The Smile of God

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Now you 0:00:31.000 --> 0:00:34.000 can visit facet dot com to take the free quiz 0:00:34.040 --> 0:00:38.600 and get your financial wellness score today. That's facet dot com. 0:00:38.640 --> 0:00:40.720 This ad is sponsored by fast Fast Wealth Incorporated is 0:00:40.720 --> 0:00:42.720 an sec registered investment advisor. This is not an offer 0:00:42.760 --> 0:00:44.559 to buy your self securities snoor is it investment, legal 0:00:44.680 --> 0:00:45.280 or tax advice. 0:00:46.000 --> 0:00:49.199 You're ready for a comeback, and with Purdue Global you 0:00:49.240 --> 0:00:52.440 can do more than take classes. You can take charge 0:00:52.720 --> 0:00:56.760 of your story, of your career, of your life. Earn 0:00:56.800 --> 0:00:58.800 a degree you can be proud of, and get an 0:00:58.920 --> 0:01:03.760 education employeer respect. It's time, Your time, not just to 0:01:03.800 --> 0:01:06.199 go back to school, but to come back and move 0:01:06.280 --> 0:01:11.039 forward with Purdue Global PURDUECE Online University for working adults. 0:01:11.680 --> 0:01:15.160 Start your comeback at Purdueglobal dot edu. 0:01:15.760 --> 0:01:19.200 Welcome to the Joe lous Dean Podcast. Help let's continue 0:01:19.240 --> 0:01:21.760 to share the message of hope with those all over 0:01:21.800 --> 0:01:25.880 the world. Visit Joelousdin dot com slash give hope to 0:01:25.959 --> 0:01:28.199 give a gift today. 0:01:38.480 --> 0:01:41.160 Well, God bless you. It's a joy to come into 0:01:41.240 --> 0:01:43.960 your homes. And if you're ever in our area, please 0:01:44.000 --> 0:01:46.480 stop buy and be a part of one of our services. 0:01:46.720 --> 0:01:49.200 I promise you we'll make you feel right at home. 0:01:49.920 --> 0:01:52.040 I like to start with something funny, and I heard 0:01:52.080 --> 0:01:55.960 about this pastor. He was raising funds for a new auditorium. 0:01:56.320 --> 0:01:59.360 He said to the congregation, anyone that will give a 0:01:59.440 --> 0:02:03.360 thousand dollar can pick out the next three hymns. A 0:02:03.440 --> 0:02:06.280 little old lady in the back raised her hand, said, Pastor, 0:02:06.320 --> 0:02:09.320 I'll do it. He was so excited. He said, thank you, ma'am. 0:02:09.440 --> 0:02:12.119 Now which three hymns would you like? She looked over 0:02:12.160 --> 0:02:15.079 the congregation said I'll take him and him and him 0:02:16.320 --> 0:02:19.160 say it like you mean it. This is my Bible. 0:02:19.520 --> 0:02:21.800 I am what it says, I am. I have what 0:02:21.840 --> 0:02:24.200 it says I have, I can do what it says 0:02:24.280 --> 0:02:27.000 I can do. Today I will be taught the word 0:02:27.040 --> 0:02:31.040 of God. I boldly confess. My mind is alert, my 0:02:31.160 --> 0:02:34.320 heart is receptive. I will never be the same. In 0:02:34.480 --> 0:02:38.640 Jesus's name, God bless you. I want to talk to 0:02:38.639 --> 0:02:42.480 you today about the smile of God. We all have 0:02:42.600 --> 0:02:45.760 had people that have done us wrong. It's easy to 0:02:45.840 --> 0:02:49.280 hold on to the hurts and be vindictive and try 0:02:49.280 --> 0:02:52.320 to pay them back. But one test we all have 0:02:52.440 --> 0:02:56.720 to pass is not just forgiving people, but being good 0:02:56.760 --> 0:03:00.320 to those that haven't been good to us. When they 0:03:00.320 --> 0:03:03.519 betrayed you, when they left you out, it sets you 0:03:03.639 --> 0:03:08.280 back at a disadvantage. It wasn't fair, but God is 0:03:08.320 --> 0:03:12.639 a god of justice. At some point the tables will 0:03:12.680 --> 0:03:17.000 be turned. You'll be up and they'll be down. The 0:03:17.040 --> 0:03:20.239 real test of how high you can go is how 0:03:20.240 --> 0:03:24.079 do you treat people when you have the advantage. They 0:03:24.160 --> 0:03:27.480 hurt you, but now you're in a position of power. 0:03:27.960 --> 0:03:31.000 You were promoted and they work for you. Now they're 0:03:31.000 --> 0:03:34.679 at your mercy. It's easy to say thank you Jesus 0:03:35.120 --> 0:03:38.040 is payback time. Let me show them how it feels 0:03:38.120 --> 0:03:41.680 to be mistreated. Pushed down, ignored. You have every right 0:03:41.840 --> 0:03:45.000 in one sense to get even what they did was wrong. 0:03:45.640 --> 0:03:48.600 But the way you pass the test is by showing 0:03:48.720 --> 0:03:52.640 mercy and doing good to those that have done you wrong. 