Very thankful again to God for the Word of God. Trust and be encouraged in God's Word. Are we able, I, you, all of us, are we able to see God in the trials we go through? Are we able to see any benefits in the trials we go through? Now, we're chasing for our wrongs. And if we'll let that help us, the Bible teaches us that it will be a great blessing unto us. I'm not talking about trial. I mean chasing it. But whenever you have done nothing wrong and you still have to suffer, are we able to see any benefits in these things? Notice the statements made in Genesis. chapter 45, Genesis 45. You know the trouble that Joseph had went through? And Joseph, a very young man, never had to go down to Egypt. He was sold by his family. They first cast him into a pit, and then a group of Esmelites come around, headed down to Egypt. They sold their brother, and he went down to Egypt. And then, whatever he was wearing, nice looking pretty good fella, he plied on. He was cast into prison. The Bible tells us he was 17 years old when he went down there. And then it also tells us that he went into prison. And when he came out and stood before Pharaoh, 30 years old. So you see this period of trials, real serious trials that he went through. And yet notice the statements here in Genesis 45. He said in verse 1, that Joseph could not refrain himself before all them that stood by him. And he cried, cause every man while Joseph made himself known unto his brethren. And he wept aloud, and the Egyptians in the house of Pharaoh heard. And Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph, doth my father yet live? And his brethren could not answer him, for they were troubled at his presence. And Joseph said unto his brethren, Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. Now, therefore, be not grieved nor angry with yourself, that you sold me hither, for God did send me before you to preserve life. For these two years hath the famine been in the land, and yet there are five more years, five years, harvest. And God sent me before you to preserve you a prosperity in the earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not that you, not you that sent me, Heather, but God. And he has made me a father to favor And to look at the serious things that Joseph went through, and then be able to call all his brothers together, put everybody else out of the way, and stood before his family, and let them know I'm Joseph, I'm the one you mistreated. Well, they were afraid to start with, no doubt knowing they were guilty, doing things they shouldn't have done, mistreating their brother. And then see Joseph and tell him, said, don't be afraid. Don't be angry even with yourself that you did these things. He said, because it was not you that sent me into Egypt, but God. It was not you that caused me to have to go there and all the troubles and trials, but it was God. God sent me down here. to preserve your life. He sent me down here to prepare material, food and all that you could be spared. Two years of famine that God sent him there to take care of. Now Joseph was able to serve God even in real trials and could see the benefits that there's more to it than just suffering. God had a plan. God had a purpose. Are we able to see God in the trial we have to face? I go and look at Paul and Silas, Acts chapter 16. Whenever that they were preaching the gospel, help the woman to trust the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved, this woman was a sinful woman. doing things that was not right. And yet, whenever that she trusted Christ, she turned away from that lifestyle. And these men were making money and making gain on her, the Bible says, through her soothsayer. But whenever that Paul and Silas showed her the Lord Jesus Christ and she trusted him, she turned from that side of life. be able to make any more. They became very angry with Paul and Silas. So they took them and brought them before the magistrates. They began to tell things about them. They took them and mistreated them, whipped them, brought them out to the jailer. They commanded him to keep them. They just hold them fast. this commandment, they thrust them into the inner prison. What I will refer to today in the prisons is lockdown. Well, they chained those brothers down. They chained Paul and Silas. Whatever that come time that most of us know about, we've been complaining and grumbling and grappling. I hear them singing praises to God. Even at midnight, to God. How were they able to do these things? How could it be possible for a person been put in jail for doing nothing but good, dying to be whipped and mistreated and now locked in chains? How could it be possible for a person to be happy in this way? They had to see something more just the troubles. They had to see something more than the whipping and the jail. They had to see something else. And they knew that they were suffering, no doubt, for the cause of Christ. And they willingly did this. And then I find whenever all the prisons was locked down, Everybody was free. The jailer went down and went to sleep. Came up and saw what had happened. All the prison doors were