I appreciate your prayers. I've had a really good week this week. I am fully recovered from the procedure that I had with no ill benefits. I was able to get my 10,000 steps in five out of seven days, which is what I Try to do, I don't walk on Sunday and I don't walk on Wednesday. But all the other days I was able to get my 10,000 in and that's good for the heart too, so. And my throat seems to be better. I'm still going to probably have to use a cough drop as I preach. But nevertheless, it's a lot better than it was. And even though I'm not going to be able to have the other procedures that I was trying to figure out what was causing the throat issues, I will not have those other procedures done until after I come off the Plavix, according to the heart doctor. That could be a year. I am waiting for up to a year, but I'm glad that at least for now I'm not coughing as much as I once was. Everything seems to be on track, back on track. With that having said, turn to 1 Peter chapter 1. 1 Peter chapter 1. We began last week looking at how to benefit from trials. We said that even we who rejoice in Christ We suffer grief from all kinds of trials and tribulations in this life, just as much, if really not more, than those who don't know Christ. We also have to suffer for the cause of Christ. We looked at the actual purpose of our trials last week. We said that our trials are designed by the Lord for us. That's not something that we, our flesh, we don't like that, but nevertheless it's true. God has his hand on the thermostat. and understand that our trials are also designed by God for His glory. So it's for us and it's for His glory. And so you say, well, I'm not okay with that. Well, you better get okay. Okay. I mean, just the way it is. I mean, He's God and what you going to do? He has sovereign authority and He knows what He's doing. He's making us more and more like Christ. That is the end goal, for us to be like Christ. We know that that's not going to be fully functional in our lives until we are at home with the Lord, but we are to be more like Christ today than we were a year ago. We're supposed to be growing in Christ. So this morning, let's think about how else we can benefit from our trials. Let's read our passage of scripture. Here in 1 Peter 1 verse number 3, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Let me just pause there and say, if you get down about the things that are happening in this life, you get down about the trials that are coming your way, keep your mind focused on Jesus. and what he's done, and the fact that we get to skip hell. He took our judgment for us, and that ought to make you rejoice, give you something to rejoice about. He says, he's begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, then verse 4, to an inheritance incorruptible. and undefiled, and that faith is not a way reserved in heaven for you. And there's more shouting ground right there, amen, what we have to look forward to. Then verse five, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time. Aren't you glad that you don't have to keep yourself? You're kept by God's power, and what a blessing that is. Verse six, wherein, all these things we just talked about, he said, wherein you greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, You are in heaviness through manifold temptations. Understand that who he was writing to, they were going through difficulty. They were going through difficult trials, difficult temptation there. And he was trying to be an encouragement to them. He says, if need be, the year in heaven is through manifold temptations, verse 7, that the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ. And so we see there, we can understand from that verse that our trials are designed by God, a refining process to get the dross out of our life, to make us more like Christ, and it brings him honor and glory through that. Verse eight, whom having not seen Ye love, and whom though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. Rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. What a blessing. Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. So let's think about how else we can benefit from our trials. Quite obviously, Peter was saying that there was benefit that was there to these believers. First thing I wanted us to see this morning is we can benefit from our trials if we view them as an opportunity for a blessing rather than a curse. A lot of it has to do with our perspective, amen? How are you viewing what's happening to you? Do you see God at work? Do you understand what He's trying to do? Trials are an opportunity for the Lord to show up. Amen? And when He shows up and gives you help in your life, He gets the glory through the trial. Amen? Listen, we can view our trials as a curse and cause heartaches to not only ourselves but others. There's no benefit in that. I don't know about you, but I don't like being around somebody that always has a woe is me attitude. I'm talking about someone who is constantly talking about how bad their trial is and how unfair it is for them to have to go through it. Now that person may even have become embittered against God and you can catch that bitterness coming from them as they're going through these trials in their life. It's not that we're necessarily uncompassionate toward folks like that who are going through great trials and are verbalizing their struggles because we do care, amen? If you got Jesus in your heart, you care for folks that are going through a difficult time. It's just that that kind of attitude not only tend to wear on yourself, but also on the one with the attitude. It'll wear on those who have to be around them, as well as the one that has that kind of attitude. that I certainly would rather be around one who is looking for what lessons the Lord would have them to learn through whatever trial they're going through than one who is constantly verbalizing how crushed they are by their circumstances. There are some folks who, when trials come, stop being faithful to God. Just stop being faithful. They stopped serving God. I'm even talking about some preachers that I know, that I've known in the past, who allowed themselves to drown