The Pit

Reverend Mays preaches from Genesis 37, using the story of Joseph's brothers throwing him into a pit to teach about the pits believers can find themselves in. He emphasizes that even righteous people face afflictions, as Psalm 34:19 says many are the afflictions of the righteous. Pits can come from others' jealousy, bad decisions, or being pushed by others. In the pit, dreams, faith, and hope can die. However, Reverend Mays declares that the pit is not the final destination. He notes that Reuben suggested putting Joseph in the pit but was not there when he was lifted out, illustrating that those who put you in the pit may not see your deliverance. The preacher stresses that the pit does not have to be the end of one's story, citing Psalm 30:5 that joy comes in the morning. He identifies dream killers—people who claim to be spiritual but hate the dreams God gives. Reverend Mays then reveals that it was Judah, whose name means praise, who got Joseph out of the pit, not his coat or dreams. Thus, praise gets you out of the pit. He calls for praising God in the midst of trials, not after victory, citing Job's worship through loss and Jeremiah's humility in accepting old rags to be lifted out of the pit. The message concludes that pride keeps people in the pit, but humble, undignified praise brings deliverance.