1 00:00:01,520 --> 00:00:04,080 Speaker 1: Hey, this is Stephen Ferdick. I'm the pastor of Elevation 2 00:00:04,320 --> 00:00:06,560 Speaker 1: Church and this is our podcast. I wanted to thank 3 00:00:06,600 --> 00:00:09,879 Speaker 1: you for joining us today. Hope this inspires you. Hope 4 00:00:09,920 --> 00:00:11,959 Speaker 1: it builds your faith. Hope it gives your perspective to 5 00:00:11,960 --> 00:00:13,560 Speaker 1: see God as moving in your life. 6 00:00:13,840 --> 00:00:16,560 Speaker 2: Enjoy the message. 7 00:00:17,480 --> 00:00:22,280 Speaker 3: Our key passage today is going to be Genesis fifty twenty. 8 00:00:22,920 --> 00:00:27,800 Speaker 3: Genesis fifty twenty says this you intended to harm me, 9 00:00:30,240 --> 00:00:36,120 Speaker 3: but God intended it for good, to accomplish what is 10 00:00:36,159 --> 00:00:39,720 Speaker 3: now being done, the saving of many lives. 11 00:00:40,920 --> 00:00:42,480 Speaker 2: Thank you Lord for this word. 12 00:00:42,640 --> 00:00:45,080 Speaker 3: Thank you that it can get down inside of us, 13 00:00:45,200 --> 00:00:49,479 Speaker 3: rearrange some thoughts that we have, motivate us to trust 14 00:00:49,520 --> 00:00:53,279 Speaker 3: you more. God, you are faithful, You are good. In 15 00:00:53,320 --> 00:00:57,680 Speaker 3: your Holy name. We pray and everyone said Amen. When 16 00:00:57,680 --> 00:01:04,280 Speaker 3: I read this verse, I am absolutely struck by this reality, 17 00:01:05,200 --> 00:01:08,440 Speaker 3: this person, this group, this entity. 18 00:01:08,840 --> 00:01:11,600 Speaker 2: You intended to harm me. 19 00:01:12,680 --> 00:01:17,399 Speaker 3: At the same time, God also has an intention. 20 00:01:18,640 --> 00:01:20,119 Speaker 2: And God's intention is. 21 00:01:20,080 --> 00:01:24,800 Speaker 3: To take whatever has happened and to use it for good, 22 00:01:25,240 --> 00:01:30,000 Speaker 3: for the saving of many lives. You see, with God, 23 00:01:30,520 --> 00:01:35,440 Speaker 3: there's always two things happening at the same time. There 24 00:01:35,560 --> 00:01:39,160 Speaker 3: is the physical reality of what we see, and there 25 00:01:39,240 --> 00:01:43,600 Speaker 3: is the certainty of the good that God is eventually 26 00:01:43,640 --> 00:01:46,319 Speaker 3: going to do no matter what we walk through. 27 00:01:46,360 --> 00:01:49,160 Speaker 2: Amen. Amen, you guys can have a seat. 28 00:01:50,440 --> 00:01:52,600 Speaker 3: I thought I would start off today by showing you 29 00:01:52,640 --> 00:01:56,480 Speaker 3: some pictures of my family. My family has changed quite 30 00:01:56,520 --> 00:02:00,040 Speaker 3: a bit, grown quite a bit, and so since you 31 00:02:00,120 --> 00:02:03,840 Speaker 3: guys are such an important part, I wanted to go 32 00:02:03,880 --> 00:02:07,000 Speaker 3: ahead and throw up some pictures here. Okay, So this 33 00:02:07,120 --> 00:02:11,680 Speaker 3: picture is my whole family. And many of you know 34 00:02:11,760 --> 00:02:16,639 Speaker 3: my story. I walked through a really, really devastating divorce 35 00:02:16,800 --> 00:02:24,400 Speaker 3: many years ago, and in God's goodness and to my amazement, 36 00:02:25,680 --> 00:02:27,600 Speaker 3: I learned. 37 00:02:27,160 --> 00:02:30,000 Speaker 2: To trust again. And that was really hard. 38 00:02:31,160 --> 00:02:34,480 Speaker 3: But God brought an incredible man into my life. And 39 00:02:34,560 --> 00:02:37,840 Speaker 3: so in January of last year, we got married. And 40 00:02:37,960 --> 00:02:41,760 Speaker 3: so there's my family. I know. Now I want to 41 00:02:41,800 --> 00:02:46,480 Speaker 3: tell you something really fun. So this is my husband, Chaz. 42 00:02:46,520 --> 00:02:49,919 Speaker 3: He's right here on the front row. Hey, babe. So 43 00:02:50,440 --> 00:02:55,320 Speaker 3: when Chaz and I were getting together and learning about 44 00:02:55,320 --> 00:03:00,080 Speaker 3: one another, I quickly learned he has two children. We 45 00:03:00,240 --> 00:03:03,280 Speaker 3: have five children. Okay, So I just want you to 46 00:03:03,320 --> 00:03:06,440 Speaker 3: help me do the math here. No, I have five children. 47 00:03:06,600 --> 00:03:10,000 Speaker 3: His two children are younger than mine, and so at 48 00:03:10,000 --> 00:03:12,880 Speaker 3: this point, it's just two children. I have five children 49 00:03:12,919 --> 00:03:15,480 Speaker 3: who are a little bit older. Four of my five 50 00:03:15,560 --> 00:03:17,960 Speaker 3: kids are married, one has a significant girlfriend. So when 51 00:03:17,960 --> 00:03:19,560 Speaker 3: you add all of that up, now I'm bringing ten 52 00:03:19,560 --> 00:03:22,480 Speaker 3: people to the table, right. I also had three grandkids 53 00:03:22,480 --> 00:03:25,440 Speaker 3: at the time, so now I'm bringing how many thirteen 54 00:03:25,480 --> 00:03:26,320 Speaker 3: people to the table? 55 00:03:27,320 --> 00:03:27,799 Speaker 2: Okay. 56 00:03:28,240 --> 00:03:33,240 Speaker 3: And then in twenty twenty four, after we were married, 57 00:03:33,680 --> 00:03:38,040 Speaker 3: but very shortly something miraculous and beautiful, beautiful. 58 00:03:37,600 --> 00:03:38,560 Speaker 2: Started to happening. 59 00:03:39,160 --> 00:03:43,960 Speaker 3: I had five grandchildren born last year alone. 60 00:03:44,120 --> 00:03:47,000 Speaker 2: Okay, So now I'm bringing how. 61 00:03:46,840 --> 00:03:50,240 Speaker 3: Many people to the table? Eighteen and et rings two, 62 00:03:50,320 --> 00:03:52,920 Speaker 3: so between the two of us we have twenty people. Okay, great, 63 00:03:54,120 --> 00:03:55,560 Speaker 3: all right, I want to show you a couple other 64 00:03:55,600 --> 00:03:56,760 Speaker 3: pictures really quickly. 65 00:03:57,000 --> 00:03:59,000 Speaker 2: Okay. So these are my three. 66 00:03:58,640 --> 00:04:03,839 Speaker 3: Grandchildren I started off with at our wedding, and that's 67 00:04:03,840 --> 00:04:09,240 Speaker 3: Susie Selena Unriiser precious, amazing gifts from God. And then 68 00:04:10,200 --> 00:04:14,560 Speaker 3: my son had twins born in February. That's legend in 69 00:04:14,600 --> 00:04:17,960 Speaker 3: London and today is their birthday, first birthday. Have your 70 00:04:18,000 --> 00:04:22,159 Speaker 3: birthday legend London, okay. And then my daughter had sweet 71 00:04:22,160 --> 00:04:24,880 Speaker 3: little windsor l who is in the middle. We call 72 00:04:24,960 --> 00:04:30,320 Speaker 3: her Winnie and then my youngest or my oldest daughter 73 00:04:30,360 --> 00:04:34,560 Speaker 3: and my middle daughter had little boys in November, and 74 00:04:34,640 --> 00:04:36,360 Speaker 3: their names are River and Percy. 75 00:04:36,600 --> 00:04:39,360 Speaker 2: So that's my clan, right. 76 00:04:40,720 --> 00:04:47,040 Speaker 3: So it's very, very easy though to look at those 77 00:04:47,120 --> 00:04:50,640 Speaker 3: pictures of us all smiling and just go, Wow, what 78 00:04:51,760 --> 00:04:55,120 Speaker 3: a neat family, right, And I am so blessed. I 79 00:04:55,160 --> 00:04:57,120 Speaker 3: think I do have a really neat family. But make 80 00:04:57,200 --> 00:05:01,560 Speaker 3: no mistake, my family's been through a lot, a lot. 81 00:05:02,000 --> 00:05:04,160 Speaker 3: I don't have to tell you that because I would 82 00:05:04,200 --> 00:05:08,080 Speaker 3: imagine in your own way and different circumstances that have happened, 83 00:05:08,120 --> 00:05:11,359 Speaker 3: your family has been through a lot too, because there's 84 00:05:11,600 --> 00:05:13,120 Speaker 3: really no one that gets. 85 00:05:12,880 --> 00:05:14,839 Speaker 2: Through this life unscathed, right. 86 00:05:16,600 --> 00:05:20,880 Speaker 3: And part of a big part of my story was 87 00:05:21,080 --> 00:05:26,200 Speaker 3: that I'd had my trust so broken, so shattered, that 88 00:05:26,400 --> 00:05:30,320 Speaker 3: I started transferring the trust issues I had with another 89 00:05:30,400 --> 00:05:34,000 Speaker 3: person and even other people. I started transferring those trust 90 00:05:34,040 --> 00:05:40,640 Speaker 3: issues into my relationship with God. Trust is the oxygen 91 00:05:40,839 --> 00:05:44,960 Speaker 3: of all human relationships. You starve a relationship of trust, 92 00:05:45,040 --> 00:05:47,479 Speaker 3: and you starve at a vibrancy, You possibly even starve 93 00:05:47,520 --> 00:05:53,240 Speaker 3: it to death. And what can so easily happen when 94 00:05:53,760 --> 00:05:58,600 Speaker 3: we are struggling in trust with another human is it 95 00:05:58,640 --> 00:06:01,440 Speaker 3: can start to feel like, God, if you are really good, 96 00:06:01,520 --> 00:06:05,320 Speaker 3: why aren't you fixing that situation? Why aren't you showing 97 00:06:05,360 --> 00:06:08,280 Speaker 3: that person that they shouldn't be doing this? Why why 98 00:06:08,320 --> 00:06:11,840 Speaker 3: aren't you taking care of things that you could prevent? 