0:03:53.560 --> 0:03:58.760 When God can trust you to handle favor, influence, power 0:03:59.280 --> 0:04:03.800 without being vindictive, getting even trying to prove your point, 0:04:04.160 --> 0:04:07.680 then he can take you to new levels. God wouldn't 0:04:07.680 --> 0:04:11.080 have put you in that situation if you couldn't handle it. 0:04:11.480 --> 0:04:16.520 Pass the test. Be merciful, be kind. It's not about them, 0:04:16.760 --> 0:04:20.680 it's about you. God is seeing if you're ready to 0:04:20.760 --> 0:04:25.040 be promoted. Can he trust you with more favor. As 0:04:25.120 --> 0:04:28.440 long as you're going to use the influence to be vindictive, 0:04:28.760 --> 0:04:32.720 then you'll get stuck. Every person has been hurt. You 0:04:32.760 --> 0:04:36.039 can't live long without having wrongs done to you. The 0:04:36.160 --> 0:04:40.839 question is how do you respond. Jesus said, when somebody 0:04:40.880 --> 0:04:43.960 takes your coat, give them your shirt too, and they 0:04:44.000 --> 0:04:46.960 ask you to go a mile, go two miles, doesn't 0:04:46.960 --> 0:04:50.720 make sense. That's not fair. It's a test. Here's the key. 0:04:51.240 --> 0:04:57.200 Paying people back is overrated. Being vindictive doesn't bring lasting joy. 0:04:57.520 --> 0:05:01.800 It's temporary. Then it's done. But when you show mercy 0:05:01.839 --> 0:05:04.960 to people that have hurt you. When you're kind to 0:05:05.000 --> 0:05:08.480 someone that you have every right to ignore, When you 0:05:08.560 --> 0:05:12.200 help that neighbor that's always rude to you, you will 0:05:12.240 --> 0:05:16.320 feel a joy deep down in your spirit, a contentment, 0:05:16.720 --> 0:05:20.120 a satisfaction. You know what that is. It's the smile 0:05:20.320 --> 0:05:24.799 of God. Somebody may have done you wrong, you've taken 0:05:24.880 --> 0:05:28.000 that first step to forgive, but the last thing on 0:05:28.040 --> 0:05:31.160 your mind is being good to them. You're not going 0:05:31.200 --> 0:05:33.839 to help them, You're not going to show them favor. 0:05:34.080 --> 0:05:37.599 They put you at a disadvantage. They can fend for themselves. 0:05:38.240 --> 0:05:41.000 But there will be a time where you have the 0:05:41.040 --> 0:05:45.279 advantage where you have the power to either push them 0:05:45.320 --> 0:05:49.200 down further make their life more difficult, or to lift 0:05:49.240 --> 0:05:54.279 them up. They don't deserve it. They haven't apologized everything 0:05:54.400 --> 0:05:57.640 in you will say walk away. It's not your problem. 0:05:57.640 --> 0:06:01.800 They're reaping what they're sowing. That's an opportunity for you 0:06:01.880 --> 0:06:05.479 to come up higher. Will you help the person that 0:06:05.520 --> 0:06:08.840 wouldn't help you? Will you go the extra mile for 0:06:08.960 --> 0:06:12.159 that coworker that left you out. Will you be kind 0:06:12.279 --> 0:06:14.840 to that relative that tried to make you look bad? 0:06:15.920 --> 0:06:18.960 This is what Esau did in the scripture. His brother 0:06:19.080 --> 0:06:23.760 Jacob cheated him his whole life. He deceived Esau into 0:06:23.800 --> 0:06:27.799 trading his birthright for a bowl of soup. A birthright 0:06:27.880 --> 0:06:32.960 back then was extremely valuable. Years later, their father, Isaac 0:06:33.440 --> 0:06:37.440 was close to death. He couldn't see well. Jacob dressed 0:06:37.520 --> 0:06:41.560 up like Esau and tricked their father into giving him 0:06:41.560 --> 0:06:46.159 the blessing that belonged to Esau as the firstborn son, 0:06:46.520 --> 0:06:50.400 the double portion blessing. When Esau found out about it, 0:06:50.600 --> 0:06:53.560 he was so angry that Jacob had to run for 0:06:53.640 --> 0:06:57.880 his life. For years, these two brothers lived a strange 0:06:57.880 --> 0:07:01.760 from each other, and over time God dealt with Jacob. 0:07:02.279 --> 0:07:04.359 He knew he had done wrong and he wanted to 0:07:04.400 --> 0:07:07.800 move back to his country where he belonged, so he 0:07:07.920 --> 0:07:12.400 sent messengers with gifts to Esau, telling him that his 0:07:12.520 --> 0:07:16.280 brother wanted to meet him. Esau sent word back saying 0:07:16.280 --> 0:07:19.560 that he would meet Jacob at a certain place and 0:07:19.600 --> 0:07:23.720 he was bringing four hundred men. Jacob thought that means 0:07:23.720 --> 0:07:27.400 one thing, revenge. He's going to try to pay me back. 0:07:28.200 --> 0:07:32.480 The big moment finally arrived. Jacob could see Esau coming 0:07:32.480 --> 0:07:35.920 down the road with all of his men. I'm sure 0:07:36.040 --> 0:07:39.280 Jacob's heart was beating fast. He was about to meet 0:07:39.320 --> 0:07:42.800 the man he had deceived and cheated all this time. 0:07:43.920 --> 0:07:48.560 Esau had every right to be angry, bitter, vindictive. This 0:07:48.760 --> 0:07:52.720 was his big moment to pay his brother back. Jacob 0:07:52.800 --> 0:07:57.680 had someone take his family, including his young son Joseph, 0:07:58.120 --> 0:08:00.800 over to the side of the road so no one 0:08:00.840 --> 0:08:04.960 would be hurt. When Esau recognized it was Jacob, he 0:08:05.040 --> 0:08:09.520 took off running toward him. Jacob braced himself, but it 0:08:09.640 --> 0:08:14.320 wasn't what he thought. Esau grabbed Jacob and hugged him, 0:08:14.800 --> 0:08:17.600 held on to him, told him how much he loved him, 0:08:17.720 --> 0:08:20.520 how much he had missed him. He saw his family, 0:08:21.000 --> 0:08:26.040 he went over and hugged Jacob's wife, Rachel, hugged little Joseph. 0:08:26.760 --> 0:08:31.200 Jacob was so moved at Esau's kindness, so taken aback. 0:08:31.280 --> 0:08:34.560 How instead of trying to get revenge, he was being 0:08:34.600 --> 0:08:38.880 good to them. Jacob said in Genesis thirty three, what 0:08:39.000 --> 0:08:43.000 a relief it is seeing your friendly smile. It's like 0:08:43.120 --> 0:08:47.240 seeing the smile of God. When you do good to 0:08:47.320 --> 0:08:50.760 people that don't deserve it, you were beating the smile 0:08:50.920 --> 0:08:54.760 of God. When you show kindness to that coworker that 0:08:54.840 --> 0:08:58.360 did you wrong, when you helped that friend that walked 0:08:58.360 --> 0:09:02.160 away when you needed them, When you bless that relative 0:09:02.240 --> 0:09:06.240 that hurts you, You're not only being the smile of God, 0:09:06.679 --> 0:09:09.880 but God will smile back on you. You are passing 0:09:09.960 --> 0:09:13.079 the test. You are proving to God that you can 0:09:13.120 --> 0:09:17.240 be trusted. Now, all those years that Jacob cheated Esau, 0:09:17.880 --> 0:09:21.880 Jacob had the advantage. He was up and Esau was down. 0:09:22.480 --> 0:09:26.880 But God knows how to bring justice. Years later, the 0:09:26.960 --> 0:09:31.640 tables had turned, Esau had the advantage. The only way 0:09:31.679 --> 0:09:35.840 back home for Jacob was through Esau's property. Now Jacob 0:09:36.240 --> 0:09:39.640 was at the mercy of Esau. Somebody may have put 0:09:39.679 --> 0:09:43.280 you at a disadvantage. They didn't keep their word. They 0:09:43.320 --> 0:09:47.719 were dishonest like Esau. It sets you back, But the 0:09:47.760 --> 0:09:51.800 time is coming where the tables will turn. You'll be 0:09:51.960 --> 0:09:56.000 up and they'll be down. You'll have the advantage. Now, 0:09:56.040 --> 0:09:59.560 what you do with the advantage will determine whether you 0:09:59.640 --> 0:10:04.079 rise or whether you stay where you are. The advantage 0:10:04.120 --> 0:10:08.319 wasn't given to pay people back. The advantage is not 0:10:08.360 --> 0:10:12.840 to get even. The advantage is a test. Will you 0:10:12.960 --> 0:10:16.560 be like Esau and be good to them? Will you 0:10:16.640 --> 0:10:19.960 show them mercy and help them with what they need? 0:10:20.240 --> 0:10:24.600 Will you be the smile of God. Esau said, Jacob, 0:10:24.840 --> 0:10:28.040 follow me and I'll lead you back home. My men 0:10:28.080 --> 0:10:30.760 and I will protect you and make sure you get 0:10:30.760 --> 0:10:35.079 there safely. Jacob said in verse fifteen, you have no 0:10:35.200 --> 0:10:39.040 reason to be this kind to me. He couldn't understand 0:10:39.120 --> 0:10:42.640 why Esau was being so loving, so forgiving, so kind. 0:10:43.400 --> 0:10:46.160 You may have had people that did you wrong. You 0:10:46.280 --> 0:10:49.240 have no reason to be good to them, no reason 0:10:49.240 --> 0:10:52.320 to forgive, no reason to be kind. In fact, you 0:10:52.360 --> 0:10:55.360 can think of a hundred reasons why you shouldn't be 0:10:55.480 --> 0:10:59.320 good to them. They left you with young kids to 0:10:59.440 --> 0:11:03.400 raise on your own. They played politics, lied about you, 0:11:03.559 --> 0:11:07.120 and got the promotion that you deserved. They may have 0:11:07.240 --> 0:11:11.560 the advantage now, but at some point, like with Jacob, 0:11:12.040 --> 0:11:15.480 you will have what they need. That's when you have 0:11:15.600 --> 0:11:18.640 to dig your heels in and say, I am not 0:11:18.760 --> 0:11:22.520 going to use this power to get revenge. I'm going 0:11:22.559 --> 0:11:25.720 to be good to them for no reason. I'm going 0:11:25.760 --> 0:11:29.240 to show them kindness even though they don't deserve it. 0:11:29.880 --> 0:11:33.160 Here's the thing. How you treat the people that have 