Where Is God When You Need Him?!

Where is God when you need Him?

- Have you ever asked yourself that question? [e]

- I know I have!

- In fact, even as a minister of the Gospel, I have asked that question at times. [e]

- Perhaps, this sermon is so much more serious than last week’s one, but sometimes we need to get serious with God [e]

- So, is there anyone who can answer that age-old question: Where is God when you need Him? [e]

- We have heard many ask that question [e]

- In times of sickness….

- In times of poverty….

- When a loved one goes astray….

- When tragedy strikes…

- When we lose someone dear to us…

- The question arises: Where is God when you need Him?

- Lets look into the Word of God to find the answer to that question.

1. Where is God when it feels like we are falling into the pit?

- Our first Scripture for this morning is Genesis 37: 23 – 24 “So it came to pass, when Joseph had come to his brothers, that they stripped Joseph of his tunic, the tunic of many colours that was on him. Then they took him and cast him into a pit. And the pit was empty; there was no water in it.”

- We all know the background of this story of Joseph…

- He was his father’s favourite and therefore become unpopular because of hatred [explain]

- Satan will always hate you, because you are your Heavenly Father’s favourite [e]

- You are a child of God…and because you belong to God, the devil hates you [e]

- He hates you so much, he will try to drag you into a pit [e]

- Joseph was stripped of his tunic of many colours [e]

- Joseph was blessed by his father with a tunic of many colours [e]

- The tunic represented his importance to his father [e]

- The devil wants to strip you of the blessings Your Heavenly father has already provisioned for you [e]

- He wants to rob you of the importance that your Heavenly Father has intrinsically created you with [e]

- The last part of that Scripture tells us that the pit was empty and there was no water in it

- That pit was designed to be the end of Joseph [e]

- It was empty….there was nothing in it [e]

- The devil wants to drag you down into an empty pit where you have nothing [e]

- The wasn’t even water in it….in the hot and empty land, Joseph would have died of thirst [e]

- The devil not only wants to drag you into an empty pit, but he wants to separate from the fountain of living water that the song writer says “flows from the throne room of God” [e]

- But guess what, the pit was not the end of Joseph, but became one the stepping stone to his eventual greatness [e]

- The devil may be dragging you down into the pit, but God has designed you for greatness [e]

- Turn to the person next to you and tell them: “God has designed you for greatness”

2. Where is God in the time of imprisonment?

- Our second Scripture is found in Genesis 39: 20 – 21 “Then Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were confined. And he was there in prison. But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison.”

- Joseph was accused of a crime that he did not commit [explain]

- Joseph ended up in prison for doing the right thing [e]

- We try to live a good life…a life pleasing to God…a holy life [e]

- And sometimes the more we want to please God, the more problems we encounter [e]

- I have come to the conclusion that the more you want to do for God, the more intense the attack the enemy becomes upon us [e]

- Sometimes things just seem to close in around us [e]

- Every side we turn we encounter a problem [e]

- And we cry out: “But Lord what did I do?” [e]

- “God where are you right now?”

- Joseph found favour even when locked up in prison [e]

- The devil may be trying to put the chains of confinement on you, but God has got other plans [e]

3. Where is God in the time of pain?

- Our third Scripture for this morning is found in Matthew 9: 20 – 22 “And suddenly a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched the hem of his garment. For she said to herself, ‘If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well.’ But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her he said, ‘Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well.’ And the woman was made well from that hour.”