Praise Your Way Out Of The Pit

"Praise Your Way Out Of Your Pit"
Genesis 37:23, 24 "And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stripped Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colors that was on him; And they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it."

When we read the story of Joseph there are some things that cannot be denied, because the scripture makes it clear that:
-Joseph was chosen by God.
-Joseph was anointed by God.
-Joseph had a destiny given by God.
-Joseph was favored by God.
-Joseph was favored by his earthly father as well.

Judging from those criteria it would look like Joseph had it made. But when we read the bible we find out that this same Joseph who had everything going for him, who was anointed by God, who was favored by his earthly father and had so many great advantages, one day found himself in a pit.

If somebody told you when you became a Christian that all your problems would be over, and that you would never be hurt again, you would never cry again, you would never suffer again-they lied.

Psalm 34:19 says, "Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivereth him out of them all."

Christians have problems too:
-Christians get sick.
-Christians get in debt.
-Christians get divorced.
-Christians get their hearts broken.
-Christians get in places they shouldn’t be.

Sometimes you fall in, sometimes you jump in, and sometimes you’re pushed in; but regardless of how you got there or why you’re there, a Pit is a Pit and if you stay there you will die.

-Dreams die in the pit.
-Ministries die in the pit.
-Gifts, callings, marriages, die in the pit.

(1) One man was responsible for Joseph’s pit and it was his brother Rueben. Verses 21, 22 "And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him. And Reuben said unto them, Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him; that he might rid him out of their hands, to deliver him to his father again."

It was Rueben, the eldest brother, that suggested they throw Joseph in the pit rather than take his life. Rueben thought this was better than his brethren taking the life of their younger brother. He was there when Joseph was thrown into the pit, but he was not there when he was lifted out.

Verse 29 “And Reuben returned unto the pit; and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he rent his clothes.”

Rueben was surprised and shocked because he saw him go into the pit. He saw him struggling and begging to be delivered from the pit, but now he’s looking into that same pit expecting to see Joseph full of fear and confusion crying and begging to be delivered only Joseph wasn’t there.

There are some people who saw you in the pit. There are some people that even helped put you in the pit, and they have watched you struggling, and pushing, and scratching and clawing trying to climb your way out. When they left you were in the pit and the last time they saw you were in a mess.

I don’t know what that pit is for you today:
-It may be a pit of debt. 
-It may be a pit of sickness.
-It may be a pit of bondage or addiction.
-It may be a pit of despair or depression.
-It may be a pit of marriage problems that looks so deep and so dark and impossible that you feel like giving up.
-It may be a spiritual pit and you just don’t feel God like you used to, and you’re dry.
-I don’t know what your pit is: They come in all different shapes and sizes.
-I don’t know what that pit is for you; but I want you to look at your neighbor and tell them I’ve spent my last night in the pit.

Psalm 30:5 “Weeping may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning.”

Rueben came back to the pit where he last saw Joseph and Joseph wasn’t there. He was distraught because he thought the worse had happened and that Joseph was dead.

There are some people that thought they knew you pretty good. They thought they knew where to look for you. They even talked about your pitiful condition to other people. But that was yesterday.
-Yesterday you were in the pit.
-Yesterday it looked like you were going to die in the pit.
-Yesterday you felt like you were going to die in the pit.

But tonight you hear a Word from God.
-You hear Joseph say: Don’t you dare die in the Pit.
-You hear Joseph say: The fall doesn’t have to be fatal; it just delays the blessings.

-Don’t quit dreaming.
-Don’t quit believing.
-Don’t quit trusting.
-Don’t quit expecting.

It looked like Joseph was going to die in the pit, and it felt like Joseph was going to die in the pit, but through a turn of circumstances in a matter of minutes Joseph was up out of the pit on solid ground.
Tonight I want to tell you God is going to turn it around:
-I don’t know how He’s going to do it
-I don’t know when He’s going to do it
-I don’t know who He’s going to use to do it

I just came to tell you God’s going to turn it around. If you learn anything from the Bible it is that God is a God of the turn-around. From Genesis to Revelation God is always turning things around for those that trust in Him.
Proverbs 3:5, 6 "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."
(2) Joseph’s turn-around happened suddenly.
Verse 28 "Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt."

One minute he was in the pit, one minute he was in the dark, one minute it was terminal, one minute it looked like the end, and suddenly everything changed.
Suddenly he was standing in the sunshine and he was lifted out of the pit.

God is saying that you are standing on the verge of a sudden turn-around that is going to change everything you ever anticipated or expected.

Peter fished all night and caught nothing, but in one act of obedience (suddenly) he went from nothing to too much.
-He went from empty nets to breaking nets.
-He went from empty boat to sinking boat.
-He from loss to profit.
-He went from weeping to rejoicing.
-He went from a loser to a winner.

And it all happened suddenly. Just like that at the lowest point in Josephs life physically and spiritually, God stepped in.

Psalm 27:5 "For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock."

(3) Judah (Praise) got him out of his pit.
Verse 26 "And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood?"

It wasn’t his coat of many colors that got him out. It wasn’t his anointing that got him out. It wasn’t even his dreams that got him out. It was one of his other brothers by the name of Judah. Judah means praise. Rueben (the first born) got him in, but Judah (praise) got him out. It doesn't matter how you got in the pit, Judah (praise) will get you out and back into the sunshine of life.

The circumstances may not have been of Josephs choosing, but Judah was responsible for getting him out of the pit. The point I’m trying to make is that praise doesn’t have to be pretty to be powerful. That means you start where you’re at and in whatever situation you are in.

-Anybody can praise God when the battles over.
-Anybody can praise God when the sickness is healed
-Anybody can praise God when the marriage is restored and the family is mended.
-Anybody can praise God when you’ve got a good retirement, money in your wallet and money in the bank.
-Anybody can praise God when everything is going okay.

But I’m telling you, it takes something to shout in the face of the devil. It takes something to praise in the face of the doctors bad report. It takes something to shout when you don’t have two dimes to rub together. It takes something when you’re going through the fire to lift your hands and your voice and say:
“I will bless the lord at all times, his praise shall continually be in my mouth.”

Don’t wait till the battles over, but shout it out now. You can praise your way out of the pit.

Psalm 18:3 "I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies."