PURSUED: “When God Is In The Pit”
RECAP:
Week 1: Adam Hides. God Searches.
Week 2: Humanity Falls. God Provides A Way Through The Storm.
Week 3: God pursuing a people, so that through those people, He can rescue the world.
Week 4: God’s pursuit continues, in the unexpected and even into the pit.
Genesis 37:18-20, “When Joseph’s brothers saw him coming, they recognized him in the distance. As he approached, they made plans to kill him.“Here comes the dreamer!” they said.“Come on, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns. We can tell our father, ‘A wild animal has eaten him.’ Then we'll see what becomes of his dreams!””
THE PIT DOESN’T MEAN GOD LEFT.
Joseph’s story is a good reminder of how God’s plans are good for His people, but they often do not look the way we think they should. Joseph was caught off-guard by his brothers, but as we look carefully at his story, we can see God’s hand everywhere. First, they intended to kill him, but God… Reuben advocated for him, then he sold twice, and again, but God… because God’s favor followed him. I love reading this story because we never see Joseph complain, we only see evidence of His faith and God’s protection and provision. If you experienced a similar situation, what do you think your response would be? Do you think you would be able to be like Joseph and accepting and embracing each new pit that he found himself in? Joseph doesn’t spend time trying to defend himself, he trusts and allows God to fight for him. How many of us would simply be quiet and trust? What is your first response when you are in the pit? How can you use Joseph’s story as encouragement to help you pause, pray, and trust when life seems to come at you sideways? Share your thoughts and discuss in your small group.
God allows seasons of being in the pit to refine us and prepare us to steward well the good things He has planned for us in the future. It is in the pit that the steadfastness of our faith is tested. If you are in a season of being in the pit right now, how can you reframe what seems to be an impossible situation and place your trust firmly on the God of the impossible? Take time to journal a heartfelt prayer to God, telling Him exactly how you are feeling. Do a search for “I will never leave you” in the Bible, then take time to read through the passages it brings up. Pick at least one that resonates with your spirit and post it where you will see it often as a reminder that God already knows the ending, and He will never leave you.
GOD’S PRESENCE FOLLOWS YOU INTO PLACES YOU NEVER PLANNED TO GO.
Faith trusts that God’s presence will remain with us, no matter where we are. Faith says, “God, I do not understand how I got here, or why I am here — but I know that this is not a surprise to you, so I trust what you are doing, even in the unknown.” God’s presence was evident in Joseph’s life as God’s favor followed him every step of the way. Let us grow in recognizing the signs of God’s favor, especially when we really have to look hard to find it. Can you think of a time where God’s favor rested on you in a place you never planned to go? Was it easy to see in the moment, or did it take time and distance to discern it? How can you get better at looking for ways to see His favor in your life in the moment, particularly the difficult ones? Take some time to discuss what it looks like to trust that God’s presence follows you, and even goes before you, with a trusted Christian friend or small group.
God’s plan for our life can often look very different than what we have envisioned. He knows the end before the beginning. We can see evidence of this in Joseph’s life, as well as an example of how Joseph trusted God no matter what curveball was thrown his way. God knew that He needed Jospeh to have the character to lead the people of Egypt through seven years of plenty as well as seven years of harvest. What challenge in your life today might be evidence of God’s greater plan for your future? Can you reflect on other times of challenging circumstances that you have encountered in the past that God has used to mold you into the person who could handle what He had planned for you in the future? Take some time to write a prayer thanking Him today for whatever hard thing that you are facing, trusting that He is working through it for your good and His glory.
THE WAITING ROOM IS NOT A WASTED ROOM.
God works in the waiting. We have talked a lot about waiting the past few weeks. Abraham had to wait; Joseph had to wait… But as we read Scripture we can see how God was working and their waiting was not wasted. When God has us in a waiting room, we can trust that He is working, just like we see He was working in Abraham and Joseph. What lesson about waiting have you learned from the story of Joseph? How can you take that and apply it to your life today?
When we read about how the chief cup bearer forgot about what Joseph had done for two years, we can imagine how frustrated Joesph might have been, but yet Scripture does not tell us that he was. Can you imagine being Joseph? Thinking, “Finally, someone who knows what I have done and that I am innocent and can speak to Pharaoh.” Then, crickets. But God knew it was not time for the cup bearer to speak, because He had not yet given Pharaoh the dream. Think about what might have happened if the cup bearer had remembered. Joseph might have been given and audience with Pharaoh, but perhaps not, and that would be that. Let us be encouraged through this example that God’s timing is perfect, and He does not waste our waiting season, so we need to be even more steadfast to seek Him in the waiting. How can you turn the waiting room into a working (preparation) room? Discuss with your small group or a trusted Christian friend how you can take steps to put a plan in place to make the best use of any waiting room you might enter in the future.
GOD CAN REDEEM WHEN PEOPLE MEANT TO DESTROY.
Genesis 50:20 “You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.”
Joseph held no ill will toward his brothers when they made their way to Egypt. He was able to see that God’s hand had been with him, going before him and beside him through every pit and problem, leading the way and preparing him to lead and save the lives of many people, including his own family. Joseph’s hindsight was focused on what God had done. Perhaps you have had a season of walking through the pit and problems of this life. Have you taken time to really reflect and see where God’s hand was there, before you and beside you? How might your perspective change if you leaned in to the truth that no matter what may have happened at the hands of people, God’s plan for you is good? Take some time to meditate on this and share in your small group. Ask God to reveal things to you that perhaps your spiritual eyes may not have been open to see in the past.
Dig a bit deeper into an area of your life where God has done work redeeming what people meant to destroy. Have you walked out forgiveness of those people? If not yet, why? Have you thanked God for sustaining you as He did for Joseph? How can you thank God for what He has done and what He will do through His redemption? How can you take what we have learned this week about Joseph and put that into practice in your own life over this next week? If you haven’t, take some time to read over the Scripture we covered this week and select one verse or passage that resonates with your spirit to memorize and serve as a reminder of how God is with you and redeems what others meant for harm. What move is God waiting for you to make? Take some time to get quiet with God and ask Him to help you grow in awareness of the next step He is calling you to take and how to rest in Him.
Scripture References for this week:
Genesis 37; Genesis 39; Genesis 41; Genesis 45; Genesis 50; Romans 8:28-29; Genesis 40:23; Genesis 3:29
