You Have What It Takes | Setbacks and Comebacks
Scripture: Genesis 37-50

Jacob loved Joseph more than any of his other children because Joseph had been born to him in his old age. So one day Jacob had a special gift made for Joseph—a beautiful robe. But his brothers hated Joseph because their father loved him more than the rest of them. They couldn’t say a kind word to him. – Genesis 37:3-4 (NLT)

One night Joseph had a dream, and when he told his brothers about it, they hated him more than ever. – Genesis 37:5

When Joseph’s brothers saw him coming, they recognized him in the distance. As he approached, they made plans to kill him. “Here comes the dreamer!” they said. – Genesis 37:18-19

Two things to learn from Joseph’s Journey
• He’s going to go from a pit, to a place, to a prison, then to a palace.
• God is with him transforming every setback into a comeback.

God can use your setback to start a comeback.

Potiphar realized that the Lord was with Joseph, giving him success in everything he did. – Genesis 39:3

[Potiphar was pleased], and he soon made Joseph his personal attendant. He put him in charge of his entire household and everything he owned. – Genesis 39:4 (NLT)

But Joseph refused. “Look,” he told her, “my master trusts me with everything in his entire household. No one here has more authority than I do. He has held back nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How could I do such a wicked thing? It would be a great sin against God.” – Genesis 39:8-9

For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong. – 1 Peter 3:17 (NASB)

God can use your setback to start a comeback.

Before long, the warden put Joseph in charge of all the other prisoners and over everything that happened in the prison. The warden had no more worries, because Joseph took care of everything. The Lord was with him and caused everything he did to succeed. – Genesis 39:22-23

In his dream he saw seven fat, healthy cows come up out of the river and begin grazing in the marsh grass. Then he saw seven more cows come up behind them from the Nile, but these were scrawny and thin. These cows stood beside the fat cows on the riverbank.

Then the scrawny, thin cows ate the seven healthy, fat cows! At this point in the dream, Pharaoh woke up. But he fell asleep again and had a second dream. This time he saw seven heads of grain, plump and beautiful, growing on a single stalk.

Then seven more heads of grain appeared, but these were shriveled and withered by the east wind. And these thin heads swallowed up the seven plump, well-formed heads! Then Pharaoh woke up again and realized it was a dream. – Genesis 41:2-7

“…no one here can tell me what it means. But I have heard that when you hear about a dream you can interpret it.” – Genesis 41:15

“It is beyond my power to do this,” Joseph replied. “But God can tell you what it means and set you at ease.” – Genesis 41:16

Joseph responded, “Both of Pharaoh’s dreams mean the same thing…The reason the dream was given to Pharaoh in two forms is that the matter has been firmly decided by God, and God will do it soon.” – Genesis 41:25, 32

“Therefore, Pharaoh should find an intelligent and wise man and put him in charge of the entire land of Egypt. Then Pharaoh should appoint supervisors over the land and let them collect one-fifth of all the crops during the seven good years. Have them gather all the food produced in the good years that are just ahead and bring it to Pharaoh’s storehouses. Store it away, and guard it so there will be food in the cities. That way there will be enough to eat when the seven years of famine come to the land of Egypt. Otherwise this famine will destroy the land.” – Genesis 41:33-36

“You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.”
Genesis 50:20 (NLT)

God can use your setback to start a comeback.

What can you do when faced with a setback?
• Stop asking, “Why?” And begin asking, “What’s my next step?”
• Trust that God’s plan is better than your plan.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. – Romans 8:28

• Use every circumstance as an opportunity to do good.
• You have what it takes in Christ.