The God of Promise: Fit for a Pit

God’s hand will never lead you, where His grace cannot keep you.

There is an old saying that goes: “God’s hand will never lead you, where His grace cannot keep you.” This was proved true in the life of the first American missionary, Adoniram Judson (d. 1850). Judson felt called of God to minister among the masses of present day Myanmar, the country formerly known as Burma. As grand as this calling was, Judson’s life was marked with intense suffering. Here’s a list of his adversities:

On his way overseas, he and his family were continuously ill;

their ship was bumped off course some four or five times.

When the Judsons finally landed in Burma, they found a tropical climate with no known Christians.

It took him two years to speak the language.

It took him six years to see the first convert to the Christian faith.

While there, he buried his children,

was thrown into prison

and lost his first wife, Nancy, to fever. This loss would plunge Judson into severe depression.

He was now just in his mid-40’s. If this was not enough, he remarried, only to see his second wife, Sarah, pass while giving birth.

Judson himself would contract Tuberculosis and die at sea.

At the end of his life, there were no more than ten converts. Nevertheless, Judson believed that God called him. This calling enabled him to complete a task that was far more effective than any conversation he would have with a native: the completion of the Burmese New Testament. And today, because of that work, there are some six million Christians in Myanmar. Who do they credit as being the father of their Christian faith? None other than Adoniram Judson.

Once again, God’s hand will never lead you, where His grace cannot keep you. Maybe you have often wondered about the purpose of your life. Without God, life is an endless search of meaning. But through Jesus Christ, your life holds tremendous value and meaning.

Having heard His general calling upon your life, do you wonder at the particulars? Have you faced your adversities with the question, “Why me, Lord?” Remember this: God’s hand will never lead you, where His grace cannot keep you.

Certainly the life of Joseph proves this to be true. Today is our last installment in the series: “The God of Promise.” At seventeen years old he was called to an important position. As he communicated the dreams God had given him, he met much disapproval. But disapproval or not, God put him in a prominent place and used him to save many lives. Let us learn of God’s calling in our lives in a sermon I’ve entitled, "Fit for a Pit.” We first learn that…

GOD CALLS YOU WITH A PURPOSE IN MIND.

Who was Joseph? He was the son of Rachel, the choicest of Jacob’s. Remember it was Rachel for whom Jacob labored 14 years. According to 35:24, there were only two sons from Jacob’s union with Rachel, Joseph and Benjamin. Now remember that there is a promise from God to each of the patriarchs that included land, posterity and blessing. Starting with Abraham, it then went to Isaac. From Isaac, it went to Jacob. Then from Jacob it is passed to Joseph. Joseph was an honored possession of God and of Jacob. That preference was no doubt displayed through Jacob’s particular love found in 37:3, “Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons, because he was the son of his old age….”

We then see the dream in which God spoke to Joseph about his future. Joseph, without considering the reaction of his brothers, told them of his dream in verse seven.

“We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it."

A sheaf is a grouping of cut stalks of grain bundled together in an orderly way. It is an agricultural term, popular in Ancient Near Eastern society. The first dream disclosed that Joseph was a special person.

Moreover, the second dream was a bit more detailed. It would communicate God’s purpose in Joseph. Genesis 37:9:

“Now he had still another dream, and related it to his brothers, and said, Lo, I have had still another dream; and behold, the sun and the moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me."

Joseph related it to his father and to his brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him,

"What is this dream that you have had? Shall I and your mother and your brothers actually come to bow ourselves down before you to the ground?”

Here, the interpretation is that Joseph’s parents and siblings, represented by the sun, moon and eleven stars, would pay reverence to the boy at some point. The dream was symbolic of a future event. This dream was divine and no fault of Joseph’s, although that was the perception of his brothers. Rather, it was the plan of God. It is a bit ironic that this dream should contain constellations. You remember, that God, when He blessed Abraham in Genesis 15:5. It says,

“He took him outside and said, "Look up at the heavens and count the stars-- if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be."

