From His Heart

Dr. Jeff Schreve: What gave Joseph the strength to trust God? The Lord was with him. What enabled him to rise above all the difficulties? What enabled him to roll with the punches? The Lord was with him.

God's ways are not our ways. Determine to be faithful and to bloom where you're planted. Don't let your heart get bitter and wait on the Lord, rolling with the punches.

Guest (Male): All of us often have things that happen to us that are unwanted and unwarranted, things that we just didn't cause to happen. What do we do when these things happen? How do we roll with the punches? This is From His Heart with Pastor Jeff Schreve.

Thank you for joining us today for a message that will keep you from losing hope when tragedy occurs. Hey, the Lord is at work in your life, whether you see it or not. And today Pastor Jeff is sharing the amazing story of Joseph in the Old Testament to prove that point. Joseph was a man who waited faithfully for the Lord and was abundantly blessed.

The message today is entitled "Rolling with the Punches," and it's the last message in the five-message series, "Life Goes On: How to Face a New Normal." This series and the companion book, "Life Interrupted," are our gifts of thanks to you for your support this month of any amount to From His Heart. You can find out more about that when you go to fromhishart.org.

Right now though, open your Bible to the book of Genesis, chapter 32, for part two of the lesson, "Rolling with the Punches." Here again is Pastor Jeff.

Dr. Jeff Schreve: 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. And he's wondering what is the deal, God? Hey, what do you do when the punches of life just keep coming? Let me share with you four principles to help you, to help me when the punches just keep coming. And especially when the punches are not your fault.

Principle number one: Remember that God's ways aren't our ways. God's ways are not our ways. The scripture makes that clear in Isaiah chapter 55. God says, "My ways are not your ways, neither are your thoughts my thoughts," declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so far are my ways higher than your ways, my thoughts than your thoughts. God is in control. God knows what he's doing.

So in your difficulty, in your pit, as Joseph was in a pit, in a prison, just know God knows why. He knows what's going on. He hasn't lost your address. He knows exactly what he is doing.

Very first principle, when the punches keep coming, remember that God's ways aren't our ways. Second principle: Determine to be faithful and bloom where you're planted. That's the thing about Joseph. If we wanted to kind of put just an epitaph on his life, just a summation of his life, Joseph was a guy who was faithful to God through thick and through thin, and who bloomed where he was planted. Because he was planted in a place he didn't want to be. He couldn't control his circumstances. He could just control how he responded to his circumstances.

Joseph chose to have an attitude of gratitude. He chose to serve God, to trust God, to stay faithful to God, no matter what happened, no matter how many punches came his way. You know, it says in first Corinthians chapter 4, verse 2, "It is required of stewards that a man be found faithful." Faithful. That's the most important thing. That's what God is looking for, faithful servants. It doesn't say that a man be found successful, doesn't say that a man be found powerful, doesn't say that a man be found creative or ingenious. Faithful. Faithful. Determined to be faithful and to bloom where you're planted.

Principle number three: Don't let your heart get bitter. It would have been so easy for Joseph to get bitter, but he never did. And so he ends up, he's, he goes from Potiphar's house to the prison house. He's there in the prison. He says, "I'm going to be the best prisoner I can be. I'm going to bloom where I'm planted." And it says in chapter 40, it says that one day in the prison, the two guys came to the prison. They were sent by Pharaoh because Pharaoh got mad at them. Pharaoh's butler and Pharaoh's baker, and they were sent to the prison and they were there with Joseph, and the captain of the bodyguard put Joseph in charge of them, and he took care of them, and they were in confinement for some time. Then the cupbearer and the baker for the king of Egypt, who were confined in jail, both had a dream the same night, and each man with his own dream, and it's each dream with its own interpretation. When Joseph came to them in the morning and observed them, behold, they were dejected. And he asked Pharaoh's officials who were with him in confinement in his master's house, "Why are your faces so sad today?"

Joseph is such a tremendous guy. He's going to bloom in the prison. He's going to do his job, and he's not going to sulk in his own problems. He is looking at the faces of other guys. How can I be a blessing to these other guys? And what you see in the life of Joseph is a man who could have been consumed with bitterness that refused to get bitter. Don't let your heart get bitter. So here is Joseph. He hears the dreams. He said, "Hey, they had this dream, there's no one to interpret the dream." And Joseph said, "Hey, tell me the dream."

