This is “Where is God”. Suffering will never leave you where it finds you—it will leave you bitter or it will leave you better. Life is like a puzzle—it is always incomplete until the final piece is placed in that final whole. Likewise, as good as a biscuit is, to eat its contents one ingredient at a time would be an awful experience. It’s not until you mix all the ingredients together that you have the taste, texture, and intention of a biscuit. God works ALL things together for good—-but it’s the working of all things together that has to happen for the individual pieces of the puzzle make sense. The full picture is not found in the individual pieces. God is working ALL things together in YOUR life for good (Romans 8:28). Trust God in all circumstances and all situations. He is always there—and He is always nearer than you think.

the following program is sponsored in

part by friends and partners of jensen

franklin media ministries

thank you for joining us today it’s our

prayer and our deep desire that we speak

a message that touches your life today

as you view this program and i agree

with you that you’re going to find god’s

will and god’s next step for your life

listen to this message and let it speak

to you today

[Music]

if you have your bibles i’d love for you

to open them with me please to the book

of job the 23rd chapter and verse 8.

job says i look and i go forward

but he

speaking of god he is not there

and backward but i cannot perceive him

when he works on the left hand

i cannot behold him

and when he turns and i turn and go

right i can’t i can’t see him then

verse 10

but he knows the way that i take

and when he has tested me

i shall come forth

as gold

powerful

powerful

words

it’s obvious that job is in a time in

his life

where he’s saying god where are you

that’s what i’m preaching on where’s god

he’s saying god where are you

he’s saying i’m searching i’m looking

i’m going forward backwards left and

right and i cannot find perceive or see

you at all you seem

unconcerned absent and silent when i

need you

the most

he had lost his family

his children

he had lost his wealth he had lost his

health

he had lost his friends

he had lost everything good in his life

and now in chapter 23 he’s lost his god

he’s lost his god

i mean that’s when you really hit

the place

about as low as you can go when you

can’t find

you you feel like you’re god abandoned

the absence of god it’s unexplained he’s

not there god where are you

listen to his description he said behold

i go forward

but he is not there in other words he’s

saying you know i didn’t turn back when

i got in hard times i didn’t quit i kept

going forward i’m hurting i don’t

understand i don’t know what’s going on

but i’m not a quitter i didn’t abandon

my faith i i haven’t given up i’m moving

forward but he’s being honest and he’s

saying i went forward i’m waiting

everybody told me you know hold on god’s

coming and he said i’m going forward and

i don’t see him anywhere out there and i

haven’t quit i haven’t given up i’m

still moving in the right direction but

he said i don’t see god he said i i just

don’t see him i i just keep going

through it

and then the second point thing he says

is i went backward i thought that was an

interesting way to describe it

he kind of thought well maybe there’s

something in my past that can explain

why i’m here maybe there’s something in

my almost like job lays down on the

psychiatrist’s couch and he says take me

back to my childhood take me back to my

teenage years what happened how did i

end up here what series of events what

did i do that that made me end up in

this place he’s going backwards he’s

saying is there anything in my past is

there anything back there is there

anything in my birth or my uh heredity

you know is there anything in my genes

or what how in the world he goes back

and he can’t find any peace and any

answers he goes forward he doesn’t see

much hope he doesn’t see any change i’m

still trying then he then he really

takes a turn he said i went left did you

see that he said i turned left in other

words i’m going way out in left field he

got aggravated now and he’s saying

you know like some people do i’m going

out in left field i’m just it ain’t

working that ain’t working prayer is not

working god’s not working church is not

working anymore for me faith isn’t

working i’m going in left field

i’m going to try eastern i’m i’m

