Okay we're in Ecclesiastes chapter number 8. Now tonight is our Thanksgiving
service. Of course Thanksgiving is on Thursday but we typically will have our
service on Tuesday to allow every family to basically prepare for Thanksgiving
on Thursday. It takes an entire two days, two entire days excuse me, to prepare for
that. So I know a lot of the families are thankful for that so that's why we have
it on Tuesday. And so the service is a little streamlined. I'm not gonna be
preaching as long tonight and so we are gonna have dinner tonight and turkey and
ham and all that good stuff, fellowship and just have a time of thankfulness. And
so I want to be an encouragement tonight and so I want to I want to be able to
sum up this entire year and our attitude towards this year. Obviously it's not
it's not been the best year right and a lot of trial and tribulation throughout
this year. I'm sure a lot of you have gone through many things throughout this
year so I want to kind of help you with your perspective and how to finish off
the year 2020 in your mind. How is it that we should have, what kind of
perspective should we have in regards to this year. And so I just want to be an
encouragement tonight. Look at Ecclesiastes chapter 8 verse number 1. It
says here, who is the wise man and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? A
man's wisdom maketh his face to shine and the boldness of his face shall be
changed. I counsel thee to keep the King's commandment and that in regard of
the oath of God. Be not hasty to go out of his sight stand not in the evil thing
for he doeth whatsoever he pleaseth him. Where the word of a king is there
is power and who may say unto him what doest thou? Verse 5, who so keepeth the
commandment shall feel no evil thing. And a wise man's heart discerneth both time
and judgment. And the title of my sermon this evening is the blessings of the
evil day. The blessings of the evil day. In verse number 5 it says that when we
keep the commandment and obviously as Christians we think automatically the
commandments of God. When we keep the commandment whosoever keeps the
commandment shall feel no evil thing and a wise man's heart discerneth both time
and judgment. Now obviously we understand that each and every one of us when we go
through a trial or tribulation when we go through the evil day we're gonna feel
some sort of anguish and anguish of soul and sorrow because of it. But what
I believe this is saying here is that we shall feel no evil thing because of
the fact that he that keepeth the law of God happy as he. Right? And a wise man a
wise man's heart is able to discern both time and judgment. In other words when we
look at the evil day yeah we see that we're going through tribulation and
anguish but we're able to discern time and judgment. We know that these things
have an end we understand that there's a greater purpose and we know that all
things work together for good to them that love God. And so a wise man's heart
can discern both time and judgment and so that's what I want to talk to you
about this evening is the fact that there are blessings found in the evil
day. Okay? And 2020 can be summarized as the evil day right? Lots of evil has
happened throughout this year and maybe there's some of you in here who will say
well I haven't been affected by this at all. You know I've just kind of gone
about my normal life and nothing really bad has happened to me I've heard of a
lot of bad things happening to others but I haven't fell into that but you
know there's a lot of people who have and have experienced the evil day have
experienced trial and tribulation and anguish of soul and so I want to talk
about those blessings that you can find in there. Now let me read to you from
Jeremiah chapter 7 17 excuse me verse number 7 says blessed is the man that
trusteth in the Lord whose hope the Lord is for he shall be a tree planted by
waters and that spreadeth out her roots by the river and shall not see when he
cometh the Bible says but her leaves shall be green and shall not be careful
in the year of drought neither shall cease from yielding fruit. So the Bible
says that when a man walks with God when they're reading the Bible when they're
serving the Lord they're not gonna see when he cometh they're not gonna see
when the evil comes upon them because of the fact that their heart their mind is
stayed on the Lord they're focused on that which is most important now about a
year ago I preached a sermon called God's remedy for the evil day and I
basically explained what are the solutions that God gives when we
experience a trial a tribulation etc and I was explaining that sermon that when
the Bible talks about evil often we associate that with evil doers right
people who are involved in mischievousness they want to harm other
people people who are the workers of iniquity but when the Bible talks about
evil it's not only referring to evil doers it could be just be referring to
a mishap you know a misfortune a time of difficulty a time of trial and sometimes
this happens because God is judging a Christian right God brings an evil upon
an individual because of their disobedience towards God and he's
chastising them he's spanking them and he's allowing evil to come upon that
