Summary: Have you ever pondered how a rubber band feels when a person stretches it beyond where it has been? Do you think the stretching feels good? Well, that is why the rubber band was made, to be stretched. Maybe God wants to stretch you beyond here!

A NIGHTMARE ON DESERT STREET!

GO FIGURE? I CAN’T FIGURE THIS ONE OUT!

By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com

TEXT:

Romans 4:18 Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.

Romans 8:24 For we are saved by HOPE: but HOPE that is seen is NOT HOPE: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet HOPE for it?

1. WHY THE STRETCH?

Have you ever pondered how a rubber band feels when a person stretches it beyond where it has been?

What would the rubber band say as the stretching process occurs? Do you think the stretching feels good?

Well, that is why the rubber band was made, to be stretched.

Maybe God wants to stretch you beyond here!

My child, God knows you by your first name. God knows where you have been! God has a plan for you!

If you have much potential, God is going to stretch your faith, beyond what you can figure out.

SOME WILL NEVER BE STRETCHED BECAUSE THEY ARE WEAK AND CAN’T STAND THE PULL.

If you can figure it out, there is not much faith required. God is calling a few good men and a few

good women to show Himself strong. Can you see for God’s work to be accomplished some people

will need to yield to the stretch of faith? This must reach beyond what you think you can stand.

God calls some dreamers to go beyond what a man can figure out in his mind, to reach into the realm

of Divine Possibilities. Don’t run! Don’t be afraid! Don’t figure! Trust God and reach beyond the

ability of your hands.

God is calling you to a testimony of faith. This trial, these problems, this misunderstanding is a great opportunity for God to stretch you and grow you beyond where you are.

1 Peter 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: BE READY ALWAYS TO GIVE an answer

to every man that asketh you a reason of THE HOPE that is in you, with meekness and fear.

Many today are trying to change the message or the messenger! God wants the message to change you,

to stretch you. With ordinary talent teamed with extra ordinary perseverance and faith all things can be

achieved. You can overcome this if you want to.

2. GO FIGURE THIS OUT ABRAHAM?

Poor Abraham? Can you imagine what excitement Abraham had when he told Sarah, pack you bags baby,

we are moving? Moving where? I don’t know? BUT GOD?

Abraham had to step out by faith with little hope. Abraham could not figure it out! HE HAD TO TRUST!

Abraham had to leave his comfort zone and head into the vast unknown?

Trusting a call he had heard from above, no one else heard the call, no one else would understand.

The trail before Abraham seemed impossible and full of aimless drifting?

Yet there was a HIGHER POWER LEADING ALL THE WAY.

Great is the testing process Abraham will face? The blessings will be delayed over 20 years,

this can’t be God?

The test of the willingness to lay HIS ONLY son on the altar was a terrible test?

This can’t be God? Can it? Go figure?

Many nights Abraham lay down to go to sleep and he pondered would he ever wake up in the morning?

God had a plan for Abraham, the trails of his journeys were not aimless drifting, there was a

God and a plan. Abraham had to learn to trust God and hope against hope!

Abraham had to step out by faith with little hope in to the unknown.

Abraham could not figure it out! But God had already figured out all of Abraham’s journey.

They had to grow hope out of no hope.

Is God trying to teach you HOPE out of despair?

DO YOU WANT TO WALK WITH GOD BY SIGHT, FORGET THE FAITH STEPS?

3. GO FIGURE THIS OUT? IS THERE A PLAN FOR ME?

We often think our situation is near hopeless. How can good ever come out of this situation?

We can become overwhelmed by the negative until this situation could seem like a death trap.

Can this be God? Could God be in this? CAN GOD TURN THIS AROUND? Is there any hope?

Problems can be almost overwhelming when you try to analyze the solution.

The more we think about the problems, the more we listen to the giant, the deeper the

hole of hopelessness.

The children of Israel listened to Goliath 2 times a day for 40 days. The negative message of the world

defeated what God could do. A teenager that had not heard all the 80 negative messages, and was not

driven to his tent to cry all night. See David had not tried to figure it out, David trusted God.

We must address several questions:

1. Can God handle this?

2. Will God do this for me? Many know God can handle any problem that will arise.

But we must address the personal question --- Will God do this for me?

3. When will God do this for me? After we address if God can handle my situation we

must consider Divine Timing? When O, Lord?

4. DID THE LADY HAVE IT ALL FIGURED OUT?

The lady had an issue of blood for 12 long years, and grew worse and worse. Her money was gone, the doctor’s solutions failed. But someone had mentioned Jesus to her. This knowledge was OK, but she still had the issue of blood.