open. Everybody freed and walked out, but nobody left. God took care of that. And then to see the jailer, he came to a place to almost going to hell. Almost went to hell. Then he took the sword and fixed it to take his life. Paul said, sir, do yourself no harm. We're all still here. See that man run and fall down before Paul in silence. And all the man said, sir, what must I do to be saved? He said, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved. This man believed the Lord Jesus Christ. His family did. And they was all saved. What a wonderful blessing. But Paul and Silas stood out there in prison. They could see more than just the jail cells. They could see more than the whippings and the inconvenience and all the trouble. They was able to see an opportunity to tell people about Jesus. Here they were singing and praising God at midnight. Now the jailer trusted Christ. The one that was so open to them and thrust them into the inner prison, I see him now a child of God. Because somebody could see something in the trials more than in troubles and problems. Today are we able to see that? Whenever we get what we think is undue criticism, Undue treatment. Doctor, we did not do anything to make happen. And yet it still comes. And we're able to see the hand of God. I think of Joe with all he went through. He went through a lot of things. I mentioned that on the last DVD. He went through things that I don't understand. And yet I see through all his suffering, through all the things that he faced, I see that man come to the place that he said, even though he slayed me, yet will I serve him. Even though that if I had to die, I wouldn't do it, I'm still gonna serve God. Because I know what God is doing is all right. I know the purpose he's doing it for has got to be good. He can see something in God. that a lot of people cannot see. He could see there are some blessings in it somewhere. He may not know where it's all coming from, but he could see some great blessings. And I hear Joe with me. His wife told him, said, Joe, why don't you curse God and die? Why don't you just get out of there, Joe? He said, you talk like one of the foolish women. I'm not going to do that. I'm here for the gospel sake. I'm suffering for Christ's sakes. I'm not going to do that. And I find Job, tell her, you talk like one of the foolish ones. Today, are we able to see something in the trials we're facing? I think about what Job said when he comes to the end of the chapter, the end of the book of Job, that through all he had went through, even his so-called friends came to it. all this. Talked about it and said things I shouldn't. But in the end of it, I hear the Lord tell those friends, you go get Job, let him pray for you. Him will I hear. I'm not going to hear you, but if you go get Job, I'll hear him. Job knew what it meant to suffer for Christ's sake. And then to see when it was all over with, I hear Job He was much better than He was in the beginning. And I hear Him say, Lord, I've heard about you. I've heard about you by the hearing of the ear, but now I see you. What are you talking about? I've heard about you, God, for years and years. I saw a lot of things and all, and I've heard about you, but now I can see you. What was He able to see? He was able to see the Lord in the trials. When he was bogged down in trials and losing it, even the family possessions and health and all, he could still see God. Today are we able to see the Lord in the trials? In a place like Gideon did, Gideon said, Lord, if I'm doing what you asked me to do, why all this trouble? Why all the problems that we face? A lot of times it's easy to get bogged up in the problem. It's easy to see all the trouble, but it's kind of hard to see beyond that and see what the Lord's got in mind. I think a lot of times how that one person may have to suffer for others to be helped. One may have to suffer for others to be healed or even to be saved. I've known that happened many times. One man standing by with his mother as she took her last breath. And he'll tell mother, mother, it took your suffering, but I will be with you in heaven. It took mother's death, her suffering, for her son to be saved. So we don't know what God has in mind for everything that happened. It may be that we suffer for somebody else's benefit. Maybe we suffer for our own benefit. We don't always know what the suffering is for. But we do always know whenever we're suffering for Christ's sake, there's a benefit in it. He said the trials of our faith are more precious than gold. That whenever we think about those trials, If we will see Christ, see God in those trials, and we're able to see the benefits of suffering, then that's far more precious to us than gold and passion. This lies over the gold of past, but the benefit that we've had through trials will be a great strength to us and help us to enjoy heaven, no doubt, in a better way. It shows how that even patience that we have, though tribulation, work as patience. Sometimes the things we have to go through with helps us to have more patience as we live in this life. That may cause us to see the need for more wisdom, see