I have started a reading plan to read the Bible all the way through in a year again. I have already done this once, and it really changed my life. Right now I am in Genesis, and I have been reading the story of Joseph this week. If you haven’t ever really read his story, I advise you to do so as it will open your eyes and hopefully encourage you the way it has me.
You see, Joseph was his father’s favorite child. Now I know we all claim that we are our parent’s favorite, but Joseph knew it and his father didn’t hide it either. His father even went as far as having a special coat of many colors made especially for Joseph to signify how special he was.
Joseph was also given the gift to interpret dreams by God. Now Joseph didn’t really handle this gift with the greatest of humility in his early years, at least not from what I gathered from scripture as his brothers were often offended with his interpretations of his dreams. There was such animosity between them that his brothers plotted to kill him one day when he was coming to visit them in the field. Thankfully, one of the older brothers had the courage to stand up to them and said, “let’s just throw him in this pit”, and planned on coming back to rescue him later. So they did just that; they threw Joseph into the pit, and then sold him into slavery. They then took it a step further and tore his precious coat and covered it in animal blood and took it to their father and said, “look what we found? Doesn’t this belong to your son?” Like they didn’t know. So now they have kidnapped their brother, thrown him into a pit, sold him into slavery, and to top it all off they faked his death and let their father grieve over this loss. (Sounds like a great group of guys!)
Joseph’s story doesn’t end there, but seriously, how much worse could it get? Right? Well, don’t you know you should NEVER ask that question? So here is the rest of the story.
Joseph was taken to Egypt and was sold to Potiphar, who was one of Pharaoh’s officials (a Pharaoh is a King). Potiphar saw that the Lord was with him and Joseph found favor in his eyes because of this. For this reason, Potiphar put Joseph in charge of his household.
Talk about a drastic change of events for Joseph. He thought he was dead, and now he is given a place of power! Things are looking up….or were they?
The story goes on to say that Potiphar’s wife wanted Joseph to sleep with her, and Joseph refused because of who he was, so Potiphar’s wife accused him and had him thrown in jail. While in prison Joseph used his unique talent of interpreting dreams to help out a couple of guys he was cell mates with, a baker and a cupbearer. The baker’s dream did not have a great interpretation and he died, but the cupbearer was pulled out of prison and restored to his position. Joseph asked him to remember him when he was released…and he did, but it wasn’t as quickly has one had hoped.
Now after some time had passed Pharaoh was having a recurring dream and none of his hired wise men could help him. Joseph’s cell mate, who was the cupbearer, finally remembered Joseph and told Pharaoh about him. Pharaoh had him brought out of prison, Joseph interpreted the dream, and Pharaoh put in charge of the whole land of Egypt!
Okay, that is a real quick summary of Joseph. But it’s enough to get my point across. Joseph faced some serious life altering challenges. Some of us would even say, faith shattering. I’m not sure how I would feel or how much faith I would have if my brother threw me into a pit with the intent on killing me, only to sell me into slavery because of convenience, and then be thrown into prison because of someone else’s lie. But “the Lord was with him”. That verse jumped off the page at me.
As I was talking to my husband this morning about our current situation, I told him that it must have been a great comfort to Joseph to know that God was with him…then I realized, I know that God is with us in our current situation. I see God’s fingerprints all over it and that is the only reason I have the peace that I have. Yes I have questions, but I am at peace.
Joseph’s story didn’t end there, many years later his brothers had to come to him to get help because there was a great famine in the land, only they didn’t know who he was. When the truth finally came out, they were afraid, in fact the scriptures say, “they were terrified”. Joseph said something that really opened my eyes and caused me to pause. ” Genesis 45:5 “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.”
Did anyone just say, “wow”? Because I did! Can you imagine having that kind of faith? When you KNOW that you KNOW that you KNOW that the reason you went through what you went through was to save lives and that God sent him ahead of them to save them, that is a really strong faith.
As I look back over my trials and struggles and storms and I see where God was, even when I wasn’t looking, I’m still not sure why I went through all that I did. I do know He was there. I know that He is with me now in my current trial. But to have the faith and presence of mind to know that it was because God sent you there, that is some kind of faith.
God allowed Joseph to go through what he went through so that he could save lives. He pulled him from the pit that he was thrown and in placed in a position of power. I know that God has pulled me from my pit, and while I don’t crave nor do I want any position of power, I do pray that he places me in a position to save others. What a joy to know that God is with me and has been with me since the beginning, and will continue to be with me till the end. I pray that you will allow God to pull you out of your pit and place you into a position of power.
Life on E Street 