preaching it my way it’s my sermon i’m

preaching

i’m going to try eastern religion i’m

going to try buddha buddha

i’m going to try i’m going to try

mohammed i’m going to try this i’m going

to try spiritualism i’m going to try

nature i’m going to try i’m not going to

church i’m going in left field i’m going

to try something new i’m going to try

something my friend did yoga and and

that’s their new religion and they’re

getting into this and they’re getting

into that or it may have even been i i’m

going to get way out in left field i’m

going to try

i’m going to try witchcraft or i’m going

to try

spiritual the spiritual world of

chanting and burning incense to

gods and all kinds of religions but you

know what he didn’t find anything out

there

and then he said

lastly i turned back right

i turned back right

he said i went i went on the left hand

and he wasn’t there went before me

behind me and then i turned right on the

right hand

you know you can’t ever go wrong if you

go right

you keep you know you keep doing the

right thing and nothing right is

happening you keep

saying the right thing and you still

aren’t getting the breakthrough

you keep going to church and

doing everything you’re supposed to do

and trying to read the bible but it’s

like it don’t really it’s not

i’m doing the right i went right but

right ain’t right it’s wrong nothing’s

right

y’all act like y’all don’t know what i’m

preaching about but i know what i’m

preaching about

this is right in the bible

but i love what he said at the end of

the conclusion of it all

his conclusion is

i don’t know where i am anymore

i don’t know what’s going on anymore

he said i don’t know where he is

but he knows where i am for he knows the

path

that i take did you hear that verse he

knows where i am even when i don’t know

where he is and i can’t perceive him and

i he knows my name he knows my the

number of hairs on my head he knows my

fingerprint he knows everything about

the path that i am on and then he ends

with a powerful faith confession and

when he has tried me i will come forth

as gold wow

that’s powerful

that’s powerful

i want to tell you about a man in the

new testament and a family that went

through what i just described job went

through

in the old testament

it’s in the

bible in the book of john the 11th

chapter

this family really loved the lord

i mean really

they knew

him meaning the lord jesus christ they

knew him

intimately so much so that when he had

time off

he went to their home

he ate at their table

you don’t get as close

i mean you talk about the inside track

you talk about his clique you talk about

people on the inside of the circle

it was martha

and her servitude

it was mary and

her amazing

love and devotion and then there was

lazarus

lazarus and jesus were just good friends

it clicked you know how it is with a

real friend an old friend you don’t even

have to work at it you don’t care if

they call you and you call them it’s

when you see each other it’s just it’s

just there

and now lazarus gets sick

something is wrong his fever is burning

his breathing is erratic

he’s even

losing

all of his strength he’s dying and they

knew he was dying and they sent for

jesus a runner goes and finds jesus

and says your friend whom you love

is sick even unto death and they need

you and mary and martha you know your

friends the ones that you’re really

close with want you to hurry up and come

heal him

and the bible said that jesus affirmed

that that he was aware and that he would

be there

and the

servant goes back and

all the neighborhood all the community

knew that family has a real relationship

with jesus right there and so we know

jesus is going to come and deliver them

and we’re about to have a praise party

in this city and in this community and

this neighborhood because when jesus

comes

lazarus is going to be healed and so

they’re waiting and they’re waiting in

one hour and they start asking that that

runner you know did when did he say he

was coming yes he’s coming where is he

he’s on the way he’s coming any minute

now a whole day goes by and he’s sicker

and sicker he’s breathing he’s got the

death rattle in his throat

he’s sick

where is he where is he he promised he

would come

where is he

why is he not here they start asking

what did he say did he say he was coming

he said he was coming

but jesus did not show up for days

