{"id":4814,"date":"2013-11-29T07:00:29","date_gmt":"2013-11-29T13:00:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.desertspringschurch.org\/blog\/?p=4814"},"modified":"2013-11-29T10:33:56","modified_gmt":"2013-11-29T16:33:56","slug":"gods-most-successful-setback","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.desertspringschurch.org\/blog\/2013\/11\/gods-most-successful-setback\/","title":{"rendered":"God\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Most Successful Setback"},"content":{"rendered":"

Timely, helpful, and free. That’s how we can describe a new book by John Piper,\u00c2\u00a0Good News of Great Joy: Daily Readings for Advent<\/a>.\u00c2\u00a0<\/em>It’s available here<\/a> as a free download. Print it out, staple it, and set aside 5 minutes a day to read and pray.<\/p>\n

Here’s the reading from December 16, “God’s Most Successful Setback”:<\/p>\n

\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d \u00e2\u20ac\u201dPhilippians 2:9\u00e2\u20ac\u201c11<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Christmas was God\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s most successful setback. He has always delighted to show his power through apparent defeat. He makes tactical retreats in order to win strategic victories.<\/p>\n

Joseph was promised glory and power in his dream (Genesis 37:5\u00e2\u20ac\u201c11). But to achieve that victory he had to become a slave in Egypt. And as if that were not enough, when his conditions improved because of his integrity, he was made worse than a slave \u00e2\u20ac\u201d a prisoner.<\/p>\n

But it was all planned. For there in prison he met Pharaoh\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s butler, who eventually brought him to Pharaoh who put him over Egypt. What an unlikely route to glory!<\/p>\n

But that is God\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s way \u00e2\u20ac\u201d even for his Son. He emptied himself and took the form of a slave. Worse than a slave \u00e2\u20ac\u201d a prisoner \u00e2\u20ac\u201d and was executed. But like Joseph, he kept his integrity. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (Philippians 2:9\u00e2\u20ac\u201c10).<\/p>\n

And this is God\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s way for us too. We are promised glory \u00e2\u20ac\u201d if we will suffer with him (Romans 8:17). The way up is down. The way forward is backward. The way to success is through divinely appointed setbacks. They will always
\nlook and feel like failure.<\/p>\n

But if Joseph and Jesus teach us anything this Christmas it is this: \u00e2\u20ac\u0153God meant it for good!\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (Genesis 50:20).<\/p>\n

You fearful saints fresh courage take <\/em>
\nThe clouds you so much dread\u00c2\u00a0<\/em>
\nAre big with mercy and will break <\/em>
\nIn blessings on your head.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Click here to download a fee copy of Good News of Great Joy<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Timely, helpful, and free. That’s how we can describe a new book by John Piper,\u00c2\u00a0Good News of Great… Continue Reading ›<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[56],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.desertspringschurch.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4814"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.desertspringschurch.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.desertspringschurch.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.desertspringschurch.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.desertspringschurch.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4814"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"http:\/\/www.desertspringschurch.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4814\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4823,"href":"http:\/\/www.desertspringschurch.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4814\/revisions\/4823"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.desertspringschurch.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4814"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.desertspringschurch.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4814"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.desertspringschurch.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4814"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}