In this sermon, Pastor Steve Mays discusses the theme of serving God in the face of rejection and adversity. He emphasizes that even when life is difficult, God is always good. Using the story of Joseph from the Bible, Pastor Mays highlights how Joseph's circumstances drastically changed, but his faith and witness for the Lord remained steadfast. Joseph's ability to serve even in the midst of hardship ultimately led to his promotion and the fulfillment of God's plan to save the nation of Israel and the world from famine. The sermon encourages Christians to show patience, love, and trust in God's goodness, even in the face of adversity.

It's the 2012 Summer of Sermons with Steve Mays. Can you continue to serve God when you're rejected? Or when you begin to trust somebody and they stab you in the back, can you keep serving God? Pastor Steve Mays says, life can sometimes be difficult, but God is always good. And so that's where they see God in your heart. That's where they see the power of God in your life. When facing adversity, are we Christians noble? Do we show patience and love? Does having God in our lives make a difference when tragedy strikes? You know, sometimes we're allowed to experience hardship because there is someone watching who needs to see God's grace lived out. They need to see that while life is sometimes difficult, God is always good. As we continue our look at the life of Joseph, we find his life completely turned upside down. But while his circumstances changed, his witness for the Lord never did. Here's Pastor Steve. Let's turn in our Bibles to Genesis chapter 39. Joseph, great, great guy when it comes to the Bible in Genesis chapter 39. And we mentioned that there were four things that God really did in his life. Very simple things to remember. And sometimes when we remember very simple things, we can really hang on to them. Number one, he was thrown into a pit by his own brothers. And number two, we begin to find out that he was sold to Potiphar. In other words, Potiphar was a man that was a Roman guard that had a plantation. And so he was now in Egypt in that plantation. And then when Potiphar's wife said to him, listen, I want to go to bed with you, so let's go ahead and have sex. He said, no, I cannot do this against God nor my master. And all of a sudden, when the master came home, the wife said, Joseph, try to take me to bed. So Joseph was thrown into prison. And finally, we find that one day Pharaoh had a horrible dream, couldn't interpret it. But you remember, one of the men came out of the prison, said there's a guy in prison that's able to do it. And it was Joseph, and he was taken out of the prison into the palace. And it's interesting to me how faithful this man was. But here's the problem that God had. This was a very young boy who was sheltered in his home. And it was, you remember, one of the sons of Jacob. It was actually the 11th son. It was Joseph and then eventually Benjamin. But Jacob had spoiled this kid rotten. And he had given him that coat of many colors. And these brothers were absolutely angry guys. And these boys were pretty tough kids. And here was this tender Joseph. But Joseph was called by God to one day rule a nation, to stand before a world leader and tell him that it was God. So God had a heavy, quick work had to do in his life. And there was a process. He was going to be thrown into the pit. We looked at that this morning. His own brother said, here comes Joseph. Let's throw him into the pit, and we'll sell him to Egypt. So they threw him into the pit with no water, anything else. And then as these men were on their way to Egypt, they came up with an idea. Let's sell Joseph to Egypt. And so for 20 shekels, they sold this boy. He's on his way to Egypt, gets into Egypt, and Potiphar, a very wealthy man, buys him. And so we pick up the story tonight, and we find out that Joseph is at Potiphar's house. And here's the key. There is no certainty of the future. We're not real sure about what is going on or what's taking place. And we look around, and we see we could lose the home, we could lose the job. And there is a fear that is undermining every one of us. We don't talk about it, but it is there. And most of us have gone through some difficult times financially, and maybe even some of you have lost. But when we look at all that, you say, well, God, why are you doing this? Because God wants us to come to a point in our life that he is going to work in our hearts so we can begin to trust God more than we've ever trusted God in our life. And I do believe this is the moment that we need to be strong. No time to backslide. No time to mess around fighting with husbands and wives. No time to second-guess ourselves with the children. We need to come to a point that God is directing, and God is using, and God is going to work in our heart. And sometimes God will allow you to go into the pit. And the reason why is because he is going to want you to look to him and trust him. And when Joseph was