99 00:06:11,920 --> 00:06:15,120 Speaker 3: And I don't understand why you didn't prevent it, and 100 00:06:15,200 --> 00:06:17,320 Speaker 3: it can really start to mess you up. You see, 101 00:06:17,720 --> 00:06:21,880 Speaker 3: our brain is wired for the confidence of knowing. Our 102 00:06:22,000 --> 00:06:26,960 Speaker 3: brain is always scanning what we see, and we are 103 00:06:27,000 --> 00:06:29,360 Speaker 3: depending on our brain to say you're safe or you're 104 00:06:29,360 --> 00:06:34,560 Speaker 3: not safe. Right, And so as my brain sometimes scans 105 00:06:34,960 --> 00:06:39,240 Speaker 3: what I'm seeing, if I don't remember that what I'm 106 00:06:39,320 --> 00:06:42,599 Speaker 3: seeing is not the full story, then I can start 107 00:06:42,640 --> 00:06:46,200 Speaker 3: to judge whether or not God is faithful based on 108 00:06:46,279 --> 00:06:49,160 Speaker 3: the circumstances that are right in front of me. Right, 109 00:06:49,520 --> 00:06:52,800 Speaker 3: that's right. So we've got to find a different way 110 00:06:53,160 --> 00:06:56,880 Speaker 3: to look at what we're facing. I want to know 111 00:06:57,960 --> 00:07:01,040 Speaker 3: what's going to happen. I want to know how it's 112 00:07:01,080 --> 00:07:02,719 Speaker 3: going to turn out, and I want to know that 113 00:07:02,760 --> 00:07:07,240 Speaker 3: it will eventually be really good. God just wants me 114 00:07:07,320 --> 00:07:11,080 Speaker 3: to know him. God wants me to know Him and 115 00:07:11,200 --> 00:07:15,360 Speaker 3: his faithfulness and his goodness. Part of my morning prayer 116 00:07:15,440 --> 00:07:17,840 Speaker 3: that I pray every morning. You've probably heard me say 117 00:07:17,840 --> 00:07:22,880 Speaker 3: this before I intentionally verbalize out loud. God you are good. 118 00:07:23,880 --> 00:07:26,720 Speaker 3: God you are good to me, and God you are 119 00:07:26,760 --> 00:07:31,640 Speaker 3: good at being God. Even if people aren't good, circumstances 120 00:07:31,680 --> 00:07:36,400 Speaker 3: aren't good, finances aren't good, situations aren't good. But God, 121 00:07:36,560 --> 00:07:40,160 Speaker 3: I've got to approach every day, and I've got to 122 00:07:40,200 --> 00:07:42,920 Speaker 3: make the lens through which I look at my day 123 00:07:42,920 --> 00:07:46,440 Speaker 3: and all that i'll face today. God, you are good, 124 00:07:46,960 --> 00:07:49,520 Speaker 3: You are good to me, and you are good at 125 00:07:49,560 --> 00:07:53,120 Speaker 3: being God. But sometimes, right that's all true. We can 126 00:07:53,160 --> 00:08:01,800 Speaker 3: celebrate that, yes, absolutely, but sometimes it's really really hard 127 00:08:02,800 --> 00:08:06,360 Speaker 3: to trust that God really does have it all under 128 00:08:06,440 --> 00:08:12,760 Speaker 3: control when suddenly situations go from hard to more hard, 129 00:08:13,320 --> 00:08:16,040 Speaker 3: to even harder to more hard, to more heart to 130 00:08:16,120 --> 00:08:18,800 Speaker 3: more hard. And I don't know if any of you 131 00:08:18,800 --> 00:08:21,120 Speaker 3: guys have been in that place, or if you're in 132 00:08:21,160 --> 00:08:23,680 Speaker 3: that place today, but I pray that this is a 133 00:08:23,720 --> 00:08:28,840 Speaker 3: word for you. You see this verse Genesis fifty twenty. 134 00:08:30,080 --> 00:08:35,760 Speaker 3: It's not where Joseph's life starts. Joseph is saying these 135 00:08:35,760 --> 00:08:38,480 Speaker 3: words to his brother, but this is toward the very 136 00:08:38,640 --> 00:08:41,559 Speaker 3: end of his story, or to a place of this 137 00:08:41,720 --> 00:08:44,720 Speaker 3: story where things were more resolved than they are when 138 00:08:44,760 --> 00:08:50,280 Speaker 3: we begin. And so Joseph has gone through a lot, 139 00:08:52,440 --> 00:08:56,560 Speaker 3: and going through a lot has built a resilience in 140 00:08:56,679 --> 00:09:01,440 Speaker 3: Joseph that has enabled him to say these words with 141 00:09:01,720 --> 00:09:06,520 Speaker 3: absolute confidence. You intended to harm me, brothers, but God 142 00:09:06,880 --> 00:09:10,320 Speaker 3: intends it for good, for the saving of many lives, 143 00:09:10,320 --> 00:09:12,920 Speaker 3: to accomplish a purpose that is now being done. 144 00:09:13,120 --> 00:09:14,439 Speaker 2: So let's turn back to. 145 00:09:15,880 --> 00:09:18,840 Speaker 3: Earlier in Joseph's story, because I think when we turn 146 00:09:18,920 --> 00:09:21,360 Speaker 3: back earlier in Joseph's story, we're going to get a 147 00:09:21,360 --> 00:09:25,479 Speaker 3: better understanding of all that Joseph had to go through before. 148 00:09:25,160 --> 00:09:27,800 Speaker 2: He said those amazing words. 149 00:09:28,080 --> 00:09:30,760 Speaker 3: We go back to Genesis thirty seven, and in Genesis 150 00:09:30,840 --> 00:09:34,440 Speaker 3: thirty seven, verse two, it says this, this is the 151 00:09:34,480 --> 00:09:39,400 Speaker 3: account of Jacob's family line. Joseph, a young man of seventeen, 152 00:09:39,960 --> 00:09:42,720 Speaker 3: was tending his flocks with his brothers, the sons of 153 00:09:43,160 --> 00:09:46,560 Speaker 3: hard Word and the sons of another hard word, his 154 00:09:46,640 --> 00:09:52,800 Speaker 3: father's wives, and he brought their father a bad report 155 00:09:52,880 --> 00:09:59,600 Speaker 3: about them. Now, Israel, this is the father. Israel loved 156 00:09:59,720 --> 00:10:03,480 Speaker 3: Joe Joseph more than any of his other sons because 157 00:10:03,520 --> 00:10:05,440 Speaker 3: he'd been born to him in his old age, and 158 00:10:05,480 --> 00:10:09,240 Speaker 3: he made an ornate robe for him. And when his 159 00:10:09,360 --> 00:10:12,920 Speaker 3: brothers saw that their father loved Joseph more than any 160 00:10:12,960 --> 00:10:18,000 Speaker 3: of them, they hated him and could not speak a 161 00:10:18,360 --> 00:10:22,840 Speaker 3: kind word to him. Now, let me explain something here 162 00:10:23,280 --> 00:10:26,800 Speaker 3: about this robe. This was not just a lavish gift. 163 00:10:27,880 --> 00:10:32,080 Speaker 3: It was also an outward sign that Joseph was not 164 00:10:32,120 --> 00:10:34,920 Speaker 3: going to have to work hard or as hard like 165 00:10:35,000 --> 00:10:37,920 Speaker 3: his other brothers, because you don't put on an ornate 166 00:10:38,000 --> 00:10:40,000 Speaker 3: robe and go out into the fields and do the 167 00:10:40,080 --> 00:10:42,400 Speaker 3: kind of work that all of his brothers were doing. 168 00:10:43,080 --> 00:10:46,040 Speaker 3: So when job would put on, when Joseph would put 169 00:10:46,120 --> 00:10:51,359 Speaker 3: on this fancy robe, how do you think the brothers 170 00:10:52,080 --> 00:10:53,840 Speaker 3: felt day after. 171 00:10:53,600 --> 00:10:54,480 Speaker 2: Day after day. 172 00:10:54,720 --> 00:10:56,840 Speaker 3: It wasn't just that they hated him the day that 173 00:10:56,920 --> 00:10:59,320 Speaker 3: he got the gift. It's that they hated him every 174 00:10:59,400 --> 00:11:02,600 Speaker 3: other day that they had to go out into the fields. 175 00:11:02,679 --> 00:11:07,199 Speaker 3: And Joe Joseph is sitting at home just chilling in 176 00:11:07,360 --> 00:11:12,000 Speaker 3: he fancy wrote right now. The other dynamic that's happening 177 00:11:12,000 --> 00:11:14,959 Speaker 3: here is that the father, when he would send his 178 00:11:15,000 --> 00:11:18,880 Speaker 3: sons out to work, sometimes he would send Joseph out 179 00:11:18,920 --> 00:11:21,640 Speaker 3: to go and spy on the brothers. And so what's 180 00:11:21,720 --> 00:11:26,720 Speaker 3: happened here is that he is going out and he 181 00:11:26,920 --> 00:11:30,959 Speaker 3: is spying on their brothers, and he brings the father 182 00:11:31,120 --> 00:11:35,440 Speaker 3: back a bad report, and so they hated him and 183 00:11:35,679 --> 00:11:40,600 Speaker 3: literally could not speak a kind word to him. Now, 184 00:11:40,600 --> 00:11:42,840 Speaker 3: the next thing we see here is that Joseph starts 185 00:11:42,840 --> 00:11:46,680 Speaker 3: to have a dream, and basically he has two dreams, 186 00:11:46,840 --> 00:11:50,040 Speaker 3: and these dreams that he has basically is kind of 187 00:11:50,920 --> 00:11:54,800 Speaker 3: showing the brothers that Joseph believes the interpretation of this 188 00:11:54,920 --> 00:11:56,760 Speaker 3: dream is that one day he's going to rise up 189 00:11:56,760 --> 00:11:58,520 Speaker 3: and be their leader and they're all going to bow 190 00:11:58,600 --> 00:12:02,400 Speaker 3: down to him. He's saying this to brothers who already 191 00:12:02,480 --> 00:12:05,760 Speaker 3: hate him. So how do you think the brothers feel 192 00:12:05,880 --> 00:12:08,520 Speaker 3: when Joseph says, eventually, I'm about to be the boss 193 00:12:08,520 --> 00:12:11,360 Speaker 3: of all you people, right, they. 194 00:12:11,200 --> 00:12:15,360 Speaker 2: Hate him even more. Then there comes a day that. 195 00:12:17,000 --> 00:12:20,080 Speaker 3: The father sends the brothers out to go and work 196 00:12:20,320 --> 00:12:23,640 Speaker 3: and again says to Joseph, go out and check on 197 00:12:23,760 --> 00:12:26,760 Speaker 3: your brothers. So I just wants you to remember this 198 00:12:26,840 --> 00:12:30,520 Speaker 3: is a human dynamic happening in a very divine story. 