Finding the Good in the Bad

Last Sunday we started our series on Genesis to Revelation. We began by looking at the story of Joseph from Genesis. Things went horribly bad for Joseph. Joseph was picked on by his brothers, beat up, abandoned by his family, sold into slavery, arrested for something he did not do, forgotten in jail even after someone promised to help him and yet Joseph saw all of this as part of God bringing about something good out of the bad.

The fact is that life is not fair. We have to decide how we are going to respond. There are certain things we can learn from Joseph's experience. If we are to survive our challenges and struggles we must have a relationship with God. Not just a vague notion that he is out there some where but an actual relationship. We must choose to do the right thing even when all our feelings and circumstances say otherwise. We must accept God's timetable. We might not like it but we must accept it. We must not get bitter. It is normal to feel down and discouraged but we must not embrace bitterness. Choose to see the best out of every situation. Finally, we must be willing to respond when God wants to use our suffering to bless others. Do not make others pay for your suffering, let God use you to help others. That is what Joseph did and that is what we must do as well.

For the next few weeks, the text and audio of this message will be on www.meafordbaptist.ca and for the foreseeable future the audio will be on www.stephenjbedard.com.