thrown into the pit, he had done nothing wrong. Nothing in his life except tell them about the dream. But you see, God had to get him to Egypt because God had a determined counsel what he wanted to do, and he was predestined, and it was the progress of God to get this man there. So when we look at evil, we think, God, why? Well, God will use anything. He'll make even evil to praise his name. And so he was sold into Egypt. Now he's sold into Potiphar's house. And here's the most interesting thing. He didn't quit, didn't give up, but he served with all of his heart. We look at the story here in Genesis 39. And Joseph was brought down to Egypt to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, a captain of the guard of Egypt, bought him hands from the Ishmaelites, which had brought him down thither. And the Lord was with Joseph, underlying that. God is going to be with you. He sees you. He knows everything about you. And he prospered, the man. And I mentioned this morning, how can you prosper when you are in slavery? How can you one moment be in a tent and free with your dad, the next moment be in Egypt and be bound, and you prosper? And the only way is to put your eyes on God. If you don't, then you are going to go through some horrific times in your life, and you're going to miss what God wants to do. You see, the key of Christianity is to never take your eyes off of God. So in your prosperity, you're going to look to God. In the poverty, you're going to see God. When God is working in your heart, you're going to believe in God. Because behind everything in your life, God is working and moving towards his will to work in a very special way. And then verse 2, and the Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man. Verse 3, and the master saw the Lord was with him, and that the Lord made all that he did to prosper in his hand. Underlying that, if you have your Bibles, the Lord was with him, and the master saw it. And then verse 4, and Joseph found grace in the sight, and he served him. Now this is very cool. If you can serve when you're in a pit, you are on your way out of that pit. And sometimes we just sit there, I'm not moving. My spouse, my wife, my husband is really a bum, so I'm not going to serve him anymore. Well, that's fine, but you are now in trouble with God. And so here's the question. Do you want to be doing that to your spouse, or do you want to be in trouble with God? Personally, I want to be right with God so God deals with my wife, not me. So I need to constantly keep my eyes on God, and I have to believe that God brought this woman into my life to help me, to challenge me, to cause me to go crazy sometimes, and to work in my grace. But God brought me into her life to teach her how to once again be strong and everything else. So God put us together. It's not easy, but God's working in a very powerful way. And then he says in verse 5, Now this is so cool. And that's exactly what God wants you to do. That when you're at work, you're going to bless people. When you're at home, you're going to bless people. When you're with your kids, you're going to bless them. In other words, they need to see God in your heart. Now they can be disciplined and they can be dealt with, but they need to see that behind that discipline, there's a God that's working in your heart. And there's a standard. And you might have a horrible day, but it gives you no right to take it out on them. So no matter where I'm at, I need to get out of this pit, but God has to take me out. And then when I finally get out of the pit, I'm thrown into Potiphar's house. I'm now a slave, and I don't like it. I cop an attitude. I have a little chip on my shoulder. And so you see Christians walking around with this chip on their shoulder. Well, I could have a chip. I was shot, wanted by the police, you know, chased my mother down the street with a machete, trying to kill her. You know, I could have a chip. Hey, I'm bad. No, God's bad, and he's able to deal with my heart very quickly. So he's the boss. I'm not. He's the Lord. I'm the servant. He's the master. I'm just a slave. And sometimes I forget that. And so if God put me here in this position, I have to serve. Well, this is too... I can't be here. I'm flipping hamburgers in and out. You ought to flip them for the glory of God. You ought to do it so well. So when I buy a hamburger from you, it's not going to be a bad hamburger. Bottom line. You ought to make the very best. So just in case I drive through that thing like tonight, afterwards, I'm going to get a good hamburger. I don't want you messing with it. And if you are washing dishes, you do it for the glory of God. And here's the reason why. If you don't, God's going to let you do dishes for the rest of your life. But if you do it right, then God's going to take you from dishes and make you like Philip and let you preach the gospel. Well, why is that? Because if you can clean dishes right, you can clean a soul. If you can do this right, you can do this