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Don't Give Up God's Best For Peanuts · Bible Tract Echoes Podcast

• 0:00
  [SPEAKER_01]: Hey friend, welcome back to Bible Tract Echoes.
• 0:02
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'm Mike McCurray, your host.
• 0:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: Today, we are going to continue a message I preached at camp not long ago.
• 0:11
  [SPEAKER_01]: I so deeply desire to invest in young people and camp is a phenomenal way, a way that makes that possible.
• 0:19
  [SPEAKER_01]: My hope, my prayer is that you'll listen, that you'll tune your heart and your mind to this sanking installment of this message titled Let Go.
• 0:29
  [SPEAKER_01]: and let God.
• 0:30
  [SPEAKER_01]: Now this will make more sense in just a moment, but I encourage you.
• 0:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: I didn't plore you.
• 0:35
  [SPEAKER_01]: Don't give up God's best for peanuts.
• 0:40
  [SPEAKER_01]: Now listen in as I preach to these wonderful young people.
• 0:44
  [SPEAKER_01]: There are some things that are too delicate to be held too firmly.
• 0:52
  [SPEAKER_01]: And you know what, many of you are doing in this precise note at this very moment.
• 0:58
  [SPEAKER_01]: And earlier today, and last night, as you were exhorted, rebuked at times, encouraged already to give up watching your hands.
• 1:10
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know what, some of you are doing?
• 1:13
  [SPEAKER_01]: You're holding that tender potential that God's given you.
• 1:17
  [SPEAKER_01]: Thinking I know what's best for what's in my hands, and I am only going to let go of this when I want to, instead of giving over to God what he asks for.
• 1:31
  [SPEAKER_01]: Can I encourage you this evening to let go and let God?
• 1:36
  [SPEAKER_01]: Do you really think he can't take care of what's in your hands?
• 1:42
  [SPEAKER_01]: Do you really think he can't take care of that, which is precious to you better than you can?
• 1:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: I remember my childhood, my children probably always have this thought and somebody goes along longer than others.
• 1:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: But there was a time when I was five or six or seven, my younger brother was maybe four and the youngest one was two and we'd rough house with my dad.
• 2:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: And all three of us would want to arm wrestle him at the same time.
• 2:09
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know, and he gets there on the dining room table or something, and we'd all grab on, and he'd play with us a little bit, and then half throw us across the table across the room, just boom, and bruise our knuckles, and prove the old man still got it, right?
• 2:24
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know, when you're a child, there's a massive difference between the relative strength of you and your father.
• 2:32
  [SPEAKER_01]: Did you know?
• 2:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: that there's a massive difference between the strength of your hands and the strengths of God's hands.
• 2:40
  [SPEAKER_01]: There's a lot that the Bible says, but from A to Z, we'll use follow along for just a moment when you don't understand the power difference.
• 2:49
  [SPEAKER_01]: I want you to remember this.
• 2:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: When you are about to quit, he reaches down as Abba.
• 2:54
  [SPEAKER_01]: Father, when I forget to count my blessings and my hands start to blister and break from my burdens, I think about the blessed hope breaking through the clouds with an outstretched hand.
• 3:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: When I'm crushed under circumstances, I remember the chief shepherd and his carrying hands when I think I might as well die the delivering hands show up.
• 3:14
  [SPEAKER_01]: When I get emotional, the hand of El Shaddai, God Almighty makes the appearance.
• 3:19
  [SPEAKER_01]: When I'm nothing but a failure, his hands are always still faithful.
• 3:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: When I get down and I give up the gracious hands of God, give relief.
• 3:28
  [SPEAKER_01]: When the way gets hard and I'm hurting, his helping hand is right there.
• 3:32
  [SPEAKER_01]: When I think it's impossible, the hand of I am shows up.
• 3:35
  [SPEAKER_01]: When I judge myself in my past, the judge says, I don't remember them anymore.
• 3:42
  [SPEAKER_01]: When I'm about to kill over,
• 3:44
  [SPEAKER_01]: the king of kings is on his way.
• 3:47
  [SPEAKER_01]: When my hands are limited, I remember he didn't even need his hands to say, let their be light.
• 3:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: When I'm me can lowly, he's mighty and powerful.
• 3:59
  [SPEAKER_01]: When I'm not enough, I think about the name that is above every name and his nail scarred hands.
• 4:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: When it seems like I'm the only one serving God, our father, he says,
• 4:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: This looks like an opportunity for my glory.
• 4:10
  [SPEAKER_01]: When I'm persecuted, there's a prince of peace.
• 4:12
  [SPEAKER_01]: When I want to quit, the Bible says the very mountains quake at his presence.
• 4:15
  [SPEAKER_01]: When I'm reeling, he's a refuge.
• 4:17
  [SPEAKER_01]: When I'm satisfied, there's a shepherd.
• 4:19
  [SPEAKER_01]: When I'm tired, he's timeless.
• 4:21
  [SPEAKER_01]: When I'm under circumstances, the undisputed champion of the universe lifts his hands in victory.
• 4:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: When I feel like a victim.
• 4:30
  [SPEAKER_01]: I remember I've been grafted into the vine.