0:11:33.320 --> 0:11:37.960 hurt you is setting an example for your children. They 0:11:38.000 --> 0:11:42.160 will respond the way you respond if they see you 0:11:42.280 --> 0:11:47.360 being hateful. Holding a grudge making, disparaging remarks. They'll grow 0:11:47.480 --> 0:11:50.760 up doing those same things. But when they see you 0:11:50.920 --> 0:11:56.440 being merciful, showing kindness to someone you could ignore helping 0:11:56.480 --> 0:11:59.880 the person that hurts you. Not only are you showing 0:12:00.120 --> 0:12:03.920 God that you're ready to go higher, but your children 0:12:04.280 --> 0:12:09.120 will fall in your footsteps. More than your words, your actions, 0:12:09.160 --> 0:12:13.880 your example, it is making an indelible impact in their hearts. 0:12:14.200 --> 0:12:17.360 You are teaching them to be the smile of God. 0:12:18.240 --> 0:12:22.440 For in life is not about being angry, getting revenge, 0:12:23.120 --> 0:12:25.520 being mean to people that have been mean to you. 0:12:26.080 --> 0:12:29.840 That's a shallow way to live. There is no satisfaction 0:12:30.080 --> 0:12:33.280 in being vindictive. You may be happy for a day 0:12:33.400 --> 0:12:36.880 or two, then the bitterness will come right back. If 0:12:36.880 --> 0:12:40.439 you want to see real joy, real fulfillment, if you 0:12:40.480 --> 0:12:42.880 want to lie down at night and sleep at peace, 0:12:43.280 --> 0:12:47.120 then be kind to people for no reason. Show mercy 0:12:47.400 --> 0:12:51.640 when you have the advantage, lift someone up when they 0:12:51.720 --> 0:12:55.880 push you down. Be the smile of God. Joe, it's 0:12:55.920 --> 0:12:58.240 not fair. You don't know what they've done to me. 0:12:58.960 --> 0:13:02.520 If you're basing your goodness to people on fairness, then 0:13:02.559 --> 0:13:06.000 you'll get stuck because you may be kind to somebody 0:13:06.120 --> 0:13:09.200 and they're not kind to you. Here's the key. God 0:13:09.280 --> 0:13:12.280 will make it up to you. It may not come 0:13:12.320 --> 0:13:15.440 from the people you're helping. They may not be able 0:13:15.480 --> 0:13:18.520 to pay you back, but God will cause somebody to 0:13:18.600 --> 0:13:22.400 be good to you. Many things, you know this that 0:13:22.440 --> 0:13:26.160 God asked us to do are not fair. Wasn't fair 0:13:26.200 --> 0:13:30.560 for Esau to welcome Jacob back with open arms and 0:13:30.880 --> 0:13:34.079 lead him to his house. He was looking for fairness. 0:13:34.320 --> 0:13:37.120 He would have paid Jacob back by taking his wife, 0:13:37.360 --> 0:13:41.199 his children, his flocks, his equipment. Then he would have 0:13:41.240 --> 0:13:45.840 the double portion that belonged to him in the first place. Instead, 0:13:46.679 --> 0:13:49.960 Esau trusted God to make it up to him. He 0:13:50.040 --> 0:13:54.480 trusted God to bring justice. Are you not showing mercy 0:13:54.960 --> 0:13:58.240 because it's not fair? They hurt you, they were wrong, 0:13:58.360 --> 0:14:02.200 they lied about you. It's not about being fair. It's 0:14:02.200 --> 0:14:06.960 about passing the test. That person that walked away and 0:14:07.000 --> 0:14:09.520 now they're asking you to help them, it's not fair. 0:14:10.000 --> 0:14:14.520 It's mercy. It's being the smile of God. When you 0:14:14.600 --> 0:14:18.320 go the extra mile to show kindness to someone for 0:14:18.440 --> 0:14:22.840 no reason. God sees that and he will reward you. 0:14:23.800 --> 0:14:26.800 When you're being the smile of God. I can assure 0:14:26.880 --> 0:14:30.760 you God will smile back on you. When God pays 0:14:30.800 --> 0:14:33.680 you back, it will be better than anything you could 0:14:33.720 --> 0:14:37.720 have made happen. Don't be frustrated because it's not fair. 0:14:38.320 --> 0:14:42.040 God is keeping the records. You may sow a seed 0:14:42.240 --> 0:14:46.320 over here, help someone that doesn't deserve it. They're not 0:14:46.480 --> 0:14:49.960 even grateful. That doesn't matter. You're not doing it just 0:14:50.040 --> 0:14:53.120 for them, You're doing it unto God. They don't have 0:14:53.200 --> 0:14:56.800 to say thanks, don't expect their appreciation. Let God make 0:14:56.840 --> 0:14:59.960 it up to you. And in these times where you 0:15:00.160 --> 0:15:03.960 doing the right thing and it's unfair, your character is 0:15:04.040 --> 0:15:08.320 being developed. You're proving to God that he can trust you. 0:15:09.160 --> 0:15:11.720 It's easy to be good to people when they're being 0:15:11.760 --> 0:15:14.960 good to us. It's easy to show mercy when they 0:15:15.000 --> 0:15:18.240 