You know, I like dreams. God's given me a dream and so tell me your dream. And so the butler tells him the dream, the chief cupbearer. He said, "Here's my dream." He tells him all the dream and said, Joseph said, "Ah, this is the interpretation of a dream." "In three more days, you're going to be restored to your position and you're going to be putting the cup back in Pharaoh's hand." And then he says to him, verse 14, "Only keep in mind when it goes well with you, and please do me a kindness by mentioning me to Pharaoh and get me out of this house."

Terrible place, the Egyptian prison in the 1700s BC. He said, "For I was in fact kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews and even here I have done nothing that they should have put me into the dungeon." That's what he said to them. What could he have said to them? I mean, if you have bitterness in your heart over what your brothers did. I mean, the account would have been a lot different. It would have been something like this.

"Now, hey, when you get let out of here, Butler, remember me to Pharaoh because, let me tell you something, I'm not supposed to be here. I have ten older brothers that aren't worth a plugged nickel. Those sorry dogs, they sold me into slavery. Can you imagine? You have brothers. I mean, can you imagine? I hate those guys. Every single one of them, I hate them. And don't even get me started about Potiphar's wife. I mean, I pray every night that she'd get hit by a chariot." I mean, he could have been so bitter at what happened to him. But he doesn't say anything that would denote bitterness.

He just kept trusting God. You know, most of us, as believers in Jesus, we know that bitterness is wrong. We know that bitterness will hurt us. But here's the big question: How do you not get bitter? When things happen to you, when someone lies about you, when it steals years from your life, as it stole from Joseph's life. He's a slave at 17. He is elevated to the palace when he is 30. He's got 13 years as a slave and a prisoner. We don't know what the breakdown is. He's at least two years as a prisoner. And he's at least, at the most, 11 years as a slave. Those aren't 13 great years as far as, hey, this is what I want my life to be. But he never got bitter. Now, he no doubt had to fight against that because he's human, but he didn't get bitter.

And so here's the question: How do you and I deal with stuff so we don't get bitter? How can we do that? First of all, remind yourself often that God is in control. How do you not get bitter when things come your way? Remind yourself, God is in control of this. God is in control of this. I don't understand it, but I ask him why. He doesn't tell me why, but I can rest in the fact that he knows why. And so God is in control.

The Bible says in Psalm 46, verse 10, "Cease striving, let go, relax, be still and know that I am God." God's over it all. So I remind myself, so I don't get bitter. Hey, all this stuff, nothing can come into your life or my life until it first filters through God's fingers of love. So I know that God is over this. And then I remind myself, secondly, that God is at work. God is at work through this.

The scripture says in Psalm 105, verse 19, speaking of Joseph, it says that until the time that his word came to pass, the word of the Lord tested him. God was testing Joseph in Potiphar's house. He was testing Joseph in the prison. He was testing Joseph to see his faithfulness. You know, we love the good times in life. We love it when God just pours out the sugar on us. We don't like the hard times in life. But let's face it, here is the truth. We don't grow much in the good times. We grow in the hard times. We grow in the difficult times.

As the poem I love so much says, "I walked a mile with pleasure, she chatted all the way, but left me none the wiser for all she had to say." "But I walked a mile with sorrow and not a word said she. But, oh, the things I learned that day when sorrow walked with me." We grow in the hard times. We trust God in the hard times. Listen, Christianity doesn't do well, you don't do well, I don't do well in general when everything's going great. That's the time we tend to forget God. That's the time we put him on the back burner. It's when life falls apart where you start seeking him with all your heart. Remember that the Lord is at work in your difficulty, in your problem, in your pit, in your prison. Don't let your heart get bitter.

Guest (Male): You're listening to the message, "Rolling with the Punches" from Pastor Jeff Schreve on From His Heart. And it's the last message in the series, "Life Goes On: How to Face a New Normal." We've been in all this month, and he'll be back to conclude the series and this message in just a second.

Now, if you've been listening this month, you know that the series addresses the big, gigantic, and usually tragic changes that we have in life and throw us into turmoil. They can dramatically impact us, like the loss of a loved one, loss of a job, our financial security, our own health or even the health of our children and more. And because of these, we find ourselves, whether we like it or not, trying to adjust to a new normal. It can be daunting, no doubt. But the great news is this: God shows us what we're supposed to do when changes come into our life. Pastor Jeff has a book that will help explain this fully and bring you joy even in the difficult times. It's called "Life Interrupted." And it's a companion resource to Pastor Jeff's series "Life Goes On." And we'd like you to have both of these as our thank you for your support to From His Heart this month, a ministry that is funded by our listeners. Pastor Jeff receives no income from this ministry. You can find out all about that when you go to fromhishart.org. Or call 866-40-Bible and request the series "Life Goes On" and the book "Life Interrupted." Again, call 866-40-Bible or go to fromhishart.org.