One morning this sick little lady got up with a new attitude. She made a determination, I am going to find Jesus! Her problem was still a problem. As she in her weakened condition took her bath and made ready, she had a deeper thought, today I am going to touch Jesus.

The sick lady never figured on the problems, finding Jesus? Pushing through the crowd?

But her mind set was forever changed: God can do this! God can do this for me! God can do this for me today!

Healing came, because she got up and started toward her miracle. The problems all worked out on

her journey. She focused beyond the problem until she found the solution.

5. GO FIGURE THIS OUT MOSES!

You think you have it tuff? Study the Bible? Could God? Could God personally lead individuals

through the back side of the desert to the leadership of deliverance and freedom?

One day Moses got up and ate breakfast and left his tent, when Moses returned to his tent he would never be the same. The hopeless man aimlessly wandering through the desert for 40 years finds a purpose for which he had longed many years.

Do you think Moses had the solution to all his problems figured out before he left Egypt?

Go figure Moses? No, Moses could not have been totally prepared for the next forty years, BUT GOD WAS!

Yet this purpose would be bigger than Moses! No way! This is impossible!

No human can accomplish this Nightmare on Desert Street.

God called Moses to an impossible task? How could Moses do what God was expecting?

Be assured, if God calls, God will enable!

When God spoke to Moses from the burning bush, Moses never dreamed of the difficult obstacles

before him. Yet God would yield Moses one piece of the puzzle at a time.

While Moses and the people were 40 years in the desert, what would Moses do with them?

Facing hopeless situations with great hope!

Every day they had to be fed, and feeding 2 or 3 million people requires a lot of food.

a Big Mac, Fries, and Diet Coke would be over $12,000,000.00.

Many of these stats are not my work, and the source is unknown.

According to the Quartermaster General in the Army, it is reported that

Moses would have to have had 1500 tons of food each day.

Do you know that to bring that much food each day, two freight trains, each at least a

mile long, would be required!

Now where are we going to get a four mile freight train of food? If we can find one for today?

What will we do about tomorrow’s? The next 14,600 days? (40 years time 365 days)

You think you have it bad?

Besides you must remember, they were out in the desert, they would need refrigerators and stoves

to process the food. The material to prepare the food would require to have firewood to use

in cooking the food. This would take 4000 tons of wood and a few more freight trains,

each a mile long, just for one day.

This problem would occur every day for forty years. That is 14,600 days. The congregation

was constantly moving, yet God would know where they were. Do you think God knows where you

are and what you need?

Beside the food and keeping it fresh and current, there is another essential, WATER!

WHERE THERE IS LIFE THERE MUST BE WATER.

They would have to have water. If they only had enough to drink and wash a few dishes,

it would take 11,000,000 gallons each day for 14,600 days. This would require a freight train

with tank cars, 1800 miles long, just to bring water!

How are you going to keep the people in clothes? The kids are going to out grow their shoes several

times a year. God knew all about this. God had DIVINE PROVISIONS beyond the visions of man!

Consider thE problem of transportation through water?

They had to get across the Red Sea at night. Now, if they went on a narrow path,

double file, the line would be 800 miles long and would require 35 days and nights to get through.

So there had to be a space in the Red Sea, 3 miles wide so that they could walk 5000 abreast

to get over in one night.

But then, there is another problem ... each time they camped at the end of the day, a campground

two-thirds the size of the state of Rhode Island was required, or a total of 750 square miles long.

This would be a communication nightmare?

Do you think Moses had figured all this out before he left Egypt?

Of course not, Moses had not thought it all out, BUT GOD HAD DONE ALL THE

FIGURING AND GOD MADE A WAY WHERE THERE WAS NO WAY!

You see, Moses believed in God. God took care of all of things for Moses.

Do we trust God? Do we think God has any problem taking care of all our needs?

God knew about this problem before you did! God had the enemy design a way of escape,

else he cannot use that problem. The way of escape? --- Trust God! Have faith!

God guide all that are being stretched today. God help us see the realm beyond our figures.

There is nothing that our God cannot handle! The question is will you surrender and trust Him?

The Word of God will do the Work of God. Will you let it?

All of God’s promises are true. Do we trust Him?

Man’s ways lead to a hopeless end. God’s ways to a endless hope. God is stretching you!

Our God is ALL POWERFUL, ALL KNOWING, AND EVER PRESENT.

GOD HAS THIS FIGURED OUT! So whether you get the answer you prayed for, or you get

the answer you dreaded, GOD’S GRACE IS STILL THE SAME!

You all not alone. Don’t consider this a test, consider this a celebration of faith.

Every thing one undertakes or avoids becomes a self potrait of the person.

May your autograph be in the excellence that GOD did it through you.

His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com

Could you enlarge my hands and pass this on to another?