deserve it. They were merciful to us. That doesn't take 0:15:18.280 --> 0:15:22.520 any faith. The real test is when they betrayed you 0:15:23.200 --> 0:15:26.320 and now they need your help, When they push you 0:15:26.440 --> 0:15:29.040 down and now you have the power to promote them, 0:15:29.480 --> 0:15:32.040 when they've been rude to you and now they're asking 0:15:32.120 --> 0:15:35.000 you for a favor. Are you going to treat them 0:15:35.080 --> 0:15:37.440 the way they treated you? Or are you going to 0:15:37.480 --> 0:15:41.360 be the smile of God? I can imagine little Joseph 0:15:41.880 --> 0:15:45.120 standing on the side of the road, watching his father 0:15:45.280 --> 0:15:49.880 Jacob about to meet his uncle Esau. Joseph knew his 0:15:49.960 --> 0:15:53.040 father had done wrong. He'd heard the stories how he 0:15:53.120 --> 0:15:57.360 had cheated Esau. Now they were about to meet. Esau 0:15:57.520 --> 0:16:02.000 came out running. When Joseph saw him hug his father 0:16:02.720 --> 0:16:07.400 and not only forgive him, but show him mercy and kindness. 0:16:07.720 --> 0:16:11.560 That seed took root in Joseph's heart. He saw his 0:16:11.760 --> 0:16:16.040 uncle being good to someone that didn't deserve it. He 0:16:16.080 --> 0:16:21.000 saw Esau being the smile of God. Years later, this 0:16:21.080 --> 0:16:24.520 little boy Joseph had grown up and become the Prime 0:16:24.600 --> 0:16:27.840 Minister of Egypt, one of the most powerful people of 0:16:27.920 --> 0:16:32.160 his day. It wasn't easy getting there. As a teenager, 0:16:32.520 --> 0:16:35.840 he was betrayed by his brothers. They threw him into 0:16:35.880 --> 0:16:38.440 a pit, were going to leave him there to die. 0:16:38.800 --> 0:16:42.200 Then they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming by. They 0:16:42.240 --> 0:16:45.600 decided instead to sell him as a slave to a 0:16:45.640 --> 0:16:50.480 man named Potterphar. Wasn't fair. Joseph didn't understand it, but 0:16:50.560 --> 0:16:55.280 he kept being his best. Potterphar's wife falsely accused him. 0:16:55.640 --> 0:16:59.560 He was put in prison. All this time, Joseph kept 0:16:59.560 --> 0:17:03.240 passing the test, doing the right thing when it was hard, 0:17:03.800 --> 0:17:07.560 proving to God that he could trust him. One day, 0:17:07.680 --> 0:17:12.080 years later, his brothers showed up at the palace looking 0:17:12.119 --> 0:17:15.800 for food, the same brothers that had thrown him into 0:17:15.800 --> 0:17:19.320 the pit, the same ones that had made his life miserable. 0:17:20.119 --> 0:17:23.520 They didn't recognize Joseph, they had no idea he was 0:17:23.560 --> 0:17:28.600 still alive. But Joseph recognized them. This was his big 0:17:28.720 --> 0:17:32.000 chance to pay them back, his chance to get even 0:17:32.680 --> 0:17:36.239 the tables had turned. Instead of Joseph being in the 0:17:36.240 --> 0:17:39.840 pit with no power, at the mercy of his brothers, 0:17:40.200 --> 0:17:43.520 now his brothers are in the pit, so to speak, 0:17:43.680 --> 0:17:46.959 at the mercy of Joseph. They need what he has. 0:17:47.480 --> 0:17:50.040 There's a famine in the land, and they've traveled a 0:17:50.080 --> 0:17:53.720 great distance looking for food. Joseph is in charge of 0:17:53.760 --> 0:17:57.720 the food supply. When Joseph looked at them, he was 0:17:57.840 --> 0:18:01.440 tempted to say take them away, put them in prison. 0:18:02.200 --> 0:18:05.280 He could feel for a moment the anger, the bitterness 0:18:05.359 --> 0:18:10.040 rising up saying pay them back. Then his mind flashed 0:18:10.080 --> 0:18:12.680 back to that time when he was a little boy, 0:18:13.320 --> 0:18:18.000 seeing his uncle Esau forgiving his father, being kind to 0:18:18.119 --> 0:18:21.760 Jacob even though he had done him great wrong. Joseph 0:18:21.840 --> 0:18:24.560 looked at his brothers and thought, I'm not going to 0:18:24.600 --> 0:18:27.680 treat you the way you've treated me. I'm going to 0:18:27.760 --> 0:18:30.000 do what my uncle did. I'm going to be good 0:18:30.040 --> 0:18:32.439 to you. I'm going to show you kindness that you 0:18:32.520 --> 0:18:35.480 don't deserve. I'm going to be the smile of God. 0:18:36.480 --> 0:18:40.080 Joseph had the advantage, but he didn't use his power 0:18:40.160 --> 0:18:43.680 to get even. He used his power to be good 0:18:43.760 --> 0:18:47.600 to them. He could have said, it's not fair. They 0:18:47.680 --> 0:18:50.800 have taken away years of my life. Why should I 0:18:50.840 --> 0:18:53.120 be kind to them? They threw me into a pit. 0:18:53.680 --> 0:18:56.600 Why should I give them food? They sold me into slavery. 