The Second Test

Transcript:

Good morning and greetings in Jesus name! Welcome to this amazing new morning that we have received! Today, we are going to walk with the Lord one more time, we are going to experience his goodness one more time, we are going to experience his kindness in our lives. When the Lord is drawing us to him, he will take us through different steps and processes by which we can grow, we can be tested and proven. Today, the Lord is allowing certain tests in your life, certain temptations even in your life. He doesn’t tempt you but he does allow temptations in your life just to prove what is in your heart.

Let me tell you the example of Joseph’s brothers in this scripture. Genesis 44:17. This is Joseph who is speaking “I would never do such a thing. Only the man who stole the cup will be my slave, the rest of you may go back to your father in peace.” This is Joseph demanding that the brothers would leave Benjamin to be a slave to Joseph.

Once upon a time, they sold Joseph as a slave to the Egyptians. Now, they are faced with the same temptation again where they can give up Benjamin to become a slave to Joseph. At this point, they don’t know that this is Joseph. They just think that this is one of those prime ministers of Egypt, and they are tempted at the same place where they have tempted decades ago. Decades ago, they decided to sell Joseph to be a slave to the Egyptians. Now, God is giving them an opportunity, giving them a test. In fact, for some of them, it may even have been a temptation. Because we should understand the equation that Benjamin had with his brothers was very complicated. He was the beloved of the father and he got all the attention, all the love, and all the gifts and the special blessings of the father. All the others were jealous of Benjamin in the same way that they were jealous of Joseph. Now, they could have said, “Hey, we get another opportunity to repeat what we did decades back. Let’s give up Benjamin here, let’s sell him here as a slave.” In fact, Joseph is giving them the option saying ”all of you don’t have to stay back; only Benjamin has to stay back and become my slave. He has to serve me for the rest of his life.“

I have a feeling that Joseph was also testing them. But, more than Joseph God was testing what was in their heart. God was testing to see if these guys are ready for royalty, provisions, ready to be blessed in a season of famine. How often have we been tested in the same area where we failed decades ago, weeks ago or just yesterday? When God allows that trial in your life one more time, it is not because you are a failure or it is not because God doesn’t trust you anymore. It is because God is now giving you the opportunity to overcome that temptation, that testing, that bad choice that you made in your past, and you can rectify it. You would see that is what Joseph’s brothers did. They said that “if you want slaves all of us will be slaves to you.” In fact, Judah was the one who spoke up and he said “I can’t go back to my father like this. If you want this guy, then why don’t I serve you as a slave instead and let this guy go back.” In fact, Judah was one of the guys who suggested originally that they sell Joseph as a slave to the Egyptians. Here is Judah saying, “no, I cannot allow Benjamin to be a slave; I can take his place, but you need to let Benjamin go.” Judah begins to intercede for Benjamin, he begins to stand in the gap for Benjamin.

Today, I pray that the Lord will give you the grace to do the right thing, to make the right choices, to overcome every trial and testing that has kept you in bondage, every temptation that has kept you as an addict, that has kept you in the place of being a slave to your sin. Today, the Lord is giving you the grace to say “no” to it. Today, the Lord is giving you the opportunity to make a different choice. What will your choice be? How will you respond? How are you going to open your mouth and speak to that same temptation?

It is a sad thing if we are falling into the same temptation over and over again. That is a sign that we have not really grown. It is understandable when I see or hear somebody who has fallen into temptation. But, if it is the same temptation that you are falling into every week, season, every year you are tempted and you do the exact same thing, then that is a sign that we have not grown. But today, it is changing, our choices are going to be different. This time, we cannot go back to the same old choices, options. This time, choose to lay yourself down on the altar if necessary, but you cannot compromise on what God has entrusted in your hands.

See, Judah’s thinking was that “my father has entrusted Benjamin into my hands. I cannot go back to my father empty-handed.” The anointing that God has given you, the grace that God has put in your lap is too precious for you to give up on, too precious for you to sacrifice. It is okay if you die in the process of saving and preserving the anointing of God upon your life. It is okay if you become bankrupt in the process of you staying true to your call. It is okay if you end up in prison-like Joseph did because he was trying to run away from Potiphar’s wife. It is okay to lose certain things so that you can make the right choices. But, that grace is yours today. Will you respond to the Lord? Will you allow him to help you to do the right thing?

Thank you for tuning in! May the Lord give you the courage the strength and wisdom to make the choices that will bring glory to God and will help you to overcome your bad choices from yesterday.