right. And if you cannot do this right physically, then how are you going to do the spiritual stuff right? So all this is a training, a growing in your heart. And so if I can serve when I'm put in a place I don't like, or doing what I don't want to do, or I don't want to go to the relatives, or I don't want to go to that birthday party, and so I drive over there, I'm griping, I'm murmuring. Well, at least there's some food, some good greasy food. That's okay. But what about just saying, hey, I'm going to go and be a blessing. In fact, I might even do dishes. That'd be a day, wouldn't it? I mean, just, I'm going to serve. And if God would see that, and your wife would see that, she'd probably have a heart attack. What's he doing? He's serving. Well, why is he serving? He doesn't even like the relatives. He only comes because of the food. Well, he's serving because God's in his heart. And God's changed him. And the kids see it. What's Dad doing? He used to, he's eating. Now he's serving. What's happening, Mom? You know, God's changing. God's working in his heart. He wants to be a blessing, because he realizes that God is in there, and God's working, and they are his relatives, and he is the one that God wants to use. And so, you're going to have to go through the pit, and you're going to have to go through the pot of his house. And when you finally get to that point, you begin to realize here that God did a great work in his life. And it says here that everything was blessed. And so, the master saw it, and people saw it, and he prospered, and everything he touched, God blessed. Now, can you imagine that? Can you just, in your mind, for one moment, think, you know, if God, you would get a hold of my attitude, and get a hold of my heart, I could really make a great commitment to you. And God, I'm doing this for you. Whatever you do, in word or deed, do all for the glory of God. And so, there will be a pit, and it will not be right. And you will be thrown into that pit, and you will be rejected, and you will be hated. And that's exactly what the brothers did. And that's the lesson. Can you continue to serve God when you're rejected? When you go to church, and someone takes advantage of you, can you continue to serve God? Or when you begin to trust somebody, and they stab you in the back, can you keep serving God? It says that Paul, when he was picking up the sticks, he was bit by a serpent. He shook it off, and continued. And the Bible says, they watched, and when he did not die, they all changed their minds, and knew he was sent by God. What would happen if all of a sudden, people gossiped, and said things, and I just kept my mind on Christ? It would just, all of a sudden, what's wrong with you? And so, that's where they see God in your heart. That's where they see the power of God in your life. And you finally get out of that pit, and you think, alright, I'm out of it. And now you find yourself doing what you really don't want to do. In a town you don't want to really be in. In a state that you really don't want to be. And yet, you know that God brought you there. So you're going to serve. And so, before anybody tells you anything, you're washing windows, and raking, and staying busy. And all of a sudden, the master sees what you're doing. And then he sees God's blessing upon your life. And he sees things beginning to prosper. And when you used to be a farmer, now you are having the gift of administration. God begins to blossom your life. And I do believe that you are able to do that work. And God has a calling in your life. And so there, he finally gets everything going in Potiphar's house. Until we find that something really happened. His wife, you remember, in Genesis 39, verse 7. And it came to pass, after these things, that the master's wife cast her eye upon Joseph. And she said, lie with me. I mean, let's go to bed. That's pretty blunt. Well, but he refused. Good for him. And said to his master's wife, behold, my master would be angry if I did that. Verse 9. There is none greater in his house than I. Neither have he kept back anything from me but thee. Because thou art his wife. How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God? And it came to pass, as she spoke to Joseph day by day. Every single day, this woman came to him and said, let's go to bed. Let's go to bed. Let's go to bed. I mean, most guys in their whole lifetime would hope that someone would ever say that. Now, every single day. I mean, think about it. This is like major, major in your face. So why would God allow this? Why would God ever allow this? Here's a man serving. Here's a man giving. Here's a man loving. Here's a man doing everything he should do. Because God has to allow things to happen to test us. Because one day, if you are in that place of authority or in that place of leadership. You're going to realize that there is going to be all kinds of attacks in your life. And you have to be able to say in your heart that God, you're number one. And you're