0:18:57.359 --> 0:18:59.960 If he was looking for fairness, he'd have never paid, 0:19:00.040 --> 0:19:03.200 asked the test. If he was counting on his brothers 0:19:03.240 --> 0:19:05.520 to pay him back, he would have sent them to 0:19:05.560 --> 0:19:10.679 prison because they couldn't do it. People can't undo every 0:19:10.720 --> 0:19:13.920 wrong they've done to you. They can't give you back 0:19:13.960 --> 0:19:16.720 the years they hurt you, the years they put you 0:19:16.840 --> 0:19:21.160 at a disadvantage. Here's the beauty God can. He said 0:19:21.200 --> 0:19:24.360 in the Book of Joel, I will restore the years 0:19:24.560 --> 0:19:29.119 that have been stolen. But too often we're looking at 0:19:29.160 --> 0:19:32.240 what people can't do. We should be looking at what 0:19:32.280 --> 0:19:37.840 God can do. During those thirteen years, Joseph proved he 0:19:37.880 --> 0:19:42.280 could be trusted. He was trusted in Potterphar's house. When 0:19:42.280 --> 0:19:45.359 Potiphar's wife tried to seduce him, Joseph stayed on the 0:19:45.400 --> 0:19:49.040 high road. He was trusted in the prison. Stead of 0:19:49.119 --> 0:19:52.760 sitting around bitter, he helped the butler get out when 0:19:52.760 --> 0:19:56.000 his brother stood in front of him. God knew he 0:19:56.040 --> 0:20:01.000 could trust Joseph to not be vindictive. With those brothers 0:20:01.080 --> 0:20:05.800 right there, Joseph was so overcome with emotion he ran 0:20:05.840 --> 0:20:09.520 out of the room and wept, and wept so loud 0:20:09.800 --> 0:20:13.520 that people all through the palace could hear him. Having 0:20:13.600 --> 0:20:18.679 favor doesn't mean you won't feel pain. Being blessed doesn't 0:20:18.720 --> 0:20:22.480 mean you won't have hurts. Wasn't easy for Joseph all 0:20:22.520 --> 0:20:26.200 those years being betrayed. He longed to see his family. 0:20:26.800 --> 0:20:30.960 There were many sleepless nights, times he felt forgotten, like 0:20:31.040 --> 0:20:34.480 his dream would never come to pass. Seeing his brothers 0:20:34.680 --> 0:20:39.239 was overwhelming. When he finally revealed to them who he 0:20:39.320 --> 0:20:43.879 really was, they were not only speechless, they were terrified. 0:20:44.600 --> 0:20:48.640 They knew their life was in his hands. Joseph looked 0:20:48.680 --> 0:20:51.760 at them and said, am I God, is it my 0:20:51.960 --> 0:20:55.760 job to punish you. Don't be afraid of me. I'm 0:20:55.800 --> 0:20:59.240 going to take care of you and nourish you and 0:20:59.320 --> 0:21:03.800 your children. The scripture says he spoke kindly to them, 0:21:04.240 --> 0:21:08.720 reassuring them. Notice he's going to take care of the 0:21:08.760 --> 0:21:11.840 people that threw him into the pit. He's going to 0:21:11.920 --> 0:21:15.240 nourish the brothers that messed up his life. He's going 0:21:15.280 --> 0:21:18.840 to look after their children. That doesn't make sense. But 0:21:18.920 --> 0:21:22.199 when you make this decision to be good to the 0:21:22.240 --> 0:21:26.240 people that have done you wrong, to not use the influence, 0:21:26.400 --> 0:21:30.680 the power, the advantage to get even, but instead, like Joseph, 0:21:31.000 --> 0:21:34.600 you bless those that have hurt you. When God can 0:21:34.720 --> 0:21:38.440 trust you, there's no limit to ha Hi. He will 0:21:38.440 --> 0:21:42.080 take you. Are you letting what somebody did to you 0:21:42.880 --> 0:21:46.040 keep you from going to the next level? Are you 0:21:46.160 --> 0:21:49.600 trying to pay them back, waiting till you get the advantage? 0:21:49.720 --> 0:21:52.280 Then you're going to show them You're going to be 0:21:52.400 --> 0:21:56.280 waiting for a long time. God won't promote us if 0:21:56.320 --> 0:21:59.919 we're going to be revengeful. Let God fight your battle. 0:22:00.600 --> 0:22:04.560 Let God be your vindicator. Be a Joseph and be 0:22:04.680 --> 0:22:07.960 good to those that had betrayed you. Show mercy to 0:22:08.000 --> 0:22:11.119 those that have lied about you. Be kind to that 0:22:11.240 --> 0:22:15.080 relative that tried to make you look bad. In the scripture, 0:22:15.600 --> 0:22:18.920 there was a captain in the Syrian army named Naemen. 