There Is A Lion Out There!

THERE ARE LIONS OUT THERE… UNREAL EXPECTATIONS!

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

I HAVE FOUND GOOD EXCUSES ARE SITTING PEOPLE UP FOR OPPRESSION, DEFEAT AND A DOWNFALL? WE MUST SET CLEAR GOALS.

Proverbs 16:3 Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established.

Proverbs 16:3 (MSG) Put GOD in charge of your work, then what you've planned will take place.

We need to have short term goals that are easily attained. We also need long term goals that will require endurance and persistence. We can develop expectations that are not attainable.

WHO BELIEVES OUR EXCUSES? WE DO. TO OFFER AN EXCUSE IS TO ACCUSE SELF. PEOPLE WOULD REFUSE TO HEAR US IF WE SAID “I DON’T WANT TO GO TO SCHOOL, I DON’T WANT TO GET OUT OF BED.” IT SOUNDS BETTER TO MAKE UP A TALL EXCUSE… LIONS WILL KILL ME?

WE CAN GET SO GOOD AT BLAMING OTHERS AND CIRCUMSTANCES TO EXCUSE OURSELVES AND LOSE OUR FOCUS ON THE SPIRITUAL PRIORITIES. ARE WE CREATING IMAGINARY CIRCUMSTANCES TO JUSTIFY NOT DOING GOD’S WORK PROPERLY?

Proverbs 22:13 The slothful man saith, There is a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets.

Proverbs 22:13 (AMP) The lazy one (manufactures excuses and) says, “ THERE IS A LION OUTSIDE! I WILL BE KILLED IN THE STREETS (IF I GO OUT TO WORK)

IF THE EXCUSE WORKS ONCE, DO IT AGAIN…WILL WE CREATE IMAGINARY CIRCUMSTANCES TO JUSTIFY NOT DOING THE WILL OF GOD? SEEMS THERE ARE MANY THAT WANT TO JUST STAY HOME AND DO NOTHING. WILL THE HOLY SPIRIT SYMPATHIZE WITH OUR EXCUSES?

Proverbs 26:13 The slothful man saith, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets.

Proverbs 26:13 (MSG) Loafers say, "It's dangerous out there! Tigers are prowling the streets!" and then pull the covers back over their heads.

We tend to JUSTIFY and EXCUSE --- LET US SHIFT THE ATTENTION AWAY FROM THE TRUTH AND CREATE AN ILLUSION. We will speak words to hide the real truth. GOD PLEASE EXPOSE THE TRUTH ABOUT SELF-JUSTIFICATION.

WHY HAS YOUR COUNTENANCE FALLEN? HOW SHOULD I KNOW? AM I MY BROTHER’S BABYSITTER? WE CAN DEFLECT THE TRUTH OF THE SITUATION?

Genesis 4:7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. 8 And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him. 9 And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper? 10 And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground.

KING SAUL LIES TO PREACHER SAMUEL: SURE I OBEYED THE LORD PLANS. BUT THE PEOPLE?

1 Samuel 15:20 And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and have gone the way which the LORD sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. 21 But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God in Gilgal.

3 CLASSIFICATIONS OF OFFERINGS OF EXCUSES. EXCUSES ARE CONTAGIOUS AND ENLARGE THEMSELVES.

Luke 14:18 And they all with one consent began to make excuse.

*MATERIALISM: (A TENDENCY TO CONSIDER POSSESSIONS AND PHYSICAL COMFORT MORE IMPORTANT THAN SPIRITUAL VALUES) he bought a piece of ground, and he needs to go and see it. (He had already seen?)

* BUSINESS/ PLEASURE. (5 YOKE OF OXEN.) He had already proven.

*RELATIONSHIP/ SCHEDULING: I have married me a wife…

Each class of excuses justifies itself.

WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE? LET’S ALL RUN AND HIDE IN THE CAVE OF DEPRESSION? WHERE CAN I FIND GOD? I AM THE ONLY ONE REALLY SERVING GOD? EVIL HAS WON. THEY ARE OUT TO DESTROY ME.

1 Kings 19:9 And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and he said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah? 10 And he said, I have been very jealous for the

LORD God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.

WHAT ARE ELIJAH’S EXPECTATIONS? WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE? GO STAND ON THE MOUNTAIN… YOU CAN SEE MORE CLEARLY!

Elijah was tired and exhausted from ministry. He expected God in THE STRONG WIND? No, Not God! He expected in an EARTHQUAKE, shaking, No, Not God. Expected God in THE FIRE? No, Not God. After the FIRE PASSES, GOD COMES IN A STILL SMALL VOICE. Hey that was not what we were expecting.