individual but sometimes evil comes upon an individual not because their
disobedience to God but just because it's life because of 2020 because of the
evil of others the evil intentions of others innocent people suffer the
consequences of other people's actions okay look at chapter 9 of Ecclesiastes
if you would chapter 9 and what I want to tell you this evening is that hey you
need to look at the silver lining in all those evil days you know look at all the
anguish that you've experienced or even the anguish that you will experience one
day because it is gonna happen and what you need to do is look out pick out the
blessings of those times you know this is our Thanksgiving service so what what
are we what are we doing for Thanksgiving we're reminded to be
thankful of everything that we have we never want to be the kind of people that
just murmur and complain and just everything is just whoa and God's not
good he's not on the throne you know we want to be the kind of people that even
though we're living in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation we can be
thankful for the things that we have and the way we do that is by looking at the
blessings that are found within the evil day okay look at chapter 9 and verse 11
it says I returned and saw under the Sun that the race is not to the swift nor
the battle to the strong neither yet bread to the wise nor yet riches to men
of understanding nor yet favor to men of skill but time and chance happens to
them all for man also knoweth not his time as the fishes that are taken in an
evil net and as the birds that are caught in the snare sore the sons of men
snared in an evil time when it falleth suddenly upon them you know maybe in the
beginning of the year everything was just going dandy for you and then boom
you lose your job boom you get sick boom you lose a family member you know
that's something that's an evil that comes upon you suddenly and the Bible's
telling us that this is just doesn't mean you're wicked it doesn't mean
you're not right with God it's just the evils of this day and the Bible warns us
in the New Testament to withstand in the evil day now obviously when you're
experiencing evil you should examine yourself amen you know if you are
suffering anguish you're going through trial and tribulation you should examine
your heart and take inventory and ask yourself am I right with God do I have
sin in my life is the Lord chastising me right now am I being punished am I being
judged for the manner in which I'm living and look if you examine your
heart thoroughly and you come out saying well as far as I know I'm right with God
I'm going to church I'm reading my Bible I'm leading my family I'm doing the best
that I could in this in my life serving God then you know what it's just an evil
day for you is what it is it's not because God is judging you it's not
because he's chastising you you're just caught up in an evil day and it doesn't
mean you're not right with God doesn't mean you're evil yourself it doesn't
mean God doesn't love you right it just means you're just caught up in an evil
day and we never want to be the kind of Christians that think well you know once
I become a Christian and you know I start reading the Bible everything's
gonna be a-okay a bed of roses nothing bad will ever happen wrong actually
sometimes life gets worse because you get enemies you know you you have the
devil as your enemy you have the world and the flesh fighting against you now
obviously you know as a Christian we're saved we have eternal life we have an
inheritance awaiting us we have blessings upon blessings the Bible says
that he loaded he loaded us daily with benefits you know God has much that he
gives us but you know we still go through trials in this in this lifetime
you know and you never want to fool yourself into thinking and you know
there's this Joel Osteen type of Christianity where God's not mad at you
everything's gonna be a-okay everything's gonna be fine no you will
experience the evil day now go to Ephesians chapter 5 if you what Ephesians
chapter 5 I'm gonna reach you from Psalm 90 and verse 12 says so teach us to
number our days that we may apply our hearts into wisdom return Oh Lord how
long let it repent thee concerning thy servant Oh satisfy us early with thy
mercy that we may rejoice and be glad all our days make us glad according to
the days wherein thou has afflicted us and the years wherein we have seen evil
what is he saying Lord can I can I look at the evil days and still be glad and
the answer is yes you can look at the most difficult circumstances you've ever
gone through the affliction that just brought anguish to your soul and the
Bible says you can still have gladness throughout those times look folks it's
important that you don't become bitter I've met bitter Christians throughout
the 14 years that I've been a Christian and they've just completely derailed in
the Christian life they're just completely off the rails they're just
not serving God and they live in anguish they're not allowing the trials that
they go through kind of transform them and help them to get them to that next
level you know we can still have gladness we can still smile we can still
have a good time even though we're experiencing that evil day look at