0:22:19.440 --> 0:22:23.159 He was a very influential, well respected man, but he 0:22:23.240 --> 0:22:26.920 had leprosy. In one of the battles with Israel, he 0:22:27.000 --> 0:22:30.320 captured a young lady and brought her back as a maid. 0:22:31.000 --> 0:22:34.639 You can imagine how her life was turned upside down. 0:22:35.200 --> 0:22:38.400 She was taken from her family, couldn't see her friends, 0:22:38.720 --> 0:22:42.560 left everything that was familiar to her. Now she was 0:22:42.560 --> 0:22:47.080 in a foreign country, barely spoke the language. Her hopes 0:22:47.080 --> 0:22:49.719 and dreams and gals all had to be put on 0:22:49.760 --> 0:22:54.000 hold because of this one man, Naemen. It was his 0:22:54.200 --> 0:22:58.040 leadership that brought the trouble. You would think she would 0:22:58.080 --> 0:23:02.360 be the last person he was concerned about. But every night, 0:23:02.880 --> 0:23:06.400 when Naeman took off his armor, she could see how 0:23:06.440 --> 0:23:10.800 the leprosy was eating away his flesh. She could have thought, 0:23:11.320 --> 0:23:14.160 too bad for you, I hope you do die. You've 0:23:14.160 --> 0:23:18.880 messed up my life. She could have hated him, lived bitter, revengeful, 0:23:19.520 --> 0:23:23.639 but she understood this principle. She said, sir, there's a 0:23:23.680 --> 0:23:27.000 prophet back at home in Israel, where I'm from. If 0:23:27.040 --> 0:23:30.320 you'll go see him, he'll pray for you and you'll 0:23:30.359 --> 0:23:33.760 get healed. Naeman took the step of faith, went to 0:23:33.800 --> 0:23:37.399 see the prophet, and he was perfectly well. All because 0:23:37.800 --> 0:23:42.040 a young lady showed kindness to someone that had done 0:23:42.119 --> 0:23:46.640 her wrong. She was being the smile of God. Well, Joel, 0:23:46.680 --> 0:23:49.600 I'm not going to help my enemy. That doesn't make sense. 0:23:50.240 --> 0:23:53.640 When you withhold good that you can do for others, 0:23:54.080 --> 0:23:57.600 God will withhold the good he has for you. But 0:23:57.680 --> 0:24:00.679 too often we think if they would have hurt me, 0:24:00.960 --> 0:24:03.720 then I would help them. If they hadn't have made 0:24:03.760 --> 0:24:06.520 me look bad in that business meeting, then I'd show 0:24:06.560 --> 0:24:10.920 them some shortcuts. But when you sow a seed of kindness, 0:24:11.200 --> 0:24:14.040 a seed of forgiveness, a seed of being good to 0:24:14.119 --> 0:24:18.080 somebody that's done you wrong, you are showing God that 0:24:18.200 --> 0:24:21.760 he can trust you. Your character is coming up higher. 0:24:22.119 --> 0:24:26.440 That's when God will release more favor in your own life. 0:24:26.520 --> 0:24:30.160 I talked to a gentleman recently. He's very well known. 0:24:30.520 --> 0:24:33.960 For over twenty years, he had been estranged from all 0:24:34.000 --> 0:24:37.320 of his brothers and sisters. They had not spoken or 0:24:37.359 --> 0:24:40.640 had any kind of contact. They would see him out 0:24:40.640 --> 0:24:43.440 in the public eye. He has a lot of success 0:24:43.520 --> 0:24:47.480 and notoriety, but there were things these siblings didn't see 0:24:47.520 --> 0:24:51.639 eye to eye on. Their relationship with him was nonexistent. 0:24:52.520 --> 0:24:55.520 One day, their eighty year old mother was hit by 0:24:55.520 --> 0:24:59.600 a car rushed to the hospital in a coma. All 0:24:59.680 --> 0:25:03.479 of the siblings, including this man, flew in from different 0:25:03.520 --> 0:25:06.040 parts of the country and hurried up to the hospital. 0:25:06.600 --> 0:25:09.399 After they saw their mother, they gathered in a room. 0:25:10.119 --> 0:25:13.520 He said that his siblings, it's time to let it go. 0:25:14.400 --> 0:25:19.000 Let's bury all the hurts, the misunderstandings, the harsh words, 0:25:19.200 --> 0:25:23.120 and let's start afresh and anew. They all hugged and 0:25:23.200 --> 0:25:26.280 wept as their mother lay next door in a coma, 0:25:26.640 --> 0:25:30.400 all that is except one brother. He looked at this 0:25:30.480 --> 0:25:33.280 man and said, I can't do it. I can't forgive. 0:25:33.840 --> 0:25:37.560 They walked away. His brother went home and he watches 0:25:37.640 --> 0:25:41.040 us on television. The next morning, my message came on. 0:25:41.359 --> 0:25:45.080 It was all about not holding a grudge, letting things go. 0:25:45.440 --> 0:25:48.600 He knew that was God speaking to him. He went 0:25:48.680 --> 0:25:51.399 back the next day and told his brother, I've changed 0:25:51.400 --> 0:25:54.920 my mind. I forgive you. They hugged and now all 0:25:54.960 --> 0:25:59.479 their relationships have been restored. But what's interesting is. The 0:25:59.560 --> 0:26:03.600 mother never did wake up from the coma. She passed 0:26:03.640 --> 0:26:07.440 a couple months later. The man told me, I think 0:26:07.560 --> 0:26:11.000 God kept my mother alive. I think he didn't take 0:26:11.040 --> 0:26:14.359 her instantly in