199 00:12:30,679 --> 00:12:32,360 Speaker 2: Okay, these people. 200 00:12:32,080 --> 00:12:35,839 Speaker 3: Have real feelings, they have real anks, they have real 201 00:12:35,960 --> 00:12:39,080 Speaker 3: stuff that's happening all around them. So the brothers go 202 00:12:39,160 --> 00:12:41,760 Speaker 3: out and they're out in the field working and from 203 00:12:41,800 --> 00:12:44,640 Speaker 3: a distance they see Joseph coming. 204 00:12:45,559 --> 00:12:48,800 Speaker 2: Wherein he fancy Rowe. I don't know what he'd been 205 00:12:48,840 --> 00:12:49,440 Speaker 2: doing at home. 206 00:12:49,520 --> 00:12:52,920 Speaker 3: Maybe he was playing Nintendo, eating cheetohs, looking his cheesy fingers. 207 00:12:52,960 --> 00:12:54,959 Speaker 3: I don't know. But what I do know is the 208 00:12:55,000 --> 00:12:57,840 Speaker 3: brothers were not doing that. The brothers were out there 209 00:12:57,920 --> 00:13:02,440 Speaker 3: working and from a distance Genesis thirty seven eighteen. The 210 00:13:02,520 --> 00:13:05,920 Speaker 3: brothers see Joseph, it says, but they saw him in 211 00:13:05,960 --> 00:13:09,000 Speaker 3: the distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to 212 00:13:09,840 --> 00:13:14,040 Speaker 3: kill him. There's never just a little bit of anger. 213 00:13:14,840 --> 00:13:17,360 Speaker 3: There's never just a little bit of hatred. There's never 214 00:13:17,520 --> 00:13:20,000 Speaker 3: just a little bit of bitterness. You see, Bitterness gets 215 00:13:20,040 --> 00:13:21,760 Speaker 3: down inside of this and it doesn't want to just 216 00:13:21,800 --> 00:13:24,360 Speaker 3: be a feeling. It wants to be our consuming feeling. 217 00:13:25,720 --> 00:13:28,760 Speaker 3: Here comes that dreamer. They said to each other, Come now, 218 00:13:28,880 --> 00:13:31,160 Speaker 3: let's kill him and throw him into one of these 219 00:13:31,160 --> 00:13:34,160 Speaker 3: cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him. Then 220 00:13:34,280 --> 00:13:37,200 Speaker 3: we'll see what comes of his dreams. And then one 221 00:13:37,240 --> 00:13:40,080 Speaker 3: of the other brothers speaks up and says, actually, what 222 00:13:40,160 --> 00:13:42,360 Speaker 3: will it profit us if we kill him? 223 00:13:42,640 --> 00:13:44,600 Speaker 2: Why don't we sell him and at least we'll get 224 00:13:44,679 --> 00:13:45,679 Speaker 2: money and. 225 00:13:45,679 --> 00:13:48,680 Speaker 3: So their plan was to throw Joseph in the cistern, 226 00:13:48,760 --> 00:13:53,600 Speaker 3: which that absolutely happens, and then wait for the merchants 227 00:13:53,600 --> 00:13:55,360 Speaker 3: to come by, and then they pull him out of 228 00:13:55,400 --> 00:13:59,200 Speaker 3: the cistern. They sell him to merchants headed toward Egypt. 229 00:14:00,640 --> 00:14:01,960 Speaker 2: And they go home and they. 230 00:14:01,880 --> 00:14:07,040 Speaker 3: Tell their father that a ferocious animal has killed Joseph. 231 00:14:07,160 --> 00:14:10,440 Speaker 3: They take that fancy robe they stripped off of Joseph 232 00:14:10,559 --> 00:14:13,560 Speaker 3: before they sold him. They tear it into shreds, dip 233 00:14:13,600 --> 00:14:15,480 Speaker 3: it in animal's blood, give it to the father. So 234 00:14:15,559 --> 00:14:20,720 Speaker 3: the father has no clue that Joseph is still alive. 235 00:14:21,920 --> 00:14:25,120 Speaker 3: So I want you to vert just a minute, put 236 00:14:25,160 --> 00:14:32,960 Speaker 3: yourself in Joseph's shoes. When his brothers betray him in 237 00:14:33,000 --> 00:14:38,000 Speaker 3: such a horrific way, This isn't just an event in 238 00:14:38,040 --> 00:14:42,280 Speaker 3: his life. This is the event of his life that 239 00:14:42,400 --> 00:14:46,520 Speaker 3: will change everything for Joseph. 240 00:14:46,600 --> 00:14:49,240 Speaker 2: So here's Joseph. He's been sold. 241 00:14:49,920 --> 00:14:52,960 Speaker 3: And I don't know the condition of these merchants, with 242 00:14:53,120 --> 00:14:55,360 Speaker 3: the condition they put Joseph in. I don't know if 243 00:14:55,400 --> 00:14:57,040 Speaker 3: his hands are bound. I don't know if there's a 244 00:14:57,080 --> 00:14:59,680 Speaker 3: bag of her said, I don't know, But what I 245 00:14:59,800 --> 00:15:03,080 Speaker 3: do know is that Joseph had to be terrified. 246 00:15:04,200 --> 00:15:05,440 Speaker 2: Joseph had to be terrified. 247 00:15:05,880 --> 00:15:10,520 Speaker 3: And also Joseph had to be thinking about those dreams 248 00:15:10,560 --> 00:15:12,840 Speaker 3: that he had that he truly felt like were visions 249 00:15:12,880 --> 00:15:14,800 Speaker 3: from God that one day he was going to rise 250 00:15:14,920 --> 00:15:16,120 Speaker 3: up and be a leader. 251 00:15:16,520 --> 00:15:18,840 Speaker 2: But now now. 252 00:15:19,880 --> 00:15:23,720 Speaker 3: He's a slave, and he's headed to a foreign land 253 00:15:23,760 --> 00:15:26,560 Speaker 3: with foreign people, things that he doesn't know. And if 254 00:15:26,640 --> 00:15:31,840 Speaker 3: I were Joseph, I would surely be thinking, God, this 255 00:15:31,960 --> 00:15:34,120 Speaker 3: sure doesn't look like that vision that you gave me 256 00:15:34,160 --> 00:15:38,440 Speaker 3: for my life. How could a good God let this happen? 257 00:15:39,200 --> 00:15:41,600 Speaker 3: Like if I were Joseph, I would assume I would 258 00:15:41,600 --> 00:15:44,840 Speaker 3: be sent to some leadership academy, some big training. I 259 00:15:44,840 --> 00:15:49,680 Speaker 3: would have had no idea that this awful circumstance would 260 00:15:49,680 --> 00:15:53,840 Speaker 3: eventually prove to be the perfect training. But it doesn't 261 00:15:53,840 --> 00:15:58,320 Speaker 3: start out looking that way at all. So there's two 262 00:15:58,400 --> 00:16:03,760 Speaker 3: things happening simultaneous, slee right here. God has destined Joseph 263 00:16:03,840 --> 00:16:07,160 Speaker 3: to be a leader, But in the circumstances that he 264 00:16:07,240 --> 00:16:09,160 Speaker 3: was in with his brother and the hatred that his 265 00:16:09,240 --> 00:16:12,600 Speaker 3: brothers had for him, do you think that anytime soon 266 00:16:12,640 --> 00:16:15,200 Speaker 3: in that dynamic, that Joseph could really rise up and 267 00:16:15,240 --> 00:16:21,000 Speaker 3: be a leader. Absolutely not. So God is going to 268 00:16:21,080 --> 00:16:26,040 Speaker 3: take the rejection of those brothers and actually use it. 269 00:16:26,080 --> 00:16:28,720 Speaker 3: God didn't cause it, but God is going to take it. 270 00:16:29,280 --> 00:16:31,280 Speaker 3: He's going to take the rejection of the brothers and 271 00:16:31,320 --> 00:16:34,680 Speaker 3: actually use it as a protection of the calling that 272 00:16:34,720 --> 00:16:39,640 Speaker 3: he is absolutely placed on Joseph's life. But Joseph doesn't 273 00:16:39,680 --> 00:16:43,440 Speaker 3: see that at all. All Joseph sees is what's awful 274 00:16:43,520 --> 00:16:47,080 Speaker 3: around him, and of course that's all he sees. So 275 00:16:47,200 --> 00:16:51,600 Speaker 3: then Joseph gets to Egypt and he's sold into Potiphar's house, 276 00:16:51,640 --> 00:16:55,000 Speaker 3: the captain of the guard. And when he's sold into 277 00:16:55,040 --> 00:17:00,480 Speaker 3: Potiphar's house house, things are not great because joseph life 278 00:17:00,480 --> 00:17:02,640 Speaker 3: doesn't look anything like he thought it was going to look. 279 00:17:02,760 --> 00:17:05,440 Speaker 3: But things aren't horrible either. If we look at Genesis 280 00:17:05,440 --> 00:17:08,159 Speaker 3: thirty nine, I'll go ahead and read you starting in 281 00:17:08,240 --> 00:17:08,680 Speaker 3: verse two. 282 00:17:08,800 --> 00:17:11,040 Speaker 2: The Lord was with Joseph so that he. 283 00:17:11,040 --> 00:17:16,280 Speaker 3: Prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master, Potiphar. 284 00:17:16,840 --> 00:17:18,240 Speaker 2: And when his master saw. 285 00:17:18,080 --> 00:17:20,359 Speaker 3: That the Lord was with him, and that the Lord 286 00:17:20,400 --> 00:17:24,119 Speaker 3: gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favor 287 00:17:24,160 --> 00:17:28,080 Speaker 3: in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him 288 00:17:28,160 --> 00:17:30,880 Speaker 3: in charge of his household and he entrusted to. 289 00:17:31,080 --> 00:17:34,119 Speaker 2: His care, everything he owned. 