It's all good

“I realized that the deepest spiritual lessons are not learned by His letting us have our way in the end, but by His making us wait, bearing with us in love and patience until we are able to honestly to pray what He taught His disciples to pray: Thy will be done.”
-Elisabeth Elliot

Tonight at Austin Stone, the message series on Joseph continued. Genesis 37 and 39 follow the story of Joseph being betrayed and sold and tempted and all along his obedience to Christ was present. Suffering was present as well. Was God faithful to Joseph? Of course.
Genesis 38? Total left field. Judah. Disobedience. Suffering. Death. Suffering. Death. Immorality. Lying. 
Obedience? Not present. Suffering? Present. Was God faithful to Judah? Yup. He was a noted forefather of the Messiah and the great grandson of Abraham. Chapter 38 had to happen before Jesus happened. 

If Jesus' lineage was perfect and didn't come from some mess like Gen 38, then He would be a perfect man here to save perfect people. But that's not the case, He is perfect, but came from a lineage that was imperfect.. just like those He came to save. 

Whether chapter 37, 38, or 39... God's sovereignty is present. The suffering occurred to prove in the end His grace and mercy are always present and in turn focus back to worshipping Him. 

Suffering SUCKS. It really does. But if life was peaches and cream.. Raise at work, heavier lifts at the gym, healthy family, no debt, great weather, just scored free tickets to see Josh Turner.. would our initial thought be, "I NEED GOD!" Nope. Because we think we have it all!

But tables turn and we need a job, just gained 15 pounds from stress, kids have strep, overwhelmed with debt, hurricane on its way and always getting stuck in predicaments.. we CRY to God don't we? We practically scream at the top of our lungs for help.

Isn't that what chapter 38 seems to be? The wakeup call to come back to God. To scream for Him at the top of our lungs. To be reminded that we need Him more than just on Easter and Sundays.

We aren't put through suffering because God is mean and powerful and wants to see us suffer. Suffering shows us His grace. Suffering leads us to worship. 

God's purpose will come to be whether we are disciples or the prodigal son. His grace abounds in all seasons of life. 

I suffer now because I know, later, His plan will make more sense than this moment that might be rough. 

If I didn't suffer, I wouldn't need a savior. 

If I didn't have a savior, my life wouldn't have a purpose. 

This message could have been really hard to accept, and it still is. However, when pastor finished and the band got up to play.. I couldn't stop smiling. After being taught on suffering? Yeah.

I was filled with the contentment of knowing (even though I already 'knew') that the junk of my life right now is to prove His grace over my life. To lead me to worship. The junk I was worrying about before church, is part of a plan to show me grace and lead me to worshipping my savior. 

[And that's my sole purpose.]