with an eye dropper.
You are a child of God, you are not an orphan.
YOU ARE NOT A CHICKEN WITH IT’S HEAD CUT OFF.
B. WE THINK.
WE SPEAK.
WE HEAR.
WE SEE.
C. WE DEVELOP OPINIONS.
OUR OPINIONS AND THINKING PATTERNS INFLUENCE THE WAY WE HANDLE FACTS.
D. WE ESTABLISH HABITUAL THINKING PATTERNS.
WE DEVELOP AND ESTABLISH MINDSETS.
E. MINDSET:
Mental attitude that can influence one’s interpretation of events or situations.
Inclination or a fixed way of thinking.
F. ATTITUDE:
A disposition, feeling, a view.
An opinion or a way of thinking.
V. GOD CAN! GOD CAN MAKE A NEW MAN --- WITH NEW ATTITUDES AND A NEW MINDSET!
A. GOD’S ANNOINTING BREAKS THE YOKE AND BRINGS CHANGE.
1 Samuel 10:6 And the Spirit of the Lord will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into another man.
7 And let it be, when these signs are come unto thee, that thou do as occasion serve thee; for God is with thee.
B. WE MUST SEEK GOD’S SWEET PRESENCE AND ALLOW HIS SPIRIT TO BRING US TO WITNESS WITH NEW ATTITUDES AND A NEW CHANGE OF HEART.
1 Samuel 10:9 And it was so, that when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart: and all those signs came to pass that day.
10 And when they came thither to the hill, behold, a company of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them.
11 And it came to pass, when all that knew him beforetime saw that, behold, he prophesied among the prophets, then the people said one to another,
What is this that is come unto the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?
12 And one of the same place answered and said, But who is their father?
Therefore it became a proverb, Is Saul also among the prophets?
C. ARE WE WILLING TO STAY RIGHT HERE, THE SAME WAY, THE SAME OLD STUFF?
Ezekiel 18:31 Cast away from you all your
transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed;
and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
D. I think we should develop a new mind set?
WE MUST SUBMIT TO THE HOLY SPIRIT AND ALLOW GOD’S PLAN TO BE RELEASED.
E. AS AN OLD HEN SITS ON THE EGG, IT IS JUST A HEN ON AN EGG.
An old hen sits on a egg.
It is just an egg.
Day after day the hen sits on an old egg.
But after a while the hen feels something different,
and a little new life of hope and more eggs appear as the new life will carry on production.
Friends --- we are too blessed to be depressed....
There comes a change, we need to be prepared to be blessed.
F. WE ARE MORE THAN A BRAND ON A COW OR HORSE?
WE CAN CHANGE.
You heat a piece of metal and burn a place in the hide of a cow or horse to forever identify the ownership of that animal.
VI. YOU CAN NOT DETOUR MARAH? THE DESERT AND SUFFERING ARE GOD’S GRADUATE SCHOOL. YOU ARE NOT EXEPMT.
THIS PLACE MAY BE A PLACE OF TESTING? WILL WE LEARN?
GOD’S DIRECTIONS CAN LEAD US FROM NO WATER TO BITTER WATER AND STILL BE GOD!
A. HAVE WE COME TO THIS FRUSTRATION AND DISAPPOINTMENT BY ACCIDENT?
Psalm 37:23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way.
B. WE MUST ACCEPT TWO ISSUES:
1. THERE IS A DIVINE PLAN, THIS IS NOT AN ACCIDENT OR KARMA ---
2. THERE ARE ISSUES OF DIVINE TIMING ...
C. KARMA IS DEMONIC!
Karma is Buddhism and Hinduism that a sum total of a person’s actions in previous lives, viewed as deciding one’s fate in future existences.
Destiny could be one accepting a predetermined course of events and thus excuse our faith and our personal choices role.
D. GOD HAD A PLAN FOR HIS PEOPLE.
THEY WERE NOT THERE AT A DRY PLACE, WITH BITTER WATER BY ACCIDENT.
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?
VII. THIS DISAPPOINTMENT IS A DIVINE APPOINTMENT.
THOUGH MARAH MAY BE VERY BITTER, THERE IS A TREE, THERE IS A SOURCE OF DELIVERANCE. WILL WE SEEK GOD AND FIND IT?
