Failure With Pain and Failure With Promise by Brother Duke Hansen

         We base a lot of our life off what the world teaches. Our own experiences, emotions, lessons, we take those and form our own mindset. This is what we need to remember as we walk this path with God, as we build our house. Without the Lord, we labor in vain as we build it.

        This morning's scripture is going to be Psalm 127. We also will be going to the book of Luke a little later. We will start at verse 1 of Psalm 127.

        Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.

        2 It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.

        We often go through our days carrying our concerns and issues of life on our back or cradle it about for others to see. It's a burden that we add to when we associate with people who are always unloading their problems onto those around them. You tend to add to your load until you can't move.

        3 Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.

        4 As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man, so are the children of the youth.

        5 Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.

        If God is going to build our house, we need to follow his commandments and rules in scripture. Taking the simple steps of obedience does not automatically give you all the knowledge you need.

        Failure with pain is when we do things our way in life. This mindset is iniquity. When your way doesn't work, you are on your knees praying to God for help. That actually may be the only times God ever hears from you. 95% of believers speak the verses almost everyone knows, beat their chest in public or online, and be completely obnoxious or belligerent professing their faith in public. The remaining 5% stay in their prayer closet, not stray from God's way, seeking God's face. They live a life of peace and humility. 

        All we look at life from is the vantage point of the flesh. We look at situations from an emotional standpoint and what we gain or benefit from in the end. When we begin to look at life from God's perspective, the view is so much more different. Yes, you will still stumble and fall. You will still fail at moments as well as yor struggles but you could fail with promise rather than fail with pain. Everything we do in life there's the reminder of just stick to the basics. Failure doesn't cost you anything. Many people are searching for the how of mysteries. Prayer is the answer to the search. Mothers have the knowledge to fix problems, know and respect their intuitions when it comes to their children. This is a good illustration of God working with us as believers. Your flesh has no problem failing with pain.

        If you do something right 3 times correct, you form a habit. God wants you and I to experience failure in life because that failure keeps our flesh humble. All men are subject to their flesh, failure, and pain.

        We will go to the next Psalm in scripture psalm 128.

        Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord; that walketh in his ways.

        So many people live and are so accustomed to seeing in darkness that God doesn't see them. Someone who prays without ceasing for you and you house may point you to God. A question I want you to think on for your answer is when do you learn to fear God? The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. You having needs will have you looking for God, but it's not enduring enough to keep you on the trail.

        2 For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee.

        Blessings are on the path. There are many paths in life. To fear the Lord is to know him. You will be fruitful with your life if you follow verse 1.

        3 Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table.

        4 Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord.

        5 The Lord shall bless thee out of Zion: and thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life.

        6 Yea, thou shalt see thy children's children, and peace upon Israel.

        This path towards promise, knowing there will be failure along the way, has the potential to be generational. Blessings passed down from generation to generation.

        We are now going to the book of Luke at the first chapter. We are going to begin with verse 46. Mary has just been visited by the angel Gabriel who foretells Jesus' birth earlier in the chapter. Where we are reading from, Mary is visiting her cousin Elisabeth, who is pregnant with John the Baptist.

        46 And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,

        When God gets a hold of you by your soul, it's a different type of grab. He can prick your heart often, but not so much your soul.

        47 And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior.

        48 For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.

        There's something so special about God regarding you. Yes, you sitting there reading this.

        49 For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.

        50 And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.

        Verse 50 is a call back to the Psalm we read earlier.

        51 He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

        52 He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.

        53 He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent away.

        54 He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy;

        Hardship and struggle are what occur to people as reminders of God's mercy. If you don't fear God today, you will eventually do so if you allow God. Life has no value if there is no consequence or struggle.

        55 As he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed forever.

        What God spoke in verse 55 is his word. He was speaking to Abraham and the subsequent generations that followed. God is still to this day talking to people who are open and ready to receive.

        Jesus had the duality of being the son of man and son of God. It is inspiring how he denied his flesh all the way to the cross. Go back when you have time to read the entirety of Mary's monologue. The amount of knowledge professed is great.

        Going back now to the original point. You are going to fail in life. Are you going to fail with pain or fail with promise? To allow is a decision and a strength while disallowing your flesh. Our conflict is we are trying to love Jesus and want the world to love us. The common thread of the flesh is thinking we know it all. We become lost to our own imaginations, down different rabbit holes. It doesn't cost us anything to learn. God has provided the knowledge for free. Start living life that is omnipresent and the devil isn't. With promise there's hope. There's getting up when you failed and tried again.