Frumping, Slumping, and Dumping                 September 25, 2009

                                                                          By Doug Davis  

I know that a lot of us have been going through some very difficult times.

Financial, along with some other very serious trials.

Sometimes, it feels like our lives are just one long drought.

If you haven't been going through this, rejoice in the Lord!

Our nature wants to complain, gripe, and get angry.

We want to blame someone, or something.

If we can manage to blame, then we can focus on that, and make it the cause of everything.

It isn't my fault, it is his, hers, or its.

It is that event, that sickness, or whatever.

You see, our minds go through all sorts of things, when things feel like they are going belly up on us.

But, there is a way out of all this, there is a way out of everything.

Our tunnel does have an end.

It may be so far away we can't see it, our eyes may be to dim to see the light, but there is an end.

I'm talking about a way out of our problems right now, here, and now, today.

Let me show you something in God's word that will encourage you.

Hab 3:17-19

17 Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, 

18 yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior. 

19 The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights. 

Look at that first verse.

17 Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, 

No produce, no meat to eat, nothing.

Nothing is working right, everything is going wrong.

A total drought.

Life is bad news, and I'm stuck right in the middle of it.

Folks, I'm talking from real experience, and not from years, or even months ago.

I'm talking about right now!

When everything is going wrong, when everything you try fails, When you have the anti Midas touch, everything you touch turns to lead, or clay, then move on to verse 18.

18 yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior. 

Huh? I will do what?

I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in the Lord my Savior.

Rejoice, joyful?

Wait, we can't put the cart in front of the horse.

Before we can rejoice, and be joyful, there is something we have to do.

We have to will!

It is our will that decides how we face trials.

It is our will whether we rejoice, and are joyful, or frump, slump, and dump.

Frumping, slumping, and dumping, is not a good habit.

When we frump, we pout.

When we slump, our countenance is downcast, and mournful, and when we dump, we unload, or puke on someone.

I know, Bob has endured a lot of my dumping, and yet, he still hangs around.

That is true friendship!

EZE 7:17 'All hands will hang limp and all knees will become like water.

That is true frumping, and slumping.

HEB 12:12 Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble,

I like this verse in the KJV.

HEB 12:12 Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;

The hands that hang down, that's slumping, and feeble knees, that's frumping.

We are to lift up our hands, and be strengthened.

This is a matter of our will.

PSA 7:17 I will give thanks to the Lord according to His righteousness And will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.

PSA 9:2 I will be glad and exult in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High. PSA 34:1 I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

We've talked about frumping, and slumping, but what about dumping?

NUM 11:1 Now the people became like those who complain of adversity in the hearing of the Lord; and when the Lord heard it, His anger was kindled, and the fire of the Lord burned among them and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp.

Woe, I'm not liking the sound of that!

God doesn't like my complaining?

He gets ticked off when I dump?

Well, this verse says He does.

There were even some very bad results of the complaining, the dumping, or puking, as I like to call it.

May the Lord show me mercy for my lack of faith.

Remember, HEB 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.

Oops, I think I need to repent, and mean it, how about you?

Now, let's look at verse 19 of our original text.

HAB 3:19 The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights. 

Our Lord is our strength.

When we have no more strength, and feel like we can't go on any longer, then we have to learn the hard lesson of letting God be our strength.

Tell Him you are weak, He knows it.

Tell Him you feel like you can't go on, He knows that too.

He's just waiting for us to take our hands off it, step back, and say, “OK Lord, I haven't a clue here.

Everything is blowing up in my face, crumbling in the dust, and turning to ashes.

Now what?”

Then God says, “Alright, finally!

Now, let me step in, and take care of it for you.”

However, we do have the responsibility of lifting our hands, praising Him, rejoicing, and being joyful.

Regardless of circumstances.

In fact, in spite of them.

I remember a song from way back that said, “little is much, if God is in it.”

Do you believe that?

Yes?

No?

Maybe, not sure?

If you are honest with God, I bet a lot of us would find ourselves in that last section, maybe, not sure; I'm trying.

Again, it all comes back to our will.

I “will” praise Him.

I “will” rejoice, and be joyful.”

It isn't a sign that we don't care what is going on around us, it is a sign that we have faith, and remember, without faith, it is impossible to please God!

Let's start working on our wills.

I will trust in Him, I will be happy.

I will have faith.

Easier said, than done!

Let's pray.