Participants: John Bradshaw
Series Code: IIW
Program Code: IIW001259
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00:01 [music] >: It has stood the test
00:08 of time. 00:12 God's book, the Bible. 00:17 Still relevant in today's complex world. 00:22 It Is Written, sharing hope around the globe. 00:36 JB: This is It Is Written. 00:38 I'm John Bradshaw. 00:39 Thanks for joining me. 00:41 One of the great problems people wrestle with when it 00:44 comes to faith in God is the issue of God allowing bad 00:47 things to happen to people. 00:48 Why does a child get cancer and die young? 00:52 Why did that car wreck take place that killed 00:54 or severely injured somebody? 00:56 People die in wars and there's ethnic cleansing and modern-day 01:00 slavery and, and where is God? 01:04 We could take an entire program to discuss that, 01:06 and maybe still not get to the very bottom 01:08 of that question. 01:09 The short answer is that there's evil in the world. 01:13 Satan rebelled, came to this planet, and our original 01:16 parents--Adam and Eve--chose to ignore God and eat 01:18 the fruit that they shouldn't have eaten. 01:21 And as a result, we have sin in the world. 01:24 And as a result of the choices of human beings 01:27 there's sin and evil and sadness present in the world today. 01:30 Is it God's fault? 01:32 No, it isn't. 01:33 It began with Satan and was carried forward by--us. 01:36 Now, is it going to work out well in the end? 01:41 Yes, it is. 01:42 Jesus is going to return. 01:43 Sin will e destroyed. 01:45 And those who have faith in God will live forever 01:47 in peace. 01:49 But here's a question: What about the in-between stage? 01:53 How can a person go through hardships and trials and so on 01:57 and still have faith in God? 01:59 How do you do that? 02:01 Some people feel as though God has abandoned them. 02:04 Does God abandon people? 02:06 There's a story in the Bible that deals with someone who 02:09 was repeatedly abandoned. 02:11 The story occupies 14 chapters of God's Word. 02:14 It's one of the most dramatic stories 02:16 you'll ever read. 02:17 It's the story of great faith under incredibly 02:20 trying circumstances. 02:21 It's the story of someone who had everything 02:24 that was precious ripped away, rejected by his family, 02:28 humiliated, falsely accused, imprisoned. 02:32 And yet it's the story of someone who was steadfast, 02:35 faithful and unwavering. 02:37 The person we're talking about is Joseph. 02:40 He lived at least 17 centuries before the birth of Jesus. 02:44 And his story is one of the most amazing, one of the most 02:48 inspiring of all time. 02:51 The book of Genesis, the very first book 02:54 in the Bible, introduces us to Joseph in chapter 37, 02:58 and it describes him as the favorite of the patriarch 03:01 Jacob's 12 sons--which didn't sit well with Joseph's 03:05 brothers. 03:06 Let's read. 03:08 "But when his brothers saw that their father loved him 03:11 more than all his brothers, they hated him and could not 03:15 speak peaceably to him." 03:17 That's Genesis 37, verse 4. 03:19 Jacob's special gift to Joseph of a tunic of many colors, 03:23 which showed distinction and favor, only made 03:27 matters worse. 03:28 And then, not long after, Joseph related to his family 03:31 two dreams that he had had. 03:34 He told them about 12 sheaves in a field and how 11 of them 03:38 bowed to down to his sheaf. 03:41 And his brothers said this to him: "Shall you indeed reign 03:46 over us? 03:47 Or shall you indeed have dominion over us? 03:49 So they hated him even more for his dreams 03:53 and for his words." 03:54 Genesis 37, verse 8. 03:57 Then Joseph told his brothers about another dream. 04:00 In this one, the sun, the moon and 11 stars bowed down 04:04 to him, which to them sounded a whole lot like his 04:07 father, mother and 11 brothers bowing down to Joseph. 04:12 As though Joseph expected to rule over them one day. 04:16 No, they weren't impressed, not a bit. 04:19 In fact, they were furious. 04:22 Now sometime later, Jacob sent Joseph to check on his 04:25 brothers' welfare some distance away. 04:28 When they saw Joseph coming their way, wearing that 04:30 hated coat of many colors, 04:35 they said to one another, "Look, this dreamer is coming. 04:39 Come, therefore, let us now kill him and cast him into 04:44 some pit, and we shall say some wild beast has devoured 04:48 him. 04:49 We shall see what will become of his dreams." 04:52 Genesis 37, verses 19 and 20. 