If I were to ask you how God has blessed you, how would your answer?

More than likely you would give me a beautiful spiritual answer beginning with all the good things God has done for you. “I rejoice because His death on the cross has saved my soul. He has blessed me with a beautiful family, a good job, wonderful Christian friends, and an amazing church.” You would sum it up with, “God has been so good to me!”

Praise God for your answer dear brother. Bringing praise to the Father for what he has provided is such a joy.

But what if life is anything but good, “How has God blessed you?” I can see your thoughts racing through your brain trying to find an answer. Could you get passed the emotional or physical pain long enough to find the answers?

Main Thought:

Did you know that you will never experience anything that God cannot use for good?

1. We are familiar with the story of Joseph found in Genesis. It is a great reminder of this declaration. He was the favorite son of Jacob. His jealous brothers sold him into slavery. He found favor in eyes of the Pharaoh’s Chief Steward, Potiphar. Joseph was wrongly accused by Potiphar’s wife of sexual advances and placed in prison. Two years later the Pharaoh was distressed over a dream he could not get out of his mind. “. . . his mind was troubled, so he sent for all the magicians and wise men of Egypt . . . but no one could interpret it.” (41:8) Through the cupbearer Joseph was summoned to the Pharaoh for help.

After interpreting the dream, Joseph said,  “And now let Pharaoh look for a discerning and wise man and put him in charge of the land of Egypt.” Pharaoh did just that! “Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you.  You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people are to submit to your orders. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you.”

We know the outcome. Joseph’s brothers were stressed over their own trials. They were not only about to lose everything due to drought, but they were on the verge of starvation. When they discovered their salvation was in the brother they had conspired to kill, they were filled with panic and guilt. In their emotion they became fearful that Joseph would retaliate by not helping them.

Those who hurt Joseph now needed him. Joseph could have treated them with an attitude of revenge but he chose, after he teased them a bit, to love them and welcome them. It was all God’s plan. The trials Joseph experienced through the years, God used for good. Just as he had been comforted by his faith in God, that same faith allowed him to display compassion, forgiveness, and love for his brothers. His faith became an example of comfort to them.

Even when we don’t understand the horrible circumstance of life, we are to continue looking to God and He will surely bless us in the end. He will use us to comfort others.

2) In Job 2, we find  Satan was out to prove that no man could truly love the Lord with all of his heart mind and soul. He “struck  Job with loathsome boils and agonizingly painful sores from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. And Job took a piece of broken pottery with which to scrape himself, and he sat [down] among the ashes (rubbish heaps).

His wife challenged him^. “Do you still cling to your integrity [and your faith and trust in God, without blaming Him]? Curse God and die!” When his three friends came they didn’t recognize him for the sores that covered his body. He was tormented by pain. He cursed the day he was born, but he never cursed God. He continued to place his faith in the Lord that there was purpose behind this sickness. In the end, he lost everything and suffered through intense agony.

When this trial ended God rewarded him for his faithfulness. The key to his suffering was in what he told his wife. “Shall we indeed accept [only] good from God and not [also] accept adversity and disaster?” In [spite of] all this Job did not sin with [words from] his lips.” (2:9 AMP)

1. To all our highs and lows, God brings for Good. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

           Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of

            mercies and God of all comfort,  who comforts us in all our affliction, so

            that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the

            comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

In the first letter to the Corinthians Paul wants to admonish the believers of their sins and for their lack of working together for the advancement of the gospel. He offered instruction as well.

In his second letter to the Corinthians Paul emphasizes forgiveness and the importance of walking in the Spirit. In their enthusiasm he encouraged the church in to embrace their new life in Christ and walk as He had walked by giving to others generously.

He starts out, in chapter one, with the comfort of God and then he moves into what I want to discuss today.

The KEY is that we comfort those in trouble with the comfort we receive from God. That there is purpose in pain, we only need to discover what that is.

TRUTH #1: God works best (vs. 4) when your life doesn’t. Give what God has given you away.

What? Give my trial to someone else? Just what does that mean?

We assume that God works best when our life is at its best. God calls us to be opposite of that. He calls us to realize our life is very well when things aren’t at their best.

Remember the saying that More Success leads to Less Dependence?

Mt. 23:12 ESV says it like this: Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

In Gods Word, He reminds us that Success=Independence when He says, Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16:18ESV:

James 1:17 AMP lets us know that, Us = Dependence on God

Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above; it comes down from the Father of lights [the Creator and Sustainer of the heavens], in whom there is no variation [no rising or setting] or shadow cast by His turning [for He is perfect and never changes].

We don’t have to wait for life to fall apart to become dependent on God. Realize what is good in life is not because of us, but our dependence on God.

TRUTH #2: Finding God Is Not By Chance — It is by choice.

When other people hurt you, or when illness comes upon you that is making your life miserable you have to make a decision. You can wallow in your pain and complain to everyone, or you can remove yourself from the circumstance and grow Christ in the center of it.

Joseph and Job were both dependent on God before their trials began. If you have been dependent on God in the good times then you know how to be dependent on Him in your trial. God is in control. He will stand by you and strengthen and empower you so that through you the gospel message will be seen and heard by others, even unbelievers. The Lord will rescue you from every evil assault, whether physical or emotional. (2 Tim. 4:16-18)

You cannot complain and see the goodness of God at the same time.

“Come, let us drink our fill of love until morning;
Let us console and delight ourselves with love.” (Proverbs 7:18AMP)

TRUTH #3: Those who understand God’s goodness will always be found giving it away.

Don’t waist your pain. Use it to glorify God by your example of dependence on Him.

We are stewards of sharing what we have learned in our circumstance. Give it away! Rather than sharing (giving away) how much pain and misery you are in, give away how God is blessing you through this circumstance. Validate the faith you had in the good times while you are in the bad times.

Paul wrote the Corinthian’s, “For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Cor.12:10 ESV)

We are dependent, not independent of God. Demonstrate your dependence on God.

God comforts us through our trials, just as he did David and Job. Grandfathers, you are getting older. Each day there seems to be a new switch turning on that reminds you that you are not the man of steel you were in your younger years. You will experience setbacks in your life along with aches and pains like you have never known. You don’t have to wait for life to fall apart to become dependent on God. At your age you should already know that, but if you don’t, begin to realize who you are in Christ and learn to depend on Him. Dependence is trust. As John the Baptist said, “My joy is now complete, He must increase, I must decrease” (John 3:29-30).

Become dependent on Him in the good and the bad times!

It’s time to realize that what is good in life is NOT because of what you have done, but just as with Joseph’s faith, your dependence is on God.

When you realize whom you are, and become dependent on our Heavenly Father, your joy will be complete. All things will work together for His glory and our blessing.

Reference:

1. https://bible.org/article/god%E2%80%99s-comfort-suffering-and-our-responsibility-2-cor-11-11
2. Dr. Mark Byrd, Lead Pastor, Message: FOR GOOD (First Ridgeland Baptist, Ridgeland, MS June 27, 2021)

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Mark and his family reside in Madison, MS. He is married to the former Mary Kraft of McComb, and they have two daughters, Anna Kris and Allie. Mark has served churches in Mississippi for over 25 years. He received degrees from the University of Southern Mississippi and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. His greatest passion is preaching, teaching, and discipleship. Mark enjoys attending sporting events, participating in community events, and spending time with his family. Mark and his family love serving with the First Ridgeland family.

Article was transcribed from notes. Permission has been granted to publish. Feature photo used with permission – Unsplash