• 4:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: When I'm weak, I remember his hand ever wavers.
• 4:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: When I'm overextended, almost expired and exhausted, the exalted, excellent hand of God is right on time.
• 4:47
  [SPEAKER_01]: Your life may seem hard, but your heavenly Father is reaching out his hand.
• 4:54
  [SPEAKER_01]: And when you can't find your zeal, remember Zion is on the other shore.
• 5:00
  [SPEAKER_01]: Are you doubting his hands?
• 5:02
  [SPEAKER_01]: You've heard the illustration very likely, but I checked this, because it sounded like one of those sermon illustrations that strayed a little bit far from real science.
• 5:13
  [SPEAKER_01]: You ever heard, but so you never heard one of those before, I'm sure.
• 5:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: You've heard about how they catch monkeys in the jungle.
• 5:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: They will drill a tiny small hole in a coconut sometimes.
• 5:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: And they'll empty out what's inside and use a sticker, something to scrape out as much as they can in there, let it fall out, let it dry out a little bit.
• 5:35
  [SPEAKER_01]: And then they'll put rice or peanuts down inside there, just empty them and down in there.
• 5:41
  [SPEAKER_01]: And then they'll leave them out, but they'll put it, they'll drill through the other side and put a rope to connect that to a tree that coconut.
• 5:49
  [SPEAKER_01]: And they'll leave them scattered around the paths of the jungle and monkeys will come along, small little monkeys.
• 5:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: and they'll smell the peanuts or the rice, they realize there's an easy food source and so they'll grab that coconut and they'll hold it and the first thing they do is they want that so they don't think I need to dump this out they just stick their hand down in there the hole is just big enough for the hand to just barely squeeze as I try to reach down in the couch cushions for the when you lost the TV remote you know what I'm talking about
• 6:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: You see, here's the thing, you can't get the remote back out.
• 6:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: Once you close your hand around it, and those monkeys can't get their hands back out when they close them around those peanuts, because now they're hand, it's only one peanut.
• 6:32
  [SPEAKER_01]: But for a little monkey, it's just, but God forbid, I'm not letting go of this peanut.
• 6:41
  [SPEAKER_01]: Nothing, and the hunter can literally walk right up to them and throw a net over them.
• 6:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: as they scramble to get away all the while just holding on to coconut hands.
• 6:56
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know why you don't make lasting decisions because you come to the altar, service after service with coconut hands.
• 7:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: You come up here, walking up here, you mind as well have a large coconut strapped around your hand and you just won't let go of that which got you come here
• 7:15
  [SPEAKER_01]: You even write things down, but you won't let go of that, which is really in your hand.
• 7:22
  [SPEAKER_01]: And you plaster over it with, I need to be a better Christian.
• 7:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: Or you give the, I need to read my Bible more.
• 7:29
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, all of us do.
• 7:30
  [SPEAKER_01]: What's really the issue?
• 7:32
  [SPEAKER_01]: We know that.
• 7:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: We all, we could all write that decision down and all be more honest for it.
• 7:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: Okay.
• 7:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: I need to write my, we read my Bible more.
• 7:40
  [SPEAKER_01]: I need to pray more.
• 7:42
  [SPEAKER_01]: I need to be a better Christian.
• 7:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: But let's get down to the root of the problem.
• 7:45
  [SPEAKER_01]: See, God is so kind that he deals with the symptoms.
• 7:50
  [SPEAKER_01]: He sues hurt feelings and things, but he does such a great job of getting down and cutting to the quick.
• 7:58
  [SPEAKER_01]: The problem is, you are figuratively giving up what's best for you over figurative peanuts.
• 8:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: Because you won't let go of what's in your hands.
• 8:10
  [SPEAKER_01]: Will you let go and let God?
• 8:11
  [SPEAKER_01]: Psalm twenty-four verse three says, this, who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord?
• 8:17
  [SPEAKER_01]: Or who shall stand in his holy place?
• 8:21
  [SPEAKER_01]: He that half clean hands.
• 8:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: and a pure heart.
• 8:30
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know why?
• 8:32
  [SPEAKER_01]: So many of you can't get right?
• 8:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: Peanuts.
• 8:36
  [SPEAKER_01]: A monkey's life is ended in a Christian's life is ruined.
• 8:40
  [SPEAKER_01]: Over Peanuts.
• 8:42
  [SPEAKER_01]: I heard a preacher tell the story.
• 8:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: I recently had the opportunity to sit for just brief moments next to the final resting place of my
• 8:53
  [SPEAKER_01]: Grandmother-in-law, godly lady, Grandma Lina.
• 8:56
  [SPEAKER_01]: My kids call her G.G.
• 8:58
  [SPEAKER_01]: Grandma Gray.
• 8:59
  [SPEAKER_01]: Godly lady.
• 9:01
  [SPEAKER_01]: She would routinely no joke, no hyperbally.
• 9:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: She'd routinely pray for three or four hours a day.
• 9:09
  [SPEAKER_01]: Missionaries and pastors, she had a little car that she had made if you fill that out.
• 9:13
  [SPEAKER_01]: I can't hardly remember pastors, after I have to remeet all of you every year or coming around.