going to have to do it in your heart and spirit. And show it just like Abraham with Isaac. And God said to Abraham, do you love me? Yes. Do you love Isaac? Yes. Who do you love more? He said, well, I love both of you. No, I'm the giver and I gave him. So I want him back. Well, wait a second. You want my son? I want your son. Well, why would you do that? Because I gave your son. So you need to understand, Abraham. You can never take your eyes off the giver. If the giver gives, the giver can take it back. Well, that doesn't seem right. It's absolutely right. You are the giver of life to your children. You have the possibility to help them to grow. But if they challenge you and they say no, then you have to deal with them. And God had to know, are you a friend? And you love me more than anything else because out of your life, everything's going to happen. And Abraham, at way up in age, said yes. And he took a knife and brought it down. And God said, now I know that you are a friend of God because you held nothing back. And that's what God's looking for. So Joseph, here she is every single day. What are you going to do? No, no, no. And I realize there's a couple things that kind of stand out to me. Number one, I think Joseph made a couple mistakes. Number one, he didn't tell his master. He should have went to his master and said, your wife is trying to hit on me. That would have stopped it every single day. It's like if someone's flirting with you at work, just walk up to her and say, hey, you know, do you want to come to church? And come to Jesus Christ. Oh, not at all. I think if you share Christ, they're not going to pick up on you at all. I don't. I think sometimes, well, hey, how are you doing? Yeah, we can. How can you do that? You're saved. Well, you know, she says, I have a lot of hair now. You don't have no hair. You're bald. You know, you're holding your stomach in. How long can you hold that in for? You know, you're acting like you're really young, but you're 65 years old. Come on. You know, and then you guys think that your wives don't see it when you kind of cheat. They see everything. They know everything. They can sense it before you even look. They can see another woman coming and they watch every move you make. So when you're walking down the mall and you think you're cool looking through those sunglasses, you're dead. You're dead. They know it. It's in their heart and spirit. Here comes a woman after her husband. Now I'm going to watch. And so you're like, they know. They know big time. Or it's like being at Baker Square praying, but you're going to pray and you go, Oh, Lord, bless this food. It's like the headache prayer. No one knows I'm praying. Oh, Lord, bless the food in Jesus name. Amen. No, just say, Lord, bless the food. You're not afraid of anybody. But God does these things. And so number one, he should have said something with Potiphar. But number two, that really kind of stood out to me is he did not listen to the spirit. He did not listen to the spirit because it says in verse nine, he says, I cannot sin against God. So it was a dangerous point inside that home. Wouldn't you agree? It's dangerous. It's like having a problem with Playboy or something like that. And then you go down to a liquor store and stand in front of the counter. Why? Don't do that. Go to Ralph's. I mean, you're trying to go right down the street. Well, why are you going there? You see, God knows the motive. And then number three. And I think this is a key. He did not protect himself. It says in verse 11, it says, And it came to pass about the time that Joseph went into the house to do his business. And there was none men in the house. He should not have gone in. He should have stayed out. But he put himself in a bad situation. Now he's growing and God's working with him. And she came after him and she grabbed him and he ran. Bless his heart. But he set himself up. And so you're dating and all of a sudden you're going to have a little date and little candles and little apartment by yourself. Well, then what after that? You know, what are you going to do after that? What's cartoons? Go down to Denny's or something out in public. Don't set yourself up. Well, why? The moment you kiss her, you can't stop. Don't put yourself in that position. So God was going to honor him because he made a tough stand. But God was going to teach him. You can't do that. You can't go through those things. And so part of his house was a place that he had to come to learn to serve. He had to keep his attitude really pure. He had to be careful because some gal was after him. And then he had to make better decisions in the future. And his wife lied. Joseph, your servant tried to rape me. And I think that part of her knew that. He probably knew that she was that type of a woman, had problems with her. And so he threw him into prison, which is absolutely unfair. He did do nothing wrong. He didn't sin. He did everything right. And yet he is in prison. And this, I personally