We believe they'll be a great help and comfort to you, empowering you to face a new normal, thrive in a new life, and roll with the punches, as they say. God knew that a new normal was coming for you and he's going to walk through it with you. Blessings to you. Now back to the conclusion to the lesson, "Rolling with the Punches."

Dr. Jeff Schreve: Principle number four: Wait on the Lord and know that he is good. Wait on the Lord and know that he is good. The Bible says, David said, Psalm 27, verse 13, "I would have despaired unless I believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living." "Wait for the Lord. Be strong and let your heart take courage. Yes, wait for the Lord."

We don't like to do that, do we? We don't like to wait for the Lord and wait on the Lord. And we're sitting in the waiting room. You know, it's like going to the doctor. We don't like the waiting room. And we don't like that with the Lord. We, "Come on, Lord. Let let's get this show on the road." Joseph interprets the dream for the butler and for the baker. It was a good interpretation for the butler. It was not good for the baker. It was a, "Hey, three days and Pharaoh's going to take off your head." And he did exactly what Joseph had said. And Joseph had asked the guys. He said, "Listen, remember me. Remember me when you are elevated, Mr. Butler, back to your position. Remember me to Pharaoh." It says in verse 23 of chapter 40, "Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him."

Now it happened at the end of two full years that Pharaoh had a dream. He's there for two full years. The butler forgot him. His brothers forgot him. His dad forgot him. Potiphar forgot him. He says, "Everyone has forgotten me." No doubt he felt like that. But then he remembered, "The Lord will not forget me." The Lord hasn't forgotten me. The Lord knows where I am. I might be languishing in this pit, but the Lord knows exactly where I am.

The people of Israel, Isaiah chapter 49, they said, "The Lord has forgotten us." And the Lord says in response to them, "Can a woman forget her nursing child or have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you. Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands." That's what God says to his people. On the palms of his hands. And we know from New Testament that the palms of his hands are nail scars. Because he loves us so much. He won't forget you. And the chief cupbearer forgot him, but God didn't forget him. And God will exalt you, just like he has exalted Joseph, at the proper time.

Scripture says in first Peter chapter 5, and verse 6, "Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you at the proper time." "Casting all your cares upon him." Why? Because he cares for you. So you just bow the knee. You humble yourself under the mighty hand of God, knowing that God is in charge of the timing of everything. And it was at the end of two full years that Pharaoh had a dream. He just happened to have this dream. No one could interpret the dream. And Pharaoh's upset because no one can interpret the dream. He knows it's a, it's a divine dream.

And then the butler is there, and he says, "Hey, I got to tell you something. I forgot that there's this guy in the prison house, his name's Joseph. He's this Hebrew kid. He interprets dreams." "Maybe you could get him." And so, here's Joseph just going about his daily life, just serving in the prison, blooming where he's planted. And all of a sudden he gets a call and they say, "Hey, we want this Hebrew kid to go talk to Pharaoh." So get him cleaned up. He needs to shave, he needs to shower, he needs to put on some clean clothes. Get him. And he comes before Pharaoh. Pharaoh tells him the dream. Joseph immediately, God gives Joseph the answer. He interprets the dream for Pharaoh. He said, "You're going to have seven years of abundance and then seven years of famine, and we need to get ready for this and this is what you need to do." And he laid out a plan. And he said, "You need to appoint a man, Mr. Pharaoh, who would be over all this stuff." And Pharaoh said, "It's you. Who could I get that would be better than you? I appoint you to the number two position in all of Egypt."

Joseph went in one day, went from the prison to the palace, from prison trusty to Prime Minister of Egypt. Bam, just like that. God, when we wait on him, God moves slowly in our estimation. But when God moves, he moves rapidly. And all of a sudden you can go from the lowest to the highest just like that. And this is what the scripture has to say about that situation, beginning in verse 40 of chapter 41. Pharaoh says, "You shall be over my house. And according to your command, all my people shall do homage. Only in the throne, I will be greater than you." "And Pharaoh said to Joseph, 'See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.'" "Then Pharaoh took off his signet ring from his hand and put it on Joseph's hand, and clothed him in garments of fine linen and put the gold necklace around his neck." "And he had him ride in his second chariot, and they proclaimed before him, 'Bow the knee.' And he set him over all the land of Egypt." "Moreover, Pharaoh said to Joseph, 'Though I am Pharaoh, yet without your permission, no one shall raise his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.'" "Then Pharaoh named Joseph Zaphnath-Paaneah, and he gave him Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, as his wife, and Joseph went forth over the land of Egypt." He got a new name. Zaphnath-Paaneah. Took him a while to be able to spell it, but he got that name. And that name means, "Savior of the world."

