SURPRISE HAPPENS (The Joseph Principle)

Hello fellow Pilgrims...Gomer Pyle said it all when he uttered those three words..."Surprise, Surprise, Surprise." Along with those three words of surprise...he underscored them with one little word of amazement..."SHAZAM." I have noticed that a lot of people are walking along in their own little worlds...much like I am walking along in my little world...when all of a sudden SURPRISE, SURPRISE, SURPRISE...we are hit with news that rocks our worlds. Things are going good...and then BLAMO....we are knee deep in the HOOPLA. Jobs are lost...Doctor's give their pronouncements...death of loved ones (expected and unexpected)...expectations of others are dashed on the rocks of reality...SURPRISE, SURPRISE, SURPRISE. All you can do is drop your jaw and proclaime SHAZAM!?!?!?

I've written about this phenomenon before...and you've seen the lyrics from this Bruce Cockburn song THE WHOLE NIGHT SKY, about ..."sometimes a wind comes out of nowhere...and KNOCKS YOU SIDEWAYS and look...see my tears... they FILL THE WHOLE NIGHT SKY..." Another line talks about..."derailed and desperate...how did I get here...hanging by the TATTERS OF MY FAITH." SURPRISE, SURPRISE, SURPRISE...SHAZAM!?!? I remember the first time I fought in a Karate Tournament. I was nervous...but I had been practicing in class...advanced in the belt ranks...felt pretty good about my abilities for...at that time...a 51 year old man. I was doing kumite...free style sparring. There were rule to be followed and one of those rules were DO NOT HIT IN THE FACE. I assumed...that the refs were on my side..and would enforce the rules. Someone forgot to tell the referee and my opponent my expectations. We faced off...bowed to each other out a respect...and BAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sometimes a FIST comes out of NOWHERE...and fill my FACE. My opponent was a lean, mean fighting machine...looking like Major Payne (a movie character)...but felt like Major Pain. he hit me square in the nose...which happens to be, the last time I checked...attached to my face. It knocked me back...stung...my head good woozy...my knees wobbly...and I looked over to the ref with the expectancy to call a foul and deduct a point. To my SURPRISE, SURPRISE, SURPRISE...he gave the point to Major Pain. Out of 14 fighters I came in fourth place...but learned a valuable lesson. LIFE AIN'T FAIR...and the devil cheats. So what are we to do when SURPRISE HAPPENS??????

We apply THE JOSEPH PRINCIPLE. Joseph...was despised by his brothers...they faked his death...threw him into a pit...sold him to some travellers... carried off into a foreign land...
who sold him into slavery... was put into prison. STUFF HAPPENS!!!!!!! Joseph was elevated into a place power to the point that it is the first recorded incident of a TENNIS GAME... where Joseph SERVED in Pharoah's COURT. Sorry about that...

When Joseph's brothers had to come to Egypt because of a famine in the land...to negotiate for relief services...and when they realized that they were standing before the brother who they betrayed...the became very afraid. Joseph's response to them was YOU MEANT IF FOR HARM...GOD MEANT IT FOR GOD. He underscored this twice. He was living the Romans 8:28 principle...before Romans 8:28 was written. Look up this verse if you want to see how to handle the GOOD..the BAD... and the UGLY surprises in our lives.

When I went to Africa...God gave me this principle to hold onto as I went out into the UNKNOWN. No matter what happened...I loved the Lord..I was called to His purposes...and ALL THINGS (good, bad, ugly) were working together for GOOD. The key verse for me that got me through a lot of the SURPRISE, SURPRISE, SURPRISE in Africa was found in GENESIS 50:19-20..."But Joseph said to them, Do not be afraid, for AM I IN GOD'S PLACE? (the answer is Yes...I am in God's place) And as for you, you meant evil against me, but God MEANT IT FOR GOOD in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive."

No matter what you are going through...God can take what was meant as an evil thing against you...whether it be corporations cutting out your job...people working against you...the devil throwing sickness, disease, poverty, etc at you....God can take that same thing...and turn it around for GOOD. Take DISappointment...and make it HISappointment in your life. After all...ARE YOU NOT IN GOD'S PLACE. That's the PLACE that I want to REST in.

Whatever has HIT you in the pit of your stomach...whatever sucker punch has pounded your face...whatever knife has pierced you between the shoulder blade....take a deep breath...regain your focus...and press into God. Let Him wash you with the water of His Word....let Him apply the anteseptic cleansing of His Blood...let Him rub in the anointed oil of softening...let Him refresh you with Rivers of Living Water of His Spirit. The circumstance may NOT change...immediately...but the way you approach it can get you THROUGH it...as these TEMPORAL (temporary) setbacks happen. Read the Word...Believe the Word.. Confess the Word...and Act on the Word.

Love and Faith Kisses
Rod "God... Not Rod Is In Control" Boyd