Use What Is At Hand

Judges 4 Using What is At Hand

We can see in this chapter several issues. 1. When we cry out to God when in trouble even if we get ourselves there, He hears us. 2. God will always fight for his own. 3. God wants us to use what we have.

We can look all thru the Bible, and find this last one to be so true and prominent. Look at our last study Sun. Night. How God pointed out to Moses what was already in his hand, didn’t tell him to go and find some big golden rod or a fancy walking stick, no just use what you have in your hand. We find Jaol a woman who understood the situation and crisis, willing to take the Lord’s side, just making full use of her resources. The enemy will come at us with all kinds of temptations, Look at the one Sisera gave to Jaol. Hide me don’t let anyone know I am here. Jaol didn’t really say much but gave him milk and a place to lie down and fall asleep. Now she had a temptation, she had choice to make, She could give into this temptation, she could get beside herself she could get down and out about it, but no she used her wits and God’s help to defeat the enemy with what she had. A tent peg.

I. We can use what we have to encourage ourselves in the Lord. God wants us to defeat the enemy with what we have.

1. Peter and John - met an impossible case, a blind man wanting money, they didn’t have anything to give. God didn’t tell them to go get a job to support them no what they say, “Such as I have, Give I to thee, In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth get up and walk” and the Devil was defeated

2. I think of Bro. R. G. Flexon tells in one of his messages how when the devil would talk to him about no one wanting to hear him preach anymore he’d pull out that scripture, “Singing to yourselves in psalm, , So he’d start out ‘Blessed is the man that walketh in the counsel of the ungodly nor standeth in the way of sinners, but his delight is in the law of the Lord and in his law doth he meditate day and night.” And when he got thru with that he’d start out, “The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want” And when you get thru with psalms you can start singing hymns. Bro. Flexon talked about his little corner and how the devil would sometimes stick his head in as he will and tell him no body loves you no one cares about you any more, what do you do then You can start to sing, “Jesus lover of my soul let me to thy bosom fly” The Devil sticks his old head in again, BRO FLEXON I’m SURE ISN”T THE ONLY ONE THAT HAS BEEN THRU THIS and says it’s over now I’m on your track your not going to make it in, what did he do then, but start to sing, “Rock of ages cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee” The devil sticks his head in again and says religion is just a supposition you don’t have anything to stand on, what then start out on , “There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel’s veins and sinners plunged beneath that flood loose all their guilty stains.” When you finish with the Psalms and Hymns he said to start on the spiritual songs, So you can start out, “I have found a friend In Jesus etc…..

But what if you are in a spot where you can’t sing or talk? Just get in your little corner and make melody in your heart to the Lord I’m talking about making full use of our resources. Praise God

II. We can use what we have to nail down any doubts or discouragements we may have

1. It must have been a gruesome thing for a lady such as Jaol to do yet she understood the significance and the crisis of the moment. It is never a good idea to let things fester. Have you ever had a splinter you just left alone? It doesn’t take long until it is causing real problems.

2. I really believe if we would use what we have in our hands we would surprise ourselves.

A. Look at those who have spent so much time in prison or concentration camps or captivity.

1. Corrie ten boom, Richard Wurmbrand, Bro. Yun, Martin and Gracia Burnham, And many more

B. They didn’t have the Bible or hymnbook to run to, much less spiritual books, messages, music or anything else. They had to use what they had stored in their memory.

3. One story in particular sticks out in my mind with Gracia Burnham. They had been in the jungle always it seemed on the move for months. Nearly starving at times, gun battles breaking out spontaneously never knowing what was around the next bend. She tells in her book, “In the Presence of my Enemies” How that she went thru a time of great doubt and discouragement, and had finally make a choice to start trusting God. It was often at night when she would have such trouble sleeping on the cold hard ground that Martin would begin to sing those beautiful words,

“Far away in the depths of my spirit tonight rolls a melody sweeter than psalm; In celestial like strains it unceasingly falls o’er my soul like an infinite calm. Peace Peace Wonderful peace coming down from the Father above Sweep over my spirit forever I pray in fathomless billows of love.