04:56 Well, they didn't kill him, but they ended up selling 04:58 him as a slave when a caravan of travelers came 05:00 by, traders they were. 05:01 Joseph might have felt like he would rather have been dead. 05:05 What a horrible thing to have happen, and really 05:09 through no fault of his own. 05:10 Now, I have four brothers. 05:12 I can't imagine this happening. 05:13 Of course, being the youngest, I never annoyed them. 05:17 Not ever--not once. 05:18 Thankfully they never tried to sell me as a slave. 05:21 Now, there might have been times when they tried to give me 05:24 away, but they never did try to sell me. 05:26 The ugly truth is that long after the Emancipation 05:29 Proclamation was signed, slavery is alive and well 05:33 in our world today. 05:34 Benjamin Skinner said in his 2008 book "A Crime So 05:38 Monstrous" that there are more slaves in the world now 05:41 than at any time in history. 05:43 He defines slavery as people coerced by violence to work 05:47 for no pay. 05:48 Domestic servants, forced laborers, and women 05:51 exploited for the worst reasons through human 05:54 trafficking. 05:55 Some estimates say there are as many as 27 million people 05:59 around the world being held in bondage right now, 06:01 against their will. 06:03 Now, imagine how Joseph must have felt as he rode in that 06:06 camel train, shackled and helpless on his way 06:09 to Egypt. 06:10 The once favored son, pampered and privileged, 06:13 now captive. 06:15 Wouldn't he have felt as though God had forsaken him? 06:19 Even if he did annoy his brothers, 06:21 he didn't deserve this. 06:22 How must it have felt to have been so completely 06:26 betrayed by one's own family, his own brothers. 06:31 In the United States there have been several 06:33 high-profile cases of people who have been taken 06:35 and held against their will, sometimes for years. 06:39 A 14-year-old girl was taken from her home in Salt Lake 06:41 City and held captive for nine months. 06:44 An 11-year-old girl in California was taken 06:46 and held for 18 years. 06:48 Three females in Cleveland, Ohio, were captured--aged 06:52 14, 16 and 21--and kept in a house as prisoners 06:57 for 10 years. 07:00 Utterly appalling. 07:01 We probably can't imagine what it would be like 07:03 to have to go through that. 07:05 Joseph, on the other hand, could imagine. 07:08 Although I'm not suggesting he had to endure some 07:10 of the indignities that these young women were forced to go 07:13 through. 07:14 But here's what we know. 07:15 God was watching over that apparently helpless, 07:19 hopeless young man. 07:20 God had a plan, a purpose for Joseph, that no one yet 07:26 knew; that Joseph couldn't possibly at that moment 07:29 have imagined. 07:31 But through the darkness and despair that washed over 07:33 him, Joseph remembered God's mercy, and how God had led 07:38 his family and his ancestors through so much for so long. 07:42 Then there were those dreams of his. 07:45 Surely they must have meant something. 07:48 Could it be that God still had something of great 07:51 importance for Joseph to do? 07:54 We'll find that out in just a moment. 07:56 [music] 08:14 JB: Here's today's Bible question. 08:16 I accepted Jesus into my life over 20 years ago, but after 08:19 a time I fell into sins of a moral or immoral nature. 08:23 I've asked over many years for forgiveness, but what I 08:26 read in the Bible about those who do what I have 08:28 done says that they're not able to enter 08:31 into God's kingdom. 08:32 I committed these sins after I became a Christian. 08:35 Will God ever forgive me for these awful sins? 08:37 I ask God nearly every day for these sins 08:41 to be forgiven. 08:42 That's a meaningful question. 08:44 Please listen very carefully to this very simple answer. 08:47 Here's what the Bible says. 08:48 I'll give you two verses. 08:49 Write down these Bible references if you need to, 08:52 and never forget them. 08:54 First John 1, verse 9, and Matthew 12:31. 08:58 Firstly, Matthew 12:31. 09:00 It says, "All" [and this is Jesus speaking], 09:02 "All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be 09:05 forgiven unto men." 09:08 He goes on to say that the sin against the Holy Spirit 09:10 won't be forgiven, but that's not what you've 09:12 committed. 09:13 Don't worry about that. 09:14 But I hope you got that. 09:15 "All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be 09:17 forgiven," and that would include what you have done. 09:19 "Shall be forgiven." 09:20 First John 1 in verse 9 says, and I want you to mark 09:23 this down and memorize it. 09:25 It says this: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful 09:29 and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all 09:33 unrighteousness." 