i want you to understand something

sure he’s coming

you sure he told you i’m sure he told me

you know what we smirk because we know

the rest of the story

we know that he showed up and raised

lasers from the dead no big deal to us

but that family felt like god had failed

them

felt like god was not there that god did

not care

but then john 11 and verse 15

when jesus arrives they kind of are

upset with him and he says these words

and i am glad

for your sake i was not there

when he was sick and dying well wow

isn’t that beautiful thank you jesus

i was glad for your sake that i was not

there

the brother’s sick he stayed away

deliberately for 48 hours until he dies

and when he gets there in the yard he

says i’m glad i did what didn’t come and

give you the miracle that you were

asking for i want to give you a quick

three lessons from this story that you

don’t need to ever forget he’s dead and

i’m glad

for your sake

that i wasn’t there number one

this story teaches us

that god is still working

when you think your situation

is at its last sickening conclusion

they thought it was over he’s dead

he’s buried the funeral is over

there’s nothing good to come of this

it’s finished

it didn’t happen

god didn’t hear us

god didn’t do what we expected him to do

i

i held on

i came to the end of my rope

i tied a knot on the end of the rope and

the knot gave way

and i fail

and it’s finished

this story tells me that when you think

it’s over

god is still working

number two god’s delays are always

deliberate

john 11 verse 5 and 6 and when jesus

knew mary and martha and lazarus and

when he heard therefore

that

that that he was sick he abode two days

in the same place

it says clearly number one he loved them

it says clearly number two to prove it

he stayed away and let them go through

pain and sorrow and heartbreak and

mental

anguish like you could not believe

weeping grieving crying

breakdown

grief

and jesus

did not get there and let them not go

through that

and he loved them

why was he late

because all they could believe

could come good of that was a healing

but he knew and saw beyond the healing

if lazarus suffering

had been averted then the tremendous

miracle of the resurrection of lazarus

he would have been just another healing

that jesus did but i’m standing in a

pulpit thousands of years later and i’m

preaching and telling the testimony of

the of the lord who raised lazarus from

the dead and the only reason

is because

if jesus would have spared

that family from mental anguish they

would have missed

the greater joy of a resurrection that

would touch the community that would

touch the nation and that would touch

the world and outlive their family with

that testimony of all things that god

was doing that they could not perceive

or understand

god’s delays are always deliberate

because he’s going to work a greater

miracle than what you think you need

and you know what if that’s what we have

to go through to get every one of us in

heaven if it absolutely requires us

going through tears and suffering and

yet not missing the thing that matters

which is our soul’s name written in the

lamb’s book of life it’s worth any and

everything you don’t know the mind of

god clap your hands and say amen

but oh this is what touched me

i wish you’d just turn to somebody and

say he’s working something greater for

you i know you’ve been a little

discouraged i know you’ve been a little

down i know you’ve turned backwards and

forwards and tried to figure it out but

he’s working something greater

third

point jesus dwelt

he gets there think about it he knows

that what he’s doing

is greater

it’s going to be bigger than what

they’re even at ask him to do

he allows them to go through mental

anguish and they’re screaming and

they’re crying and god failed us god

wasn’t there where was god why didn’t he

do something how could a good god allow

the where are you

i’m not making fun of you the reason i

don’t preach that’s because that’s me

yeah even preachers struggle

even preachers go through times where

you question everything

oh you you you want a perfect preacher

this one ain’t one look at him my

goodness

but you want a preacher who has a

perfect savior and whose way and that

savior’s ways are right and that

savior’s ways are working for the good

and that savior is faithful and that

savior loves us

[Applause]