believe, is the most important point of the whole study. He was thrown into prison, and we pick it up in chapter 39, verse 20. And Joseph's master took him and put him into the prison, a place where the king's prisoners were bound, and was there in the prison. And God dealt with his heart. And then it says in verse 21, now check it out. This is cool. But the Lord was with Joseph. Now wait a second. The Lord was with him. Where? In prison? Yes. But the Lord was with him in the pit. Yep. And the Lord was with him at Potiphar's house. Isn't that interesting? So when I'm empty, God's with me. When I'm full, God's with me. When I'm being challenged, God's with me. Notice verse 21. But the Lord was with Joseph, showed him mercy, gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. Now, how can you do that? What would you do if you were thrown in prison, innocently? You'd be calling, talking to your lawyer, uptight. This is not worth it. What did he do? He served. It says here, he began to be keeper of the prison. And verse 22, Now wait a second. Time out. How in the world does that happen? How do you go into the pit and out, into Potiphar's house, number one, into prison, number one? You have a right heart and attitude with God. I want this in my life. When God takes me places, when I go places, when I come back here, this is what I desire. And the prisoner committed to Joseph's hand all prisoners that were in the prison, and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it. So if he wanted to do something, Joseph. If he wanted Bible study, Joseph. Wanted a little bit of education, Joseph. Whatever he wanted to do in prison, he did. Whatever he wanted to do in Potiphar's house, he did. Now why? Why him and not us? Because his attitude. Because he didn't cop an attitude. And God, in that prison, fastened his feet with chains. And this is the whole key. Why? Why would you take a young boy who has tried to serve God with all of his heart, fasten his feet, and put him in the middle of a prison? And by the way, this prison, down deep, no windows, no toilets, nothing. Just a bunch of guys who were criminals with an innocent boy now clamped with iron. And here's the reason why. It wasn't the iron. But it was the iron that was going through those shackles, into his veins, into his heart, and God was making him absolutely filled with iron of the spirit of the living God. And that's what God needs today. He needs women and men who are going to be stronger than they've ever been before. They're going to say no to sin and yes to God. Because God's taken a boy that was a shepherd and making him ruler of the world. So God has to put the strength in his life. Now, the world wants iron dukes or iron men or strong men. It doesn't impress God. You might think you're John Wayne, but God might call you Don Knox, you know. You might be tough, but God's looking for the toughness inside. The toughness to say, no, I'm not going there. Well, come on, you're part of this whole thing. No, I'm not. You've crossed the line. No. This is who I am, and this is who I belong to. And those chains came into his veins and made him what he was. It was preordained by God that he had to go down there. And I don't understand it. I shared this morning. But I know that God knew it, and God was with him, and God prospered him. But he didn't sit in that prison feeling sorry for himself. He began to minister. And not only that, he was used by God. Notice verse 23 of chapter 39. And the keeper of the prison looked not to anything that was under his hand. In other words, I don't have to worry about a thing. Because the Lord was with him, and which he did, and the Lord made it prosper. I mean, you know, if he goes home, he's going to be a blessing to his kids doing homework. If he goes on the road, he's going to be a blessing to some person. If he goes to a hotel, he's going to be a blessing to the guy helping him. I mean, he's going to be a blessing. Period. In his life. Most of us want people to serve us. But here, Joseph didn't have that attitude. He understood that behind him was a God working in his heart, making him someone special. He did not have any idea what God was doing, but he believed God. And so we see in chapter 40, verse 6, Joseph was used in prison. It says in chapter 40, verse 6, And Joseph came in to them, and the morning looked upon them, and behold, they were sad. Now here, he's in prison. He has been mistreated. He is innocent. He shouldn't be there. But guess what he's doing? He's looking at other people. And if you ever want to come out of that horrible pit, this is how you do it. It says of Job, when he prayed for his friends, then God turned to captivity. The moment he prayed for those guys that really brought pain in his life, and God said, You know, Job, I really want to bring you all the way out of this trial, but until you can pray with those three guys, Eliphaz and Bildad and Zophar, until you can pray with them and pray for them, I really can't heal your