09:34 You've sinned. 09:36 Yes, you have. 09:38 But you have confessed sincerely, and based on God's 09:41 own Word, we know that He has forgiven you. 09:44 My advice to you is to stop asking God to forgive these 09:48 sins, because He has already done so. 09:50 Instead, thank Him that He has forgiven you, and ask 09:55 Him to keep you clean. 09:56 Remember, Paul wrote that where sin abounds, grace 09:59 does much more abound. 10:01 It's right to feel bad about what you've done 10:03 --you should. 10:04 But you should also rejoice that you are forgiven. 10:07 Don't worry about this for even another moment. 10:09 You've been forgiven, friend. 10:11 And that is good news. 10:12 If you'd like me to answer your Bible question 10:14 on this program, go to ItIsWritten.com. 10:16 Send me a question, I'll do my best to answer 10:18 it on this program. 10:23 [music] 10:29 JB: Planning for your financial future is a vital aspect 10:32 of Christian stewardship. 10:33 For this reason, It Is Written is pleased to offer free 10:36 Planned Giving and Estate services. 10:38 For information on how we can help you, please call 10:41 1-800-992-2219. 10:43 Call today, or visit our special website, 10:48 www.hislegacy.com. 10:58 JB: This is It Is Written. 10:59 I'm John Bradshaw. 11:00 Today, betrayal and blessing. 11:03 A young man is betrayed by his family, separated from 11:06 his father and sold into slavery. 11:09 That young man was Joseph. 11:12 Arriving in Egypt, Joseph was sold to a slave to a man 11:15 named Potiphar, the captain of Pharaoh's guard. 11:17 And Joseph's presence in Potiphar's house 11:21 was a blessing to Potiphar. 11:22 The Bible says this: "The Lord was with Joseph 11:27 and he was a successful man, and he was in the house of his 11:31 master, the Egyptian. 11:32 And his master saw that the Lord was with him, and that the Lord 11:36 made all that he did to prosper in his hand. 11:40 So Joseph found favor in his sight, and served him. 11:44 Then he made him overseer of his house, and all that 11:46 he had he put under his authority." 11:49 That's Genesis 39, verses 2 through 4. 11:52 But then a shadow fell over Joseph's happy days in 11:55 Potiphar's house. 11:56 The Bible tells us that Joseph was a good-looking 11:59 young man. 12:00 And Potiphar's wife noticed this and made inappropriate 12:04 advances toward Joseph. 12:06 What could a young man do in the face of temptation 12:09 like this? 12:11 Now, here's what Joseph said. 12:14 Genesis 39 and verse 9. 12:18 "There is not one greater in this house than I, 12:21 nor has he kept back anything from me but you, 12:25 because you are his wife. 12:26 How then can I do this great wickedness and sin 12:30 against God?" 12:33 Now, notice carefully that God is the focus of Joseph's 12:36 allegiance. 12:37 Yes, he knew that he would dishonor his master 12:39 by carrying on with his wife, but most important to him 12:42 was the fact that such a course on his part would be 12:45 a sin against God. 12:47 And this suggests a couple of things. 12:50 One is that when temptation comes, something you want 12:53 to consider is the honor of God; or, how God would 12:58 be dishonored by your poor choices. 13:01 You might not care about what you're going to do. 13:03 Your friends might not care. 13:04 But it ought to matter that God cares. 13:09 When you consider the honor of God in a situation, 13:12 you've got the right motivation to help 13:14 you make the right decision. 13:17 Which leads me to that second point. 13:19 Do you think Joseph was tempted by Potiphar's wife? 13:22 Oh, no doubt he was. 13:24 Do you think the temptation might have been strong? 13:26 More than likely very strong. 13:29 Yet did Joseph cave in to that temptation? 13:32 No, he didn't. 13:33 When he was faced with a serious temptation, Joseph 13:36 remained faithful to God. 13:38 There are times when people make excuses by saying, Oh, 13:41 I couldn't help it. 13:42 Oh, the devil made me do it. 13:44 Oh, what else could I do? 13:45 Well, I'm a man? 13:46 what do you expect? 13:47 Now look at two Bible verses with me--and there are plenty 13:50 others like them. 13:51 First Corinthians 10 and verse 13, first. 13:54 That's 1 Corinthians chapter 10 and verse 13. 13:57 And it says this: "No temptation has overtaken you 14:01 except such as is common to man. 14:05 But God is faithful, who will not allow you 14:08 to be tempted beyond what you are able; 14:10 but with the temptation will also make the way 14:14 of escape that you may be able to bear it." 14:18 Now, did you get that? 14:19 Because if you did, it could change your entire life. 14:23 God will provide a way of escape for every temptation. 