A. GOD LOVES HIS PEOPLE, GOD KNOWS THERE IS A VALUE IN THE TESTING PROCESS.
B. Why can’t we see THIS IS A TEST, THIS IS ONLY A TEST --- ? A PROCESS?
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, 26 And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee.
C. HEED GOD. HEED HIS WORD. HEED THE MAN OF GOD.
DO WHAT IS RIGHT!
GOD HAD A TREE READY AT MARAH AND AT CALVARY.
VIII. THERE IS A PLACE BEYOND MARAH!
IF YOU QUIT AT MARAH --- YOU WILL NEVER REACH ELIM.
Exodus 15:27 And they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water, and threescore and ten palm trees: and they encamped there by the waters.
A. WE CAN NOT BYPASS OR DETOUR MARAH, AND JUST GO TO ELIM.
Marah makes us appreciate Elim.
We can never recognize Elim’s gifts until we have known the Marah, bitter waters.
B. Elim was more than a well, it was 12 wells.
C. Elim was more than 12 wells --- there was 70 trees.
D. WE MUST CHANGE THE LUST OF THE FLESH, LUST OF THE EYES, PRIDE OF LIFE --- GOD GROWS A MAN, A WOMAN, A CHILD, A FAMILY, AND A CHURCH.
E. WHERE IS THE LESSON? --- PRISON DOORS OPEN BY PRAISE...
A change of attitude for the normal prisoner.
IX. IT IS NEVER METAL BARS THAT HOLD US BACK, IT IS MENTAL BARS.
CHANGE WILL OCCUR WHEN THE PAIN OF CHANGE BECOMES LESS THAN THE PAIN OF STAYING THE SAME!
A. THIS IS GOING TO BRING ME TO THE BLESSING.
B. DISAPPOINTMENTS CAN BE DIVINE APPOINTMENTS.
C. HAVE WE EVER DUG A LITTLE GRAVE AND BURIED OUR BLESSINGS AND DREAMS?
D. THE GOOD NEWS IS THE BAD NEWS IS NOT THE TRUTH.
Bad things can be Divine opportunities.
E. We can not afford to allow our past to dictate our future.
Do we forget the weightier things because we have no plans or established no priority system?
Matthew 23:23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
X. GOD’S PLAN MAY LEAD US TO AND THROUGH AREAS WE CAN NOT UNDERSTAND. WHY DO I NEED THIS VALLEY MAY SEEM A FAIR QUESTION, BUT GOD MIGHT NOT ANSWER YOU!
A. LET US LEARN PASSION AND PURPOSE IN THIS VALLEY.
Psalm 84:6 Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools.
DON’T QUIT
Unknown
When things go wrong as they sometimes will,
When the road you’re trudging seems all up hill,
When funds are low, and debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must, but don’t quit.
Life is strange with its twists and turns,
As everyone of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don’t give up though the pace seems slow,
You may succeed with another blow.
Success is failure turned inside out,
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far;
So stick to the fight when you are hardest hit,
It’s when things seem worse,
THAT YOU MUST NOT QUIT.
B. DON’T CHOKE THE SEEDS.
C. BLINDNESS CAN NOT SEE
Sometimes we need glasses.
Sometimes we need a magnifying glass.
Sometimes we need a microscope.
Sometimes we need binoculars.
Sometimes we need a telescope.
XI. I REFUSE TO GO ON THE SAME WAY I CAME.
I will not let go until I am blessed!
A. JACOB WAS KNOWN AS THE SUBPLANTER, THE CHEATER, THE LIAR, THE DISTORTER.
Genesis 32:23 And he took them, and sent them over the brook, and sent over that he had. 24 And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. 25 And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob’s thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him.
26 And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.
27 And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob.
28 And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast
thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.
B. IN ONE NIGHT THIS MAN WAS FOREVER CHANGED.
C. MANY WOULD REMEMBER THE CHEATER, BUT GOD CHANGED A MAN, CHANGED HIS DREAMS AND CHANGED HIS FUTURE.
D. THE PAST SHOULD NOT DICTATE THE FUTURE.
XII. GOD HAS PROVIDED SOMETHING BETTER FOR US.
GOD DOES NOT EXEMPT HIS CHILDREN FROM THE FIERY FURNACE, GOD BRINGS GLORY TO HIS NAME THROUGH THE STORM.
Hebrews 11:38. (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.
39. And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:
40. God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
Help me? Pass this on?
