Hidden Blessings

With each year, your vision gets bigger because your faith expands. Your faith will grow proportionally to your struggle.

Proverbs 3:5-6  (NKJV)

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,

And He shall direct your paths.

Trust in the Lord's direction.  If the all-knowing God has a plan for you, how can you fully understand it in your mind?

Ephesians 3:20  (NKJV)

20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.

If you understand it one way and someone else understands it another, you've had a misunderstanding. 

Don't believe for God to do something that He's never promised. 

The Bible is offensive. It will offend your flesh. It is a challenge to talk about somethings in the Bible.  

Do you love God, but not trust Him?  

Why should God give what you've ask Him for if you won't give Him what He's asked you for? 

Philippians 4:19 (NKJV)

19 And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

  

When you give to God that positions Him to bless you.  

God wants to receive a seed from what He has given you, so He can plant it.  

We need to be progressive, percentage based givers.

What you don't sow to God, you'll lose anyway.  

Returning the seed to God positions you for His blessings. 

To God, a seed is a tree from which much fruit can grow.

Your thoughts are like a seed. You give from your heart by thinking it first.

Then, it goes from your heart to your mind as a choice. 

Then, it is birthed into your actions as a gift.

Blessings are birthed by changing the way you think. 

Romans 12:2  (NKJV)

2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. 

  

  

If you want God to work in your life, it begins with surrender.  

David began as a forgotten shepherd boy.

David was left behind by his father when Samuel came to chose a new king. 

1 Samuel 16:6-7 (NKJV)

6 So it was, when they came, that he looked at Eliab and said, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is before Him!”

7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have [a]refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

1. The blessing of identity. 

Don't define yourself by anyone, but by what God says about you. 

Be who you are, and be what God has created you to be.

1 Samuel 16:11 (NKJV)

11 And Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all the young men here?” Then he said, “There remains yet the youngest, and there he is, keeping the sheep.”

And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him. For we will not sit down till he comes here.”

2. The blessing of now.   

David was forgotten by his father, but he was never offended by it.  

Don't miss the blessing of where you are right now.  

Do something with what you have right now.

Some are upset by where they are right now, but how they handle right now determines where they'll be next.  

David killed a lion and a bear, and learned how to play the harp.  

He didn't know that He had a giant in his future.

David was held back from the battle, but was chosen to bring the food.  

His brothers got mad when he showed up.

They thought he was there for the thrill of watching the battle.  

It didn't bother David.  He knew who he was and his motives. 

     

  

3. The blessing of focus.  

We must trust God when we can't perceive him.  

We must seek God first, and watch what He will do. 

1 Samuel 17:26  (NKJV)

Then David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? 

For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?”

Who is this giant David said?  

He doesn't even have a relationship with God!

  

Who do you think you are to speak against the army of God like that David said?  

David questioned the giant's authority to even be speaking.  

David was offended at the right thing.

Opposition makes you  stronger.

  

If you can't take a punch from your own brothers, you can't take it from your enemies. 

3. The blessing of walking and talking in faith.

The giant in you (God) is bigger than the giant in front of you (your problem). 1 John 4:4

When people say to you "never", they don't know how big your God is.  

We've got to talk it.  Then, we've got to walk it.

  

1 Samuel 17:41-47 (NKJV)

41 So the Philistine came, and began drawing near to David, and the man who bore the shield went before him. 

42 And when the Philistine looked about and saw David, he disdained him; for he was only a youth, ruddy and good-looking. 

43 So the Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.

44 And the Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!”

45 Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 

46 This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. 

47 Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands.”

We can't plan a move of God.  

We move at the speed of the Holy Spirit.  

Risk says I'm willing to lose this for that.  

Faith says that I can't lose.

You can't pray negative prayers and expect positive results.

Romans 8:37 (NKJV)

37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

1 John 4:4  (NKJV)

 He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

1 Samuel 17:48-50 (NKJV)

48 So it was, when the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, that David hurried and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. 

49 Then David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone; and he slung it and struck the Philistine in his forehead, so that the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the earth.

50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. But there was no sword in the hand of David.

The giant in front of me is no match for the giant (God) inside of me. 

Do you have God inside of you?  You can ask for Him to be.

Revelation 3:20 (NKJV)

Jesus speaking: Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.

Romans 10:13 (NKJV)

13 For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Jeremy Foster, Hope City Church

https://hopecity.com/sermons/hidden-blessings-pastor-jeremy-foster/