Joseph says to his brothers at the end of the book of Genesis. See, they end up coming to Egypt because there's no food anywhere. There's a great famine. And Joseph slowly reveals to them who he is, and they are blown away. And then he has a big reunion with his dad, and they bring him all to Egypt. That's how the Jews ended up in Egypt. And when Jacob dies, his brothers are still afraid of Joseph, saying, "You know, I think he's going to get back at us because we did him so dirty." And Joseph says to them, "You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good to bring about a great result, to spare many lives." "Hey, brothers, you don't need to be afraid of me. I'm going to take care of you. I'm going to take care of your little ones." God is over all of this, and I trust him. And he is good. And he has exalted me at the proper time.

Now, listen, you can look at Joseph's life at any of those 13 years between 70 and 30 before he was promoted to the palace. And you can say, "This stinks. This guy's got a raw deal." 13 years of difficulty. He had 80 years to be prime minister in Egypt. 13 years in the outhouse, 80 years in the penthouse. I was thinking about that today. You know, we look at our lot in life, and we say, "Well, this stinks. I don't like this." But listen, if you know Jesus Christ, I don't care how bad it might be in this life. You have chronic illness for the rest of your life. Well, how long are you going to live with that? 80 years, 90 years, 100 years? As a believer, you're going to live forever with the Lord Jesus Christ and rule and reign with him forever and ever and ever.

Dr. Jeff Schreve: (Audience applause)

Dr. Jeff Schreve: I know it's hard, but listen, in the big scheme of things. It doesn't really matter how long you're in the difficulty. "Suffer hardship with me," Paul says, "as a good soldier of Christ Jesus." Now I want, as we close out, I want you to think about this. So here is Joseph. You say, "Jeff, you said Joseph's not a superman, but he sure seems like a superman." I mean, I don't know how he handled all the things that he handled. The key is in chapter 39. Four times it tells us this: "The Lord was with Joseph. The Lord was with Joseph. The Lord was with Joseph. The Lord was with Joseph." What gave Joseph the strength to trust God? The Lord was with him. What enabled him to rise above all the difficulties? The Lord was with him. What enabled him to roll with the punches? The Lord was with him. And that's the only way that he could do it. And that's the only way that you and I can rise above.

And so here we are, and the big question is this: The Lord was with Joseph, but is the Lord with you? Is the Lord with you? Because if you are here and you've never put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ, the Lord is not with you. And you're going through difficulties all alone and you're not going to be able to handle it. But Jesus said, "I stand at the door of your heart and knock. And if any man hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him and he with me." He's near to the brokenhearted. He saves those who are crushed in spirit. And he wants to save you if you've never been saved. He wants to strengthen you if you're saved, but you're struggling. He wants to help you. He's at work even when you can't see him at work. Joseph couldn't see what God was doing outside of his vision. He just had to cease striving, let go, relax, be still and know that God is God.

Roll with the punches. God's ways are not our ways. Determine to be faithful and to bloom where you're planted. Don't let your heart get bitter and wait on the Lord. And know that he is good.

Guest (Male): If Jesus is the Lord and savior of your life, when God looks upon you, he sees the righteousness of his son and not your sin. But if you don't know Jesus Christ in a personal way, you've never turned your life over to him in repentance and faith, then you need to have the courage to honestly confess your sinful nature and allow Jesus to come into your life. When you sincerely cry out to him from your heart, he will come into your heart. You'll want to turn from your sin. You'll want to live for him. And then your life will forever be changed for today and eternity. And to find out what is next for you when you do that, we hope you'll go to fromhishart.org, click the "Why Jesus" link. Pastor Jeff has a lot to teach you there. You'll be encouraged and guided through your new Christian journey.

We'll thank you for joining us today on From His Heart. I'm Larry Nobles with a formal invitation to you to be with us next time when Pastor Jeff will begin another powerful series that'll help you learn how to adjust your attitude toward the things of God with joy and purpose. The series is called "Altitude for Attitude." Do you want to soar? Be with us then as we open God's word and learn real truth from his heart.