Responding To Problems

Responding To Problems

 I know that everything that happens in life has a reason, but it's up to us how we respond.  There are things in life that happen that are very hard to get past.  I think of Joseph who went through a number of things that would be very hard to get over easily.   It must of been very hard being rejected by his brothers , who had shown no mercy at his cries when he cried from a pit in which they had thrown him.  Worst of all they took him and sold him into slavery and had not one drop of mercy as he looked back in tears.

I know it must of been very hard for Joseph to get past being accused of something he didn't do.  Especially because the accusation against him would harm his testimony as a Godly man.  Then to be thrown into prison for years and seemingly forgotten.  How he must of been tempted to become bitter at his situation. He must of spent many hours praying and wondering in his heart why.   Still he trusted and stayed faithful to God.

Then came the day  he became the "savior of the known world." God had blessed him with the unusual ability to know things through the interpretation of dreams.  He was blessed with the gift

even as a child.  The gift was one of the reasons his brothers hated him. His family did not believe him but the talent that God had given him would be used to save many people from starvation.  God had a greater purpose.

Now this story I'm about to tell  you may not seem to be as hard a thing to go through as what Joseph did,  but I know it is something  kids can learn from today.  When I was around seven or eight years old. I was an A student in my music class.  The school was having a Christmas program and I was in the bell choir.  I was all excited about it and ready to give it my all.  We stood up to perform our song and it was perfect as far as I can remember, but to my surprise, not a good surprise at all,  The boy behind me decided he wanted to move my chair from behind me.  The teacher motioned for us to all be seated and what happened?  I fell flat on my behind and bells were ringing everywhere.  Kids were angry at me for messing up the whole program.  They stood there laughing and some were mad.   The teacher pulled me aside and guess what,  She informed me my grade would be lowered  by one letter because of what someone else did to me.  Now I don't  remember what happened afterwards,  I'm sure I  was very heart broken, but I do know this.  When you get punished for something that someone else does  to you it's not something that you get over easily.  

Through life we go through things sometimes, so that later on, we can help others who may be going through tough times.  We may have even been unjustly treated just as Joseph.    God has given us the story of Joseph as an example how to react to life's problems. In the story of Joseph,  He becomes a very powerful man over all of Egypt.  He even had the power to put people into prison, but Joseph also knew to show mercy as he was lead by God.  Joseph was a powerful man but He also was a very humble man because of everything God allowed him to go through.  He was able to react to those who treated him unjustly with love and forgiveness, but he also used caution in his choices.  He was prepared by His problems for a greater purpose.

When problems come along in your life, remember Joseph and learn from his choices.  God has a purpose for you and if you stay faithful he will bring you to that purpose and your eyes will be opened to the why, just as Joseph learned why.

Genesis 50:20

But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.

Genesis 45:6-8

 For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest.  And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.

So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.

Children's Devotion:

Susan Y  Nikitenko November 17th, 2013

Poetry And Other Materials On This Site Can Be Freely Used For Christian Bible Centered Non-Profit Ministries And must Remain Unchanged In Any Way. All Other Purposes Are With Permission Only. You May Make Requests At "treasurebox18@yahoo.com" All my poems with stories are both real and fictional designed to illustrate a biblical truth. All Rights Reserved. Please Include Site Name And Link Back To This Blog. Thank-You.

Dying Without The Light - updated

Dying Without The Light

This past October I decided for the first time to carve some pumpkins.  Now last year my son in law and daughter carved the pumpkin for the  "Pumpkin With A Purpose Lesson", that I wrote last year, but we only used it in the classroom.

I had around eight pumpkins.  I  was thinking how  pretty they would look all lit up with

 the gospel message shining through.  Talk about scaring some devils away. - he he

Anyway, we carved six of the pumpkins and set them outside awaiting the day to light them.

We apparently had carved them too soon and the weather got warm and they slowly started to fade away.  My husband and I were the only ones here.   I have no little children here to enjoy them anymore.  We never have any trick or treaters, though we normally buy candy just in case.  So the pumpkins  just sat out  there and died without any light.  They said nice things like, Jesus loves you  and even had a cross, but there was absolutely no light on the inside.

This reminds me of people who have trusted in the wrong things for salvation.  The bible talks about them.

Like the people who will say  " Lord, Lord I've done many wonderful work in your name".  I'm sure they did many wonderful works even gave to the poor and the needy.  Those things are all great things to do

but there's only one way to heaven.  God's not going to open heaven's gate to one who has trusted his own good works to get him there.  I must also say though,  good works will be the fruit of a true believer in Christ.  Jesus said himself ,we shall know them by their fruit. 

There are many people who wear a cross and even tell others Jesus loves them, but the question is do they have a light on... on the inside themselves.  Have they ever really trusted in the right things for salvation? Without Christ living and dwelling in our hearts we would be religious, but we wouldn't  be saved.  We wouldn't have any light.

There are many people who are like those pumpkins outside that never got lit.  They die thinking  " I think I've lived good enough to make it to heaven", but they never were lit up on the inside.  They never trusted Christ alone for salvation.  They were really good people, seemingly perfect, but it's not the right way....yes even for a true believer,  we know Christ tells us there is coming a day when every man's work  (man and woman) will be tried by fire.  Then we shall know what manner of work it was.  but for an unbeliever his works were never done in the power of Christ.  He never had a light.

We as Christians need to be sharing the gospel light,  that others may believe and receive the gospel message and in turn be a light in a dark place.

Matthew 7:22-23

 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

1 Corinthians  3:13

 Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. 

 If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.

If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

Roman 1:16

 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

PS. Now You Know:  This Is Not Left Over From Last Halloween

devotional

Susan Y Nikitenko

November 11th, 2013

Poetry And Other Materials On This Site Can Be Freely Used For Christian Bible Centered Non-Profit Ministries And must Remain Unchanged In Any Way. All Other Purposes Are With Permission Only. You May Make Requests At "treasurebox18@yahoo.com" All my poems with stories are both real and fictional designed to illustrate a biblical truth. All Rights Reserved. Please Include Site Name And Link Back To This Blog. Thank-You.