290 00:17:35,359 --> 00:17:38,359 Speaker 3: Is Joseph in the ideal situation that he assumed that 291 00:17:38,440 --> 00:17:40,520 Speaker 3: he would be in when God give them the vision 292 00:17:40,520 --> 00:17:41,320 Speaker 3: that he would be leader. 293 00:17:41,880 --> 00:17:43,199 Speaker 2: Oh no, absolutely not. 294 00:17:43,960 --> 00:17:46,479 Speaker 3: And I would imagine many of us are in this 295 00:17:46,600 --> 00:17:51,879 Speaker 3: in between place right now too. It's like we had 296 00:17:51,920 --> 00:17:55,920 Speaker 3: a hope, we had a dream, we have really trusted God. 297 00:17:57,000 --> 00:18:01,840 Speaker 3: But then we're sitting there thinking, me, trusting God has 298 00:18:01,880 --> 00:18:05,359 Speaker 3: gotten me to this place and I don't understand this place. 299 00:18:06,680 --> 00:18:07,160 Speaker 2: But at the. 300 00:18:07,160 --> 00:18:10,760 Speaker 3: Same time, we can see in Joseph's story that God 301 00:18:10,840 --> 00:18:14,119 Speaker 3: is with him, that God is prospering him, that God 302 00:18:14,320 --> 00:18:18,000 Speaker 3: is helping Potiphar to get a vision for Joseph that 303 00:18:18,080 --> 00:18:20,240 Speaker 3: Joseph doesn't even have for himself. 304 00:18:21,400 --> 00:18:23,120 Speaker 2: And so Joseph rises up. 305 00:18:23,119 --> 00:18:25,800 Speaker 3: And now he is a leader, not leading the way 306 00:18:25,840 --> 00:18:27,760 Speaker 3: he assumed he would be leading, but he is a 307 00:18:27,840 --> 00:18:30,680 Speaker 3: leader in this small dynamic of Potiphar's house. 308 00:18:30,760 --> 00:18:33,159 Speaker 2: Now there is this one. 309 00:18:33,000 --> 00:18:36,600 Speaker 3: Complication that's sort of going to mess everything up for 310 00:18:36,680 --> 00:18:37,800 Speaker 3: him in Potiphar's house. 311 00:18:38,280 --> 00:18:40,000 Speaker 2: And you're not going to believe me when I say it. 312 00:18:40,960 --> 00:18:42,679 Speaker 3: That's why I have my scripture prepared that I'm going 313 00:18:42,760 --> 00:18:44,600 Speaker 3: to back it up okay, so are you ready for this? 314 00:18:45,080 --> 00:18:49,880 Speaker 3: The complication was that Joseph was hot. I know, I know, 315 00:18:50,320 --> 00:18:52,320 Speaker 3: I told you you were not going to believe me. 316 00:18:52,640 --> 00:18:55,000 Speaker 3: But I'm going to read it straight from God's words 317 00:18:55,000 --> 00:18:57,879 Speaker 3: Genesis thirty nine, halfway through verse six, and it says, 318 00:18:58,280 --> 00:19:02,119 Speaker 3: now Joseph was well build and handsome. I do not 319 00:19:02,200 --> 00:19:04,160 Speaker 3: have to take it back to the Hebrew to understand 320 00:19:04,160 --> 00:19:07,199 Speaker 3: that that means Joseph was in fact, thank you. 321 00:19:07,600 --> 00:19:11,440 Speaker 2: Okay, I'm just reading the Bible. Okay. 322 00:19:11,960 --> 00:19:14,040 Speaker 3: So Joseph was well build and handsome. And after a 323 00:19:14,080 --> 00:19:19,199 Speaker 3: while his master's wife took notice of Joseph and said, 324 00:19:19,800 --> 00:19:27,000 Speaker 3: come to bed with me. I'm sorry, but what like 325 00:19:27,680 --> 00:19:29,600 Speaker 3: if I ever had five words in the Bible, which 326 00:19:29,640 --> 00:19:31,800 Speaker 3: I won't because God's word is complete. But if I 327 00:19:31,800 --> 00:19:33,560 Speaker 3: ever did have five words in the Bible, I just 328 00:19:33,600 --> 00:19:35,679 Speaker 3: probably don't ever want it to be those five words. 329 00:19:35,760 --> 00:19:36,600 Speaker 2: Right. 330 00:19:38,280 --> 00:19:42,560 Speaker 3: So she starts making advances toward Joseph. Now this is 331 00:19:42,680 --> 00:19:48,359 Speaker 3: Joseph's boss's wife, right, and she won't stop. Joseph says no, 332 00:19:48,480 --> 00:19:51,040 Speaker 3: and she doesn't take kindly to being told no, and 333 00:19:51,119 --> 00:19:53,440 Speaker 3: so she keeps trying and keeps trying, and one day 334 00:19:53,480 --> 00:19:58,040 Speaker 3: she literally throws him herself onto Joseph. Joseph turns to 335 00:19:58,200 --> 00:20:02,719 Speaker 3: flee away from her. She grabs his cloak, takes it 336 00:20:02,720 --> 00:20:07,040 Speaker 3: to Potiphar and says, Joseph has been making advances toward me, 337 00:20:07,119 --> 00:20:08,359 Speaker 3: and who is Potiphar going. 338 00:20:08,280 --> 00:20:10,920 Speaker 2: To believe his wife? That's right. 339 00:20:11,480 --> 00:20:15,639 Speaker 3: So now Joseph is about to get a promotion, but 340 00:20:15,760 --> 00:20:17,919 Speaker 3: it is not going to look like any kind of 341 00:20:17,920 --> 00:20:21,640 Speaker 3: promotion Joseph ever thought that he would ever have. He's 342 00:20:21,680 --> 00:20:24,160 Speaker 3: about to get promoted to prison. 343 00:20:24,520 --> 00:20:25,000 Speaker 2: That's right. 344 00:20:26,600 --> 00:20:30,600 Speaker 3: Now, I want you to notice what's happening here. With God, 345 00:20:31,320 --> 00:20:36,960 Speaker 3: there's always a meanwhile. With God, there is always a meanwhile. 346 00:20:37,160 --> 00:20:40,000 Speaker 3: There is the physical reality of what we see and 347 00:20:40,040 --> 00:20:43,200 Speaker 3: what we're experiencing. And at the same time, there is 348 00:20:43,240 --> 00:20:46,840 Speaker 3: the reality of what God is doing, and God is arranging, 349 00:20:46,880 --> 00:20:53,080 Speaker 3: and God is really taking care of what we cannot see. 350 00:20:53,320 --> 00:20:58,160 Speaker 3: So it started off the rejection of Joseph's brother actually 351 00:20:58,240 --> 00:21:00,360 Speaker 3: proved to be a protection of his calling. He gets 352 00:21:00,359 --> 00:21:03,720 Speaker 3: into Potiphar's house and Potiphar promotes him to be a leader. 353 00:21:03,760 --> 00:21:06,560 Speaker 3: Now he's leading, he's learning leadership strategies and all of 354 00:21:06,600 --> 00:21:08,480 Speaker 3: that not at all the way he thought it would, 355 00:21:08,560 --> 00:21:11,960 Speaker 3: but still it was a protection of his calling. Now 356 00:21:12,080 --> 00:21:14,719 Speaker 3: Joseph's about to get a promotion to prison, but that 357 00:21:14,920 --> 00:21:17,760 Speaker 3: is not what Joseph is seeing at all. Joseph is 358 00:21:17,760 --> 00:21:21,320 Speaker 3: seeing an unfair accusation and God is going to use 359 00:21:21,400 --> 00:21:23,360 Speaker 3: that unfair accusation to give. 360 00:21:23,240 --> 00:21:25,080 Speaker 2: Him a promotion to prison. 361 00:21:25,119 --> 00:21:28,639 Speaker 3: You see, once he gets to prison, the prison guard 362 00:21:28,640 --> 00:21:33,200 Speaker 3: takes notice of Joseph, and the lord's favor was on Joseph. 363 00:21:33,440 --> 00:21:36,760 Speaker 3: So now Joseph is in prison and he's in charge 364 00:21:36,760 --> 00:21:40,240 Speaker 3: of leading a much larger group of people. He's learning 365 00:21:40,320 --> 00:21:43,720 Speaker 3: leadership skills in a much larger way, and he's having 366 00:21:43,760 --> 00:21:47,840 Speaker 3: developed systems and strategies and all things that leaders need 367 00:21:47,880 --> 00:21:52,920 Speaker 3: to know. But at the same time, he's still going 368 00:21:53,000 --> 00:21:58,320 Speaker 3: to bed in a dungeon every night. So what is 369 00:21:58,440 --> 00:22:03,320 Speaker 3: Joseph seeing. Joseph is seeing those present circumstances, the hardship, 370 00:22:03,560 --> 00:22:07,199 Speaker 3: and how unfair it is that he is there. But 371 00:22:07,320 --> 00:22:14,119 Speaker 3: God is seeing a development, a preparation, a vision that 372 00:22:14,200 --> 00:22:15,280 Speaker 3: he's going to carry out. 373 00:22:15,840 --> 00:22:16,760 Speaker 2: And it's not just. 374 00:22:16,800 --> 00:22:19,600 Speaker 3: Going to be for Joseph's good, It's going to be 375 00:22:19,680 --> 00:22:22,920 Speaker 3: for the good of so many other people. So now 376 00:22:23,040 --> 00:22:26,399 Speaker 3: Joseph is in prison, and while he's in prison, he 377 00:22:26,520 --> 00:22:30,719 Speaker 3: meets two other prisoners, the cup Bear and the Baker. 378 00:22:31,440 --> 00:22:34,119 Speaker 3: Now the cup Bear and the Baker there in prison. 379 00:22:34,320 --> 00:22:37,720 Speaker 3: They used to work for Pharaoh, but something happened, and 380 00:22:37,760 --> 00:22:42,120 Speaker 3: now they're in prison. And these two, the cup Bear 381 00:22:42,119 --> 00:22:44,400 Speaker 3: and the Baker, they have a dream. And who can 382 00:22:44,400 --> 00:22:45,360 Speaker 3: interpret dreams? 383 00:22:46,119 --> 00:22:46,639 Speaker 2: Joseph. 384 00:22:46,720 --> 00:22:51,920 Speaker 3: That's right, And so Joseph is able to interpret their dreams. 385 00:22:52,280 --> 00:22:54,320 Speaker 2: Now things don't go so well for the Baker. 386 00:22:54,400 --> 00:22:58,040 Speaker 3: It's actually kind of gross what happens, and terrible, but 387 00:22:58,119 --> 00:23:01,280 Speaker 3: I'll let you read that on your own time. But 388 00:23:01,480 --> 00:23:04,240 Speaker 3: I am going to tell you what happens with the Cupbear. 