Testing: Our Pathway To Our Kingdom Promotions! (7)

THE FRUSTRATION TEST IS A REAL THING!

Luke 5:4 “When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.”

Luke 5:5 “Simon answered and said, “Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing, but I will do as You say and let down the nets.”

Frustration occurs when we do our best to make things happen and they don’t! Perhaps it is because someone or some-thing has more control over what happens in our life than we do!

The Frustration test is a real THING!

Before we explore this in detail. let’s do a brief review of the different types of tests God allows or requires us to experience.

‌I. The HEARING Test!

‌‌John 10:27 ““My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;”

‌‌II. The WILDERNESS Test!

‌‌Isaiah 45:15 “Truly, You are a God who hides Himself, O God of Israel, Savior!”

‌‌III. The DISCOURAGEMENT Test!

‌‌Psalm 105:19 “Until the time that his word came to pass, The word of the Lord tested him.”

‌IV. The SERVANT-HOOD Test!

‌‌Genesis 39:4 “So, Joseph found favor in his sight and became his personal servant; and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he owned he put in his charge.”

‌V. The TIME Test!

‌‌Genesis 39:20 “So Joseph’s master took him and put him into the jail, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined; and he was there in the jail.”

‌‌VI. The TEMPTATION Test!

‌James 1:12 “Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.”

‌‌VII. The MISUNDERSTANDING Test!

‌Genesis 39:19 “Now when his master heard the words of his wife, which she spoke to him, saying, “This is what your slave did to me,” his anger burned.”

‌Genesis 39:20 “So Joseph’s master took him and put him into the jail, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined; and he was there in the jail.”

Joseph’s entire journey toward his destiny involved misunderstanding of two dreams.

‌What CAUSES a misunderstanding? Usually there is an innocent action, some harmless word, or wrongly perceived implication. This starts a chain reaction!

The misunderstanding is based in OFFENSE!

‌Which is where the TEST comes in!

‌To the one who was OFFENDED, the test is whether to be offended or not!

‌To the one who was misunderstood, the test is the RESPONSE to the misunderstanding!

‌‌HOW do we overcome misunderstanding when it occurs?

‌First, try to correct the misunderstanding, knowing that it might not be possible.

‌Second, we give it to God. He can use it for our eventual good if we let him!

‌Third, don’t let it overwhelm you, but you overwhelm it with good!

‌Our response to the misunderstanding is our test!

‌VIII. The FRUSTRATION Test!

Genesis 40:20 “Thus it came about on the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, that he made a feast for all his servants; and he lifted up the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker among his servants.”

Genesis 40:21 “He restored the chief cupbearer to his office, and he put the cup into Pharaoh’s hand;”

Genesis 40:22 “but he hanged the chief baker, just as Joseph had interpreted to them.”

Genesis 40:23 “Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.”

Genesis 41:1 “Now it happened at the end of two full years that Pharaoh had a dream, and behold, he was standing by the Nile.”

Frustration often occurs when someone or some-thing has more control over what happens in our life than we do.

Joseph did his best in every circumstance, yet he wound up first as a slave and then as a prisoner. None of these hardships were due to any wrong doing on his part.

But there was a destiny that required walking through circumstances that required Joseph to pass the Frustration test!

Let’s take a look at the Frustration test in a New Testament passage and see what we can glean from it.

Luke 5:4 “When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.”

Luke 5:5 “Simon answered and said, “Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing, but I will do as You say and let down the nets.”

How Do We Pass The Frustration Test?

A. LISTEN to the instructions from the Lord!

Luke 5:4 “When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.”

As an experienced fisherman, Peter had done all he knew to do. But all of his experience and knowledge had produced nothing. This had to be frustrating!

Passing the frustration test, probably will require you to pass the HEARING test again! Jesus said to Peter, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.”

At first, Peter objected and his frustration was starting to come to the surface. But Peter quickly recognized that he could do what Jesus said, or he could go home hungry, exhausted, broke, and frustrated.

Fortunately for Peter, he chose to consider the instructions Jesus gave him.

B. OBEY the instructions from the Lord!

Luke 5:5 “Simon answered and said, “Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing, but I will do as You say and let down the nets.”

Peter passed the frustration test by not giving in to the frustration of his circumstances.

Just as the misunderstanding test is overcome by doing good, so is the frustration test passed by not giving in to the frustration of the circumstances!

I read the other day there was a church that believes it is a sin to fish on the left side of the boat because Jesus told them to fish on the right side of the boat (lol)!

In closing, Joseph faced frustrating circumstances for 35 years. He heard from the Lord through a dream, believed the revelation he received from the Lord, was hated by his brothers, passed the wilderness test, discouragement test, the servant-hood test, the temptation test , and the misunderstanding test.

And now after all of this, always doing the right thing, always putting others needs above his needs, he ends up in prison.

While he is in prison, he interprets two dreams, for two different people. They end up getting released from prison and the only thing he asks them is to remember him when they get out of prison.

What did they do? They forgot him and for two long years, Joseph is facing the time test and the frustration test is a THING!

Genesis 41:1 “Now it happened at the end of two full years that Pharaoh had a dream, and behold, he was standing by the Nile.”

The story of Joseph’s life is about to take an exciting turn but he is going to need to keep doing good and he is going to need to pass the hearing test again!

Genesis 41:15 “Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I have had a dream, but no one can interpret it; and I have heard it said about you, that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.”

Genesis 41:16 “Joseph then answered Pharaoh, saying, “It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.”

Points To Ponder:

Have you ever FELT like doing “RIGHT” caused more frustration than doing wrong?

Have you ever worked all night, with no results, and Jesus tells you to try again? What was, or what will your response be?