that accident, just so all of us 0:26:14.400 --> 0:26:19.120 siblings could be restored. Maybe God's having you hear this 0:26:19.960 --> 0:26:22.760 so that you can make things right, so that you 0:26:22.800 --> 0:26:26.560 can show mercy to somebody that doesn't deserve it. It's 0:26:26.600 --> 0:26:29.280 easy to hold a grudge, try to pay him back, 0:26:29.480 --> 0:26:33.000 make their life miserable. All that's doing is holding you back. 0:26:33.520 --> 0:26:35.760 Why don't you be a Joseph. Why don't you be 0:26:35.840 --> 0:26:39.360 an Esau and be good to someone that hasn't been 0:26:39.359 --> 0:26:42.640 good to you. Why don't you show kindness that they 0:26:42.680 --> 0:26:46.240 don't deserve. Why don't you be the smile of God. 0:26:47.040 --> 0:26:50.959 The mercy you show others is the mercy people are 0:26:51.000 --> 0:26:54.960 going to show you. We all make mistakes at some point, 0:26:55.000 --> 0:26:58.720 we're all Joseph. At another point, we're all his brothers. 0:26:59.000 --> 0:27:03.160 We need forgiveness. When you're the smile of God, God 0:27:03.200 --> 0:27:06.520 will make sure people will always smile back on you. 0:27:07.240 --> 0:27:11.720 If you'll do this, I believe and declare, because God 0:27:11.760 --> 0:27:15.040 can trust you like Joseph, He's going to give you 0:27:15.080 --> 0:27:19.119 more influence, more favor, more opportunity. You're going to have 0:27:19.200 --> 0:27:23.480 better relationships, rise higher, and reach the fullness of your 0:27:23.520 --> 0:27:27.280 destiny in Jesus's name. And if you receive it, can 0:27:27.359 --> 0:27:27.760 you say it? 0:27:27.840 --> 0:27:28.000 Men? 0:27:28.040 --> 0:27:32.520 Today, I'd like to give you an opportunity to make 0:27:32.640 --> 0:27:35.720 Jesus the lord of your life. Would you pray with me? 0:27:36.359 --> 0:27:42.120 Just say, Lord, Jesus, I repent of my sins. Come 0:27:42.119 --> 0:27:47.480 into my heart. I make you my Lord and savior. Friends, 0:27:47.480 --> 0:27:50.080 if you prayed that simple prayer, we believe you got 0:27:50.080 --> 0:27:53.280 born again. Get in a good Bible based church, and 0:27:53.400 --> 0:27:56.840 keep God first place. Victorian, I'll be right back to 0:27:56.920 --> 0:27:58.240 speak a blessing over you. 0:28:00.119 --> 0:28:02.480 As a thank you for your support of our ministry. 0:28:02.520 --> 0:28:05.119 This month, Joel and Victoria would like to send you 0:28:05.160 --> 0:28:08.800 a copy of Joel's news series Five Ways to Live Amazed. 0:28:09.400 --> 0:28:12.520 You will discover that there is no limit to God's favor, 0:28:12.760 --> 0:28:17.560 God's goodness, and God's blessings in your life. Get ready 0:28:17.600 --> 0:28:19.040 to live amazed today. 0:28:19.680 --> 0:28:23.119 God has things in store for you that you've never imagined. 0:28:23.400 --> 0:28:25.760 He can take you where you can't go on your own. 0:28:26.240 --> 0:28:28.520 You may think you've reached your limits, but if you'll 0:28:28.600 --> 0:28:31.720 keep honoring God. He's going to amaze you with his goodness. 0:28:31.920 --> 0:28:34.840 God's dream for your life is much bigger than your own. 0:28:35.160 --> 0:28:38.080 Request this resource. It will lift your faith and help 0:28:38.160 --> 0:28:39.800 you believe for an amazing year. 0:28:40.400 --> 0:28:43.960 Request your copy of Five Ways to Live Amazed Today 0:28:44.160 --> 0:28:47.760 at Joeloustein dot com or call eight eight eight five 0:28:47.920 --> 0:28:48.480 six seven. 0:28:48.680 --> 0:28:53.520 Joel, your support is changing lives. Thanks so much for 0:28:53.600 --> 0:28:56.480 your prayer, for your generosity and being a part of 0:28:56.520 --> 0:28:59.560 the ministry. Special thank you to all of our Champion 0:28:59.600 --> 0:29:02.040 of Hope partners for all you do to make the 0:29:02.120 --> 0:29:05.360 ministry possible. And be sure to stay connected with us 0:29:05.360 --> 0:29:10.400 on social media through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, download our podcast. 0:29:10.640 --> 0:29:12.960 We'd love to inspire you all through the week and 0:29:12.960 --> 0:29:15.440 help you keep your thoughts going in the right direction. 0:29:16.040 --> 0:29:19.040 Victoria and I pray for you and your families every day, 0:29:19.080 --> 0:29:21.560 and we believe you're going to see God's best in 0:29:21.600 --> 0:29:25.160 your life, overcoming problems, and that God's going to exceed 0:29:25.320 --> 0:29:28.840 your expectations in twenty eighteen. Be a believer and not 0:29:28.960 --> 0:29:31.360 a doubter. 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