389 00:23:04,480 --> 00:23:07,359 Speaker 3: The cup Bear has a dream, and Joseph interprets the 390 00:23:07,440 --> 00:23:09,520 Speaker 3: dream and says, in three days, you're going. 391 00:23:09,480 --> 00:23:10,280 Speaker 2: To get out. 392 00:23:10,880 --> 00:23:12,639 Speaker 3: And I want you to listen to the words that 393 00:23:12,760 --> 00:23:15,560 Speaker 3: Joseph says to the Cupbear, so that you can have 394 00:23:15,640 --> 00:23:20,120 Speaker 3: a deep insight of exactly what Joseph was thinking at 395 00:23:20,160 --> 00:23:26,080 Speaker 3: this time. Genesis forty, verse fourteen. Joseph says to the cupbear, 396 00:23:26,160 --> 00:23:28,520 Speaker 3: when all goes well with you, remember me and show 397 00:23:28,600 --> 00:23:31,760 Speaker 3: me kindness, Mention me to Pharaoh, and get me out 398 00:23:31,800 --> 00:23:34,840 Speaker 3: of this prison. I was forcibly carried off from the 399 00:23:34,920 --> 00:23:36,879 Speaker 3: lands of the Hebrews, and even here, I've done nothing 400 00:23:36,920 --> 00:23:41,720 Speaker 3: to deserve being put in a dungeon. This is such 401 00:23:41,720 --> 00:23:45,520 Speaker 3: a good snapshot where we can see is Joseph happy 402 00:23:45,560 --> 00:23:47,400 Speaker 3: with his current circumstances. 403 00:23:48,000 --> 00:23:48,200 Speaker 2: No? 404 00:23:48,920 --> 00:23:51,879 Speaker 3: Is Joseph thinking that his current circumstances are going to 405 00:23:51,960 --> 00:23:57,040 Speaker 3: work an eventual good. Probably not right? Is Joseph does 406 00:23:57,040 --> 00:23:59,560 Speaker 3: he have any clue of how God is going to 407 00:23:59,680 --> 00:24:03,880 Speaker 3: use a circumstance to do something really good in the future. 408 00:24:04,080 --> 00:24:08,520 Speaker 3: Probably not right, because his circumstances were so hard he 409 00:24:08,720 --> 00:24:12,600 Speaker 3: was calling them a dungeon. Get me out of this dungeon. 410 00:24:13,000 --> 00:24:19,359 Speaker 3: Joseph wants relief. Joseph wants relief. How many of you 411 00:24:19,440 --> 00:24:20,920 Speaker 3: in here. You don't have to raise your hand, but 412 00:24:21,040 --> 00:24:26,359 Speaker 3: are you in a season where you just need some relief? 413 00:24:29,040 --> 00:24:32,399 Speaker 3: When I'm in that place, I love to think of 414 00:24:32,440 --> 00:24:37,480 Speaker 3: this story and I literally will say to myself, I 415 00:24:37,520 --> 00:24:41,720 Speaker 3: don't know the whole story of my life. That's why 416 00:24:41,760 --> 00:24:44,679 Speaker 3: it builds my fate to get into God's word and 417 00:24:44,800 --> 00:24:48,080 Speaker 3: read someone else's story who I can read from beginning 418 00:24:48,240 --> 00:24:50,439 Speaker 3: to end. And I'm telling you, sometimes when I go 419 00:24:50,520 --> 00:24:53,560 Speaker 3: through a hard time, can I just be absolutely human 420 00:24:53,600 --> 00:24:56,960 Speaker 3: with you for a minute? Sometimes when I'm going through 421 00:24:56,960 --> 00:24:59,440 Speaker 3: a hard time, the last thing I feel like doing 422 00:25:00,160 --> 00:25:03,359 Speaker 3: picking up the Bible. The last thing I feel like 423 00:25:03,440 --> 00:25:07,480 Speaker 3: doing is going to church. I don't know why, but 424 00:25:07,560 --> 00:25:13,200 Speaker 3: I just get so physically exhausted that it becomes spiritually discouraged. 425 00:25:13,920 --> 00:25:18,639 Speaker 3: And if I don't catch it, I'll become spiritually disillusioned. 426 00:25:20,160 --> 00:25:24,160 Speaker 3: When we want to read the Bible the least is 427 00:25:24,280 --> 00:25:26,640 Speaker 3: often when we absolutely need to read it. 428 00:25:26,600 --> 00:25:35,920 Speaker 2: The most right. Amen. So here's what Joseph does. 429 00:25:36,720 --> 00:25:40,880 Speaker 3: He asks the cup bearer to please mention to him 430 00:25:41,280 --> 00:25:44,560 Speaker 3: when you'll get out of this prison, cup bear, and 431 00:25:44,600 --> 00:25:46,440 Speaker 3: you're going to get out soon. When you get out, 432 00:25:46,640 --> 00:25:50,800 Speaker 3: please go mention me to Pharaoh and get me out 433 00:25:51,040 --> 00:25:51,920 Speaker 3: of this prison. 434 00:25:52,119 --> 00:25:56,200 Speaker 2: I should not be here. Give Pharaoh a good word. Now. 435 00:25:56,240 --> 00:26:00,359 Speaker 3: Again, I don't know for sure because I'm not Joseph, 436 00:26:00,400 --> 00:26:02,440 Speaker 3: but I'm just going to tell you something based on 437 00:26:02,560 --> 00:26:05,600 Speaker 3: my own human experience of what can happen to me. 438 00:26:06,359 --> 00:26:09,400 Speaker 3: When I start assuming that I know what a good 439 00:26:09,480 --> 00:26:14,280 Speaker 3: God should do, I start attaching my hope on what 440 00:26:14,440 --> 00:26:15,800 Speaker 3: I assume a. 441 00:26:15,800 --> 00:26:17,240 Speaker 2: Good God should do. 442 00:26:17,960 --> 00:26:21,520 Speaker 3: But then if God does not follow my plan, I 443 00:26:21,640 --> 00:26:29,359 Speaker 3: start to get super agitated, super frustrated, and even sometimes doubtful. 444 00:26:30,440 --> 00:26:33,920 Speaker 3: Why isn't God doing what I assume a good God 445 00:26:33,960 --> 00:26:34,440 Speaker 3: should do. 446 00:26:34,880 --> 00:26:36,080 Speaker 2: I have a plan, and then. 447 00:26:35,960 --> 00:26:38,280 Speaker 3: I'm trying to hold God accountable to the plan of 448 00:26:38,359 --> 00:26:42,639 Speaker 3: my own making. When I get this situation, it is 449 00:26:42,800 --> 00:26:45,520 Speaker 3: just like what Joseph was facing when I get when 450 00:26:45,520 --> 00:26:47,960 Speaker 3: you get out of prison, cut bear, mention me to 451 00:26:48,000 --> 00:26:50,640 Speaker 3: Pharaoh and get me out of prison. So if I'm Joseph, 452 00:26:50,720 --> 00:26:52,960 Speaker 3: I have developed my plan and I just want to 453 00:26:53,000 --> 00:26:54,640 Speaker 3: hold God accountable, like this is the plan. 454 00:26:54,720 --> 00:26:55,760 Speaker 2: This is what the plan should be. 455 00:26:55,800 --> 00:26:57,840 Speaker 3: Don't you see It'll make you look good, God, whole 456 00:26:57,920 --> 00:27:00,840 Speaker 3: nine yards right, because what we we don't trust, we 457 00:27:00,880 --> 00:27:05,800 Speaker 3: will try to control. What we don't trust, we will 458 00:27:05,840 --> 00:27:08,320 Speaker 3: try to control. Surely God, this is the plan. So 459 00:27:08,400 --> 00:27:12,159 Speaker 3: imagine being Joseph. Now Joseph is in prison and the 460 00:27:12,160 --> 00:27:19,160 Speaker 3: cup bear gets out, And if I'm Joseph, I'm like, yes, ma'am, 461 00:27:19,400 --> 00:27:22,480 Speaker 3: sam i am, he is going to get me out 462 00:27:22,520 --> 00:27:25,520 Speaker 3: of this prison. And so the cup bear gets released. 463 00:27:25,560 --> 00:27:29,000 Speaker 3: In day one, Joseph's like, yes, anytime now, Day two, 464 00:27:29,400 --> 00:27:32,600 Speaker 3: day three, Day four, Maybe the paperwork's taken a little while. 465 00:27:32,800 --> 00:27:34,119 Speaker 2: Day five, Day six, Day. 466 00:27:34,000 --> 00:27:42,240 Speaker 3: Seven, Day one hundred, two hundred three hundred, four hundred, 467 00:27:42,680 --> 00:27:47,520 Speaker 3: five hundred, six hundred. What do you think is happening 468 00:27:48,040 --> 00:27:52,639 Speaker 3: inside of a human heart that is attached their outcome 469 00:27:53,600 --> 00:27:58,080 Speaker 3: to something that they suggested to God rather than trusting God. 470 00:27:59,560 --> 00:28:01,359 Speaker 2: What do you think happening in Joseph's heart? If it 471 00:28:01,400 --> 00:28:01,600 Speaker 2: was me? 472 00:28:02,240 --> 00:28:05,600 Speaker 3: If it was me, this is where that discouragement and 473 00:28:05,640 --> 00:28:07,080 Speaker 3: disillusionment starts to happen. 474 00:28:07,320 --> 00:28:07,920 Speaker 2: Right here. 475 00:28:09,359 --> 00:28:16,400 Speaker 3: The scriptures say when two full years had passed Genesis 476 00:28:16,440 --> 00:28:19,159 Speaker 3: forty one, two full years, you'all, two years is a 477 00:28:19,200 --> 00:28:22,080 Speaker 3: really long time. It's a really long time when you're 478 00:28:22,119 --> 00:28:25,399 Speaker 3: looking at your circumstances and your circumstances don't at all 479 00:28:25,560 --> 00:28:29,040 Speaker 3: feel fair. Your circumstances at all don't look good. Your 480 00:28:29,040 --> 00:28:32,960 Speaker 3: circumstances at all don't look like how could anything positive 481 00:28:33,000 --> 00:28:38,080 Speaker 3: ever come out of so much negative? When two full 482 00:28:38,360 --> 00:28:44,680 Speaker 3: years had passed, Pharaoh has a dream and suddenly the 483 00:28:44,760 --> 00:28:47,720 Speaker 3: cup bear is like, should out of E eight? I 484 00:28:47,760 --> 00:28:50,200 Speaker 3: know you young people don't understand that, but I'm just 485 00:28:50,240 --> 00:28:52,360 Speaker 3: telling you if you know, you. 486 00:28:52,360 --> 00:28:52,880 Speaker 2: Know, right? 