• 9:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: But she'd walk up to you and say, how is your boy doing?
• 9:19
  [SPEAKER_01]: The way we're done.
• 9:21
  [SPEAKER_01]: And she features eyes brim with tears because Lena had been praying for the prodigal.
• 9:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: Three or four hours a day.
• 9:28
  [SPEAKER_01]: I got to sit beside her.
• 9:31
  [SPEAKER_01]: She's like energized her bunny.
• 9:32
  [SPEAKER_01]: She was on hospice for two years.
• 9:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: But she finally, back in May, stepped over onto the golden shore.
• 9:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: And it may be think of what a preacher said.
• 9:41
  [SPEAKER_01]: He was sitting on his porch.
• 9:45
  [SPEAKER_01]: He came out there because Grandma was sitting out there.
• 9:47
  [SPEAKER_01]: She was sitting there rocking chair.
• 9:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: Wasn't rocking though.
• 9:49
  [SPEAKER_01]: She was just sitting there.
• 9:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: Still.
• 9:52
  [SPEAKER_01]: And she seemed to be staring out her hands.
• 9:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: Her children, grandchildren, had begun to worry just a little bit about her mind slipping.
• 10:00
  [SPEAKER_01]: Just a few things, misplace things and get a little bottle because she couldn't quite remember.
• 10:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: And she wasn't forgetting names yet, but he was thinking, oh no, it's again worse.
• 10:10
  [SPEAKER_01]: And he just sat there for a few minutes.
• 10:14
  [SPEAKER_01]: And finally, it bothered him so much.
• 10:15
  [SPEAKER_01]: He said, Grandma, what are you doing?
• 10:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: She's just looking at her weathered hands.
• 10:25
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'm just looking at my hands.
• 10:28
  [SPEAKER_01]: And he said, I see that grandma.
• 10:31
  [SPEAKER_01]: Why are you looking at your hands?
• 10:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: She said, you know, eight years ago, I held your father as a toddler with these hands.
• 10:41
  [SPEAKER_01]: And before that, I picked a rose.
• 10:44
  [SPEAKER_01]: I remember seven years old.
• 10:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: I remember picking a rose from my mom's garden with these hands.
• 10:52
  [SPEAKER_01]: I got tricked on my finger right here.
• 10:53
  [SPEAKER_01]: I remember that.
• 10:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: these hands, they've done so many things.
• 11:00
  [SPEAKER_01]: And these the hands, these are the hands that God Almighty is going to take me by when He calls me home.
• 11:12
  [SPEAKER_01]: You'll trust Him supposedly for eternity
• 11:19
  [SPEAKER_01]: You say, I know Christ, God Almighty is taking me to heaven when I die.
• 11:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: You can trust Him for eternity, but you can't trust Him for the here and now.
• 11:29
  [SPEAKER_01]: Friend, I hope you'll tune in all this week.
• 11:32
  [SPEAKER_01]: As we talk about summer camp, I hope the message that is being preached this week on the radio broadcast will be a help to you that maybe it'll make you ponder some things about how you are approaching God's plan for your life.
• 11:46
  [SPEAKER_01]: I love camp.
• 11:47
  [SPEAKER_01]: I love summer camp.
• 11:48
  [SPEAKER_01]: I spend as I mentioned weeks there throughout the year.
• 11:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: I'm right in the middle of seven weeks of camp.
• 11:55
  [SPEAKER_01]: Just about seven weeks straight of camp.
• 11:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: And we're excited about all that God is going to do going to continue to do.
• 12:01
  [SPEAKER_01]: But as I invest in young people here at camp,
• 12:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: I ask you to do the same.
• 12:06
  [SPEAKER_01]: I encourage you as you're able to get involved in the ministries of your local church.
• 12:10
  [SPEAKER_01]: I encourage you maybe, maybe teach us on this whole class, maybe help, maybe a part of a vacation Bible school do something for the cause of Christ and to reach young people.
• 12:19
  [SPEAKER_01]: Friend, thank you so very much for listening in today tomorrow.
• 12:23
  [SPEAKER_01]: We are going to conclude this message on letting go and letting God, I'm going to encourage the tune in tomorrow as well as we continue to focus in on summer camp.
• 12:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: Please, please pray for myself and my family as we invest in young people all over America through camp.
• 12:41
  [SPEAKER_01]: Have a great day for his glory.
• 12:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: We'll talk to you soon.
• 12:44
  [SPEAKER_01]: God bless.
• 13:12
  [UNKNOWN]: you
• 13:16
  [SPEAKER_00]: Thank you for tuning in to Bible Tract Echoes, the radio ministry of Bible Tracts Incorporated.
• 13:23
  [SPEAKER_00]: Want to see our gospel tracks and other resources?
• 13:26
  [SPEAKER_00]: Visit us online at BibleTracksInk.org.
• 13:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: That's BibleTracksInk.org or follow us on social media to learn how you can partner with this ministry.
• 13:40
  [SPEAKER_00]: Thanks again for listening.
• 13:42
  [SPEAKER_00]: May the Lord richly bless you as you live for him.