their spiritual life in self-pity. And listen, I went through some difficult trials in churches as well. But I'm still preaching. I mean, I'm still one at it. I mean, there were a couple of times that I didn't know that I would ever pastor again. That's how difficult it got. I still continue to preach. I preached in prisons for a good number of years before the Lord stirred my heart to become a pastor once again. But I do know some fellows that are not in the ministry anymore. In fact, they not only quit the ministry, they quit on God. A lot of them are not even in church anymore. Understand, for the genuine child of God, quitting on God just deepens your problem, because you have to deal with the chastening hand of a loving God, as well as whatever you're going through. I've said it before and I'll say it again. God loves his children. He loves us too much to leave us in our sin, in a backslidden condition. So we can view our trials as a curse and cause ourselves and others heartaches or We can view our trials as an opportunity for blessing and bring about blessing to both ourselves and to others. And to illustrate this, I want to use an illustration from Genesis chapter number 45. If you'll take and turn with me, that would be a blessing. Amen, Genesis 45. And talking about the life of Joseph, and I know Sam recently preached a message on the life of Joseph, and that was great. It was a good message that he brought. But I want us to see here again and be reminded again how the trial that Joseph went through, and when you read what he went through and come to understand his end attitude toward his brothers, you can kind of come away with your head shaking. How was he able to do that? I'll tell you how he was able to do that. He was able to do it because he wasn't focused on his problem. He was focused on the Lord. Genesis 45, look at verse number 3. Joseph said unto his brethren, I am Joseph. Here's where he reveals himself to his brothers who did him so wrong. Doth my father yet live? And his brethren could not answer him, for they were troubled at his presence. Here they are standing before someone who actually they know from looking at him and understanding where he's at in the Pharaoh's government that they are in a hump. They're in a hump because he's got the power to do bad things to them. Look at verse 4, and Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near, and he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt. Now I'm sure when he said that, they were thinking, okay, here comes the hammer. Here comes the hammer. But he says, verse 5, now therefore be not grieved nor angry with yourselves that you sold me hither, for God did send me before you to preserve life. He viewed that a trial as a blessing. God used him to preserve life. Look at verse six. These two years hath the famine been in the land, yet there are five years in which there shall neither be earing nor harvest. And God sent me. Notice how many times he talks about God here. God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. And verse eight is key. So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God. And he has made me a father to Pharaoh and a Lord of all his house and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt. Well, let's look at chapter number 50, Genesis 50. in verse number 15 and verse number 20. Genesis 50 verse number 15 says, And when Joseph's brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Joseph will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him. Here they had the idea that the only reason Joseph has not put the hammer on them is because daddy was alive. But that wasn't the case. Look at verse 20, and Joseph is saying right here, he says, look at verse 19 and 20. Verse 19, and Joseph said unto them, Fear not, for am I in the place of God? But as for you, ye thought evil against me, but God mended unto good to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. Now therefore fear ye not." So Joseph showed how having a proper attitude. If his attitude had been wrong, he would have missed out the opportunity to become a blessing. But Joseph's attitude was that God sent him to Egypt for a reason. He saw that reason. Amen. So that's the Old Testament example. A New Testament example is Paul and Silas. I'm not going to ask you to turn to Acts 16, but in Acts 16 verses 19 through 34, we have the story of Paul and Silas on their missionary journey together. This was Paul's second missionary journey. They were in a particular place there and they cast a demon out of a girl. who was earning the folks that she worked for, her masters, earning them money, and they saw that their hope of making money anymore with her was gone. Well, what they managed to do was they took Paul and Silas and treated them unjustly. Now, I want you to think about how Paul and Silas were unjustly detained. They were beaten with many stripes. This is from that passage of Scripture. And they were thrown into the inner part of a Philippian prison with their feet put in stocks. Now, the average Christian, get treated half that badly, gets the mully grubs, just real fast. But in the midst of that severe trial, think about, you know, if they had displayed a bad attitude, do you think they might have missed the opportunity to be a blessing to the Philippian jailer and his family? I mean, this jailer that was responsible for putting them in prison and fastening their feet in the socks, he was the one that this was all about in the Lord's eyes. It was all about him coming to the saving knowledge of Jesus. Instead of having a bad attitude, you'll see in that passage of scripture that Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises to God in the midst of their trials, and the Lord showed up. The Lord showed up in a great earthquake that shook everybody's chains loose. and through their witness, souls were changed, lives were saved and changed there, and what a wonderful thing that was. So we can benefit from our trials if we view them as an opportunity for a blessing rather than a curse. Second thing I want us to see, and I'd like for you to turn to Proverbs chapter number three. I know you're familiar with this passage that we're gonna be looking at, but I'd like for you to turn there anyway. Proverbs and chapter number three We can benefit from our trials If we choose to trust in the Lord rather than choosing to lean upon our own understanding and ways You know too many of us like to figure it out ourself We just do you know I don't need the Lord on this one. I'll just see what I've got to do. I'll figure it out myself. Not a good way to do it. Look at verse number 5. Proverbs 3 verse number 5. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding. Notice, in all thy ways acknowledge him. He shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes. In other words, I can figure it out. I'm smart enough to figure this one out. Fear the Lord. Depart from evil. It shall be what? Health to thine able and marrow to thy bones. We can benefit from our trials if we choose to lean upon the Lord rather than try to handle it ourselves. There's a story in First Chronicles, chapter number 2 Chronicles 16 of King Asa. King Asa was a king of Judah, and we have a story here of where he tried to handle his own problem in his own way, differently than he handled a previous problem. Before, he had depended upon the Lord. This time, he decided not to depend on the Lord. He just went and depended on the king of Syria. In 2 Chronicles 16, look at verse number 1. It says, In the sixth and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa, Baasha, king of Israel, came up against Judah and built Ramah to the intent that he might let none go out or come in to Asa, king of Judah. Then Asa brought out silver and gold out of the treasuries of the house of the Lord, and of the king's house, and sent to Ben-Hadad king of Syria, that dwelt at Damascus, saying, There is a league between me and thee, as there was between my father and thy father, and behold, I have sent thee silver and gold. Go, break thy league with Baasha, king of Israel, that he may depart from me. Then Hadad hearkened unto king Asa. and sent the captains of his armies against the cities of Israel. And they smote Ijon, Dan, and Abel-Mayim on all the store cities of Naphtali. And it came to pass when Baasha heard it, He left off building of Ramah and let his work cease. Then Asa, the king, took all Judah and they carried away the stones of Ramah and the timber thereof, wherewith Beatio was building, and he built therewith Giba and Mizpah. And at that time, Hanani, the seer, came to Asa, king of Judah, and said to him, and this is a message from the Lord, okay, because thou hast relied on the king of Syria and not relied on the Lord thy God, therefore the host of the king of Syria escaped out of thine hand. Were not the Ethiopians and the Lubams a huge host with very many chariots and horsemen, yet because thou didst rely on the Lord, he delivered them into thine hand. For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly, therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars. And so we see Asa here had a great opportunity to showcase God and showcase God's glory. But he chose to try to handle the problem his own way. And the Lord was not pleased, so the Lord sent him this man of God to tell him he wasn't pleased. And we see that Asa here, he doubles down on his trial by lashing out at the man of God that was sent to him to show him his error. Look at verse number 11. It says, excuse me, verse 10. Then Asa was wroth with the seer. and put him in a prison house for he was in a rage with him because of this thing. And Asa oppressed some of the people at the same time. How sad. I wonder, have you ever tried to handle a problem by yourself and make an absolute mess out of it? I know I certainly have. Amen. It's not a good thing. 2 Corinthians 3, 5 tells us that we're not sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God. We need to look to God as our sufficiency. Don't think that we can handle the things of this life, the problems of life that come our way by ourself. A third thing we see here is that we can benefit from our trials if we will keep our focus on the Lord. We're all familiar with the story there in the book of Numbers chapter 13 where Moses sends out the spies and he is They searched the land of Israel that the Lord had given the children of Israel, and what happens is you had ten spies come back, give an evil report. You had two, Caleb and Joshua, that came back and said, you know, we're well able to overcome these problems that these other guys see there in the land. Ten of twelve spies and Israel as a nation focus on themselves and their problems rather than God. It's so easy to do. We can get our focus in the wrong place and it can cause us to do the wrong thing. We know what happened. They made the wrong decision and said, we're not going to go in. And those 20 years old and up wound up losing their lives, wandering in the wilderness and dropping dead out there. And they weren't able to take and go into the promised land. Their focus was not on the Lord. Their focus was on their enemies. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, on the other hand, did have their focus on God when they were subjected to a trial by King Nebuchadnezzar. And his image that he made for everybody to bow down to, they determined, we cannot bow down to anybody but God. And they were not afraid to tell Nebuchadnezzar how they thought, even though they knew that there was a possibility they would get thrown in the fiery furnace. In fact, Daniel chapter number 3 and verse number 16, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. In other words, there's no reason to even think about this. We know where we stand. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king." They knew they were going to get delivered one way or another. They were going to be delivered through the fire or by the fire. Of course, we know that they were cast into that burning furnace, but the Lord showed up, didn't he? That's what I'm saying. We need to give the Lord an opportunity to show up in our trials that come. Keep your focus on Him and that will help that to take place. When we're in the midst of trials, it's important that our focus be on the Lord and not on ourselves or our problems. The last thing we want to look at this morning is we can benefit from our trials if we will learn from the Lord during the trial and then share what we learned with others. Have you ever thought about maybe the Lord wants to use you, use this trial and use you later as he brought you through the trial? It's a scriptural principle. In fact, look at 1 Peter chapter number five. 1 Peter chapter number five. Our part is to humble ourselves under God. 1 Peter chapter number five and verse number six. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time. casting all your care upon him, for he careth for you. Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about seeking whom he may devour. Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. Verse 10 is key. But the God of all grace, Aren't you glad that God is full of grace and He's the God of all grace? Amen. The God of all grace who hath called us unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus. And we are. One of these days, we're going to be forever glorious with the Lord, with His glory. He says, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect. establish, strengthen, settle you. Let God use those trials to mold your life. And then, look at 2 Corinthians 1. 2 Corinthians 1. After the Lord uses the trial, and you give Him glory through that by having the right attitude and leaning upon His grace, And look at 2 Corinthians 1, in verse number 3. Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies. Notice this, the God of all comfort. Okay, he's not only God of all grace, but he's God of all comfort. Who comforteth us, notice, in all our tribulation. that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. God comforts you, then you got a testimony. Let me tell you what God did to me when I was going through a trial. and you give a testimony of how God comforted you. It says in verse 5, For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer. Whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. And our hope of you is steadfast, knowing that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation. We know that the Apostle Paul went through many different types of suffering, didn't he? And the Lord consoled him through that. He said, you know, God did that for me. I have no doubt that he's going to do it for you as well. It was his attitude. Listen to some other passages here. There's a story in 1 Samuel 30 where David was greatly distressed and his own people, talked about stoning him because their wives and children had been taken away captive while they were out trying to war with David. Well, David was greatly distressed about that, but it says that David encouraged himself in the Lord his God. He knew God was going to come through for him. It was a bad trial. He was discouraged, yes, but he knew to encourage himself on the Lord. Listen to Psalm 27 verse 13 and 14. I had fainted unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord and the land of the living. Where's the focus at? It's on the Lord, okay? He was looking for the goodness of the Lord. Wait on the Lord. Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart. Wait, I say, on the Lord. Psalm 55 verse 22 says, cast thy burden upon the Lord, he shall sustain thee, he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved. Psalm 56 verse three and four, what time I am afraid, I will trust in thee, in God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust, I will not fear what flesh can do unto me. Hebrews 13 verse five and six, let your conversation be without covetousness and be content with such things as you have. For he hath said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, the Lord is my helper and I will not fear what man shall do unto me. And then Psalm 34, 15, the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous and his ears are open unto their cry. I wonder this morning, you've gone through some trials lately that you've maybe had a difficulty going through those trials. What did they do for you? Did those trials crush you or did they strengthen you? Maybe you're going through some difficult trial even as I preach this message this morning. How's it going in that? How are you handling that? Are you looking for God's purpose in it all? Are you viewing it as a curse or as an opportunity to both receive a blessing and be a blessing? Remember, if we try to handle the trial ourselves, it's not good. We need to tap into God's sweet grace to help get us through the trials. Is your focus on yourself or your problems or is it on God? I wonder, you know, if we can seek help, seek comfort in many different places as we're going through trials. Some folks come to the preacher and I'll try to help you with the Word of God all that I can to try to point you to the Lord's comfort through that. Sometimes we can get comfort from our family or our friends. Even sometimes we can get it from the world. But the best place we can get it is from God. Go to Him. Casting all your care upon Him. For He careth for you. Maybe you've not faced a trial lately. But in this life, I can guarantee you one thing. One's going to come. May not be today. May not be tomorrow. But in the not too distant future, I can assure you, a trial is going to come your way. And the question is, are you prepared to handle it in a way that will honor God? We need, when the trials come our way, to say, Lord, help me to honor you as I respond to this trial in my life. Let me tell you that If you don't know God, you're not ready for the trials that this life can throw you. You need salvation of the Lord. He provided that salvation with His gospel as He died on the cross to shed His blood to cover our sins. And when we believe on Him, He gives us the Holy Spirit, which by the way, the Holy Spirit can be a great help when you're going through trials. He can be a source that will be a tremendous help. Let's remember what Job said, man that is born of a woman is a few days and full of trouble. We need that help, but without God, there is no true help. Come to the Lord Jesus Christ today, if you don't know Him, so that you can have someone to cast your care upon when the troublesome times come. Let's pray. Father, we thank you today for