487 00:28:53,320 --> 00:28:56,719 Speaker 3: Okay, So the cup air is like, oh man, I 488 00:28:56,760 --> 00:29:01,160 Speaker 3: totally forgot, I totally forgo God. There's this Hebrew man 489 00:29:01,200 --> 00:29:04,120 Speaker 3: in prison that can interpret dreams. Nobody else was able 490 00:29:04,160 --> 00:29:08,480 Speaker 3: to interpret Pharaoh's dreams. And so they go and Pharaoh 491 00:29:08,520 --> 00:29:11,080 Speaker 3: calls for Joseph. Look at what it says in Genesis 492 00:29:11,120 --> 00:29:14,400 Speaker 3: forty one fourteen. So Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and he 493 00:29:14,640 --> 00:29:18,320 Speaker 3: was quickly brought up from that dungeon. Because when it 494 00:29:18,400 --> 00:29:24,520 Speaker 3: is God's time, it's the right time. It becomes quick time, okay, Sophid. 495 00:29:24,640 --> 00:29:26,880 Speaker 3: So Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and he was quickly brought 496 00:29:26,920 --> 00:29:29,600 Speaker 3: from the dungeon. And when he shaved and changed his 497 00:29:29,720 --> 00:29:32,920 Speaker 3: clothes and hopefully put on some of deodorant, he came 498 00:29:33,240 --> 00:29:37,680 Speaker 3: before Pharaoh. And so here he is, right here, and 499 00:29:37,760 --> 00:29:41,560 Speaker 3: this is his big moment. This is his big moment. 500 00:29:42,120 --> 00:29:45,400 Speaker 3: This is the opportunity that Joseph has been waiting for. 501 00:29:45,520 --> 00:29:48,640 Speaker 3: All he has to say is yes, Pharaoh, I can 502 00:29:48,720 --> 00:29:52,040 Speaker 3: interpret your dreams. And then surely Pharaoh will let him go. 503 00:29:53,960 --> 00:29:58,000 Speaker 3: But this is how I know that all throughout Joseph's story, 504 00:29:58,160 --> 00:30:03,040 Speaker 3: God has been developing his character to match his calling. 505 00:30:04,120 --> 00:30:07,000 Speaker 3: When we first read about Joseph and God gives him 506 00:30:07,000 --> 00:30:10,040 Speaker 3: a vision, he couldn't wait to brag to his brothers. 507 00:30:10,600 --> 00:30:13,360 Speaker 3: But now I want you to see the humility that 508 00:30:13,440 --> 00:30:17,720 Speaker 3: Joseph puts on display. Pharah says to Joseph verse fifteen. 509 00:30:17,920 --> 00:30:19,840 Speaker 3: I had a dream and no one can interpret it. 510 00:30:19,880 --> 00:30:23,480 Speaker 3: But I've heard it said of you that you can 511 00:30:23,520 --> 00:30:27,920 Speaker 3: interpret it, and Joseph says, I cannot do it. 512 00:30:30,320 --> 00:30:31,000 Speaker 2: I cannot do. 513 00:30:30,960 --> 00:30:35,720 Speaker 3: It, Joseph replied to Pharaoh, but God will give Pharaoh 514 00:30:35,960 --> 00:30:39,920 Speaker 3: the answer he desires. I cannot interpret the dream, but 515 00:30:40,200 --> 00:30:42,160 Speaker 3: my God surely can. 516 00:30:42,600 --> 00:30:42,680 Speaker 4: Do. 517 00:30:42,760 --> 00:30:46,160 Speaker 3: You see the difference of how Joseph's character had been 518 00:30:46,200 --> 00:30:50,640 Speaker 3: developed to match his calling, And I'm telling you, God 519 00:30:50,680 --> 00:30:52,600 Speaker 3: has had to do a lot of development in my 520 00:30:52,720 --> 00:30:56,440 Speaker 3: character in order for me to be prepared and not 521 00:30:56,560 --> 00:31:02,760 Speaker 3: be crushed by my calling. So then Joseph interprets the dream, 522 00:31:02,800 --> 00:31:07,280 Speaker 3: and basically what he says to Pharaoh is there's going 523 00:31:07,360 --> 00:31:09,440 Speaker 3: to be seven years of plenty, and during those seven 524 00:31:09,480 --> 00:31:11,600 Speaker 3: years of plenty, you need to store up because behind 525 00:31:11,640 --> 00:31:13,880 Speaker 3: those seven years is going to be seven years of famine. 526 00:31:13,880 --> 00:31:15,880 Speaker 3: And if you don't want your people to starve, you've 527 00:31:15,920 --> 00:31:18,360 Speaker 3: got to get some systems in place to save up 528 00:31:18,400 --> 00:31:22,560 Speaker 3: the food. Farah replies back to Joseph verse thirty nine. 529 00:31:22,960 --> 00:31:26,600 Speaker 3: Pharah says to Joseph, since God has made all this 530 00:31:26,920 --> 00:31:27,680 Speaker 3: known to you. 531 00:31:28,280 --> 00:31:32,560 Speaker 2: There is no one so discerning and wise as you. 532 00:31:33,080 --> 00:31:37,680 Speaker 3: Where did Joseph get that wisdom from God? But also 533 00:31:37,920 --> 00:31:40,480 Speaker 3: how did he develop the discernment to tap into the 534 00:31:40,480 --> 00:31:44,479 Speaker 3: wisdom of God. It was when he had to go 535 00:31:44,560 --> 00:31:48,040 Speaker 3: through the rejection of his brothers, and when he was 536 00:31:48,040 --> 00:31:52,480 Speaker 3: in Potiphar's house and had the accusation of what Potiphar's 537 00:31:52,520 --> 00:31:54,640 Speaker 3: wife accused him of, and when he got his promotion 538 00:31:54,760 --> 00:31:58,000 Speaker 3: to prison. You see, with God, there's always a meanwhile. 539 00:31:58,880 --> 00:32:02,880 Speaker 3: Joseph just sees hard stuff. God is seeing a preparation 540 00:32:03,200 --> 00:32:07,480 Speaker 3: in play, and Pharaoh sees it and calls it out. 541 00:32:07,520 --> 00:32:09,720 Speaker 3: Since God has made all this known to you, there 542 00:32:09,760 --> 00:32:12,560 Speaker 3: is no one so descerning and wise as you. You 543 00:32:12,720 --> 00:32:15,360 Speaker 3: shall be in charge of my palace, and all my 544 00:32:15,440 --> 00:32:18,440 Speaker 3: people are to submit to your orders only with respect 545 00:32:18,440 --> 00:32:22,000 Speaker 3: to the throne. Will I be greater than you been 546 00:32:22,200 --> 00:32:28,320 Speaker 3: an instant, Joseph goes from being a forgotten prisoner going 547 00:32:28,360 --> 00:32:31,600 Speaker 3: to sleep every night in a dungeon, just suddenly becoming 548 00:32:31,640 --> 00:32:35,360 Speaker 3: the second most powerful man in Egypt, possibly all the world. 549 00:32:35,760 --> 00:32:41,680 Speaker 2: But God, with God, there is always a meanwhile. 550 00:32:42,680 --> 00:32:46,040 Speaker 3: There's always a meanwhile. There's a meanwhile in my life. 551 00:32:46,240 --> 00:32:48,239 Speaker 3: There's the physical reality of what I see. And then 552 00:32:48,280 --> 00:32:52,040 Speaker 3: there's simultaneously there is what God is doing in your life. 553 00:32:52,120 --> 00:32:55,360 Speaker 3: There is the physical reality of what you see. Simultaneously 554 00:32:55,640 --> 00:33:02,160 Speaker 3: there's also what God is doing. Now, look what happens, 555 00:33:03,080 --> 00:33:09,040 Speaker 3: exactly as Joseph had interpreted. The famine eventually comes. There 556 00:33:09,080 --> 00:33:13,640 Speaker 3: is seven years of plenty, there is seven years of famine, 557 00:33:13,800 --> 00:33:18,640 Speaker 3: and eventually that famine reaches all the way to where 558 00:33:18,680 --> 00:33:23,040 Speaker 3: the brothers are in their homeland with their father, and 559 00:33:23,080 --> 00:33:26,000 Speaker 3: the father says, hey, here, Egypt has some food, so 560 00:33:26,360 --> 00:33:28,000 Speaker 3: you need to go. So he sends some of the 561 00:33:28,000 --> 00:33:32,840 Speaker 3: brothers to Egypt to get food. Who is in charge 562 00:33:33,040 --> 00:33:41,880 Speaker 3: of the food storage Joseph. Now the brothers don't recognize Joseph. 563 00:33:41,880 --> 00:33:44,680 Speaker 3: How could they? How could they? They could have never 564 00:33:44,760 --> 00:33:48,160 Speaker 3: fathomed where Joseph was today. And at first Joseph doesn't 565 00:33:48,160 --> 00:33:51,320 Speaker 3: recognize them, but eventually Joseph does, and then Joseph has 566 00:33:51,400 --> 00:33:57,720 Speaker 3: to make the excruciating choice to forgive or to not forgive, 567 00:33:58,400 --> 00:34:01,680 Speaker 3: And the story takes twists and turns, but it eventually 568 00:34:02,120 --> 00:34:07,560 Speaker 3: lands at Genesis fifty twenty, where Joseph says to his brothers, 569 00:34:08,160 --> 00:34:13,360 Speaker 3: you intended to harm me, but God intended it for 570 00:34:13,480 --> 00:34:15,560 Speaker 3: good to accomplish what is. 571 00:34:15,600 --> 00:34:20,359 Speaker 2: Now being done, the saving of many lives. Now, let 572 00:34:20,440 --> 00:34:21,680 Speaker 2: me ask you this question. 573 00:34:24,160 --> 00:34:29,600 Speaker 3: If Joseph had gotten out of prison when he begged 574 00:34:29,640 --> 00:34:33,520 Speaker 3: God for relief, because that's what Joseph wanted, Remember the 575 00:34:33,520 --> 00:34:36,919 Speaker 3: cup brier and all this stuff. Right, if God had 576 00:34:36,960 --> 00:34:40,400 Speaker 3: listened to Joseph's plan and let him out of prison, 577 00:34:41,200 --> 00:34:45,600 Speaker 3: he would have never had an audience with Pharaoh. 578 00:34:45,880 --> 00:34:52,240 Speaker 2: But in God's timing, in God's way, eventually. 579 00:34:51,840 --> 00:34:54,960 Speaker 3: Joseph has an audience with Pharaoh. And it was crucial 580 00:34:55,000 --> 00:34:57,600 Speaker 3: for Joseph to have an audience with Pharaoh. Otherwise he 581 00:34:57,600 --> 00:34:59,239 Speaker 3: would have been let out of prison and that would 582 00:34:59,280 --> 00:35:01,120 Speaker 3: have been the end of the story. And think of 583 00:35:01,160 --> 00:35:06,279 Speaker 3: the number of people who would have perished. I don't 584 00:35:06,400 --> 00:35:10,040 Speaker 3: understand the dynamics of exactly how this is going to 585 00:35:10,080 --> 00:35:13,080 Speaker 3: apply to your life, exactly how it applies to my life, 586 00:35:13,200 --> 00:35:16,920 Speaker 3: But I'm telling you I have seen this at play. 587 00:35:19,239 --> 00:35:22,759 Speaker 3: I think some of you probably know that in twenty 588 00:35:22,840 --> 00:35:30,360 Speaker 3: and seventeen that was the first time that I really 589 00:35:30,400 --> 00:35:33,759 Speaker 3: thought there's no way that my marriage at the time 590 00:35:33,960 --> 00:35:37,480 Speaker 3: was going to make it. And we had been in 591 00:35:37,600 --> 00:35:43,720 Speaker 3: counseling for eighteen months, and things were seemingly getting better, 592 00:35:44,480 --> 00:35:47,120 Speaker 3: and I was finally starting to have hope that my 593 00:35:47,200 --> 00:35:49,719 Speaker 3: family is going to be put back together. And then 594 00:35:49,800 --> 00:35:52,960 Speaker 3: after eighteen months of all that work, the rug got 595 00:35:53,080 --> 00:35:57,400 Speaker 3: ripped right out from underneath me, and I realized things 596 00:35:57,480 --> 00:35:59,319 Speaker 3: were not at all like I thought they were. 597 00:36:00,280 --> 00:36:01,399 Speaker 2: I was devastated. 598 00:36:02,600 --> 00:36:06,760 Speaker 3: I was devastated beyond what I could probably even describe 599 00:36:06,760 --> 00:36:14,920 Speaker 3: for you. And I just remember thinking, God, I don't understand. 600 00:36:16,239 --> 00:36:19,279 Speaker 3: I really don't understand how we could be at this place. 601 00:36:19,320 --> 00:36:21,080 Speaker 3: I thought I was at the finish line. I haven't 602 00:36:21,080 --> 00:36:26,239 Speaker 3: even crossed the starting line. So during that summer that 603 00:36:26,480 --> 00:36:32,680 Speaker 3: I took off in twenty seventeen, I couldn't I couldn't work, 604 00:36:32,719 --> 00:36:35,160 Speaker 3: I couldn't do ministry. I was just having a hard 605 00:36:35,200 --> 00:36:39,160 Speaker 3: time doing anything. But I decided to go and make 606 00:36:39,280 --> 00:36:42,880 Speaker 3: all the appointments that I needed to make that normally 607 00:36:42,920 --> 00:36:45,440 Speaker 3: I put off because I'm so busy all the time, 608 00:36:46,080 --> 00:36:49,160 Speaker 3: and so, you know, I did the teeth cleaning thing, 609 00:36:49,280 --> 00:36:50,640 Speaker 3: you know, all those but I. 610 00:36:50,640 --> 00:36:53,240 Speaker 2: Also though it was not time yet. 611 00:36:53,840 --> 00:36:57,000 Speaker 3: I also went ahead and went and had a mammogram done. 612 00:36:57,440 --> 00:37:03,000 Speaker 2: It's not time. I went and they ran that test 613 00:37:03,040 --> 00:37:06,640 Speaker 2: and then some more tests. I was diagnosed with breast cancer, 614 00:37:09,040 --> 00:37:13,200 Speaker 2: and my first thought was, how could a good God 615 00:37:14,040 --> 00:37:18,400 Speaker 2: let this happen to I was at a low place, 616 00:37:18,520 --> 00:37:18,759 Speaker 2: you know. 617 00:37:21,360 --> 00:37:28,239 Speaker 3: But then as the diagnosis unfolded, the doctor told me 618 00:37:28,360 --> 00:37:32,480 Speaker 3: something that arrested my thought spiral. 619 00:37:33,760 --> 00:37:39,160 Speaker 2: God said, or the doctor said, it is it's. 620 00:37:39,000 --> 00:37:42,040 Speaker 3: A miracle that you came in to have this mammogram early, 621 00:37:42,760 --> 00:37:46,799 Speaker 3: because we've caught it early enough to where you can 622 00:37:46,840 --> 00:37:53,239 Speaker 3: have a dullnessectomy and you're going to be okay. 623 00:37:55,760 --> 00:37:57,160 Speaker 2: So let me ask you a question. 624 00:37:58,960 --> 00:38:02,439 Speaker 3: Was my marriage falling part again the absolute worst thing 625 00:38:02,520 --> 00:38:03,480 Speaker 3: that could have happened? 626 00:38:04,640 --> 00:38:06,359 Speaker 2: Or was it the worst. 627 00:38:06,080 --> 00:38:10,640 Speaker 3: Thing but also something God was using to create the 628 00:38:10,680 --> 00:38:16,160 Speaker 3: best thing of saving my life? Right with God, there 629 00:38:16,280 --> 00:38:19,560 Speaker 3: is always a Meanwhile, now let me say this loud 630 00:38:19,600 --> 00:38:23,880 Speaker 3: and clear, especially after the tragedies that we have witnessed 631 00:38:23,880 --> 00:38:29,160 Speaker 3: this week, I cannot wrap my brain around some of that. 632 00:38:29,840 --> 00:38:33,040 Speaker 3: There are going to be some things that never ever 633 00:38:33,520 --> 00:38:37,319 Speaker 3: make sense to us, and that's where we just have 634 00:38:37,400 --> 00:38:40,000 Speaker 3: to leave room for the mystery of God. 635 00:38:41,200 --> 00:38:42,320 Speaker 2: But there are other. 636 00:38:42,160 --> 00:38:45,960 Speaker 3: Things that if we will trust God with the hardship 637 00:38:46,040 --> 00:38:47,960 Speaker 3: we see and feel right. 638 00:38:47,800 --> 00:38:50,040 Speaker 2: Now, over time. 639 00:38:50,719 --> 00:38:54,120 Speaker 3: We will eventually with some things in our life be 640 00:38:54,200 --> 00:38:59,120 Speaker 3: able to look back and say, my God, my God, 641 00:38:59,280 --> 00:39:00,560 Speaker 3: look at what you did. 642 00:39:01,480 --> 00:39:03,040 Speaker 2: I couldn't see it in the moment. 643 00:39:04,280 --> 00:39:06,520 Speaker 3: But that's why God makes a big deal in the 644 00:39:06,560 --> 00:39:11,239 Speaker 3: Bible about the practice of remembrance. Go back when you're 645 00:39:11,280 --> 00:39:14,280 Speaker 3: in a situation right now and you cannot possibly see 646 00:39:14,280 --> 00:39:16,840 Speaker 3: how God is going to work this out, go back 647 00:39:17,239 --> 00:39:21,239 Speaker 3: and start tracing the hand of God's faithfulness in those 648 00:39:21,320 --> 00:39:24,000 Speaker 3: times that you can look back now and you can see. 649 00:39:24,160 --> 00:39:26,319 Speaker 3: I didn't say it at the time, but I see 650 00:39:26,320 --> 00:39:29,200 Speaker 3: it now. I didn't sit it at the time, but 651 00:39:29,360 --> 00:39:30,320 Speaker 3: I see it now. 652 00:39:30,880 --> 00:39:32,240 Speaker 2: I didn't say it at the time. 653 00:39:32,680 --> 00:39:35,640 Speaker 3: I see it now. I didn't sit at this time, 654 00:39:35,800 --> 00:39:37,280 Speaker 3: but I see it now. 655 00:39:37,320 --> 00:39:44,440 Speaker 2: With God, there is always a meanwhile. There is always 656 00:39:44,520 --> 00:39:44,960 Speaker 2: a meanwhile. 657 00:39:45,080 --> 00:39:47,280 Speaker 3: I want to show you one more thing in scripture, 658 00:39:48,320 --> 00:39:57,399 Speaker 3: because wow, this really caught my attention. When God had 659 00:39:57,520 --> 00:40:03,160 Speaker 3: arranged all of this for Joseph and Joseph interprets the 660 00:40:03,239 --> 00:40:08,680 Speaker 3: dream for Fabro, before the years of famine came, scriptures 661 00:40:08,719 --> 00:40:13,480 Speaker 3: say in Genesis forty one, verse fifty, before the years 662 00:40:13,520 --> 00:40:16,560 Speaker 3: of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph by 663 00:40:16,680 --> 00:40:20,600 Speaker 3: again hard word, another hard word. The priest of hard word, okay, 664 00:40:20,640 --> 00:40:24,000 Speaker 3: all that stuff, okay. So basically, two sons were born 665 00:40:24,040 --> 00:40:30,120 Speaker 3: to Joseph. Joseph named his first born Manassa, which means 666 00:40:30,600 --> 00:40:33,520 Speaker 3: and he said, it is because God has made me 667 00:40:33,600 --> 00:40:38,720 Speaker 3: forget all my trouble and my father's household. The second 668 00:40:38,800 --> 00:40:42,279 Speaker 3: son he named Ephraim, and he said, it's because God 669 00:40:42,320 --> 00:40:43,640 Speaker 3: made me fruitful in. 670 00:40:43,640 --> 00:40:44,680 Speaker 2: The land of my suffering. 671 00:40:45,000 --> 00:40:47,240 Speaker 3: Now, when I was first reading this, at first glance, 672 00:40:47,719 --> 00:40:51,400 Speaker 3: I said, have mercy. Joseph named his two sons forgetful 673 00:40:51,400 --> 00:40:53,600 Speaker 3: and fruitful. I mean, how'd that work out when they 674 00:40:53,640 --> 00:40:56,840 Speaker 3: went to school? Like, Hi, I'm forgetful? Is my brother fruitful? 675 00:40:56,960 --> 00:40:58,960 Speaker 2: You know, I don't know. This is what. 676 00:40:58,920 --> 00:41:01,240 Speaker 3: Happens to me when I read the book sometimes, y'all. 677 00:41:01,440 --> 00:41:04,239 Speaker 3: I just can't help myself. But as I took a 678 00:41:04,320 --> 00:41:10,320 Speaker 3: step back, I started to realize Joseph wasn't just naming 679 00:41:10,360 --> 00:41:17,480 Speaker 3: his sons. Joseph was making a declaration. A declaration. You 680 00:41:17,520 --> 00:41:20,640 Speaker 3: see that first it says it is because God has 681 00:41:20,640 --> 00:41:24,040 Speaker 3: made me forget my trouble and all my father's household. 