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| photo from www.gorepent.com |
But Joseph said to them,
“Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God?
You intended to harm me,
but God intended it for good
to accomplish what is now being done,
the saving of many lives.
So then, don’t be afraid.
I will provide for you and your children.”
And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.
Genesis 50:19-21
Hello, my beautiful Girlfriends!
You are so precious, and I thank God for you and all that you do.
I hope that you are indeed "doing" something, no matter where you may be in your life right now. I speak these words with all sincerity and from a heart that once felt it could "do" nothing, despite my deepest desire to move forward. I suppose having been through dark and desperate times is what draws me to the story of Joseph in Genesis 37-50. (If you have not previously, I urge you to read these chapters richly woven with tales of love, jealousy, pride, folly, betrayal, fortitude, loyalty, and grace. God is the original author of romantic literature!)
Joseph's Story
Joseph was his father's favorite child, a title I cannot solely claim but willingly share with my only sister! Joseph, on the other hand, had eleven brothers and one sister. The firstborn of Rachel, the wife Jacob cherished, Joseph held favor in his father's eyes, to the detriment of his sibling relationships.
When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him. Genesis 37:4
To make matters worse, Joseph began proclaiming his future stature over his family as foreseen in his dreams. Consequently, Joseph's brothers could not stand him. In fact, they grew to detest him because of Joseph's visions, which he unwisely shared with them each time one occurred.
Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more. Genesis 37:5
Then he had another dream, and he told it to his brothers. Genesis 37:9
But they saw him in the distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him. Genesis 37:18
Lucky for Joseph, he had one brother, Reuben, cowardly as he was, who spoke the voice of reason. As a result, rather than kill Joseph the first chance they got, his brothers instead threw him in a dry well. Before he could die, they grasped an opportunity to sell him into slavery to a passing caravan traveling to Egypt. Now, God does not tell us Joseph's thoughts as he was transported to Egypt and sold to one of Pharoah's officials, Potiphar; however, I think he had some major alone time during which he probably reflected up his past behavior, its results, and his future prospects.
Our Story
Girlfriends, when is the last time you took hold of some "alone time" and reflected in such a way? Ok, so maybe you have not been sold to a bunch of thugs, thrown onto a camel or into a wagon, and had days of solitude to contemplate your past. (Although I would venture to guess that some days that idea sounds pleasurable compared to what is currently on your plate!) But seriously, have you allotted time out of your days or weeks to get alone and quiet with the Lord and your brain? In these moments such as Joseph probably had, ladies, life-altering analysis occurs. Our fate, and that of our family, turns on the applied results of our reflections. Don't believe me? Then trust God and listen to what He tells us happened to Joseph.
Joseph's Story
Somewhere along the way to Egypt, Joseph got a clue. Instead of continuing his path of annoyance and alienation in his new assignment, Joseph got his act together and began accomplishing rather than announcing his supremacy. Genesis 39 details Joseph's success while in Potiphar's possession. So prosperous was he that Potiphar placed Joseph in charge of his entire household. (Potiphar remember is the captain of Pharoah's guard.)
So Potiphar left everything he had in Joseph’s care; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate. Genesis 39:6
Girlfriends, perfection is a process, even for a good-looking guy with power. Joseph went from a big-mouth, boasting about his dreams, to a more self-controlled bragger. He was not fully refined by the Lord yet, but Joseph was on his way.
Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he refused. “With me in charge,” he told her, “my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her. Genesis 39:6-10 (my bold emphasis added)
Joseph showed restraint in his refusal to romance with his master's woman, but he probably did not count on her wrath when he rebuffed her continuous advances. As a result, Joseph lands in prison, falsely accused of making sexual advances toward Potiphar's wife. What happens next is a great lesson for us, ladies. Rather than dwell upon the injustice of his situation, diving into the depths of depression and distress, Joseph continued to show responsibility and initiative to the degree that he found favor in the eyes of the prison warden.
So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there. The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s care, because the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did. Genesis 39:22-23
Our Story
Girlfriends, when we keep our eyes on the Lord, our hands can produce and our hearts heal in the harshest settings. Can you think of a time when you felt imprisoned, rightly or wrongly? Were you able to move forward or did you languish? Maybe, just maybe, you feel like that time is right now. You feel trapped, burdened, unsure of the future. If so, I encourage you to hold tight to Jesus and know He is working through what seems dark and impossible to you. Our plans may be thwarted by this world, but God's plan is unstoppable and intentional. Trust that your story is an intricate part of His grand plan. Be inspired by Joseph's story.
Joseph's Story
The rest of Joseph's story is saturated with events, emotions, and elaborations which lead to a grand unveiling of God's greater purpose. My intention is to summarize for you, hopefully whetting your appetite and desire to know Him more.
When two full years had passed, Pharaoh had a dream (Gen 41:1)...He fell asleep again and had a second dream (Gen 41:5)...Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream, and no one can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.” “I cannot do it,” Joseph replied to Pharaoh, “but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires.”(Gen 41:15-16)...Seven years of great abundance are coming throughout the land of Egypt, but seven years of famine will follow them.(Gen 41:29)...Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you. You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people are to submit to your orders. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you.” (Gen 41:39-40)...Joseph stored up huge quantities of grain, like the sand of the sea; it was so much that he stopped keeping records because it was beyond measure.(Gen 41:49)...And all the world came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph, because the famine was severe everywhere.(Gen 41:57)
Girlfriends, you and I both know that Joseph's brothers lived out there in "all the world" and, of course, their father sent them to Egypt for grain during the famine. Here is where the story gets really intense, and truly I hope you will read all of the dramatic details. For my purposes here, though, I just want to state that Joseph's boyhood dreams had indeed come true. His brothers were bowing before him, seeking his assistance. Joseph was vindicated and could easily have been cruel, vindictive, and harsh. After reading the chapters, you can judge for yourselves to what degree he responded. I choose to focus on his ultimate revelation of himself and the grace he offers his brothers, granting them peace from their tormented consciences. Joseph recognizes the Lord's hand in the entire sequence of events which led to this moment and acknowledges God before his family.
Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come close to me.” When they had done so, he said, “I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt! And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. (Gen 45:4-5)
But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance. “So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. (Gen 45:7-8a)
Our Story
Ladies, to borrow a phrase, let you who have ears hear this message: What was intended for evil, God intended for good!! (Genesis 50:20) Sometimes, when we are in the middle of a supremely difficult situation, our eyes can only see the evil, or the negative side. We are blind to the positive, unable to see any possible way God could use this apparent catastrophe for good. Giving up sounds glorious--sitting down and crying, even more appealing. Thoughts of revenge, well, we will not even go there.
Now, I am not saying that Joseph was not intensely angry, and rightly so. Nor do I assert that he did not shed a few tears down in the well, on the journey to Egypt, or even in his prison cell; however, at some point, he turned off the faucet of self-pity and tapped into God's pipeline of power and potential. He persevered. He produced. And in the end, he, his family, and the Jewish people, prospered. What a story! And guess what, Joseph does not own exclusive rights to it. This story can be yours too if you will claim it. Take whatever circumstances in which you find yourself and apply the P's: Persevere. Produce. Prosper.
For this, Girlfriends, I pray for you.
May the Peace and Power of Christ be with you today.