14:26 That means, you are not doomed to repeat the same old mistakes 14:31 or commit the same old sins. 14:33 That's good news. 14:34 There's a way of escape. 14:35 Joseph was about to be put in prison, but a lot 14:38 of people on the outside are prisoners of sin. 14:42 But you don't have to be. 14:44 There's a way of escape. 14:46 If you'll think to call on God when temptation comes, 14:49 you can be certain that God will deliver you. 14:53 Another verse, that is Jude verse 24. 14:57 Right before the book of Revelation. 15:00 Jude verse 24, where the Bible says, "Now unto him that 15:06 is able to keep you from falling and to present 15:09 you faultless before the presence of his glory 15:11 with exceeding joy." 15:13 God has the power to keep you from falling into sin. 15:18 He promises that. 15:19 No matter what the sin, there is powerful victory 15:22 available to you, right when you need it. 15:24 Joseph learned that. 15:26 When temptation came to him, the power of God 15:29 kept him faithful. 15:32 But the woman in question was not happy. 15:34 You've heard that saying, "hell hath no fury 15:37 like a woman scorned." 15:38 It was true in the case of Potiphar's wife. 15:41 She virtually threw herself at Joseph, and when he 15:43 refused again and again, and ultimately fled from her, 15:48 she cried out and accused Joseph of something 15:53 he hadn't done. 15:55 Potiphar had no choice but to act against Joseph. 15:58 He didn't really believe his wife's story. 16:01 If he had, he would have had Joseph put to death. 16:04 Instead, in order to satisfy his wife and to safeguard 16:06 his own reputation, Potiphar had Joseph cast into prison. 16:11 Once again, Joseph found himself a helpless captive. 16:17 The Bible tells us just how hard it was for Joseph 16:19 during those early days in Potiphar's prison. 16:22 You read how they hurt his feet with fetters. 16:24 He was laid in irons. 16:25 That's Psalm 105 in verse 18. 16:27 And again, we see Joseph's true character revealed, 16:31 even in the darkness of a dungeon he kept his faith 16:35 and refused to abandon his patient waiting on the Lord. 16:39 Now, you'd think he'd become bitter, with all of those years 16:41 of faithful service being so cruelly repaid like this. 16:46 You couldn't blame him if he thought that God 16:48 had abandoned him. 16:49 He'd been so faithful, and this was what he got 16:52 in return. 16:53 In a moment, the story of Joseph takes an unexpected 16:56 turn, and we'll find out that God knows how to bring 16:59 blessing out of betrayal. 17:01 [music] >: In Matthew 4:4, 17:05 the Word of God says, "It is written. 17:08 Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word 17:11 that proceeds from the mouth of God." 17:14 "Every Word" is a one-minute Bible-based daily devotional 17:17 presented by Pastor John Bradshaw and designed 17:20 especially for busy people like you. 17:22 Look for "Every Word" on selected networks, or watch 17:25 it online every day on our website, ItIsWritten.com. 17:29 Receive a daily spiritual boost. 17:31 Watch "Every Word." 17:33 You'll be glad you did. 17:34 Here's a sample: 17:38 [music] 17:45 JB: Thanks for joining me. 17:46 According the Bible, sins begins with temptation. 17:50 Logical enough. 17:50 What's key in our experience isn't so much whether or not 17:53 we're tempted, because temptation is everywhere. 17:55 It's what you do when temptation comes that's 17:58 really important. 17:59 If you're tempted to yell at your spouse or take 18:01 something that isn't yours or say something that isn't 18:03 true, there are moments in that process when you can 18:06 do something that will get you out of that situation 18:08 successfully. 18:09 Listen to this. 18:10 Psalm 91:15, "He shall call upon me 18:13 and I will answer him. 18:14 I will be with him in trouble. 18:16 I will deliver him and honor him." 18:18 When temptation comes, if you will call upon God, 18:21 He will deliver you. 18:22 He promises to. 18:23 Often though, we don't think to call upon God when temptation 18:27 comes. 18:28 But if you do, you'll be happier and if you do, 18:31 you'll be victorious every time. 18:33 I'm John Bradshaw for It Is Written. 18:35 Let's live today by every word. 18:38 JB: If you've lived very long at all, you've no doubt 18:41 discovered, probably through experience, that the ball 18:44 doesn't always bounce for you just the way you 18:47 with it would. 