the need to have greater things that we could add to our lives. So I would try to get the thought over today. Jesus Christ suffered for someone else. Christ did not suffer for himself. He had not committed anything to suffer for. Christ suffered for you and I. He bore my sin. He bore my iniquity. By his stripes, we are healed. Now that He gave His life, that I could have life. Christ did not have to suffer for Himself. He pleased His Father in the suffering that He did, but He suffered for someone else. Jesus was mistreated for you and I. He was crucified for you and I. And He could see the benefits, He could see the blessing. They said how that he endured the cross, despising the shame, for the joy that was set before him. He could see something beyond the old rugged cross. He could see something beyond the suffering he had to go through. He could see, no doubt, Jesus Christ as he hung on Calvary. And no doubt, or see himself as he hung on Calvary. that at the same day he was paying for the whole world. What a wonderful blessing when you and I can suffer, seeing the benefits. If we're not able to see the benefits, the suffering is not going to be of this much good. Many people are on their seats in trouble, and mumbling and grumbling and complaining of what they're having to face in life. Our mother had to suffer to bring us into the world. Our father had to suffer to take care of us, to feed us. That had to be the blessing he wanted to be to us. They had to suffer for our benefit. And you know I should be willing to suffer for others today. May not always know who it's for. You know the thing about going and trying to be a blessing. You never know who you might be a blessing to, but you don't know how far you may have to go. You don't know how many miles you may have to travel. You don't know how many nights you may have to miss sleep. But you know when you're out to try to help somebody, it just really don't matter. There's so many people that's lost on the road to hell. They need somebody to help them. You know, if it took you and I going to prison to help them to be saved, would I be with it? Could I go see the benefits, trying to be a help to them? Now that they can see Christ in our lives, suffer for the gospel sake. Just suffering is not always a benefit, but to suffer for the gospel sake. with the Word of God. Everything that comes our way, even though it may be hurtful, it may be painful, it may be things that we do not want. I know people that have been hurt, seriously hurt in this life, and they need a reason for it. That it helped bring them back to Christ. And some of them, it helped them to be saved. They began to realize just who they were and what the Lord done even in the span of their life. And they could have been far different. They'd trust Christ and be saved. So as we look at our lives today, then we'll see all the things that's out there. Much suffering, much trouble many people go through. But all they do is mumble and complain and won't tell somebody else about it. How many of us are willing? than being married was. Lord, I'm just your handmaid, being unto me according to thy word. I'm willing to suffer for your name's sake. Are you willing to suffer today? Are you able to suffer? As I ask myself many times, are we able to suffer and see any benefits in it? See any good to come out of it? and help us, are we able to see any good come out of it. So, unless we are able to, then the trials are not going to do us a whole lot of good. So don't let the problems and troubles of life overcome you. It may be there for our benefit. The things you and I have to suffer may not always be bad. It may be a great blessing. not to us only, it may be to somebody else. God may put you and I in a position that we would not want to be in to help someone to know Christ. And if we feel that position, rather than complaining, What does the trials mean to us? How do we handle the trial? Do trials handle us or do we handle the trial? Do we live life or does life live us? Are we benefited through the trials or is it just time wasted? come our way. So don't throw it aside. Don't say no. Don't say I don't want to suffer. In the flesh, nobody wants to suffer. I will suffer persecution, and you will too. If you're lost today, be pleased with it. When God shuts you down, you may not understand why it all happened. You may not understand that there's something that is just unbeknown to you. God has a purpose in it. But no such thing as accidents with God. All things are for a purpose. and God sends something your way to get your attention. Take heed. He's trying to help you. He don't want you to burn in hell. If you'll trust the Lord Jesus Christ, He's your Savior. God, for Jesus' sake, is a Savior. But if you don't, if you don't let the trials help you, if you don't let them do something to get your attention, He calls you to trust Christ. God, me on the top of the list, and I could be able to see the trials, see the blessings of trials, and see the Lord in all the trials. And those that's lost, I trust you. There's many in trouble. Forgive our sins. Thank you for everything.