PRAY OVER THIS
“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 the prison. But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners who were in the prison; whatever they did there, it was his doing. The keeper of the prison did not look into anything that was under Joseph’s authority, because the LORD was with him; and whatever he did, the LORD made it prosper.” Genesis 39:20-23
PONDER THIS
We need to be careful about bitterness. Bitter people are not nice to be around. Sometimes pastors get bitter. I know a pastor who served a church for many years. For some reason, the people in that church turned on him, they began to criticize him and, finally, they dismissed him. This pastor asked repeatedly, “How could they do that to me after all I did for them? How could they do that?” And he was very bitter. I thought the shame was he didn’t say, “After all I did for God.” Not for them, but for God.
If you look to people to supply your needs and to recognize your worth, you’re going to be disappointed in life. And you’re going to get bitter. One of the greatest tests of life is not how you react when you’re punished for doing wrong, but how you react when you’re persecuted for doing right. Joseph had done right. He was persecuted and tested but there was not a shred of bitterness in the life of Joseph. How? Because God was with him.
When was the last time you were bitter? How did that cause you to act toward others? Toward God?
Have you ever asked God to be with you when you were tempted with bitterness? How might this change things?
PRACTICE THIS
Talk to a friend about how bitterness manifests itself in your life. Ask him or her to keep you accountable when you move toward bitterness.
LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers
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