Ephesians 5 verse 14 says wherefore he saith awake thou that sleepest arise
from the dead and Christ shall give thee light see then that you walk
circumspectly not as fools but as wise redeeming the time because the days are
evil so the Bible's telling us hey you need to make sure that you use your time
wisely and what's the wisest way to use your time well look what it says in
verse 17 wherefore be not unwise but understanding what the will of the Lord
is so how are we supposed to be using our time in the Lord's will serving God
that's the only way we can guarantee we can have gladness when we go through the
evil day the Bible says in Proverbs 15 15 all the days of the afflicted are
evil but he that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast you want to be
able to make sure that in this lifetime when you go through a difficult time a
trial a death in the family a sickness that you're still having a continual
feast in your heart it's possible folks now what happens if you don't what
happens if you just disregard this instruction you will become a bitter
person and a bitter person is an individual who has not forgiven an
individual who has offended them or has bitterness towards God because they
think that God allowed this in their life and look folks sometimes God does
chastise you but sometimes he just allows a trial into your life he allows
anguish into your life and if you're not careful and you don't filter that
through the Word of God you could become bitter towards God there's people like
that they have a miscarriage they lose a child they go through illness and
sicknesses and they have no one else to blame so they blame God for their
tribulation God why did you allow this in our life why did you let me go
through this tribulation why did you allow this pain I'm serving you I'm
trying to love you with all my heart I'm trying to win souls to Christ I'm you
know I'm doing the best that I could and you allow this difficult thing in my
life why and if they don't respond to that correctly they become bitter
Christians and they defile many the Bible says it's a sad thing the Bible
says in Hebrews 12 15 look looking diligently lest any man fail of the
grace of God lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you and thereby
many be defiled folks when you get bitter you're you're not only affecting
yourself you affect your whole family you raise bitter children your spouse
becomes bitter at you you just become a bitter person that people don't want to
associate with now turn with me if you would to the book of Ruth I'm gonna give
some examples tonight and I'm gonna try to streamline the sermon as much as
possible because I'm hungry the turkey's calling out to me man hey if you want a
long sermon come on Sunday all right I'm doing I'm going old IFB tonight not that
much let me give you the blessings of the evil day okay cuz look you will go
through that you will experience an evil day and you know lest you think well not
me you know I love the Lord I'm strong I got thick skin I memorized the Word of
God I will not feel anguish wrong folks you will experience an evil day and let
me say this is that the evil day always hits you where it hurts the most always
it'll bring you to your knees and sometimes that's the reason why the
evil day comes to bring us to our knees
number one what is the blessing of the evil day well number one the blessings
of the evil the evil day excuse me can give us a goodly heritage and what I
mean by that well Ruth is a great example of someone who went through a
very difficult time and she received a goodly heritage because of it look what
it says in Ruth chapter 1 verse number 1 it says now it came to pass in the
days when the judges ruled that there was a famine in the land and a certain
man of Bethlehem Judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab he and his wife
and his two sons and the name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his wife
was named name of his wife Naomi and the name of his two sons was Malon and
Chilean Ephrathites of Bethlehem Judah and they came into the country of Moab
and continued there and Elimelech Naomi's husband died and she was
left and her two sons and they took them wives of the women of Moab the name of
the one was Orpah and the name of the other was Ruth and they dwelt there
about ten years and Malon and Chilean died also both of them and the women
oh the woman was left of her two sons and her husband so what do we see here
we see that this guy he sojourns into a foreign land because there's a famine
in the land and who suffers the consequences because of that Naomi
because now he's dead she's in a foreign land now she's a widow in a foreign land
suffering the consequences of someone else's actions that's harsh well let's
add more to that her sons marry women of that region they die now they're
widows they don't have someone to provide for them they have nothing
they've lost everything this is a very difficult situation you know a man if he
you know if his if his wife dies it's it's anguish it's difficult but you know
what he can still work he can still provide for himself but in these days
when that happened it was very difficult for a woman she couldn't
necessarily just go have a job you know she would glean the corners of the field
that's what they would do for the poor people in those days but here we see
that they lost everything it says in verse 6 then she arose with her
daughters-in-law that she might return from the country of Moab for she had
heard in the country of Moab how that the Lord had visited his people and
given them bread skip down to verse 19 so they too went until they came to
Bethlehem and it came to pass when they were come to Bethlehem that all the city
was moved about them and they said is this Naomi so we see that Ruth if you
read the entire chapter actually decides to father her mother-in-law Orphah does
not decide to do that she decides to stay there Ruth follows her and
basically says your God is my God your people my people I'm just gonna go where
you're going she follows them but when Naomi comes back to her homeland they're
like is that Naomi well it's not because you know she gained a little
weight or something okay we're gonna see why they're saying that and she said it
to them call me not Naomi call me Mara for the Almighty have dealt very
bitterly with me well hold on a second was the Almighty who did that to her no
technically was her husband but who's she blaming God she's like God dealt
bitterly with me you know sometimes people give God credit for things he
just never does right I went out full and the Lord has brought me home again
empty why didn't call you me Naomi seeing the Lord had testified against me
and the Almighty hath afflicted me so what is she saying she comes home she
says don't call me that call me bitter because God had dealt very bitterly with
me that's unfortunate for her now fortunately for her daughter for her
daughter-in-law Ruth she ends up marrying Boaz and Boaz is in the lineage
of Jesus Christ so what do we see God doing in the life of Ruth because she
chose to have the Lord as her God he gave her a goodly heritage now go with
me if you would to Psalm chapter 16 Psalm 16 I'm gonna reach you from Acts
chapter 17 verse 26 it says and hath made of one blood all nations of men for
to dwell on the face of the earth and have determined the times before
appointed and the bounds of their habitation that they should seek the
Lord if happily they might feel after him and find him though he be not far
from every one of us so what is the Bible Thomas here it's telling us that
every individual in this world God is basically determined that that's where
exactly where they would be born you have the mom and dad that God wanted you
to have you have the color skin that God wanted you to have the you know the
the the race that God wanted you to have the region that you're from that's where
God wanted you to be he determined the bounds of your habitation and let me say
this some habitations are worse than others right I'm sure as people here
like man I had a rough upbringing I grew up in the ghetto I grew up with a dad
that beat me or a mom that whooped me and she abused me or an uncle that did
this whatever those are the bounds of your habitation and you suffer the
consequences of other people's actions that was your law in life right you
think of a law is basically a portion of land that belongs to you that's what you
have that's your inheritance now look what it says in Psalm 16 verse 5 the
Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup thou maintainest my law
the lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places yay I have a goodly
heritage so David here is saying look my lot is great my parents are believers I
mean he's an Israel I mean David was in the lineage of Jesus Christ as well
right you think to yourself man I wish I would have grown up in a Christian home
or something I would have saved myself a lot of anguish and trial if I would have
just grown up with Christian parents or something yeah but what about Ruth Ruth
didn't necessarily have the best lines the best portion the best lot but what
happened well when she experienced that evil day that evil day actually modified
those lines and gave her a goodly heritage now she's in the lineage of
Jesus Christ so what is the blessing of the evil day here's the blessing is
sometimes your lines can be modified your lot can change and God could do
something great in your life or it's just like man I had such a horrible
upbringing or you know I just I didn't have the best in life and I went through
so many difficult things and then you go through that evil day and what does that
evil day do it just changes your entire lot it puts you in a position where you
hear the gospel and you get saved it puts you in a position to find a godly
spouse to be in a great church with great people what does God do he gives
you a goodly heritage well hold on a second what if you would have been like
Naomi though just bitter don't call me that call me Mara the first Karen you
know testament Mara not Ruth when Ruth said thy God shall be my God she meant
it God saw that he looked upon that even though the bounds of her habitation were
already set forward they're already set forth she allowed that evil day to
modify her lines and ultimately modify her law ultimately given her a really
goodly heritage same can be done for you so don't you know withstand the evil