18:48 But a game is never over until it's over. 18:51 The Boston Red Sox were down three games and trailing 4-3 18:56 in the ninth inning of game 4 during the playoffs 19:00 in 2004. 19:01 You can't win from there. 19:02 It had never been done. 19:04 Yet Boston went on to win the World Series. 19:08 You can come back from a difficult situation. 19:11 Languishing in prison, things looked hopeless 19:14 for Joseph. 19:15 But it's never over when God is involved. 19:19 Like Potiphar before, the jailer where Joseph 19:21 was imprisoned found that he could trust Joseph, and soon 19:25 he put all the other prisoners under Joseph's care. 19:27 Listen to what the Bible says. 19:29 Let's read this. 19:32 "But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy. 19:35 And he gave him favor in the sight of the keeper 19:38 of the prison. 19:40 And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph's hand 19:43 all the prisoners who were in the prison. 19:45 Whatever they did there, it was his doing. 19:48 The keeper of the prison did not look into anything 19:51 that was under Joseph's hand, because the Lord 19:54 was with him, and whatever he did, the Lord made it prosper." 19:58 Genesis 39, verses 21 through 23. 20:03 Just like in Potiphar's house, Joseph proved 20:05 himself, even in a prison, to be worthy of the trust 20:09 of his superior. 20:10 And so, as with his former master's household, 20:13 he's put in charge of everything. 20:15 Now, doesn't this tell you that you can shine for God 20:18 wherever you are? 20:20 In prison, at work, in school, when you're being 20:23 treated badly. 20:25 Wherever you are, whatever you're going through, 20:28 you can be faithful to God. 20:29 And you know that that will bring glory to God. 20:34 The Bible goes on to tell us that in prison Joseph 20:36 interpreted the dreams of a couple of his fellow 20:38 inmates. 20:39 He told one of the men that his dream meant that he 20:41 would die. 20:42 Now, that had to be a tough message to deliver. 20:44 And to the other, he said that that man would 20:48 be released from prison. 20:49 And it happened just as Joseph said it would. 20:52 You'd think the chief butler would have been 20:54 so incredibly grateful to Joseph for predicting 20:56 his restoration to favor that one of the first things 20:59 he'd have done after getting his old job back would have been 21:02 to put in a good word for Joseph to Pharaoh. 21:04 But instead, the Bible tells us something else. 21:07 The chief butler did not remember Joseph, 21:11 but forgot him. 21:12 Genesis 40, verse 23. 21:13 That's three strikes against Joseph now. 21:17 First, he's betrayed by his brothers. 21:19 Then, by his master Potiphar. 21:21 And now, by Pharaoh's chief butler. 21:23 In each case he'd done his best to be loyal and true 21:27 to God. 21:28 And in each case, he'd been rewarded with evil. 21:31 Would you have been ready to quit on God by then? 21:34 Now, if you say no, I'll say, praise the Lord! 21:37 But people do. 21:38 I've spoken to people who've quit on church simply 21:42 because they thought the people at church 21:44 weren't being nice to them. 21:45 That's just making the devil's job easy for him. 21:48 If that's all it takes to discourage somebody, 21:52 a death in the family-- people get angry with God. 21:54 And God can take it. 21:56 But really, it would be better to act like Job did. 21:59 Remember his story? 22:00 He lost almost all of his family, 22:02 virtually everything he owned, and Job said simply, 22:07 "The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away. 22:11 Blessed be the name of the Lord. 22:13 In all this, Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong." 22:17 Job 1, verses 21 and 22. 22:19 Now, we'd say that we'd expect Joseph had to have 22:22 been distressed by what he had to go through, 22:24 and I think that's right. 22:26 But the Bible doesn't record any word of complaint. 22:30 Which means Joseph trusted God. 22:33 Even when things were going wrong, he trusted God. 22:36 In prison, he trusted God. 22:38 Forsaken, falsely accused, forgotten, Joseph hung 22:43 in there with God and trusted that God would somehow 22:47 work it all out. 22:48 And remember, Joseph had had those dreams, and he never 22:52 forgot them. 22:53 They were his assurance that God would work 22:55 in his behalf. 22:56 Now, you might not have had dreams of sheaves of grain 22:59 bowing down, but you've seen God work for you along 23:03 the way. 23:04 The Bible is full of promises that assure us that God 23:06 is there for us. 23:07 If you can believe that, faith in God can see you 23:11 through some dark times. 