Joseph Story told in Genesis 30-50

Joseph went through a rough season in his life.  He was favored by his Father but that caused his brothers to hate him.  They put him in a pit and told their father that he was killed, Then they sold him into slave then he then ended up in prison.  This was a rough season that he went through. 

As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. – Genesis 50:20.

What matters is not so much the events or circumstances of life but your response to them.  With God’s help any situation can be used for good, even when others intend it for evil.

Job Book of Job

Sometimes, even though you may be doing everything “right” ( air quotes) life may still come at you hard for a season.  Job had family, finances and most importantly a relationship with God.  The book of Job starts off saying that Job was blameless and upright.  If there was ever an person besides Jesus that was perfect is was Job up to this point in Job 1:1.  God removed the hedge of protection that was around Job and the devil took his children, his cattle, finances, and health.  What we can learn from this is that we don’t need to know that answers to everything bad that happens to us.  We don’t need to question God.  But we need to have faith in him regardless of the season that we go through.  Knowing God is better than knowing the answers.

“I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted.” – Job 42:2

After all the questioning and all the complaining, Job came to the conclusion that God can do ALL THINGS and no plan of His can be stopped.  It was after Job came to this conclusion and prayed for his friends that God restored all that he lost back to him.  The take away here is that we need to remember that the season that you are going through may be for those around you.  God knows exactly how much you can bare and won’t put more on you than you can take.  It’s in the way that you handle your season that will be seen by others and Give God glory.

Moses – Exodus

Sometimes the seasons that we go through are no all bad.  Sometimes they will cause you to be treated like royalty, but we must remember to think of what Gods bigger purpose is while we are enjoying good seasons.  Moses was taken in by Pharaohs daughter and he ended up being raised as an Egyptian.  This means he got the best education, he had wealth, security and everything else he could ask for.  But it was for a purpose.

By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. – Hebrews 11:24-25

Through Moses, one of the things that we have to learn is that God prepares you, then he works through you.  We need to be ready to put what we have learned into use for His glory and be prepared to forsake anything that will stop us for fulfilling our destiny.

Niomi – Ruth chapter 1-4

The Book of Ruth started out explaining Naomi’s situation.  It was during a time of famine.  Her husband took them to Moab to survive the famine but Moab was one of the nations that oppressed Isreal during this period of time.  Then her husband died.  Then both of her sons died.  She was left with her two daughter in laws during a famine in a land where her people were oppressed so she returned to Judah where one of her two daughter in lays left her.

Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of King David. – Matthew 1:5-6

Through this season in Naomi’s life, she was able to mentor Ruth and help her marry Boaz.  Through this lineage, Jesus was born.  We need to remember that through seasons in our life that we may see as tough, we need to ensure that we are doing our best to keep relationships and share Jesus to those who may not know Him.  We don’t know down the line what those people will become or the role they will play in Gods redemptive plan for the world.

Lazarus – John 11:1-44

If Jesus had been with Lazarus during the final moments of his life, he might have healed him rather than let him die.  But Lazarus died so that Jesus’s power over death could be shown to his disciples and others who would witness this.  The raising of Lazarus was an essential display of Gods power.

“Take away the stone,” he said. “But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”  Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” – John 11:39-40

Sometimes we may go through a season where something dies in our life and we think it’s not coming back.  We need to remember that God has the power to bring dead things back to life.  When he does do it you can count on it giving Glory to God.

Hannah – 1 Samuel 1-2

Hannah struggled with her sense of self-worth because she was unable to have children.  In addition to that, her husband’s other wife; Peninnah had children and provoked her to irritate her because of it. So not only was she going through a season where she was baron, but she was being provoked by her rival.  God eventually opened her womb and blessed her with a son who became Israel’s greatest judge.

This was her prayer to God after she finally gave birth to Samuel,

I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him.  So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord.” And he worshiped the Lord there. – 1 Samuel 1:27-28

God hears and answers prayers and he is concerned for the oppressed and afflicted.  After Samuel was born, Hannah gave up what she wanted most (her son) and presented him to Eli to serve in the house of the Lord.

Paul & Silas in jail – Acts 16:25-34

Though Paul and Silas were doing what was right and within Gods will, Paul was annoyed at what a slave girl was saying about them over and over and he prayed and delivered the slave girl that was demon possessed and this caused her master to be upset since he was making money off her.  Paul and Silas were thrown in prison as a result of doing what was right.

And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed. – Acts 16:25-26

And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. – Acts 16:31-33

They spent a short season in Prison but while they were there God miraculously broke them out.