day in a sense of like you just deny it you become bitter you blame God you
blame your parents you blame don't have this victim mentality take roll with the
punches be thankful for the trials you went through because they're the ones
who gave you the lines that you have today and let me just say this if you're
here tonight you have some pretty good lines in my opinion you have a pretty
nice lot in my opinion or at least you have the foundation to create a great
lot to build a great house upon this lot that's given to you I mean what if what
if you would have been like you know born into some like liberal church or
something yeah hey I'm thankful that I got saved at an independent fundamental
Baptist Church that I learned about the King James Bible learned about
soul-winning I'm thankful that I had people in my life that taught me even
though I got saved later on in life and guess what God changed those lines
through that evil day and so what are the blessings of that evil day well
sometimes God can just give you a goodly heritage and modify those lines and
change your lot as long as you respond correctly to them though go to Genesis
15 Genesis 15 so the blessings of the evil day number one it can give you a
goodly heritage if you respond correctly number two it can help you really see
the bigger picture you know because people when they go through an evil day
it's just all about them well you don't know what I went through you don't know
the difficulties that I've seen you don't know what people have done to me
you don't know X Y & Z and the list can go on and on and on and you know what
it's often all about them whereas what God wants is for you to just see the
bigger picture what's the bigger picture that it's not all about you it's all
about God it's all about Jesus it's all about the Great Commission it's all
about soul-winning winning other winning other people to Christ what's a great
example of this well how about Joseph man Joseph went through many evil days I
mean you know one of the harshest things that a man could ever experience is
betrayal wouldn't you agree with that man to be betrayed by people that you
love or be betrayed by family yeah that hurts I'm sure it hurts for ladies too
but for a man that that that you know loyalty is important to a man and he was
betrayed by his own brethren he was sold as a slave by his own brothers he was
lied about I mean he went through trial and tribulation over and over again and
then ultimately of course we see that later on he becomes the vice-pharaoh of
Egypt basically the second in command of the over the most powerful empire of
that of that time look at verse 14 of Genesis 50 it says that Joseph returned
into Egypt he and his brethren all that went up with him to bury his father
after he had buried his father and when Joseph's brethren saw that their father
was dead they said Joseph will peradventure hate us and were certainly
requite us of all the evil which we did unto him and they sent a messenger to
Joseph saying thy father did command before he died saying so shall he say
unto Joseph forgive I pray thee now the trespass of thy brethren and their sin
for they did evil excuse me they did unto the evil and now we pray thee
forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father and Joseph wept
when the when they spake unto him so what's going on here well Jacob was
basically like the other brothers protection because you know Joseph's in
charge so Jacob passes off the scene and it's just like oh man we're done he's
gonna treat us like trash you know he's gonna really let us have it now
so they sent a messenger to say hey just let you know dad you know want you
to be nice to your brothers verse 18 his brethren also went and fell down before
his face and they said behold we be thy servants and Joseph said unto them fear
not for am I in the place of God but as for you he thought it evil against me
but God meant it unto good look what it says to bring to pass as it is this day
to save much people alive he didn't say oh you know don't worry God meant to
them to good to make me Vice Pharaoh to just make me an important person how did
he see it he saw it as saving much people alive which saving much people
alive and the trials that he went through have nothing to do with each
other other than the fact that they placed them on a road to where he would
become Vice Pharaoh putting them in a position where he can save a lot of
people including his own family so what is he doing here he can see the bigger
picture right and this is important folks when you go through a difficult
time an evil day you need to see the bigger picture what God is doing and I
know that's really hard when you're going through it like right in the
middle of it like in the middle of it you're like I don't even care what the
bigger picture is forget the bigger picture I'm suffering here I'm in pain
I'm in anguish but you know why you don't want to be the person you don't
want to be the Naomi you don't want to be the individual that just lives in the
past lives thinking about what others did to you you know lives you know with
the the pain that other people inflicted upon you how they defrauded you how they
wronged you be like Joseph who Joseph said no there's a greater purpose to
this it was to save much people alive you know what you went through a lot of
trials in your life you had a difficult upbringing okay but it was to save much
people alive cuz you're seeing a bunch of people saved now you see you're
saving people from from from hell that's the same much people alive but you're
not so fortunate you have Christians who go through that evil day they don't see
the bigger picture and so it's like that pain is in pain don't waste pain
don't waste it use it help it or allow it to see allow it to help you to see
the bigger picture that God has for you and God does have a plan for each and
every one of us amen and he wants to use the pains and the afflictions that we
experience as a tool to help other people amen you can't do that if you're
bitter okay turn with me if you would to go to Psalm 119 talk about the evil day
here it's painful it hurts it produces tears it produces sleepless nights it
produces anxiety and anguish sometimes depression don't let it go to waste
recognize that there is a blessing found somewhere in there always is what are
the blessings well it can give you a goodly heritage it can help you to see
the bigger picture what God is really gonna do in your life through that how
about this it just increases your understanding you know some some
sometimes people are like man I want to understand the Bible more are you sure
about that I just want to understand the deep things of God well you know
sometimes the deep things of God cannot be understood until you experience very
painful things in your life you actually gain a deeper understanding of the Bible
when you go through difficult trials in your life that's why Paul said that I
might know him in the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his
suffering being made conformable unto his death we have great communion with
Jesus Christ when we suffer with Jesus Christ when we have anguish hey when we
go through the evil day that can increase our understanding not just of
God's Word but just of life in general look at Psalm 119 verse 67 says verse
67 says before I was afflicted I went astray but now have I kept thy word
well sometimes afflictions kind of realign you right I mean you might go
and be going a little crooked you're getting involved in sin you're playing
with things that you shouldn't be playing with what happens affliction
comes and then you just kind of get you back on track it steals the fear of God
in you right look at verse 71 it is good for me that I have been afflicted that I
might learn thy statutes who can really say that other than like David here you
know he says it's good that I was afflicted I'm glad I went through pain
I'm glad I went through sorrow because then I was able to learn God's Word that
says a lot about David and you know what it's good for us to be afflicted as well
you know it's good for you to go through difficulties and trials you know if
you're a little soft in your Christian life if you're a little light on your
toes if you're a little weak spiritually you know it's good to you experience
some affliction to toughen you up and to learn the Word of God it gives you
experience and look David went through some hard times being chased by Saul by
his own son but here's the thing every anytime he went through a trial I mean
God used him greatly think about this when he was on the run who did he run
into he ran into the distressed the discontent those who are in debt
David's mighty men he created that band of strong men while he was going through
that trial you want to increase your understanding of life you want to
increase your understanding of God's Word you want to increase your
understanding of wisdom and things pertaining to this life go through some
trials and when you go through those trials don't get out of church don't
stop reading the Bible don't stop praying don't blame God just take it like
a man allow yourself to be afflicted to have that pain that sorrow and and and
draw an eye on to him amen go to Job chapter 1 Job chapter 1 here's my last
point blessings and the evil day creates gratitude for the most important things
you know when you go when you when everything is just going smooth and you
just put it on cruise control you're not really grateful for a whole lot you kind
of take things for granted but when you go through a trial you realize what
really is important we don't have trials and everything's going great the bills
are being paid your health is great you got three meals you're getting good
night's sleep your wife loves you you know everything is just just dandy then
you just kind of put everything on cruise control and you know you just
don't really appreciate everything but when you go through a difficult time you
recognize what's really important in life your children your spouse the Lord
the Bible trials accentuate that which is most important it helps you to
recognize hey it kind of slaps you in the face it's like hey that's not
important money's not important the fears of this world not important the
cares of this life not important the affairs of this life not important the
Bible that's important the souls of your children that's important your spouse
that's important your church that's important it creates a gratitude for the