life. And by the way, at the very end of Joseph's life, what did he say? You meant to do me evil. God meant to do me good. And verse 7, And he asked Pharaoh's officers that were with him in the ward of his Lord's house, saying, Wherefore look ye so sad today? Why are you bummed out? So he saw them. Now, I don't know about you, but I can have a bad day and I don't want to see anybody. Aren't you glad Jesus didn't do that? He hung on the cross and he saw people. He said, Father, forgive them for they don't know what they do. He saw his mother. He said, John, behold thy mother, mother, behold thy son. He built a relationship. He said to the thief, This day you'll be with me in paradise. It never has anything to do with how you feel. It's how you trust God. You can come down with cancer and God's going to use you. You can lose your spouse and God's going to use you. And you can lose your children and you have to continue because you're committed to God. And there is a pit of loneliness that God will bring you out of. And there are those moments that you feel like all you have to do is serve and you're tired of it. No. Because every moment you serve, you might be holding that family or doing something. And then there's a prison that you're thrown into and it's not fair and you're shackled and you're fighting it. Let it go into your soul and work deep in your heart. And he taught them. Notice verse 8 of chapter 40. And they said to him, We have a dream and there's no interpretation of it. And Joseph said to them, Do not interpretations belong to God? It's so cool. I mean, you know, yeah, it's God. It's just God. It's God in the pit. It's God at Potiphar's house. It's God here in prison. And you remember, it was the baker and it was the butler. And he gave the interpretation. In verse 9, He listened to them. The chief baker told them a dream. Hey, this is what happened. And, you know, I saw this vision and I was lifted up. And three days, my head came off. And Joseph says, You're dead. Yeah, I love you, but, you know, God bless you. You're gone. And the butler said, You know, I had this dream and in three days and on and on and you will be restored. But what is interesting to me, notice in chapter 40, verse 14. But think on me. Now, this is the heart of Joseph. So, as I've been teaching you, you think, This guy is really tough. He's a boy, becoming a man, not knowing what God's doing, trying to get along every moment. He made it through the pit. He's made it through, you know, Potiphar's house. He's in prison. He's doing really well. Well, let me tell you how he's really doing. Notice in verse 14 of chapter 40. But think on me when it shall be well with thee and show kindness, I pray thee, unto me and make mention of me unto the Pharaoh. Hey, would you tell Pharaoh I'm down in prison and bring me out of this house. For indeed, I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrew and here also have I done nothing that they should put me into this dungeon. Yet did not the chief butler remember and Joseph but forgot him. Now, I remember back in 1971, Pastor Chuck taught a Bible study and it was called God's Divine Forgiveness. I went, wow, that's weird. He said, the butler forgot because it wasn't time. Isn't that a bummer? We get mad because people don't do things. Why? Nothing can happen until it's God's time. You can push it. It's not going to happen. But everything works according to His will. He makes all things beautiful in His time. And we get angry with our husbands and get angry with our friends because they're holding us back. No one holds you back. I believe with all my heart if I was to hold you back, God would remove me. No man is held back and no man is held down and no woman is held down. It's God that holds us where we are because we're not ready. And I remember early in the ministry when Raul Ruiz's church was so big and ours was so small, I said, one day, God, why does he have it? He can't even speak right. He didn't, you know. He was talking in the Bible study on the radio. He says, I'm mushy. I'm mushy, Raul. That's a Chinese burrito. It's hamashia. And I called him up. I said, what's this mushy thing? I said, you go to a Chinese restaurant and have mushy and it's good, you know, sauce. You know what I mean. That's the theme. I know, I know. But the Lord just said, you can't handle it. I went, what? You can't handle it. I said, well, how can he handle it? He said, he can handle it. I said, that's not right. I know. One day you will. And I couldn't understand that. But I do now. And so he goes on to say, I was stolen away. They shipped me, but the chief butler didn't remember. And so I'll just end very simply by saying, you know, when it's time, God will remember you and God will raise you up. And then lastly, he was in the palace. And this is so cool. And here, notice in chapter 41, verse 14, then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon. Ah, do you like this? And they shaved him. He was dirty and filthy and