i got to keep preaching but i just feel

like shouting i just feel like shouting

i’m not trying to work you up i’m not

trying to

pump you up i’m just here to tell you

today

that god knows

the path

that you take

and jesus wept

he knows

that he’s going to end up doing good

but he weeps because the present plan

for their lives this family

the present plan for their lives

is causing mary and martha heartache and

sorrow

and even though he knows it’s a setup

guys you’re acting crazy i’m about to

bless your sock i’m about to do

something that you cannot imagine but

he’s so caring

that he weeps

and he hurts when we hurt

he knows it’s going to all work out

according to his eternal plan read

ephesians 3 sometime my goodness all

things are working toward the manifold

wisdom of god that will cause even

principalities and powers to marvel the

bible says that according to the purpose

of god he’s preordained everything

it’s like the parts of a puzzle some

some months ago

charisse

got into puzzles

and she started laying this big massive

puzzle puzzle out on the table

and she would put it together piece

piece piece it would take her weeks to

do these she’d just do it when she had

some time

and

and i got in right at the end when there

were just maybe

40 pieces left

and i sat down she said do it with me

one day and so i sit down and

and and i found a piece and she couldn’t

find it and i was so proud of myself and

and i put it she said that’s not the one

and and i said buddy it fit she said

look and and i said they make mistakes

you know it doesn’t have to be just it

really fits and it like kind of lines up

and it’s the same color and stuff it’s

got to be the one we’ve looked at all

these it’s not here

that’s what we do we pick up a piece of

the puzzle and we isolate it and we say

this doesn’t fit

this doesn’t fit in our family this

doesn’t fit in my life how could god let

this doesn’t fit

when it does fit

we pick up one isolated piece

and we say god’s not in it

god’s not in it there was a mistake here

all these other pieces they fit but this

doesn’t see it

all things

the reason that it doesn’t see it is

because it’s not all together but when

you take that one piece that doesn’t fit

and you build everything else you know

what you’re going to find if it’s the

last piece

i couldn’t find it anywhere else but now

that it’s there it fits

it’s not all together yet

that’s why it doesn’t fit when we all

get to heaven on streets of gold and our

families are there then we’ll be able to

say it all fit

he used it for if that had happened

somehow the enemy thought but god used

it for our good

[Applause]

you can stand up

at every campus

every head bowed every eye closed at

every campus

there are young people listening to me

and you i apologize for my generation of

preachers that has not preached enough

truth to you you cannot go to heaven and

live like hell you cannot die in your

sin and expect to end up in heaven

somewhere you’re gonna have to walk

through a sword and say lord i know you

don’t require perfection but i’m not

playing god games i want to serve you i

want to live for you i want to give my

life up so that i can gain my life

has to pray for me

i need god today i’m going through what

you’re preaching i need that savior

that’ll eat with me i need that savior

that will take all things and make it

good i need to know that i’m connected

to his purpose and not far from him

pray for me

i want to get right with god today

pastor pray for me if that’s you in this

house or any of the campuses i want you

to raise your hand high right where

you’re standing no shame in it it’s only

victory in it

oh there’s so many hands every one of

you that got lifted your hand get out of

your seat please don’t try to compromise

walk

into the swinging sword as you get out

of that pew as you get out of that

section and you begin to walk down that

aisle you’re walking into the swinging

sword and the lord says i can set you

free i can cut you loose i can sever you

from your past i can heal you i can help

you i can deliver you come on

come on lift your hands all over this

building come on as they come

come come come

come he loves you he loves you he loves

you come on

right there where you’re watching this

in your homes just surrender just throw

your hands up and say lord jesus

oh god i give you my life oh god i’ll

lay my life down for you you know he

doesn’t want you to die he wants you to

live

he wants you to know hope

no peace no jesus

he’s available call on him

come on anyone else

anyone else this is your auto call

this is your order service

[Music]

now all of you who came forward this

morning

say these words jesus

save me

write my name

in the book of life

set me free

sever

with your holy sword

everything that’s not like you

that’s hindering me

set me free

i receive it

because you love me

i don’t earn it

i don’t have to deserve it you love me

you know the path i take

and you know my name

thank you

thank you for forgiving me

welcome to the family of god

i can’t tell you how excited we are that

you just made the major decision the

most important decision in your life to

follow jesus christ and accept him as

your lord and savior fill out our

salvation form you can go there and

we’ll send you free a 21-day devotional

to help you in your new relationship

with jesus you don’t have to walk alone

and we’ve got online church and online

campus all of that and it’ll feed your

soul and as many of you know god has led

us to work closely with the nation and

the people of israel that border the

gaza strip in an area called eshkel

they’re constantly under attack that’s

why this ministry has been building

fortified buildings for the families of

this region of israel in fact during a

recent escalation on the border of

israel these bomb shelters were used to

keep families women and children safe

will you help me today bring comfort to

the people of israel when you give to

this ministry our pledge to you

is we do three things with the resources

we unashamedly preach the gospel of

jesus christ to 200 nations just like

you’ve heard on this telecast today

secondly we produce inspirational

resources we put out all kinds of

material that encourage people in their

walk with god and thirdly we go above

and beyond to support projects just like

this one in the nations of the world

that need it the most

so today do your part and i know god

will bless you thank you and we’ll see

you next time right here

this program has been sponsored by

friends and partners of jensen franklin

media ministries we hope you’ve enjoyed

this teaching by jensen franklin and

thank you for your continued support of

this ministry your prayers and financial

support make these programs possible for

more information about this message and

other ministry resources visit us online

at jensenfranklin.tv

you