Stars are symbols of service for God and bring forth praise. Psalm 148:3: “Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars.” And Isaiah 40:26 tells us:

“Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.”

The point of the second dream is that God had a plan for his people. Part of that plan was to place Joseph at a critical spot of leadership while the Israelites were in Egypt. This would involve a climb to power that would eventually save the lives of his family members and much of the known world at that time. Genesis 41:54 tells us that Joseph predicted the seven years of famine for the entire known world at that time, all except for Egypt, where there was more than enough food.

We don’t want adversity, but it is often God’s tool to make us more like Christ. C.S. Lewis said that pain was God’s megaphone. I wonder if president Bush would have ran for president if he knew that about the events of September 11th beforehand? If he is alike any of us, probably not. On the other hand, we’ve seen him handle the tragedy and his charge with profound grace and determination. Joseph was God’s man for the future. But he would not arrive at this future without paying a price. Thus we see that…

YOUR CALLING TO TRUST CHRIST WILL INEVITABLY INCLUDE CHALLENGES AND ADVERSITIES.

Although God’s plan involved the exaltation of Joseph, it would no doubt wind him through awful circumstances. As you read the closing chapters of Genesis, you see Joseph’s many challenges.

becoming the object of jealousy by his brothers,

being cast into a pit left for dead,

being sold into slavery,

being wrongfully accused of rape/adultery.

And the list goes on and on. But for as much adversity as the young man Joseph had faced, he remained steadfast in his faith and knew that God was with him. Many times we are told that God was with Joseph.

Genesis 39:2: “The LORD was with Joseph and he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master.”

And Genesis 39:5: “ …the LORD blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake; and the blessing of the LORD was upon all that he had in the house, and in the field.”

And that even in prison, Genesis 39:21 tells us that “...the LORD was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden.”

There is a lesson therein for you and me as well. That regardless of what may come your way in life, if your devotion is to the Lord and you are living to honor Him, He is with you. It matters not what happens to you, or what other people think of you. All that matters is if God is with you. Even when the Israelites sinned against the Lord, and He sent them into exile, He still made the promise written in Isaiah 43:2:

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.”

The reasons for our trials are varied. For some, we bring adversity on ourselves by the poor decisions we make. At other times, it falls in our lap without our encouragement. We can never assume to have all the answers. But we do know that God is a God of design. For instance, when the disciples asked Jesus for the reason about the man born blind, supposing it was his fault, or that of his parents, the Lord responded in John 9:3:

“Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.”

We do know that as God is sovereign over our circumstances, he will bring about His desired result in us and through us. In the midst of the worldwide famine, Joseph’s brothers came to Egypt to obtain grain. Upon seeing them, the Scriptures says that Joseph remembered his dreams and went through the necessary actions to insure Benjamin’s arrival.

Moreover, after Jacob died and the brothers feared that Joseph would take revenge for the evil they had done to him, Joseph responded, You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives (Genesis 50:20). Friends, God’s calling always involves challenge, but oh what purpose it has!

The story of Joseph speaks not just of the man, but more importantly of a God of design and purpose. This reminds us that His calling and the adversity that followed him in fulfilling that call, reminds us that we should not waiver in our devotion, though the tide come against us. Charles Gabriel wrote a poem, which so adequately describes the faith we must have in whatever lot we are given. It is entitled, All Will Be Right. Let its words minister to you today.

God rules the world and all will be right.

Tempted and tried, encumbered with care,

Under the yoke that is heavy to bear,

Never a moment yield to despair,

God rules the world and all will be right.

Broken with sorrow though you may be,

Think not the Lord is unmindful of thee,

With clearer eyes some day you shall see,

God rules the world, and all will be right.

Strength may forsake you, foes may alarm,

Fear not, the Father will shield you from harm,

Trust in His might, and lean on His arm

God rules the world, and all will be right.