By Pastor Melvin O. Marriner
Grove Church
Many of us relish the opportunity to share our testimony with others, but we sometimes have amnesia about how we murmured, whined, cried and complained when we were going through the process. In the overview I presented in last week’s segment, you notice that Joseph didn’t do that. Even though his brothers had sold him into slavery, he was wrongly accused by Potiphar’s wife, then forgotten in jail by someone he helped, Joseph didn’t become bitter, resentful, feel sorry for himself or seek revenge on his brothers. If we are to be truthful, most of us would understand if he had.
God didn’t leave or forsake Joseph, and He does not leave or forsake us when we are in the midst of our tests and trials. Tests are a part of this life and sometimes the Lord Himself wants to use them to grow our level of faith in Him. He also uses the heat and intensity of trials to burn good and godly qualities into our souls and personalities as part of our sanctification process.
We have at least two clear options when life throws tests our way: We can toss in the towel, run off the playing field of life as a result of fear and intimidation, and bail out on what God is doing with this trial in our life. Another choice is that we can take those tests head on in the same manner that Joseph did. We can be prayerful, faithful and obedient, and let God handle the situation. And, He will if we just pray, trust and obey!
Peace and power
© Dr. Melvin O. Marriner,
December 2016