changed his ringlet and came into Pharaoh. In other words, you're not going to come before the presence of Pharaoh without looking sharp. And Pharaoh said to Joseph, I have a dream, a dream, and there is none that can interpret it. I have heard say thee that thou can understand a dream to interpret the most powerful guy in the world. And this is what this young boy said. And Joseph answered Pharaoh saying, is it not in me? God shall give Pharaoh an answer. It's not me. It's God. Not even afraid to bring his God before this man. Well, not now. He's been in the pit. He's just had it. He has no room to mess around. He's been messed with in the pit. He's been accused falsely. He's been in prison. And now he's standing before this man and he's going to speak his heart. No. Why? He's an iron man. He's been forged. He's been dealt with. He's made mistakes. He's seen God work in his life. He's watched God redeem him and explode his life and do great things. And so it says in verse 15, And Pharaoh said, Joseph, I have a dream. In verse 16, And Joseph answered the Pharaoh saying, It is not me. And then notice in chapter 41, verse 38, And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this, a man whom the Spirit of God is? And Pharaoh said to Joseph, For as much as God has showed thee all this, there is none so discreet. And wise as thou art. The dream was, Remember the seven fat calves and the seven lean calves. And the interpretation was there's going to be seven years of prosperity and there's going to be seven years of famine. And Joseph said, So stock up. And Pharaoh agreed. Verse 39, And Pharaoh said to Joseph, For as much as God has showed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art. Thou shalt be over my house. And according to thy word shall all the people be ruled. Now that is absolutely powerful. Just for a moment. The kid in the pit is now commanding the world. You cannot have the throne. It's my throne. But everything you say, do, build, whatever it takes to save our world, you do it. And you know what? God took this young man, brought him into Egypt, because he had to save the nation of Israel. And had to save the world. Because God knew a famine was coming. And there's a famine coming. There are wars and rumors of wars and things are happening that we have no idea. And I can't be worried about anything else except one thing, God. So when I have difficult times, I can stand before my wife or my children or my congregation or before the senate or the congress, doesn't make a difference, and say, let's say it to the Lord. This is how we ought to do this. And this is not right, or this is right. And when I'm tempted, no, I'm not going to do it. And by the way, I'm not even walking in that door. I'm not even going to flirt with it. No. But it all happens with one phrase, and the Lord was with Joseph. Now today, has the Lord been with you? Tomorrow, on the docks, will the Lord be with you? What about those of you that are going through cancer and have treatment or chemotherapy? I was in the hospital getting my iron drip and is the Lord going to be with me? Yeah, I think God puts me there so I can minister. I hate it. But God loves it. Because He has my full attention. Drip, drip, and drip. And so, what does the nurse do? We have these little sheets, right? She puts it back. She says, you're a Christian, he's a Christian, you guys need to share. I just want to be left alone. I got this IV in my arm and just want to read my Bible. And she puts this back and she goes, you need to talk to him. And he's dying of leukemia. What a wimp I am. I need iron. But we became friends. Now today, has the Lord been with you? That's Pastor Steve Mays with a personal example of how we can be used of God when we're driven by love. You know, it's been said the beginning is an important part of any work. And when it comes down to understanding God's work in our lives, it's imperative that we start at the beginning. And that's why we're excited to present Pastor Steve's in-depth collection on the book of Genesis. It's foundational understanding that reveals why the world is the way it is today and provides a backdrop to fully grasp the power of the gospel in our lives. Journey through the dawn of creation, relive the days of Noah and the flood, and witness the faith of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Today's lesson is just a taste of what you'll receive in this collection. And we'll be glad to tell you how you can get this entire set on the book of Genesis. Just get a hold of us at 1-800-339-WISE and we'll give you all the details. That's 800-339-W-I-S-E. You can also order it right now at our website, lightoftheword.org. That's lightoftheword.org. When we continue Steve's SOS collection, he shares the purpose, the power, and the promise of confession. One of our most requested messages from last year. That's next time on Light of the Word. Light of the Word Light of the Word Hope shines in darkness So follow the light of the Word