most important things in life look at job now Joe went through a very
difficult time right I mean he lost everything even the support of his wife
she's like Kurt Scott and I you know and obviously she's going through a
difficult time too but everything rises and falls on leadership right look at
verse 20 says then Joe arose rent his mantle shaved his head fell down upon
the ground in worship and said naked came out of my mother's womb naked shall
I return thither the Lord gave the Lord hath taken away blessed be the name of
the Lord and he was a rich man had a lot of children children that were already
grown up folks I would have a hard time thinking that will lose my four-year-old
imagine having that child for two decades three decades right and then
they die all at the same time and what was the attitude he had blessed be the
name of the Lord so even though he lost everything all his resources all his
riches his family he still knew what was the most important thing which is God
he knew that he would not lose the Lord look what it says in verse 22 and all
this Job sinned not nor charged God foolishly he didn't blame God you say
God you did this even though he's the one who allowed it right has now
considered my servant Joe he's the one who allowed it but he said he didn't
charge God he didn't say Lord this is your fault you could have stopped this
you could have done no he just bless the Lord go to job 23 by the way one thing
that we learned from Job's life is that a trial reveals your true colors right
it really reveals who you really are reveals your true colors and look what
it says in verses God I can't perceive him on the left where he doth work but I
cannot behold him he hideth himself on the right hand and I that I cannot see
him what is he saying man I'm praying I feel like he's not even answering my
prayers I feel like the Lord's forsaken me but he said he know it the way that I
take when he hath tried me I shall come forth as gold so what did the trial do
it revealed his true color what was his true color gold he was made out of gold
you know hot water only reveals what's really inside of a teabag does it not
right you put a teabag into the water you can't blame the water for all the
contents to come out it just reveals what's already in there inside of the
teabag and when you go through hot water when you go through a difficult trial
you can't really blame anybody the trial is just really revealing who you really
are it's revealing whether you're made of gold or plastic it's all it does and
my hope is that all of us when we go through a trial we come forth as gold
and every single one of us could if you just understand that there's a blessing
in that evil day don't quit allow the evil day to create within you a heart of
gratitude for that which is most important and look I know people in our
church who are going through a difficult time and to them the church is
everything you know why because the church is that which is most important
to them at this point they're recognizing how important a church is
they're probably thinking to themselves man these some of these people who come
and go and you know they're not very consistent they don't realize it's
important to be here and the reason they realize that is because they're going
through a difficult time that's helping them to realize the most important
things in life you can do that even if you don't go through a trial it's just
that a trial helps you to do that if you're having a hard time like what's
really important in life oh yeah just go through a trial you'll find out
what's really important you'll see that real fast so what's the sermon this
evening the sermon simply this is that don't reject the evil day don't be
bitter in the evil day just look for the silver lining in the evil day pull out
the blessings recognize that God has a purpose for it recognize that you know
God can give you a goodly heritage recognize that God it really just shows
your true colors realize that it can help you see the bigger picture in life
and it can increase your understanding in the Word of God and even the things
of life the evil days coming help us you know we need to just be thankful ask the
Lord to help us to be thankful in the evil day man
let's fire heads and have a word of prayer we're gonna pray for the food as
well all right let's pray father we thank you so much for this day and we
thank you for the evil day as well we should give thanks in all things and in
the good days and in the bad and I pray God that you strengthen us help us as
your people to not quit when the going gets tough when pain seems to overwhelm
us and we feel as though we're drowning in sorrow help us to not give in to the
flesh that tells us to get out of the way and stop serving God help us to
continue to serve you knowing that we shall come forth as gold the blessing of
the Lord and make it rich and he addeth no sorrow to it we know that there is
always a reward at the end of a trial and trials don't last forever even
though when we're in the midst of it they seem as though they will I pray
that Lord you'd help us to have that discernment of heart and that wisdom to
view our evil days as a blessing from you and in Jesus name we pray amen