682 00:41:25,000 --> 00:41:28,640 Speaker 3: The word forget here is nashaw in the original language. 683 00:41:28,840 --> 00:41:31,319 Speaker 3: That doesn't mean it didn't come to his memory. Like 684 00:41:31,360 --> 00:41:36,480 Speaker 3: forgetting that way Nashaw means to make an intentional choice 685 00:41:36,960 --> 00:41:41,880 Speaker 3: to leave some things behind. That's what he named his 686 00:41:41,920 --> 00:41:45,280 Speaker 3: first son, and then his second son he named Ephroim 687 00:41:45,320 --> 00:41:48,920 Speaker 3: because God has made me fruitful in the land of 688 00:41:49,000 --> 00:41:54,000 Speaker 3: my suffering right here, right now, before I understand everything, 689 00:41:54,440 --> 00:41:57,200 Speaker 3: I'm going to choose to plant my roots, trust my 690 00:41:57,320 --> 00:42:09,360 Speaker 3: God and produce fruit right here. With God, there's truly 691 00:42:10,280 --> 00:42:14,719 Speaker 3: always I. Meanwhile, if you're physically able, I'm going to 692 00:42:14,800 --> 00:42:19,280 Speaker 3: ask you to please stand. I want to read something 693 00:42:19,360 --> 00:42:23,759 Speaker 3: over to you. You know, when I was going through 694 00:42:23,800 --> 00:42:28,480 Speaker 3: those years of having no clue how my future was 695 00:42:28,520 --> 00:42:31,640 Speaker 3: going to work out, and honestly, there's still some things, 696 00:42:31,680 --> 00:42:34,919 Speaker 3: like some things about my life are really awesome. And 697 00:42:34,960 --> 00:42:37,799 Speaker 3: even just this week I got some more hard news that. 698 00:42:39,360 --> 00:42:42,800 Speaker 2: Man, I just thought, am I really going to be 699 00:42:42,840 --> 00:42:45,680 Speaker 2: able to get up and preach that message? 700 00:42:46,440 --> 00:42:46,520 Speaker 3: Like? 701 00:42:48,239 --> 00:42:52,319 Speaker 2: How much do you believe this message? Lise? How much 702 00:42:52,320 --> 00:42:52,920 Speaker 2: do you believe it? 703 00:42:54,000 --> 00:42:54,200 Speaker 3: Right? 704 00:42:55,960 --> 00:42:58,759 Speaker 2: And I wrestled, and I truly. 705 00:42:58,480 --> 00:43:02,239 Speaker 3: Thought about Colin chunks back and just saying like, I 706 00:43:02,239 --> 00:43:03,279 Speaker 3: don't know if I can do this. 707 00:43:05,760 --> 00:43:07,239 Speaker 2: But Jenesip fifty. 708 00:43:07,040 --> 00:43:13,680 Speaker 4: Twenty says you intended to harm me. But God intended 709 00:43:13,680 --> 00:43:16,840 Speaker 4: it for good to accomplish what is now being done, 710 00:43:17,360 --> 00:43:28,440 Speaker 4: the saving of many lives. And if this message was 711 00:43:28,480 --> 00:43:33,680 Speaker 4: for you today, God is already doing that. He's already 712 00:43:33,719 --> 00:43:38,799 Speaker 4: taken what has been so confusing and hard for me 713 00:43:38,880 --> 00:43:44,560 Speaker 4: to process, and he's using it for good right here, 714 00:43:45,239 --> 00:43:48,600 Speaker 4: right now. If only I would choose to leave some 715 00:43:48,719 --> 00:43:52,080 Speaker 4: things behind, I would choose to plant roots in the 716 00:43:52,160 --> 00:43:55,640 Speaker 4: land of my suffering and produce fruit, and come and 717 00:43:55,719 --> 00:43:58,520 Speaker 4: preach this message to you today. God is going to 718 00:43:58,640 --> 00:44:02,480 Speaker 4: use it for good in the savings some lives, right amen. 719 00:44:10,600 --> 00:44:13,560 Speaker 4: One night I was wrestling, and sometimes when I wrestle 720 00:44:13,640 --> 00:44:16,000 Speaker 4: with my thoughts, it's usually at the two am hours, 721 00:44:16,080 --> 00:44:19,239 Speaker 4: such a complicated time of night. Right two am is 722 00:44:19,280 --> 00:44:21,120 Speaker 4: too late to call your late friends, too early to 723 00:44:21,120 --> 00:44:22,120 Speaker 4: call your early friends. 724 00:44:22,160 --> 00:44:23,399 Speaker 2: So what you're supposed to do? 725 00:44:23,560 --> 00:44:26,319 Speaker 3: You know? And the Lord has certainly taught me to 726 00:44:26,880 --> 00:44:31,680 Speaker 3: turn my thoughts to him. But I process life also 727 00:44:33,040 --> 00:44:37,120 Speaker 3: through writing stuff out. So one night I was in 728 00:44:37,160 --> 00:44:43,040 Speaker 3: my bed at two am, confused and hurting, and I 729 00:44:43,120 --> 00:44:45,920 Speaker 3: picked up my journal and I put my pen to 730 00:44:46,040 --> 00:44:50,719 Speaker 3: those pages and I wrote this. I wrote it as 731 00:44:50,719 --> 00:44:53,520 Speaker 3: a declaration over myself at the time, but I pray. 732 00:44:53,640 --> 00:44:58,840 Speaker 3: It's a sweet encouragement for you. Being brave is not 733 00:44:58,960 --> 00:45:03,799 Speaker 3: always something you feel. It's something you do. You do 734 00:45:03,880 --> 00:45:06,520 Speaker 3: it in the face of fear and unknown outcomes and 735 00:45:06,640 --> 00:45:09,319 Speaker 3: risk you really don't want to take. You do it 736 00:45:09,360 --> 00:45:13,160 Speaker 3: when your enemy is staring you down with taunting statements 737 00:45:13,160 --> 00:45:16,600 Speaker 3: of defeat. You do it not to prove there's something 738 00:45:16,680 --> 00:45:17,960 Speaker 3: great inside of you. 739 00:45:17,960 --> 00:45:19,839 Speaker 2: You do it because if you. 740 00:45:19,960 --> 00:45:26,240 Speaker 3: Don't, something will die inside of you. You do brave 741 00:45:27,360 --> 00:45:32,399 Speaker 3: even when you definitely don't feel brave. You do brave 742 00:45:32,440 --> 00:45:35,120 Speaker 3: things because it's time to rise up and speak up 743 00:45:35,120 --> 00:45:37,400 Speaker 3: and let truth find us freedom with your voice. 744 00:45:37,760 --> 00:45:38,680 Speaker 2: What happened was. 745 00:45:38,680 --> 00:45:43,359 Speaker 3: Wrong, acknowledge it, speak it, cry over it, don't die 746 00:45:43,400 --> 00:45:46,560 Speaker 3: over it. You've been hurt, but you don't have to 747 00:45:46,600 --> 00:45:50,360 Speaker 3: live hurt. You do brave things because you were made 748 00:45:50,360 --> 00:45:53,480 Speaker 3: to connect, not with all people, but with the right people. 749 00:45:53,760 --> 00:45:54,839 Speaker 2: Take the right risk. 750 00:45:55,200 --> 00:45:59,360 Speaker 3: Take it slow, but don't stop, don't withdraw, don't disappear. 751 00:45:59,719 --> 00:46:03,400 Speaker 3: You do brave things, Lisa, because you are a woman 752 00:46:03,760 --> 00:46:06,520 Speaker 3: who can kneel humbly and rise intentionally. 753 00:46:06,960 --> 00:46:07,960 Speaker 2: You will find good. 754 00:46:07,800 --> 00:46:11,479 Speaker 3: People, and good people will find you, and you'll do 755 00:46:11,560 --> 00:46:17,600 Speaker 3: brave things until you become brave you'll know laughter again, 756 00:46:17,800 --> 00:46:20,000 Speaker 3: and you'll know deep in your bones that you will 757 00:46:20,040 --> 00:46:23,080 Speaker 3: not waste all that you've learned. Those spilled tears, every 758 00:46:23,160 --> 00:46:25,399 Speaker 3: one of them helped you let go of the pain 759 00:46:25,480 --> 00:46:27,800 Speaker 3: to make room for possibility. 760 00:46:28,000 --> 00:46:29,719 Speaker 2: Your life is not a tragedy. 761 00:46:30,120 --> 00:46:33,719 Speaker 3: It's a testimony that God is your rock and your redeemer. 762 00:46:34,080 --> 00:46:36,840 Speaker 3: And if your hands are shaking, let it be only 763 00:46:37,160 --> 00:46:39,840 Speaker 3: because you're pointing at the devil who picked the wrong 764 00:46:39,960 --> 00:46:55,359 Speaker 3: girl to mess with this time. Don't wait, don't wait 765 00:46:55,480 --> 00:46:59,360 Speaker 3: until you feel brave. Go be brave, because if God 766 00:46:59,480 --> 00:47:04,680 Speaker 3: is with you, nothing, nothing, nothing, can stand against you. 767 00:47:10,960 --> 00:47:13,520 Speaker 1: Thank you for joining us. Special thanks to those of 768 00:47:13,560 --> 00:47:16,560 Speaker 1: you who give generously to this ministry. Is because of 769 00:47:16,600 --> 00:47:19,520 Speaker 1: you that this ministry is possible. You can click the 770 00:47:19,560 --> 00:47:23,280 Speaker 1: link in the description to give now, or visit Elevationchurch 771 00:47:23,440 --> 00:47:26,719 Speaker 1: dot org slash podcast for more information and if you 772 00:47:26,800 --> 00:47:30,040 Speaker 1: enjoyed the podcast, you can subscribe. You can share it 773 00:47:30,040 --> 00:47:32,359 Speaker 1: with your friends. You can click the share button, take 774 00:47:32,360 --> 00:47:34,719 Speaker 1: a screenshot and share it on your social stories and 775 00:47:34,760 --> 00:47:37,400 Speaker 1: tag us at Elevation Church. Thanks again for listening. 776 00:47:37,440 --> 00:47:43,000 Speaker 3: God bless you.