23:12 And in the end, God always works it out for the best. 23:16 Think of what it must have been like that morning, 23:19 when Jacob sent Joseph off to find his brothers, 23:22 to see how they were. 23:24 Neither the aged father nor the young man could possibly 23:27 have known what would transpire before they should 23:29 meet again. 23:30 But life often works that way, doesn't it? 23:32 Great moments, decisive turning points, often come 23:35 without fanfare and without warning. 23:37 Each day, it's wise to commit yourself to God's 23:40 leading and to God's purposes so that whatever 23:42 happens in that day, the vicissitudes of life will 23:46 find you prepared, because you're hanging on to God. 23:49 Hang in there with God, even when times look tough. 23:53 If you read the rest of the story of Joseph, 23:55 you'll find out that it ends well for our man. 23:58 He was miraculously released from jail, given his freedom, 24:02 elevated to a position of great authority 24:04 in the Egyptian government, and reunited with his father 24:07 and his family. 24:08 About the unlikeliest ending you could ever imagine. 24:12 But what might seem impossible to you and me 24:15 is possible with God. 24:17 The Bible says that the one who endures 24:20 to the end shall be saved. 24:21 The book of Revelation refers to the patience 24:23 of the saints, in Revelation 14:12. 24:26 God is always faithful. 24:29 If you hang on to Him, no matter how things look, 24:33 you'll have eternity to enjoy. 24:35 And you won't give a second thought to the hard times 24:38 you went through down here in this old world. 24:43 "Promises of Power" is our free offer for you today. 24:46 This little book is a collection of some of the most powerful 24:50 promises found in the Bible. 24:52 It's handily sized and you can take it with you 24:55 anywhere you go. 24:56 You can carry it with you to read anyplace, and it's idea 25:00 for sharing with somebody else who needs to be encouraged 25:03 by the great promises in the Bible. 25:06 Now, to get your free copy just call 1-800-253-3000 25:10 and ask for "Promises of Power." 25:13 There's no cost, there's no obligation. 25:15 It's absolutely free. 25:17 You can call 24 hours a day. 25:19 Now, if the line is busy, please keep trying. 25:23 You can also request "Promises of Power" 25:25 by writing to It Is Written, Box O, Thousand Oaks, 25:28 CA 91359, and we'll mail a copy 25:32 to your address in North America. 25:34 Now, please note, this free book is limited to the supply 25:37 on hand. 25:38 For immediate access, you can download a free 25:41 electronic version of the book "Promises of Power" 25:43 from our website ItIsWritten.com. 25:47 As you know, It Is Written is a faith-based ministry 25:49 made possible only by viewers like you. 25:52 If you would care to help the worldwide outreach 25:56 of It Is Written, your tax-deductible gift can be 25:59 sent to the same address, or you can make a gift online 26:02 at ItIsWritten.com. 26:03 Thank you for your prayers. 26:05 Thank you for your gracious, continued financial support. 26:10 Our toll-free number is 1-800-253-3000, 26:13 and you'll find us online at ItIsWritten.com. 26:22 Let's take the time to pray together. 26:24 Will you pray with me now? 26:25 Let's pray. 26:26 Our Father in heaven, You show us to be faithful. 26:28 It's true, there are times in our lives and in our 26:32 experience that things are just difficult. 26:35 We are confronted by trying circumstances, crushing trials 26:41 and weights. 26:42 There are times when people are tempted to think that God 26:46 doesn't love them or doesn't care 26:48 or has abandoned them. 26:49 I'm thankful that in Joseph's story, and in so many 26:51 other stories, and even in our experience, 26:54 You demonstrate to us that You're with us always. 26:56 Please, Lord, when we are enfolded in gloom 27:01 and darkness and despair, remind us that through the dark clouds 27:05 the sun is shining. 27:06 Remind us that You are God, and that You are constant, 27:09 and that You are good. 27:11 I thank You for Your goodness, for Your love, 27:13 and for Your grace. 27:14 And I pray in Jesus' name, amen. 27:19 [music] 27:40 JB: Thanks for joining me today. 27:42 I'm looking forward to seeing you again next time. 27:43 Until then, remember, It Is Written: 27:47 "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word 27:51 that proceeds from the mouth of God." |
Revised 2015-02-05