Genesis 45:5-8; 50:18-21

Introduction 

• Not knowing.....

1. I believe the greatest challenge to the comfort of suffering is not knowing.
2. if I knew some things, it would soften the blow of tragedy.
3. but if I am left to the devices of the mind, then my mind can take me anywhere it wants to take me.
4. and when I don't know why, I'm stressed because I don't know if this is my fault or did someone else do this to me.
5. because if this is my fault then I suffer the sting of consciousness,
6. but if this is something that just happens then I am tempted to suffer the bitterness of misfortune.
7. but when I don't know why it's happening to me, then I look to see who I can blame.

• And one of the greatest challenges to the mind of traditional thinkers is the idea of innocent suffering.

1. innocent meaning that one is sufferign unjsutly.
2. and when you think about someone suffering unjustly, immediately it becomes MORALLY SCANDALOUS.
3. for to suffer unjustly allows the enemy to come in and point a finger at God and say that if He could have stopped it, why didn't He?

• But I'm glad that when I faced things that God didn't prevent, He intervened anyway.

When The Good Suffer And The Bad Is Rewarded

• How do you justify what you are going through when the devil is in your ear telling you that " Out of all the good that you are doing, you still have it so bad"?

1. and then when you look over and see those who are evil and diabolical appearing to be blessed.
2. how do you justify the fact that for all of your trying, you can't get ahead.
3. instead, everytime you look around, you find yourself in trouble when all you've done was live an upright life.

• What advice can you give someone in this situation?

1. I'll tell you from the pages of Scripture, KEEP AN EXCELLENT SPIRIT.
2. you don't want to have to go back an apologize after you have mishandled people and treated them like dirt because you were frustrated, then you finally see what God is doing.
3. you must learn that in every situation, you are a child of God, and as a child of God you cannot afford to misrepresent the faith that you have in God, nor God Himself.
4. the Bible says that no matter where Joseph found himself, he kept his excellent spirit.
5. and this is the only way that he excelled no matter where he was.
6. even when he was in low places, he rose to the top.
7. and if you are right in your spirit, even if you are not where you want to be, you will find yourself at the top.
8. you can't be a complainer, because unless you know the plan of God, you might mess up your witness.
9. the people that you are complaining to might be in a worse shape than you are.
10. you don't know whether He's Going To Use What You've Been Through To Bless Somebody.

Use It!

• Yes, you've been through alot, but you didn't go through for nothing. Use what you've been through to help somebody.
• I've been in jail..........Use It!

1. find some young man going down the wrong road, and use what you've been through to change the direction of his life.
2. tell him that you've been where he is and it didn't turn out right for you.
3. help to keep some young man from losing his life to prison.
4. rather than hiding it, use it to bless somebody.

• I was raped and molested..........Use it!

1. don't sit down and feel bad, too many people need your experience.
2. you know what to look out for,
3. that young child that feels dirty like they did something wrong that made that man touch them and take their innocence away.
4. they need to know that there is still life left to live.
5. they need to know God can take the pain away.
6. they need to know that they can make it through this.
7. don't hide it, use it to bless somebody.

• I was an addict on the street..........Use it!

1. don't let what you've been through make you ashamed.
2. there is a young woman who wants to know that she doesn't have to die like she is.
3. ther is a young man who is tired of being on the streets, and he wants to know if there is anyone who made it out of the game.
4. you made it out and God has kept you.
5. don't be ashamed of it, use it to bless somebody.

• I grew up on welfare..........Use it!

1. some single mother is struggling and trying to make ends meet, and don't know if she'll ever have anything worth having in this life.
2. and you were once bound riding the system.
3. but look at you now, doing better than you've ever done.
4. you are making it on your own, making your own money.
5. and they need to know that they don't have to be lazy and wait for someone to give them something.
6. tell them, they can

• Hang on, He's going to bring you out of this.

1. and when you come out of this, He's going to use what you've been through to bless somebody.
2. this is why failure is not an option, you gotta make it.
3. somebody is depending on you to come out of this becasue when you come out, they have hope.
4. your victory is going to help keep somebody alive.
5. somebody is looking at you.
6. somebody is counting on you.
7. somebosy is pulling for you.
8. they need you to get through this.
9. because their lives are tied into you.